Officer, Programs Outreach

The Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) is the national voice of municipal governments, representing the interests of cities and communities with the federal government.

Position Officer, Programs Outreach Department Growth & Development - Green Municipal Fund (GMF) - Client & Funding Services Classification Level 4 Salary

Our salaries generally range from $66,990 - $75,110, and are based on qualifications and experience

Languages English required; French an asset Term 12-month term, Full-time Location Hybrid (Ottawa)

Why GMF is the place for you

At GMF, we empower our people to create change where it has the most impact – municipalities. GMF is a $1.6 billion permanent endowment from the Government of Canada, managed at arm's length, making it nimble and available for higher-risk, higher-impact initiatives. A further $530M investment into GMF to support the National Adaptation Strategy was announced in November 2022. Our team is committed to helping local governments switch to sustainable practices faster. GMF is the cornerstone program of the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM).

Our unique mix of funding, resources, and training gives municipalities the tools they need to build resiliency — and create better lives for Canadians. Through GMF, municipalities have reduced carbon emissions; built better transportation assets; constructed efficient and resilient buildings; diverted waste from landfill; made previously unusable land available for development; and improved soil and water quality.

You in this role

As a member of the Funding Services unit of the Green Municipal Fund (GMF) team, the Outreach Officer supports FCM’s overall mandate as a national municipal association and promotes the adoption of local sustainability practices. The officer participates in FCM Programs’ efforts to identify, attract, and develop the best municipal sustainable projects and contribute to meeting GMF, funding targets.

The Outreach Officer is the first point of contact for clients wanting to apply to FCM programs. The officer provides assistance and guidance to applicants on eligibility and process, while providing superior client service. As such, the officer is an effective communicator who enjoys interacting frequently with clients to identify and define needs as well as make connections for FCMs Programs funding and knowledge products. The officer has a comprehensive understanding of the current and developing Program offers (funding and knowledge) and can advise clients towards the best course of action to improve their individual initiatives.

Through these activities, the officer contributes to FCM’s reputation by professionally representing the organization through their interactions with stakeholders.

The work at FCM includes FCM becoming an even more member-driven organization that balances the realization of its goals with a people-centered approach. The incumbent embodies FCM’s commitment to being a healthy, diverse, inclusive, and anti-racist organization. As a member of the team, the Officer, Programs Outreach works in a manner that embraces these values, the corporate culture and the passion for FCM’s mandate.

What you’ll be doing

External (80%)

• Acts as the first point of client contact, generally by phone or e-mail or teams meeting , on a portfolio of leads, responsible for internal and external communications, document review, keeping accurate and up to date records.
• Conducts initial scoping discussions to determine if applicant can start the process of preparing a pre-application.
• Approves or denies pre-application to determine if applicant can move forward to full application while ensuring adherence to eligibility criteria and mandatory requirements.
• Provides assistance and guidance to applicants when filling out full application with a view to improving technical and economical viability and increasing the possibility of funding, which includes sharing relevant knowledge products and capacity building resources, and providing information of importance to finalizing applications and better project value.
• Supports the applicant to build a solid budget that will ensure better chance for the success funding of their project.
• Develops and delivers effective presentations to various sized groups and adapts materials to those audiences accordingly.
• Participates as required in cross-functional team project work for GMF, FCM Programs department or in FCM-wide initiatives.
• Contributes to ongoing process improvements with a focus on improving client service.
• Remains abreast of innovative trends and developments and informs relevant staff accordingly.
• Understanding of all GMF offers to direct applicants to the right resources even if not related to the officers program area.
• Communicates and promote Programs through social media tools.
• Data-mines news aggregators to identify potential leads.
  
  

Internal (20%)

• Maintains accurate records of leads and opportunities , calls, meetings, presentations and follow-ups through the Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system in order to ensure proper forecasting of potential applications.
• Consult with internal environment performance specialist to review pre-application.
• Participates in development and implementation of tools and processes that best meet market needs to effectively achieve programs business goals and priorities.
• Stay abreast of sector events and analyze event opportunities to determine which ones will generate greatest return on investment.
• Consults with sector leads and funding team to provide more feedback to applicants to enhance their application.
• Establish a warm handoff of files at full application to funding team to ensure a smooth transition for applicant in the overall application process.
  
  

Your skills make us better

Education

You bring:

• Post-secondary degree or diploma in engineering, project management, environment, business , politics
  
  

Experience

• 3-5 years of professional experience with direct client communications or community engagement
• Experience working in some of these sectors energy efficiency or retrofits, transit, organics waste to energy, community energy systems , waste, land use
• Experience in building networks and partnerships
• Experience in municipal or environmental field an asset
  
  

Competencies

• Excellent client service orientation
• Strong written and oral communication skills
• Innovative, strategic thinker with proven initiative
• Strong political acumen
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team
• Ability to work in English, French an asset
• Strong judgment and people skills
• Highly flexible and adaptable
  
  

Why working here rocks

We Prioritize Work-life Balance With Our Flexible Model

• When we say flexible work model, we mean that in collaboration with your manager and based on what your team needs, you have the flexibility to determine when you work so that you can enjoy a healthy balance between work and personal demands.
• While you do need to live in Canada for this role, you can primarily work from home. Travel may be required to Head Office in Ottawa periodically. The majority of the GMF team operates from the National Capital Region.
• We do like to visit the areas we are impacting and it allows us to see unique and wonderful parts of our country. You may find yourself traveling nationally 10-15% of the time.
  
  

We don’t just talk about employee wellness, we live it:

• Summer hours between July 1 and Labour Day:
• 7-hour workdays rather than 7.5
• Every Friday off in the summer
• Flexible work arrangements to support productivity and well-being
• Commitment to employee development
• Competitive range of employee benefits and services
• Office facilities located in the Byward Market and Ottawa’s downtown core
  

We’re committed to fostering an organizational culture that embraces equity, diversity, inclusion and belonging, where individuals from diverse racial and ethnic identities, nationalities, social economic status, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression and physical and mental abilities can thrive and be fully engaged at their best level.

We welcome and encourage applications from people with disabilities. Accommodations are available on request for candidates taking part in all aspects of the recruitment and selection process.

How To Apply

If this role speaks to you and the impact you want to make, we’d love to hear from you! Apply today.

The deadline to apply is May 18th, 2025, or until the position is filled.

The future of work at FCM includes a hybrid work model; therefore, this role will be a combination of virtual and on-site work. The successful candidate is required to live within 80 km of downtown Ottawa and be authorized to work in Canada.

For additional information on this posting, or for further information on FCM, access our website at www.fcm.ca. Learn more about the Green Municipal Fund at https://greenmunicipalfund.ca/