Partnerships Lead AKA Weaver Bird Architect
Canopy is seeking a Partnerships Lead to lead the organization’s cross-cutting partnership strategy and help translate relationships into meaningful influence, collaboration, and results.
This is a dynamic leadership role for someone who understands how to build strategic alliances that expand capacity, unlock leverage, and accelerate systems change.
This role sits at the intersection of strategy, relationship building, and execution. The Partnerships Lead will work closely with the Executive Director and Head of Impact to shape and advance a partnership strategy that strengthens Canopy’s ability to meet its goals across forest conservation, supply chain transformation, and the scale-up of Next Gen alternatives.
The portfolio includes alliances, coalitions, standard setters, field builders, technical partners, implementation partners, and other actors whose participation can increase market confidence, credibility, reach, and momentum. This role will help Canopy identify where partnerships are most catalytic, develop the strategies and frameworks that guide engagement, and manage priority relationships to successful outcomes.
This role may also help bring added capacity and ecosystem support to brand cohorts and other strategic initiatives where collaboration is needed to move from commitment to implementation.
Location
Remote (within 4-hours PST)
Position Type
Full-time
Reports To
Head of Impact
Collaborates With
Head of Impact, Impact Team, Impact Communications, and External Partners
Compensation
CAD 140K – 150K
Start Date
ASAP
Application Deadline
June 14, 2026
3. Partnership Design and Execution (30%)
- Develop partnership frameworks that define objectives, roles, governance, and success measures.
- Translate relationships into concrete collaborations, joint initiatives, and ecosystem-building efforts.
- Ensure partnerships are aligned with Canopy’s strategic priorities and integrated into campaigns and initiatives.
4. Internal Alignment and Systems (20%)
- Work cross-functionally to align partnerships with internal teams and priorities.
- Develop systems and processes for partnership tracking, prioritization, and accountability.
- Ensure partnerships generate strategic value without creating unnecessary complexity.
Key Responsibilities
Canopy’s goals require more than direct engagement with individual companies. They require an enabling ecosystem of partners that can build confidence, add capacity, shape norms, strengthen implementation, and help move markets faster. The Head of Partnerships will help design and lead that ecosystem strategy, ensuring Canopy is not only influencing key actors directly but also shaping the wider conditions needed for change.
1. Partnership Strategy and Development (20%)
- Lead the development of Canopy’s organization-wide partnership strategy.
- Identify and prioritize partnerships that can increase leverage, credibility, capacity, and scale.
- Assess the partnership landscape to identify opportunities, gaps, and emerging actors.
2. Relationship Building and Management (30%)
- Build and manage relationships with coalitions, alliances, NGOs, standard setters, technical partners, and other stakeholders.
- Represent Canopy in key external forums and strategic discussions.
- Support leadership in high-value partnership negotiations and stewardship.
Qualifications and Experience
- Five or more years of experience in partnerships, strategy, external affairs, or related leadership roles.
- Proven ability to build and manage complex, high-value partnerships across sectors and stakeholder groups.
- Strong strategic judgment and ability to identify leverage points.
- Excellent relationship management skills, with credibility, diplomacy, and the ability to navigate complexity.
- Strong communication skills, including the ability to develop compelling partnership narratives and translate strategy into action.
- Experience working in sustainability, nature, climate, forest conservation, supply chains, corporate engagement, or systems change is strongly preferred.
- Ability to work cross-functionally and align diverse internal and external stakeholders around shared goals.
- Comfort operating in a dynamic environment with multiple moving parts and evolving opportunities.
- Experience with alliances, coalitions, standards bodies, or multi-stakeholder initiatives is a strong asset.
- Passion for environmental conservation, social impact, or mission-driven work strongly preferred.
- Embrace a “Yes, AND...” mindset to foster innovation and collaboration (link to https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/what-does-mean-say-yes-change-jordan-hirsch/)
Key Qualities
- Strategic and systems thinking
- Highly relational and externally oriented
- Collaborative and pragmatic
- Comfortable with ambiguity and complexity
- Grounded, persuasive, and driven
- Able to connect vision with execution
- Strong pattern recognition and prioritization skills
Key Competencies
- Strategic and systems thinking
- Relationship-building and influence
- Communication and storytelling
- Cross-functional collaboration
- Judgment and prioritization
- Ability to connect vision with execution
How to Apply: Please submit your CV, a cover letter, and a separate response to the prompt below. Applications missing either the cover letter or the prompt response will not be considered.
Cover Letter
A standard cover letter expressing your interest in Canopy and the Partnerships Lead role.
Prompt Response
Please answer the following question in a clearly labelled section within your cover letter document: At Canopy, partnerships are a key lever for driving systems change. Choose one type of partner (e.g., NGO, coalition, standard setter, technical partner, brand, or other) that you believe would be most critical to advancing Next Gen alternatives (low-impact, non-forest fibres). In your answer, briefly describe: 1. Why you chose this type of partner 2. What role they would play in accelerating impact 3. One concrete example of how you would translate this partnership into tangible results (beyond relationship-building) and work across Canopy’s Impact Teams to activate a cross-team strategy to secure this partner’s commitment. Please keep your response to 300–400 words.
On AI Use and Authenticity
You may use AI tools to brainstorm, edit, or proofread, but please do not use AI to write your cover letter or prompt response for you. We want to hear your voice, experiences, and perspective, not a polished, generic version generated by a model. If you use AI for minor editing assistance, please add a short note at the end of your prompt response (e.g., "I used [tool name] to proofread this response"). Applications written in a genuine, original voice will be prioritized.
Canopy is committed to providing an inclusive and accessible recruitment process. If you require accommodations at any stage of the hiring process, please let us know and we will work with you to meet your needs.
Canopy embraces equity and diversity and is committed to a workplace that is enriched by the people, needs, and desires of our diverse community. We thank all applicants; however, we will only contact candidates who successfully secure an interview.
For applicants outside Canada, the salary will align with a benchmarked salary band based on location. Please reach out to Anna for more information. We believe in fostering a supportive work environment where employees can thrive. We also offer comprehensive benefits packages, professional development opportunities, and a supportive workplace culture dedicated to environmental conservation. At Canopy, we prioritize the well-being and growth of our team members, ensuring they have the resources and support needed to excel in their roles and contribute meaningfully to our mission.
About Canopy
Our work is bold, collaborative, and rooted in the belief that thriving forests mean a thriving future.
Canopy is a solutions-driven not-for-profit environmental organization dedicated to protecting forests, species, and the climate. For 25 years, we’ve been transforming wood-based supply chains - from publishing and packaging to fashion and textiles - to eliminate fibre from the world’s most critical forests and help secure a thriving planet for all.
