OVERVIEW
Reporting to the General Counsel, the Senior Manager, Governance, Risk & Compliance (GRC) is responsible for leading and advancing the organization's governance, risk management, compliance, business continuity, incident management processes, and corporate policies. This role provides strategic leadership in establishing and maintaining an integrated GRC framework that supports effective governance, regulatory compliance, sound internal controls, and informed decision-making. Working closely with senior leadership and key stakeholders, this individual will promote a culture of accountability, ethical conduct, risk awareness, and continuous improvement across the organization.
RESPONSIBILITIES
Governance
- Continue to develop, refine and continuously improve the organization's Risk & Compliance framework.
- Ensure adherence to governance structures, standards, processes, and reporting mechanisms that support effective organizational oversight and decision-making.
- Oversee corporate policy and procedure governance, including policy development, review cycles, approval processes, ownership, and compliance monitoring as required.
- Coordinate governance and/or risk reporting and presentations for senior leadership, committees, and the Board of Directors.
- Oversee regulatory and governmental filings and/or statutory filings in accordance with regulatory and organizational requirements.
- Provide strategic advice and recommendations to the General Counsel and senior leadership on governance, risk, compliance, regulatory, and organizational resilience matters.
Risk Management
- Assist Internal Audit with the risk management program, including risk identification, assessment, prioritization, mitigation planning, monitoring, and reporting, with the possibility of leading risk management in 2027, which would include, for example, the following responsibilities:
- Develop and maintain highly accurate and automated risk registers, risk assessment methodologies, heat maps, dashboards, and reporting tools.
- Support the development and ongoing review of organizational risk appetite, risk tolerance, and risk reporting frameworks.
- Establish key risk indicators (KRIs) and detailed reporting mechanisms to monitor emerging and existing risks.
- Partner with leaders across the organization to identify operational, financial, regulatory, technology, privacy, and reputational risks.
- Facilitate regular risk assessments and support leadership in developing mitigation and action plans.
- Monitor emerging regulatory, operational, and sector-related risks and provide recommendations to leadership and/or the Board & Audit Committee as requested.
Compliance
- Develop and maintain a corporate compliance program that supports adherence to applicable federal, provincial, and industry requirements and assist with the development and review of internal corporate policy processes.
- Oversee responses to regulatory inquiries, inspections, audits, governmental requests, and Freedom of Information (FOI) requests as requested.
- Develop compliance dashboards and reporting metrics to monitor performance, trends, and areas of risk for the Legal department.
- Support producer compliance monitoring and reporting activities, where applicable.
Business Continuity & Incident Management
- Lead the ongoing maintenance and enhancement of the Business Continuity Plan (BCP) and Incident Management Program and Process.
- Coordinate business continuity exercises, testing activities, lessons learned reviews, and improvement initiatives with various functional areas including Corporate Affairs and IT.
- Oversee incident reporting, escalation, investigation, root cause analysis, and action tracking processes.
- Promote organizational resilience through preparedness planning and stakeholder engagement.
- Disseminate pertinent information to the executive leadership team and/or Board as required.
Legal Operations, Technology & Process Improvement
- Lead legal operations and continuous improvement initiatives that enhance the efficiency, effectiveness, and scalability of Legal and Compliance functions.
- Drive automation initiatives and identify opportunities to enhance reporting, compliance monitoring, regulatory tracking, workflow management, performance measurement, and stakeholder service delivery through technology-enabled solutions.
- Design and implement databases, dashboards, reporting frameworks, workflow tools, and process controls that support Legal operations.
- Support the Legal department team members with the implementation, administration, and optimization of legal and compliance technology platforms, including contract lifecycle management (CLM), workflow tools, document repositories, and reporting systems.
- Develop and maintain departmental service metrics, dashboards, and reporting that measure operational performance, process effectiveness, and strategic outcomes for the team.
- Act as the central coordinator for cross-functional initiatives involving Legal, Compliance, Risk, Privacy, and Corporate Services functions, ensuring priorities, deadlines, and deliverables remain aligned.
- Identify opportunities to improve operational efficiency through data analytics, automation, standardization, and process redesign.
Training, Stakeholder Engagement & Business Partnerships
- Lead the development and delivery of governance, risk, compliance, privacy, ethics, business continuity, and incident management training programs across the organization.
- Promote a culture of accountability, ethical conduct, regulatory compliance, and proactive risk management through awareness campaigns, workshops, and stakeholder engagement activities.
- Develop and maintain strong business partner relationships across departments, acting as a trusted advisor on governance, compliance, risk, and operational matters.
- Collaborate with leaders and functional teams to embed governance, compliance, and risk management practices into business processes and decision-making.
- Deliver relevant training and measure program effectiveness.
- Support business continuity and incident management preparedness initiatives through tabletop exercises, simulations, and training activities.
- Champion organizational change by influencing stakeholders and fostering strong engagement in risk and compliance initiatives.
- Serve as the primary point of contact for regulatory agencies and external stakeholders regarding compliance inquiries, inspections, and reporting requirements.
Performance Management & Financial Oversight
- Develop and monitor KPIs and KRIs that measure program effectiveness, compliance performance, risk exposure, operational efficiency, and stakeholder engagement.
- Prepare executive-level presentations, dashboards, reports, and Board materials as requested by the General Counsel.
- Assist with departmental budget planning, forecasting, tracking, and reporting for the Legal department.
