Hughes Collective is pleased to present an exciting opportunity on behalf of our client.

Role: Director, Strategic Initiatives

Location: Vancouver, BC or Saskatoon, SK (Hybrid)

Reporting to: VP, Operations

Our Client

Our client is a not-for-profit organization responsible for delivering British Columbia & Saskatchewan’s province-wide household packaging and paper recycling program. The work is carried out in collaboration with local governments, First Nations, and Métis communities, private companies and other organizations to collect these materials and work with businesses and organizations to receive, sort, and recycle, so that all packaging and paper can become new materials. Behind the program is a dedicated team known for being collaborative, approachable, and invested in the work.  

British Columbia’s recycling system is one of the most established extended producer responsibility programs in North America. As the organization continues to advance this work in British Columbia, it is also expanding its operational responsibilities as Saskatchewan transitions to a full extended producer responsibility model. With programs now operating across two provinces, the organization is entering an important phase of growth and development.

The Opportunity

This newly created leadership role focuses on the strategic initiatives that sit outside the day-to-day work of program operations. These initiatives often span multiple departments and external partners and require clear leadership from early concept through feasibility, planning, and implementation.

As Director, Strategic Initiatives, you will advance key priorities across the British Columbia and Saskatchewan programs. The work ranges from operational improvements and service transitions to initiatives that strengthen how recycling programs are delivered across both provinces.

You will identify opportunities, bring the right teams together, and lead initiatives through to execution. Some projects will focus on improving operational systems or processes. Others may involve introducing new services or supporting transitions within the recycling network.

This role will appeal to someone who enjoys bringing the right people together, setting direction, and seeing important initiatives through to completion.

Key Responsibilities

As the Director, Strategic Initiatives, you will work collaboratively and are responsible for:

1. Strategic Initiatives

• Identify opportunities that strengthen program performance, operational systems, and stakeholder engagement.
• Lead strategic initiatives from early concept through feasibility, planning, and implementation.
• Work with senior leaders to define objectives, timelines, budgets, and measurable outcomes for each initiative.
• Coordinate cross-functional teams to ensure initiatives progress from planning through to operational delivery.
• Ensure completed initiatives transition smoothly into the appropriate operational teams.

2. Organizational Project Leadership

• Provide leadership for initiatives that require coordination across departments or external partners.
• Bring together internal teams, subject matter experts, and stakeholders to address operational challenges or new opportunities.
• Maintain progress on initiatives involving multiple teams, ensuring clear direction, accountability, and consistent follow-through.

3. Transition & Network Management

• Support the transition of service providers across collection, post-collection, and other operational services.
• Coordinate with internal teams and external partners to ensure transitions are planned carefully and implemented with minimal disruption.
• Collaborate with governance, procurement, and risk teams to support procurement processes and service agreements aligned with organizational priorities.

4. Leadership & Organizational Support

• Provide direction and support to the Strategic Initiatives team and ensure alignment with organizational priorities.
• Support operational planning, budgeting, and cost analysis activities that support long-term program performance.
• Provide strategic insight and operational guidance on initiatives that strengthen recycling program delivery across both provincial programs.
• Participate in the organization’s annual planning process, including operational planning, budgeting, and strategic priority setting.

Qualifications

As Director, Strategic Initiatives, you will possess the following qualities:

The Essentials (Hard Skills):

• Post-secondary education in business administration, sustainability, engineering, operations, public administration, or a related discipline, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• 7-10 years of progressive experience in strategic planning, program leadership, operational improvement, or business transformation within complex or multi-stakeholder environments.
• Demonstrated experience leading cross-functional initiatives from concept through implementation, including defining scope, coordinating teams, and delivering measurable outcomes.
• Experience working with multiple stakeholders such as service providers, municipalities, regulators, consultants, or industry partners.
• Strong organizational and analytical skills with the ability to assess operational issues, evaluate options, and guide initiatives toward practical solutions.
• Experience managing project budgets, timelines, and performance measures across multiple initiatives.
• Proficiency with common business tools including Microsoft Excel, Word, and PowerPoint for analysis, reporting, and presentation of information.
• Valid driver’s license and willingness to travel periodically within both BC and Saskatchewan.

The Intangibles (Soft Skills):

• A self-directed leader who takes responsibility for initiatives that require coordination across teams and sustained focus through implementation.
• An entrepreneurial mindset with the confidence to pursue new ideas, test approaches, and carry initiatives through when the path is not fully defined.
• Comfortable working in environments where priorities evolve and initiatives require coordination across multiple teams.
• Strong communicator who can engage technical teams, operational staff, and senior leaders while keeping initiatives moving forward.
• Practical and solutions-oriented, with the ability to bring structure and direction to initiatives that begin as early-stage ideas.
• Collaborative and approachable, with the ability to build working relationships across teams and organizations.
• Comfortable balancing strategic thinking with hands-on execution when initiatives require it.

What Our Client Offers

• Competitive Salary – A strong leadership salary aligned with the scope and responsibility of this role.
• Flexible Work Environment – A hybrid work model that balances remote work, in-office collaboration, and time spent supporting teams and projects across the network.
• Health & Wellness Support – Comprehensive health benefits program, wellness allowance, and flexible health spending account.
• Professional Development – Access to a professional development allowance to support continued learning and growth.
• Collaborative Culture – A respectful, approachable workplace where people work across teams, share ideas freely, and support one another.
• New Role, Growing Program – This is a newly created leadership position within an expanding program that continues to evolve across British Columbia and Saskatchewan.

About the Collective

At Hughes Collective, we don’t just recruit, we revolutionize how talent meets opportunity. We’re not in the business of filling roles; we’re in the business of transforming careers and powering businesses with bold, game-changing hires.

For candidates, this isn’t just about your next job, it’s about uncovering your passions, amplifying your strengths, and unlocking your potential. We’re here to connect you to a career that excites, inspires, and fuels your future.

This isn’t recruitment as usual, this is Hughes Collective. Bold. Authentic. Unapologetically different. Your next move starts here.