Job Offer: Program Director

Organization: Canadian Journalism Collective | Collectif canadien de journalisme (CJC-CCJ)
Position Title: Program Director
Reports To: Executive Director
Status: Full-time, permanent
Location: Remote, Canada; on-site office available in Montreal, QC
Start Date: March 2, 2026
Application Deadline: February 6, 2026

THE OPPORTUNITY

The Canadian Journalism Collective | Collectif canadien de journalisme (CJC-CCJ) is at the forefront of an unprecedented moment in Canadian media. The CJC-CCJ was founded by a diverse coalition of news publishers and broadcasters with a mission to foster sustainability, equity, and innovation within Canada’s journalism ecosystem.

The CJC-CCJ is responsible for administering $500 million in funding from Google under the Online News Act. This historically unprecedented Canadian legislation establishes a new model of support for journalism, with $100M being distributed annually across Canada’s news sector over five years. Our overriding objective is to ensure that the Act and its regulations are implemented in a way that supports the full diversity of Canadian media, including traditional print and broadcast organizations, innovative emerging media, and independent local news.

THE ROLE

We are seeking an experienced and highly organized leader with a proven track record of managing programs in mission-driven organizations. The Program Director will oversee the administration of Google funding through the annual Online News Act disbursement and lead the ongoing evolution of the program to meet the needs of both small and large broadcasters and publishers across Canada’s changing media ecosystem, while ensuring full compliance with the Online News Act and its regulations.

The Program Director oversees the verification of news businesses for eligibility and leads the team responsible for reviewing approximately 500 applications each year. The ideal candidate brings exceptional attention to detail, a strong interest in technical systems and processes, and the leadership skills needed to guide the team in continuously improving program delivery.

Strong candidates will have experience running complex programs, familiarity with Salesforce, and comfort engaging in discussions related to public policy and the media sector. They will also be able to translate policy requirements into effective, well-managed, and high-impact programs.

The Canadian Journalism Collective is a bilingual organization, and proficiency in both English and French is preferred. As part of our commitment to equity, we also encourage applications from candidates with strong skills in one official language and proficiency in Indigenous or other languages.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Program Oversight and Strategic Management

• Provide overall leadership and direction for all CJC-CCJ programs and research activities, ensuring alignment with organizational goals, legal requirements, and member expectations.
• Maintain and update program strategies, work plans, timelines, and CJC-CCJ Key Performance Indicators to ensure effective implementation and accountability.
• Monitor program outcomes and prepare reports for senior leadership, funders, partners, and the Board as required.

Program Administration

• Plan, oversee, and manage the verification and administration of funds arising from Google’s settlement under the Online News Act, ensuring fairness, transparency, and compliance with all applicable agreements and regulations.
• Coordinate with CJC-CCJ’s Financial Controller to ensure alignment between the news business verification process and timely disbursement of settlement funds.
• Develop and implement policies, procedures, and eligibility criteria related to CJC-CCJ’s programmatic needs.
  Incorporate evolving best practices and policies to ensure accurate verification of recipients.
• Manage any additional settlements related to the Online News Act or similar frameworks, adapting processes as required.
• Program Development and Implementation
• Plan, design, and manage additional programs implemented by the CJC-CCJ, including funding initiatives, capacity-building efforts, partnerships, and sector-support activities.
• Identify emerging needs and opportunities within the journalism sector and translate them into effective programmatic responses.

Data Analysis

• Develop data collection initiatives related to the journalism sector, including issues such as sustainability, public trust, equity across Canada’s news sector, policy impacts, and industry trends.
• Commission, conduct, or supervise qualitative and quantitative research, including data collection, analysis, and interpretation.
• Translate research findings into reports, policy briefs, presentations, and other materials to inform decision-making, advocacy, and public discourse.
• Use data to support engagement with government, regulators, industry partners, and civil society to advance CJC-CCJ’s policy objectives.
• Represent the organization, as required, in meetings, consultations, panels, and public forums.

Collaboration and Stakeholder Engagement

• Coordinate with internal teams and external partners to ensure program coherence and impact.
• Serve as a subject-matter resource within the organization on programs, research, and sector policy issues.

QUALIFICATIONS AND SKILLS

• Demonstrated experience in program design and management and/or fund distribution
• Excellent analytical, organizational, and communication skills
• Ability to manage complex initiatives involving multiple stakeholders and compliance requirements
• High attention to detail and solutions-oriented approach to problem-solving
• Good understanding of the journalism sector and media policy environment
• Experience with CRM tools such as Salesforce preferred
• Extremely comfortable with tech systems and processes
• Second language proficiency in English or French is an asset
• Second language in an Indigenous or other language is an asset
• Experience engaging with and addressing issues of systemic inequity is an asset

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS

• Salary range: $110,000–$125,000 per year
• Benefits: coverage by CJC-CCJ’s Group Benefits Plan
• Vacation: 2 weeks per year
• Office closure: 2 paid weeks around Christmas and New Years which are not counted towards vacation time

APPLICATION AND RECRUITMENT PROCESS

• Interested candidates may send their resume and cover letter to recruitment@cjc-ccj.ca by February 6, 2026.
• The first round of interview will be conducted by phone and the second will be by video call. They are both expected to be held between February 11 and 20.
• Interviews can be conducted in English or French.
• Reference checks : The top candidates will be contacted to provide names and contact details for 3 references who can speak to their experience, qualifications, and competencies for the role.
• CJC-CCJ sincerely thanks all applicants for your expressed interest in our organization; however, only those applicants selected for an interview will be contacted.