Position: Director, Finance & Enterprise Services Reports to: CEO & Priory Secretary Location: National Office - Ottawa, ON Direct Reports: 2 (8 staff in total) Status: Full-time, permanent position
About St. John Ambulance St. John Ambulance (SJA) is a charitable organization with deep roots in Canada and a proud global heritage. Operating in Canada since 1883, SJA forms part of an international federation of charitable organizations affiliated with the Order of St. John, one of the world’s oldest humanitarian institutions. The Order conducts charitable work in over 40 countries worldwide, united by a shared commitment to serving humanity and improving the health, safety, and quality of life of individuals and communities.
In Canada, the Order of St. John is formally recognized as a national Order within the Canadian Honours System and is administered through the Priory of Canada. The Priory of Canada is a federated organization, bringing together the National Office and independent, incorporated Councils representing St. John Ambulance in each province and territory.
These Councils are the heart of SJA’s operations, responsible for delivering on-the-ground community programs, first aid and CPR training, and volunteer-based health and safety initiatives. While each Council operates independently as a registered charitable entity, all work collaboratively further to shared values, standards, and strategic leadership. Together, this federation embodies a unified mission, to serve communities across Canada with compassion, skill, and integrity.
Across Canada, St. John Ambulance is powered by a passionate network of over 10,000 volunteers, thousands of members of the Order, and approximately 400 employees. Together, they deliver essential training, provide first aid at community events, support disaster response efforts, and contribute countless hours to improving public safety.
The Role The Director, Finance & Enterprise Services is the senior leader responsible for the financial integrity, operational infrastructure, and enterprise-level systems at the National Office that support St. John Ambulance across Canada. They will act as a unifying force across independent Councils with differing levels of sophistication and capacity.
This role functions as the CEO’s primary internal business partner on financial and enterprise matters, providing high-quality analysis and insight to support senior-level decision-making. This role will combine rigorous financial leadership with oversight of national enterprise services - Finance, IT, HR, and Risk - to ensure the organization is resilient, transparent, and fit for the future. Your mandate is to evolve the National Office into a trusted shared services hub that strengthens the federation as a whole.
Key Responsibilities:
1. Financial Leadership & Strategic Insight
• Lead all national finance functions, including accounting, budgeting, audit, and reporting, ensuring the integrity of the Priory’s charitable and restricted funds. • Serve as a strategic advisor to the CEO and Priory Council, translating financial information into clear insights that support decision-making and mission impact. • Oversee investment activities, ensuring financial sustainability aligned with the values and long-term interests of the Order.
2. Enterprise Services & Systems
• Provide executive oversight of national IT systems and vendors, ensuring platforms (e.g., CRM, LMS, and data systems) are secure, reliable, and delivering tangible value to Councils. • Oversee national HR frameworks and policies, supporting a high-performing National Office and enabling consistent, high-quality people practices. • Ensure strong data governance, privacy, and cybersecurity practices, protecting volunteers, staff, and organizational reputation.
3. Risk, Insurance & Organizational Resilience
• Lead the enterprise risk management framework, acting as an early warning system for financial, operational, and reputational risks. • Manage the national insurance portfolio, ensuring appropriate coverage for a complex, volunteer-driven organization operating across jurisdictions. • Ensure compliance with regulatory, legal, and ethical obligations at the national level.
• Identify opportunities to standardize or centralize administrative services where it creates value, reduces duplication, or lowers costs for Councils. • Build high-trust, collaborative relationships with Council CEOs and senior leaders, ensuring National Office services are experienced as supportive and value-adding. • Lead through influence, credibility, and consensus rather than formal authority.
Success Markers (12–24 Months) • Be viewed as a trusted, low-ego, high-rigor partner • Improve the quality, clarity, and usefulness of financial and enterprise reporting to the CEO and Councils • Stabilize and professionalize national IT and risk oversight without centralizing unnecessarily • Increase Councils’ trust in national shared services • Reduce friction, duplication, or ambiguity in enterprise-level functions
The Ideal Candidate Credentials & Experience: • CPA designation required. • 7–10+ years of progressive leadership experience in finance, ideally within a federated, multi-entity, or complex non-profit organization.
Mindset & Capability: • A strategic generalist with strong financial depth - comfortable moving from audit and investment discussions to IT risk, HR policy, or systems integration. • A natural business partner who enjoys analysis, problem-solving, and helping leaders make informed decisions. • Skilled at navigating complexity and ambiguity without defaulting to hierarchy or control.
Leadership Style: • Collaborative, diplomatic, and credible. • Able to build alignment across independent stakeholders with differing priorities. • Motivated by purpose, service, and long-term institutional health.
Assets: • Bilingualism (French/English)
Salary range is commensurate with experience plus comprehensive health benefits, company pension and four weeks of vacation. Overtime and schedule flexibility may be required depending on the work schedule.
SJA welcomes diversity in our organization and qualified applicants of all backgrounds are encouraged to apply.
Our organization follows a hybrid work structure where employees can work remotely or from the office, as needed, based on demands of specific tasks or personal work preferences.
This posting is for an existing vacancy. We are actively seeking to fill this permanent, full-time position and an appointment will be made as soon as possible. Applications will be reviewed upon receipt.
Please send applications to info@sja.ca. We thank all candidates for their interest, however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted.
