Timeline:

• Interviews: May-June 2024, with expected start date of August 2024
• Please direct applications with cover letters to Jenna Sedmak: jsedmak@smestrategy.net

Please Note: Applications submitted without cover letters will not be considered.

Due to the high volume of applications, only shortlisted applicants will be contacted.

Position Summary:

We are looking for a Strategic Planning Facilitator to lead our clients through the development and implementation of their strategic plans. Our ideal candidate is passionate about organizational development and is comfortable working with groups varying in size from 4-50 people.

This role requires strong interpersonal communication skills, confidence working with C-Suite and executive leadership teams and strong personalities, an ability to coach teams towards an aligned outcome, an understanding of how to “read the room”, an ability to facilitate conflict and difficult conversations, and the ability to both adhere to a process while knowing when to pivot to meet core outcomes. There will also be opportunities to facilitate the development of strategic plans within our Alignment program.

This person will compliment our team of facilitators within our Client Partnerships department. This person will be responsible for leading clients through our strategic plan implementation process, consisting of quarterly strategy reviews with qualitative & quantitative check-ins, monthly project calls, core workshops, educational modules, stakeholder engagement, and 1-on-1 and/or group executive coaching. In addition to facilitation, there will be pre and post work and documentation requirements.

This role will collaborate closely with our CEO, CCO (Chief Client Officer) and small Client Partnerships team. The incumbent will complement a team of strategic thinkers who aren’t afraid to challenge each other, and who are making differences in the lives of businesses, teams, communities and individuals around the world.

Location & Availability:

We work with clients throughout North America, most often within and between the Pacific and Eastern time zones (Central or Eastern Time Zone Preferred). This role is based in the USA or Canada, within the above time zones and within 1 hour of an international airport. While our client work environment is hybrid, with some sessions happening in-person and others virtual, our internal work environment is primarily remote, with a focus on flexible work-life balance.

Please Note: While most of our implementation work is completed virtually, you will also be required to travel to facilitate in-person sessions within Canada and/or the USA (depending on the location of the incumbent hire) roughly 6-8 times per year for 2-4 days at a time, as well as for training sessions and our internal strategy retreats in BC, Canada.

Benefits & Perks:

• Flexible, remote/hybrid schedule based on a 35hr average work week (you may end up occasionally working longer during facilitation & travel weeks, but you may bank your hours for future time off)
• 4-weeks of annual paid vacation

(3 weeks of your choice upon approval + one non transferrable all staff paid week off during our annual office closure between Christmas and New Years)

• Health Benefits remuneration for USA based employees or a Health care spending account, travel insurance, and critical illness insurance after 3-months of employment for Canadian employees
• Quarterly Coffee Budget of $75
• Allotment of up to 2-hrs per week (on non-facilitation heavy weeks) of your work schedule for learning & growth and strategic thinking within your role
• Up to $500 per year annual training allowance (available after 6-months of employment and upon approval of SME Strategy’s CEO)
• One paid day of volunteer work per year, with an organization or cause of your choice (available after 6-months of employment)
• Opportunities for growth
• This role will have a high level of autonomy and flexibility

Core Competencies to Drive Outcomes:

• You are comfortable with a challenge and can take on different perspectives when facilitating a group with conflicts or issues with coming to alignment
• You have the ability to share metaphors and ask questions to engage critical thinking rather than giving people immediate answers
• You have a knack for storytelling and can communicate complex themes in a way that is accessible to everyone
• You are a strategic thinker who takes ownership and accountability with their work
• You are passionate about your craft and seek to continually learn and grow
• You can both give and receive constructive peer-to-peer feedback within the mindset of continual improvement
• You are passionate about innovation and aren’t afraid to change when required
• You are proactive and take action. If there’s a facilitation or educational challenge that you identify, you are confident in bringing it to the team and driving forward a solution
• You are analytical with high attention to detail and the ability to spot issues others may not notice, especially within client facing documentation
• You are willing to follow established processes and procedures, but are also able to think critically and pivot when needed
• You are able to prioritize and organize your work efficiently and effectively
• You have a strong understanding of outcomes-based curriculum and working environments

Responsibilities & Duties:

• Facilitating the development of strategic plans with a focus on fostering leadership team alignment
• Guiding a portfolio of clients through a 1-year implementation cycle
• Pre & post work and communication with client leads to prepare for and follow up on each session
• Answering client questions and concerns in a timely and professional manner via email, phone, or Zoom
• Delivering engaging facilitations both virtually and in-person (occasionally traveling to and from client work-sites) and consistently representing SME Strategy in a professional manner
• Providing strategic planning and implementation recommendations to clients based on SME Strategy’s standards and industry best practices
• Keeping an up-to-date shared Google Calendar for internal and client booking purposes
• Attending various weekly virtual internal team meetings and proactively requesting meetings when needed
• Maintaining a learning and development plan to continue your personal development and growth within this role and the organization
• Communicating with the SME Strategy team on a regular basis, including attending departmental and team meetings as well as keeping the CEO and CCO informed around critical activities
• Supporting other facilitators when they have a high workload when yours is lower
• Opportunities to contribute to SME Strategy’s growth in an area that you are passionate about, if aligned with our strategic direction

Role Qualifications:

• A Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in business, human resources, or organizational communications/development (or equivalent combination of education and experience)
• 5+ years of facilitation experience with senior leadership teams, with a preference for external facilitation through a consulting firm or facilitating internal learning and development initiatives
• 5+ years of experience with executive and team coaching, with some formal training required (ether through your degree or other course work or mentorship)
• Strong understanding of change management preparation and implementation and the ability to facilitate groups going through complex change (Formal training in the Kotter Model or Prosci ADKAR model preferred)
• Strong facilitation skills with expertise in the Socratic Method (Formal training preferred)
• Strong project management skills (Formal training preferred, but not required)
• Strong technical aptitude - Must have the ability to utilize the Microsoft and Google Suites, to utilize Zoom and other online meeting functionalities, and to navigate basic AV needs for in-person meetings
• Bonus, but not required: education or experience in any one of the following areas: team development, organizational communication, stakeholder engagement, Diversity, Equity & Inclusion + Unconscious Bias

About SME Strategy:

SME Strategy was founded in 2011 to help organizations develop and implement their strategic plans. We do that by facilitating strategic planning sessions, providing executive coaching and education to senior leaders, and by making strategic management frameworks easy to understand and easy to access.

We are based in Vancouver, BC and our team works with clients in Canada, USA and around the world. We are committed to a people first culture and value input from our team members. We work hard, but also have fun and understand the importance of a work-life balance and offer options for flexible, remote work balanced with in-person or onsite client work.

We are committed to diversity, equity and inclusion when hiring for this, and every role. We do not discriminate on the basis of sex, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, religion, ethnicity, disability, or otherwise. We are an equal opportunity employer who encourages all qualified applicants to apply.

Job Types: Full-time, Permanent

Pay: $85,000.00-$100,000.00 per year

Benefits:

• Disability insurance
• Extended health care
• Flexible schedule
• Paid time off
• Work from home

Education:

• Bachelor's Degree (preferred)

Work Location: Hybrid remote in Port Moody, BC V3H 1X2

Application deadline: 2024-05-30
Expected start date: 2024-08-12