Program Director, Spirited Citizenship

Location: Hamilton or Ottawa, Ontario

Reports to: Vice President, Research

Supervises: None

Who We Are

Cardus is a non-partisan think tank dedicated to clarifying and strengthening, through research and dialogue, the ways in which society’s institutions can work together for the common good.

Drawing on 2,000 years of Christian social thought, we bring credible public research to bear on concrete needs. We place particular emphasis on the role of civil society, which is composed of the mediating institutions that lie between the individual and the state, such as the family, the school, labour unions, and faith congregations.

Cardus is strongly team-oriented and entrepreneurial, with a culture that emphasizes hospitality, hopefulness, creativity, and constructive discussion. Our staff are skilled and knowledgeable people who love working together to further the Cardus mission.

Learn more at www.cardus.ca.

About the Program

The Spirited Citizenship program focuses on the ways that Canadians work together to strengthen our shared social fabric. The program has several themes:

• We study how faith communities contribute to our common life in Canada. Examples of our work include “Religion for the Common Good: Canada and the United States in 2025,” “Why Religious Tax Exemptions Benefit All Canadians,” and the Halo Project. We also study freedom of religion and conscience, which is foundational to our democracy and one of the “fundamental freedoms” in Canada’s Charter of Rights and Freedoms. Examples of this work include “Conflicting Rights? Balancing Equality and Fundamental Freedoms.”
• We study the changing dynamics of charitable giving and charitable organizations in Canadian society. We seek to promote a flourishing charitable sector. Examples of our work include “Politicization of Charitable Status” and “L’argent public a-t-il remplacé la charité?”
• An emerging theme is Canadian identity and citizenship. Examples here include “The Nation and the Veil: Quebec’s Struggle with Secularism and Religious Symbols” and “Federalism and the Social Consitution.”

Key Responsibilities

• Create and implement a strategy for building and continuously strengthening a network of faith leaders connected with Cardus, with the purpose of sharing information and strategically advancing the full inclusion of constructive religious voices in the Canadian public square.
• Program leadership. Develops and promotes the vision and scope of the program within the Cardus mission and priorities.
• Research & policy. Develops and implements the program’s research trajectory. Researches and writes reports, briefs, and op-eds. Collects and analyses data according to standard methodologies. Oversees research assigned to others. In collaboration with the Director of Policy, develops policy positions and promotes their consideration and adoption by relevant parties.
• Constituency. Pursues and strengthens relationships with stakeholders in government, academe, faith communities, and others.
• Media / public profile. Acts as the primary representative of the program. Prepares and delivers presentations in a variety of settings, and is able to communicate effectively in unscripted settings such as interviews.

Key Attributes

You are a university graduate who thrives in an atmosphere of ideas, data, and discussion about important issues affecting society. You have a genuine interest in the themes of this Cardus program and the trends and challenges affecting Canadian society more generally. You want to contribute to developing constructive options to address these challenges, grounded in principles of Christian social thought.

You are skilled in social science research, clear communication, and rigorous argument. You are charitable and fair minded, able to value diverse points of view for what they contribute to understanding the matter under consideration. You are careful and motivated in your work. You have the political sensitivity needed to understand how research and policy will be received and can be marketed to target audiences. You have the creativity and entrepreneurial spirit to successfully identify and develop opportunities for greater reach and impact.

Hours, Location, and Salary

This position is full-time (40 hours/week) and works at one of our beautiful offices, which are located in Hamilton and in Ottawa. Some travel (about 20 days/year) is required. Salary range $90,000–$120,000.

Language(s)

English essential. English-French bilingualism is a significant asset.

How to Apply

Please prepare a cover letter that describes your alignment with the Cardus mission and how you meet the qualifications we are seeking. Combine your cover letter, resume/CV, and a writing sample into one document, and upload it here.

Cardus is committed to providing accommodation through the recruitment process for applicants with disabilities. Applicants who require accommodation are invited to advise us, and Cardus will consult with the applicant to provide or arrange suitable accommodation.

We will review applications as they are received, and the position will be posted until filled. We look forward to hearing from you.