Vice President, Digital & Information Technology

Note: This is an external partner search, please see application details at the bottom of this posting.

About Alberta Cancer Foundation

For over 40 years, the Alberta Cancer Foundation (the Foundation) has acted as a beacon of hope by empowering and 
uniting Albertans around a common purpose, investing in the future of cancer research and care, and 
ensuring no Albertan facing cancer walks alone.
 
As the fundraising partner for every cancer centre in the province, the Foundation is the 
largest provincially based health care foundation and the largest non-government investor in cancer 
research in Alberta. To date, we have invested more than $500 million into the health care system.
Fueled by the generosity of donors across the province, these investments are driving innovation, 
transforming care and improving outcomes for generations to come.

With a team of over 70 employees, the Foundation fosters high engagement through a 
purpose-driven culture that values compassion, innovation and diversity. The collective actions of the 
team play a pivotal role in improving the cancer journeys and outcomes for thousands of people every 
day and a recent engagement survey showed that 100% of employees are proud to work at the 
organization. 

The Opportunity

The Foundation's technology environment is at an inflection point having been shaped by a long-standing 
relationship with Health Shared Services (and previously Alberta Health Services), which currently 
provides foundational IT infrastructure including network services, devices, identity management, 
and the Microsoft 365 environment. An early mandate for the incoming VP will be to assess the 
current infrastructure through the lens of being able to fully leverage modern tools to drive the 
organization forward.

The Foundation has made significant deliberate and forward-looking investments in its core systems
(Salesforce CRM and Sage Intacct for financial management) both running as cloud-based
platforms. These systems hold the Foundation's donor, campaign, and financial data and place the 
organization in a more advanced position than many peers. The next step that needs to happen is 
the full activation of that investment. 

At the same time, the Foundation's fundraising ambitions are growing, and the pace of philanthropy is 
accelerating. The organization is generating data and insights through Salesforce and Sage Intacct
but needs to connect that intelligence effectively with donor-facing areas of the organization. From
donor cultivation and one-to-many digital fundraising to prospect research and AI-enabled insights
for frontline fundraisers in the field, the potential upside is significant.

There is also important work already in motion across the organization including technology
projects, platform configurations, vendor relationships, and data initiatives that belong within a
comprehensive digital strategy. A key early contribution of this VP will be to take stock of what 
exists, build on what is working, and weave those efforts into a unified roadmap.

Reporting to the President & CEO (with an initial transitional period reporting to the CFO), the newly
created VP, Digital & Information Technology will join the Foundation’s already high-functioning Executive 
Leadership Team. Reporting to the VP Digital and IT will be the Director, Data & Systems (with a
team of 6) and the Senior Manager, Information Management and IT Operations. 

This is a role for a leader who is as comfortable presenting to the Board as they are rolling up their 
sleeves to support the team (i.e. someone who can complement a seasoned executive team, earn
the trust and champion a talented and dedicated technology team, and build a digital roadmap 
that is both ambitious and grounded in an understanding of where the organization actually is 
today).

Key Responsibilities

• Develop and lead the Foundation’s enterprise digital strategy and technology roadmap, aligned to
  fundraising goals, operational needs, and the Foundation’s mission.


• Lead the build and development of an integrated enterprise environment including
  conversations with Health Shared Services and implement the resulting recommendations.


• Lead the strategic assessment of the current IT infrastructure and own the design and
  execution of the resulting action plan.


• Unlock the full value of Salesforce and Sage Intacct investments through integration,
  optimization, data governance, and close collaboration with the philanthropy and finance
  teams.


• Provide strategic and hands-on leadership to the Data & Systems and Information
  Management & IT Operations teams; coach, mentor, and develop team members to
  support career progression and succession planning.


• Build and execute an AI and digital innovation strategy, with an initial focus on fundraising
  effectiveness, donor intelligence, and operational efficiency.


• Lead integration of the technology ecosystem, effectively connecting Salesforce, Sage
  Intacct, Microsoft 365, digital media platforms, and third-party tools into a cohesive, well-governed environment.


• Advance data governance, data quality, and analytics capabilities to improve decision-making and donor insight across the organization.


• Oversee cybersecurity strategy, risk management, and compliance with relevant legislation 
  and regulatory requirements.


• Oversight on budgets, vendor relationships, and technology resources in support of 
  transformation priorities.


• Report to the Board of Trustees on technology strategy, risk, and performance.


• Contribute to the overall strategy and performance as a member of the Executive 
  Leadership Team.


• Promote and champion a digital and data-driven culture across the organization, with a 
  view toward innovation and continuous improvement.


• Monitor and measure outcomes and impact of digital transformation initiatives, sharing 
  results with the leadership team and the Board.


• Ensure compliance with legislation and adherence to the requirements of applicable 
  regulatory bodies.

The Person

• A university degree or diploma from a relevant program, combined with a minimum of 10 
  years of progressive senior leadership experience overseeing digital technology, IT, data 
  management, and/or analytics.


• Experience in fundraising and donor management is strongly preferred; understanding the 
  language, culture, and priorities of a philanthropy organization will accelerate credibility
  and impact. Other highly customer-centric and/or consumer insights experience will be 
  considered.


• Demonstrated experience in change management including leading digital initiatives in a 
  complex, multi-stakeholder environment with a track record of building strategies, earning 
  alignment, and delivering outcomes.


• Operates with a business partner mindset engaging with all functional areas across the 
  organization; comfortable being a working executive: willing to roll up their sleeves, engage 
  directly with data and systems, and lead by example alongside their team.
  Hands-on familiarity with Salesforce (preferably NPSP) CRM, understanding its potential, 
  governance requirements, and how to drive adoption and performance across a fundraising 
  team is an asset.


• Strong executive presence and communication skills, able to translate complex technical 
  concepts for non-technical audiences, hold their own in a room of strong voices, and build 
  trust with peers, CEO and the Board.


• A collaborative, relationship-centered leadership style, someone who listens before they 
  act, builds bridges rather than silos, and knows how to mentor a team that has experienced 
  significant change and is ready to be inspired.


• Genuine comfort with ambiguity and organizational change. The Foundation is a high-growth, mission-driven 
  environment where priorities evolve; resilience, adaptability, and self-awareness are 
  essential. 


• Strong appreciation for and alignment with the Foundation’s mission is vital.

Express Your Interest

Email a cover letter and a tailored resume to Shalini Bhatty or Heather Fookes at [email protected], including the job title in the subject line of the email.

Leaders Executive Search