Director, Fisheries & Seafood

We need the ocean. The ocean needs us.

Role Summary

As the Director, Fisheries & Seafood, you will lead Ocean Wise’s next phase of growth, innovation and impact for the Fisheries & Seafood program. You will work to advance both sides of the program – strengthening engagement with fisheries, while expanding demand and market opportunities for responsibly harvested seafood. Working across programs, market engagement, communications, and philanthropy & partnerships, you will help build the partnerships, profile, funding, and market connections needed to scale the program and expand its conservation and community impact across Canada.

This role has multiple interconnected areas of focus including building trusted relationships with fisheries, with particular attention to Indigenous and small-scale fisheries; expanding market opportunities and use of the Ocean Wise Seafood label; strengthening communications and engagement; developing partnerships and resources; and identifying innovative opportunities for growth.

As Director, Fisheries & Seafood, you will also lead and develop the Fisheries & Seafood team and work closely with the Vice President, Programs and colleagues across Ocean Wise to turn promising ideas into scalable, measurable impact.

*Please note that the successful candidate must be located within the Metro Vancouver region or reasonable commutable distance and be available to attend in-person meetings, events, and stakeholder engagements in and around Vancouver as required*

Who You Are

You are a strategic and relationship-driven leader with a passion for sustainable fisheries, marine conservation, and creating meaningful impact for communities and ecosystems. You excel at building trusted relationships across diverse stakeholder groups and translating opportunities into partnerships, resources, and measurable outcomes that advance shared goals. Equally comfortable setting long-term direction and rolling up your sleeves to execute, you are motivated by growing innovative programs that create lasting benefits for fisheries, coastal communities, and ocean health.

What You Will Be Doing

Program Strategy, Innovation & Growth

• In collaboration with the Vice President, Programs, develop and implement the strategic direction and annual workplans for Ocean Wise's Canadian Fisheries & Seafood program.
• Identify and pursue opportunities to grow the scale, reach, profile and impact of the program, translating promising opportunities into partnerships, funding, market engagement, and measurable conservation outcomes.
• Identify, assess, and prioritize Canadian fisheries and market partners for participation in the Ocean Wise Seafood program based on conservation outcomes, community priorities, and market readiness.
• Support participating fisheries and market partners through onboarding, continuous improvement, and participation in the Ocean Wise Seafood program.
• Develop and oversee performance measures, reporting frameworks, and evaluation processes that demonstrate conservation, community, and market outcomes.

Fisheries, Communities & Market Growth

• Build and maintain trusted, long-term relationships with First Nations, Indigenous organizations, harvesters, fishing communities, seafood producers, governments, NGOs, academic institutions, and other strategic partners across Canada.
• Work particularly with Indigenous and small-scale fisheries to identify opportunities where Ocean Wise can support conservation, stewardship, economic opportunity and market access.
• Work closely with Ocean Wise's Market Engagement team to connect participating fisheries with restaurants, retailers, distributors, processors and other seafood buyers to expand demand for responsibly harvested seafood.
• Foster collaborative partnerships that strengthen sustainable fisheries, support Indigenous leadership and stewardship, and create pathways for responsible seafood products to reach Ocean Wise market partners.
• Identify new market opportunities and approaches that can expand participation in and use of the Ocean Wise Seafood program and strengthen its value to fisheries, business and consumers.
• Represent Ocean Wise in cross-sector partnerships, regional fisheries initiatives, and collaborative forums, serving as a trusted ambassador for sustainable fisheries.

Communications, Partnerships & Resource Development

• Work closely with the Communications & Engagement team to increase the visibility and influence of the Fisheries & Seafood program, tell compelling stories about fisheries and communities, engage consumers and partners, and help build demand for responsible seafood.
• Work alongside Philanthropy & Partnerships to identify funding opportunities, develop compelling fundable propositions, cultivate donors and partners, and secure grants and other resources for program growth.
• Build cross-sector partnerships that extend the reach, expertise, and impact of Ocean Wise’s Fisheries & Seafood work.
• Represent Ocean Wise publicly as a subject-matter expert, advocating for solutions that align conservation outcomes with market realities.

Financial Stewardship & Team Leadership

• Develop and manage annual budgets, monitor financial performance, and proactively adjust plans to maximize resources and impact.
• Provide strong leadership, coaching, and mentorship to the Fisheries & Seafood team, fostering a culture of collaboration, accountability, innovation and ambition.
• Ensure the team is well structured, trained and empowered to deliver on ambitious goals; set clear objectives, track progress and address challenges with transparency and fairness.
• Stay ahead of emerging science, technologies, industry, and market trends to position Ocean Wise as a leader in sustainable fisheries and seafood.

