Director, Strategy and Planning - Toronto, ON

You’ll feel great about a career with March of Dimes Canada

At March of Dimes Canada, our collective work matters. As a leading national charity backed by a history of more than 70 years of impact, we’re dedicated to being Canada’s leading service provider, resource, and advocate, empowering people with disabilities to live and thrive in communities nationwide.

We currently have a 12 month temporary opportunity for a Director, Strategy and Planning.  Reporting to the Vice President, Strategy, Impact & Social Change, the Director, Strategy & Planning plays a central role in helping steer March of Dimes Canada through a period of exciting growth and transformation. This position is responsible for leading enterprise strategic and operational planning and reporting, while leading an emerging strategic foresight discipline intended to strengthen decision-making and enhance long-term organizational future readiness.

The ideal candidate for this position will possess a proven track record in strategic and operational planning, ideally gained through experience in management consulting or corporate strategy roles. Deeply curious and analytical, they can work with a variety of stakeholders to uncover insights, needs and opportunities and translate them into clearly scoped and actionable plans and projects. Strong communication, leadership, and interpersonal skills will be crucial for effectively advising and engaging senior organizational stakeholders, driving consensus, and maximizing integration. Creativity, adaptability and resilience are also key, along with the ability to guide and mentor teams through ambiguity and change.  

Responsibilities

Enterprise Strategic Plan Development, Implementation and Monitoring

• Lead the development of multi-year strategic plans that articulate the organization’s vision, mission, and objectives, informed by emerging trends, plausible future scenarios, and strategic options.
• Conduct and synthesize environmental scans, horizon scanning, and strategic analyses to anticipate external disruptions, emerging risks and opportunities, and longer-term implications for the organization’s operating context.
• Assess internal capabilities and readiness against future-state requirements, identifying strategic gaps and investment priorities.
• Facilitate enterprise and cross-functional strategic planning and foresight sessions to explore future scenarios, test strategic assumptions, prioritize initiatives, and define measurable outcomes and milestones.
• Ensure strategic plans are resilient and adaptive, aligning long-term ambitions with organizational priorities, resource capacity, and financial sustainability.
• Provide strategic counsel, internal consulting, and hands-on support to high-priority, high-complexity initiatives, with an emphasis on future impact, scalability, and system-level outcomes.
• Design and implement integrated monitoring and review mechanisms that combine retrospective performance assessment with forward-looking insights to inform decision-making.

Operational Planning and Execution

• Facilitate the development of enterprise operating plans in collaboration with senior leadership, ensuring strategic objectives are translated into actionable initiatives that also build future capabilities.
• Work with departmental leaders to cascade strategic priorities into operational plans, performance metrics, and leading indicators.
• Monitor, analyze, and report on progress against plan objectives and key milestones, identifying emerging risks, dependencies, and opportunities requiring proactive intervention.
• Use insights from performance data, trend analysis, and lessons learned to continuously refine operational planning processes and improve organizational agility.
• Implement best practices, tools, and process enhancements that strengthen execution discipline while enabling adaptive planning and continuous improvement.

Enterprise Reporting

• Direct and contribute to the development of enterprise-level reporting products for senior executive and governance audiences that integrate retrospective performance reporting with forward-looking analysis and strategic insight.
• Ensure reporting products support informed decision-making by clearly articulating trends, risks, opportunities, and implications for future strategy, including but not limited to:
• Environmental scans and horizon-scanning outputs
• Balanced scorecards incorporating leading and lagging indicators
• Operational and strategic performance dashboards
• Board and Committee updates with strategic implications
• Executive briefing notes that frame issues in terms of future impact and options

General Management

•        Stay abreast of best practices, trends, and developments in the healthcare, charitable and disability sectors, continuously seeking opportunities for organizational improvement and innovation.
• Foster a culture and set of practices that support the respectful engagement and inclusion of persons with disabilities in strategy development, including participatory and co-creative approaches.
• Recruits, manages, motivates and develops the Strategy & Planning team, championing and modelling MODC’s Culture Code and core values of teamwork, accountability and innovation.
• Establishes a culture of continuous learning and development within the team, engaging formal and informal learning opportunities.
• Develops, manages and monitors the Strategy & Planning department operating plan, in alignment with the MODC strategic plan, and reports on key performance indicators as required.
• Prepares and manages departmental budgets.

Qualifications and experience

• Bachelor's degree in a relevant field required; advanced degree is an asset.
• Minimum of 7-10 years of experience in strategic planning, non-profit management, or related field, with a proven track record of success in driving organizational growth and impact.
• Proven experience developing strategic and operational plans aligned to broader organizational objectives and based on quantifiable business goals.
• Strong understanding of program, project and change management principles and practices.
• Knowledge and experience in development and application of strategic foresight methodologies and practices.
• Knowledge and experience in development and application of performance monitoring and reporting methods and tools.
• Strong systems-oriented analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to synthesize complex information and develop actionable recommendations.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to effectively engage and influence diverse stakeholders, notably senior leadership and Boards.
• Proven leadership experience, with the ability to inspire and empower teams to achieve ambitious goals.
• Demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, with a proactive approach to advancing these principles within the organization and beyond.
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, dynamic environment, managing competing priorities and driving results under pressure.

·      Important Details

This position is hybrid – 3 days per week in our National Office located at 99 Duncan Mill Road, Toronto, Ontario

Salary:  $ 142, 762 - $178,452 per annum

How to apply

Please apply with your resume and cover letter by February 8, 2026

Questions about working at March of Dimes Canada?

For general inquiries, you can reach us at talent@marchofdimes.ca

We value the health & safety of our employees 

MODC is committed to ensuring a healthy and safe work environment. We encourage all current and prospective employees to receive Covid-19 vaccinations and booster doses as recommended by Public Health. This reflects our dedication to safeguarding the health and wellbeing of our workforce.

Need accommodations? We're here to help!

MODC is committed to a workforce that is reflective of the diverse populations we serve. We welcome applications from qualified individuals from all backgrounds and abilities. In accordance with accessibility and human rights legislation across Canada, MODC will provide accommodations to job applicants with disabilities and other protected needs. If you require accommodation, please notify us and we will work with you to meet your needs. We are committed to a selection process and work environment that is inclusive, equitable, accessible, and barrier-free.

Our Reconciliation, Equity, Accessibility, Diversity, and Inclusion (READI) approach

MODC is dedicated to building and advancing an inclusive and welcoming culture. It’s also why we’re focused on attracting, retaining, and supporting diverse people. Thanks to our progressive practices, team members of all abilities and backgrounds are encouraged to access the opportunities and supports they need to grow, thrive, and succeed. Our READI approach is rooted in our shared belief that championing equity and empowering ability starts by investing in our team members— and in our shared culture — so that we all feel included, safe, and confident at work every single day.