QUALIFICATIONS
Education
- Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Risk Management, Public Policy, Finance, Economics, Law, or a related discipline.
- MBA is strongly preferred, particularly for candidates bringing a strategic business perspective to risk and compliance within complex organizations.
- Professional certifications such as CCEP, CRMP, CRM, CBCP, PMP, CIPP/C, CAMS, or other recognized risk and compliance designations are highly desirable.
Experience
- Minimum of 7-10 years of progressive experience leading corporate compliance, risk management, governance, business continuity, internal audit, regulatory affairs, or related functions within highly regulated or complex organizations.
- Experience managing regulatory filings, government reporting obligations, and compliance documentation.
- Well-versed in corporate compliance, demonstrating a deep understanding of regulatory environments and risk management.
- Experience working within producer responsibility organizations (PROs), environmental stewardship programs, regulated industries, public sector organizations, financial services, or similarly compliance-driven environments is considered an asset.
- Proven success implementing process improvements and automation initiatives, including macros, workflow efficiencies, and technology-enabled solutions.
- Proficiency with business applications and reporting tools, including JIRA, Microsoft Office Suite, workflow management platforms, document management systems, and data analysis or dashboarding tools.
- Skilled in developing executive presentations, Board materials, dashboards, KPIs, and business reporting.
- Advanced project management knowledge.
- Demonstrates exceptional oral and written communication, analytical problem-solving, decision-making, time management, and organizational skills with a keen attention to detail.
- Experience managing departmental budgets, financial tracking, and resource planning.
Knowledge/Competencies/Skills
- Strong knowledge of Governance, Risk & Compliance (GRC) principles, frameworks, and best practices, with the ability to interpret and operationalize regulatory requirements.
- Advanced business acumen, with the ability to balance regulatory, operational, and strategic considerations.
- Knowledge of business continuity planning, incident management processes, policy drafting, and regulatory compliance practices.
- Strong communication, presentation, and facilitation skills, capable of conveying complex governance, risk, and compliance matters clearly to executives, employees, Board members, and external stakeholders.
- Demonstrated ability to leverage technology, automation, data analytics, and reporting tools to enhance governance, risk, compliance, and operational effectiveness.
- Experience preparing and presenting executive-level reports, dashboards, and Board materials.
- Excellent analytical and problem-solving abilities, with keen attention to detail and a commitment to maintaining the highest ethical standards.
- Highly proactive and self-directed, with demonstrated ability to influence cross-functional stakeholders, manage competing priorities, and advance organizational change with minimal oversight.
- Pragmatic and diligent, with the ability to handle time pressure and competing priorities in a fast-paced environment.
WORKING CONDITIONS
- All CM employees work approximately 40 hours per week, remotely from a Canadian home office environment.
- Occasional travel within Canada may be required to support business meetings, governance activities, stakeholder engagement, or industry events.
PAY TRANSPARENCY
Expected Compensation:
- An annual base salary in the range of $110,000 to $140,000
- The salary range listed complies with the Ontario Employment Standards Act and reflects a potential base salary range for this role. The actual salary offered will be determined within the range, and will depend on factors, such as the candidate’s unique qualifications, relevant experience, work location and expected contributions.
Job Vacancy Reason
- This position is a replacement role.
Artificial Intelligence
- AI is not used during our hiring processes.
Applicant and Interviewee Communication
- We thank all applicants for their interest. However, only those under consideration will be contacted.
- Applicants who have been interviewed will be informed whether a hiring decision has been made within 45 days of their final interview.
Record Retention
- Job posting records and associated application forms will be retained for at least three years.
ABOUT CIRCULAR MATERIALS
Circular Materials is a national not-for-profit producer responsibility organization (PRO) that supports producers in meeting their extended producer responsibility (EPR) obligations across Canada. Created by producers for producers, we design, , and deliver effective recycling programs that drive advance innovation, improve environmental outcomes and create value across the recycling supply chain.
Through full-service program delivery, including collection, management, promotion, education, and reporting, we are advancing systems where more materials are recycled and returned to producers for use in new packaging and products.
Learn more at circularmaterials.ca.
Circular Materials is an equal opportunity employer, committed to building a workforce that reflects diversity of thought, skills, experiences, and backgrounds as we work together to accelerate a circular economy for people and the planet.
Our inclusive hiring practices aim to foster a culture where all employees feel a strong sense of belonging. We are proud of our recent diversity survey results which showed that:
- 54% of Circular Materials employees identify as women.
- 50% of Circular Materials employees identify as visible minorities.
- 90% of employees believe Circular Materials fosters a strong sense of belonging for employees of all backgrounds.
- 86% of employees recommend Circular Materials as an inclusive workplace.
We welcome applications from candidates of all backgrounds, including Indigenous Peoples (First Nations, Inuit, and Métis), persons with disabilities, racialized individuals, and members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. Circular Materials is committed to reconciliation and to advancing Indigenous representation and partnerships across our organization and programs. We recognize that we operate on the traditional territories of diverse Indigenous Nations, and are dedicated to respecting Indigenous rights, governance, and contributions in our work and communities.
Circular Materials supports reasonable requests for accommodation in accordance with all applicable provincial accessibility standards. Requests for accommodation will be provided by Circular Materials through the recruitment and/or assessment processes, upon contacting [email protected]. This email is only used for accommodation requests.
