Project Director

Ottawa, ON
$115,000-130,000 per year
Permanent
Full-time

6 days ago

Location: Ottawa, Montreal, Toronto, or Vancouver
Reports to: Co-Directors, Programs (Growth & Quality)
Position type: Permanent, Full-time
Classification: ManagementSalary Range: CAD $115,000 - $130,000 per annumLanguage requirements: English essential, plus fluency in at least one of French or SpanishJob Posting: Internal & ExternalStatus: New PositionABOUT CUSO INTERNATIONALCuso International (Cuso) is a made-in-Canada non-profit organization committed to ending poverty and inequality. Cuso works with local partners around the world to build skills, employment, and entrepreneurship to enable dignified work and resilient livelihoods. It places strong emphasis on gender equality and social inclusion, while integrating environmental sustainability across its programming to ensure long-term impact. Through partnerships, knowledge exchange and volunteer cooperation, Cuso mobilizes global expertise to support locally driven development solutions.Cuso is undergoing a period of renewal and growth. To respond to a rapidly evolving international cooperation landscape, the organization is integrating its program development and implementation functions more closely, strengthening portfolio leadership, and aligning systems for greater impact and scale.WHY JOIN CUSO?

Competitive Compensation and Benefits: Cuso offers competitive compensation, generous benefits, and the opportunity to contribute to meaningful, global programs that make a real impact.
Work-Life Balance: We prioritize flexibility and wellbeing with a hybrid work model (two days per week in-office for Ottawa based employees), remote work options, 4–5 weeks of paid vacation, a paid corporate closure between Christmas and New Year’s, summer hours, and No-Meeting Fridays.
Inclusive Culture: Join a diverse, inclusive workplace that champions employment equity and values a broad range of perspectives, lived experiences, and strengths as key drivers of success.
Wellness Programs: Benefit from wellness initiatives designed to support your whole self, including comprehensive mental health coverage and in-office wellness offerings like Yoga Thursdays.

ABOUT THE ROLEThe Project Director will lead and be accountable for contributing to the growth and diversification of the Cuso’s portfolio, particularly in the areas of livelihoods, inclusive economic development, trade development nexus programming, and Technical and Vocational Education and Training. The Project Director will provide strategic oversight and direction for project delivery, lead high quality proposal development, ensure excellence in project implementation, and contribute to corporate initiatives and thought leadership.A core priority of the Project Director will be to support the expansion of the organization’s work funded by key bilateral/government donors and the private sector partners in the fields of economic resilience, livelihoods and dignified work. The Project Director will lead the preparation of competitive and innovative project proposals, oversee technical and team inputs, and ensure rigorous pre submission quality assurance. The Project Director will also provide leadership for the successful delivery of projects, ensuring compliance with donor, country, and organizational policies and regulations. Responsibilities include managing staff and consultants, overseeing planning and implementation, monitoring and evaluation, financial oversight, and external relationship management.The Project Director is expected to have strong technical understanding of livelihoods, economic development, trade and private sector development, and/or TVET, as well as experience designing, delivering, and adapting such projects in developing country contexts. Familiarity with GAC and other major donor project management tools is essential.Based in Ottawa, Montreal, Toronto, or Vancouver, the Project Director will participate fully in team activities, with the expectation of periodic travel to Cuso’s Headquarters in Ottawa and abroad to support project delivery and project development.KEY RESPONSIBILITIESNote: The role will initially be focused primarily on Program Development, Funding Growth and External Engagement and will gradually shift towards ideally a 50/50 split with Program Management as new programs are added to our portfolio.Program Development, Funding Growth & External Engagement:

Accountable for strengthening Cuso’s program development pipeline and converting opportunities into funded programs
Lead end to end proposal development from conceptualization, technical design, team development, and quality assurance
Clearly and persuasively communicate Cuso’s approach, expertise, and capability in written proposals and oral pitch presentations
Develop and cultivate strong institutional donor and corporate partnerships
Represent Cuso in sector forums, government engagement, and global networks
Ensure visibility of Cuso’s program strengths and thought leadership

Program Delivery, Quality, Accountability & Learning:

Lead and provide strategic direction for the successful delivery of funded programs, ensuring the delivery of expected results and strong relationships with funders, partners and project participants
Provide leadership in and oversee core project management functions including financial management, operations, team leadership, quality assurance, risk management, safeguarding, donor compliance, monitoring, evaluation and learning, and donor and partner relationship management
Proactively monitor implementation of projects and support teams to address operational risks and challenges
Oversee the execution of project budgets, ensuring projects achieve cost recovery requirements and contribute to organizational financial objectives
Operationalize MEAL frameworks across the portfolio, ensuring evidence-based adaptive management and continuous improvements

Leadership and Team Building:

Build a cohesive and high-performing team working on the portfolio
Foster a culture of collaboration, performance, learning, and innovation
Strengthen capacity to develop and manage programs across countries and projects
Line management of staff working within their portfolio of projects and or pursuits
Ensure that staff are accountable for both program development and program delivery outcomes, in line with the integrated program model
Contribute to cross‑portfolio and cross-organizational strategy, planning, and coordination
Support strong collaboration with other parts of the team, as well as Finance, Global Talent, and Engagement teams
Model Cuso’s values of courage, inclusion, sustainability and accountability

QUALIFICATIONS

Minimum 8 years of progressively senior leadership experience in international cooperation, development, or humanitarian programming
Experience designing or delivering large programs and securing institutional funding ($5M+)
Proven experience in partnership development, donor relations, and external engagement
Strong track record building and leading diverse, and high-performing teams
Expertise in program delivery, quality assurance, MEAL, or operational excellence
Demonstrated experience building and overseeing program budgets in compliance with donor requirements
Excellent communication and stakeholder engagement skills
Strong strategic thinking and program design skills
Commitment to gender equality, social justice, and inclusive development
Fluency in English required; plus fluency in at least one of French or Spanish

HOW TO APPLYCuso International is committed to creating and fostering an inclusive culture. We strive to actively celebrate diversity, advance our equitable practices, and drive greater inclusion.Please click the "Apply for This Job" button to submit your application by April 24, 2026, at 11:59 PM (EST). Interested candidates are invited to submit their resume and a cover letter. Please note that a confirmation email will be generated once you submit your application, but it may be directed to your spam or junk folders of your email inbox. Note that only candidates selected for interviews will be contacted.Cuso International is committed to the integrity of our volunteers, interns, staff, managers, board members and subcontractors in preventing sexual violence in the way we operate. This is done through a defined framework, code of conduct, values and guiding principles, as well as Cooperation Canada’s Leaders’ Pledge.Cuso International is an equal opportunity employer and encourage applications from all qualified applicants. Accommodations will be provided at any stages of the hiring process upon request. Thank you for your interest in Cuso International.

Cuso International

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