What You Bring

• 7+ years of experience in fisheries, sustainable seafood, marine conservation, or a related field, including experience leading multidisciplinary teams or complex initiatives.
• Demonstrated experience building, growing or significantly evolving programs, initiatives, or partnerships.
• Demonstrated experience working with commercial fisheries, with knowledge of Canada's fisheries management framework and seafood supply chains.
• Experience building respectful, collaborative relationships with First Nations, Indigenous organizations, fishing communities, governments, industry, NGOs, and research institutions.
• Strong understanding of fisheries sustainability, seafood traceability, and market-based approaches to advancing conservation outcomes.
• Proven ability to build and maintain cross-sector partnerships that turn opportunities into programs, resources, market connections and measurable results.
• Excellent communication, facilitation, and relationship-building skills, with the ability to engage diverse stakeholders and represent Ocean Wise publicly.
• Strong collaborative instincts and the ability to work effectively with communications, fundraising, market-facing and program teams.
• Strong project management and organizational skills, with experience developing workplans, managing budgets, and delivering measurable program outcomes.
• High level of digital literacy, including proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite, SharePoint, Salesforce, and other collaboration and project management tools.
• Assets include:
  • Experience working directly with First Nations or Indigenous-led fisheries and an understanding of Indigenous rights, governance, and stewardship approaches.
  • Experience conducting fisheries assessments or supporting fisheries improvement initiatives.
  • Experience developing market-based conservation initiatives, sustainable seafood partnerships, fundraising or resource mobilization.
  • Master’s degree or higher in marine science, fisheries, environmental management, Indigenous governance, or a related field.

How You Will Be Measured

• Ability to develop and implement an ambitious strategic direction for the Fisheries & Seafood program and demonstrate measurable growth in its reach, relevance and conservation impact.
• Ability to build and maintain trusted relationships with fisheries and fishing communities, including First Nations, Indigenous-led and small-scale fisheries.
• Ability to successfully identify, assess, and support priority fisheries while expanding pathways for responsibly harvested seafood to reach Canadian markets.
• Ability to strengthen relationships with buyers and market partners, contributing to increased demand and use of the Ocean Wise Seafood program.
• Ability to work with Communications & Engagement and Philanthropy & Partnerships teams you increase program visibility, tell compelling impact stories and secure resources that enable growth.
• Ability to demonstrate strong leadership and build effective collaboration across programs, market engagement, communications and philanthropy & partnerships.
• You ability to effectively manage program resources, budgets, workplans aligned with organizational priorities.
• Your ability to track, evaluate, and communicate meaningful conservation, fisheries engagement, market and community outcomes.

What We Offer

This full-time, benefits-eligible position offers:

• A remote working environment, with the option to work in person in our beautiful Vancouver head office
• A base salary, $100,000 – 120,000, in line with market data for not-for-profit organizations
• Benefits coverage on a premium cost-shared basis, including
  • Extended health and dental coverage
  • Vision coverage
  • $300 Health spending account
  • Group term and supplemental life insurance
• Short-term disability
• Long-term disability
• RRSP matching of up to 6% after one year of service
• 15 paid vacation days to start
• 10 paid sick days,
• 6 management days
• 12 paid Statutory and General Holidays each calendar year
• An annual all-staff retreat to allow in-person connections and team building
• Professional development opportunities
• The opportunity to be part of a team that’s helping to save the ocean!

Where and How You’ll Work

Our typical work week is 37.5 hours. This is a remote-first position with the successful candidate being located within the Metro Vancouver region or within reasonable commutable distance to Vancouver for in person meetings with team members, partners, various stakeholders and events. The role may require flexibility to travel for meetings and/or to work occasional weekends and evenings to attend Ocean Wise shoreline cleanups, events, and conferences.

This role involves sitting, standing, working on a computer or laptop, participating in phone and video calls

Who We Are

Ocean Wise is a global conversation organization on a mission to build communities that take meaningful action to protect and restore our ocean. Learn more about us at ocean.org.

Inclusion and Diversity

At Ocean Wise, we believe that a welcoming and diverse workplace fosters the inclusion of voices that have been historically underrepresented. We encourage applications from individuals belonging to equity-deserving groups and will work with applicants requesting accommodations at any stage of the hiring process. We value human connection and fairness in our recruitment process. We do not use AI, algorithms, or automated tools to screen or evaluate candidates. All applications are reviewed by our hiring team to ensure each candidate is considered thoughtfully and equitably.