Director, Equity, Innovation And Community Engagement

February 6, 2024

Job Posting #1069 

Permanent Full-Time

Director, Equity, Innovation and Community Engagement

The York Region Children’s Aid Society (YRCAS) is a non-profit community organization legally mandated to ensure the well-being, best interests and  protection of  children and youth from abuse and neglect. As a leader within the child welfare sector, we partner with parents, caregivers, and Community to provide a safe environment for children and youth, through equitable, culturally aligned services.

Comprised of interdisciplinary teams of diverse professionals who push boundaries in support of family centered care, we engage with children and families for a stronger, healthier community within the York Region.

YRCAS is fully committed to a culture of belonging and an inclusive environment that encourages every team member to lead within their role, generate innovative ideas that reinforce our mission and goal to create a healthy workplace and Community where children youth and family well-being is prioritized. 

To support us on our journey, YRCAS is seeking a person with strong leadership   skills to join our management team. This new position will  guide the strategic vision of the newly created Department of Equity, Innovation and Community Engagementin order to strengthen our agency’s community partnerships and advocacy efforts related to the child welfare mandate. 

We are seeking a visionary leader with a track-record of managing high performing teams in the fields of advocacy, communications, community relations, reconciliation and equity.  The successful incumbent’s empowering leadership and mentorship skills will motivate a team to achieve results while also fostering collaboration and innovation.

Why Work for Us?

• Hybrid working model (working virtual and in person) Casual dress code Employer paid Group Insurance and Health & Dental Benefit Four (4) Weeks of Vacation accrued per calendar year Five (5) float days per calendar year One day off every three (3) weeks during Winter months Shortened Summer hours OMERS Pension, with employer and employee sharing premiums equally Mileage Reimbursement Enhanced Wellness Initiatives with Virtual Fitness Classes

SUMMARY OF DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES

Reporting to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), the successful incumbent will assume leadership of a newly formed team of interdisciplinary professionals skilled in Diversity Equity and Inclusion, Reconciliation,  Communications and Marketing as well as Community Relations and Advocacy initiatives. This visionary leader will be responsible to integrate and unify the functions that make up this team, while seeking to strategically redesign and sustain innovative ways of working with other internal departments within the agency as well as external stakeholders.

The Director, Equity, Innovation and Community Engagementwill lead the strategy, design, and implementation of strategic agency initiatives, including but not limited to equity integration in child welfare practice, strategies that support reconciliation, equity, advocacy and  strategic partnership initiatives. Additionally, the Director is responsibility for engagement with our children, youth and families as well as identified stakeholders, with our Francophone and First Nation, Inuit, and Métis communities as well as equitable populations within York Region such as Black and Indigenous populations. To do this work, the successful incumbent will lead this team to build authentic, transparent, and reciprocal relationships with community partners.

NATURE OF POSITION:

Communications & Advocacy:

Providestrategic direction to the Communications & Advocacy team, ensuring they have the resources and support needed to excel.   Specifically, provide leadership and support to the team as they work to:

• Facilitate clear communication within the agency through a variety of internal communications channels and support of internal engagement initiatives.
• Amplify the agency’s mission externally, managing media and engaging external stakeholders.
• Identify advocacy issues and developing partnerships and alliances with like-minded organizations and individuals to amplify the impact of advocacy efforts on behalf of children, youth and families.

Community Relations:

Lead efforts to expand the circle of care for children, youth, and families served by the agency. Specifically, provide leadership and support to the team as they work to:

• Create opportunities for strategic partnerships that support service Innovation and enhance the agency's impact.
• Develop and implement a clear process for the management, tracking, and communication of community partnerships to foster Innovation and service improvements.
• Collaborate across the agency to develop and implement innovative solutions that address community needs.

Equity:

Provide strategic direction to the Equity team, ensuring they have the resources and support needed to excel. Specifically, provide leadership to the team as they work to:

• Embed activity and accountability in change leadership and transformation of all practices and services regarding indigenous reconciliation,  diversity, equity and inclusion.
• Develop and implement DEI policies and strategies that align with the agency's mission and values.
• Collaborate cross-functionally to integrate DEI principles into all aspects of the agency's work.
• Cultivate opportunities for strategic partnerships that support service Innovation and practices that promote, acknowledge and honor diversity, address systemic bias, foster inclusivity, and create equitable environments and outcomes.

  REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE

• Demonstrated understanding of strategic communication principles, messaging, and media relations. Familiarity with media relations, crisis communication, and social media strategies. Ability to use data and evidence to inform communication and advocacy activities. Knowledge of stakeholder analysis and engagement. Strong negotiation and relationship and alliance-building skills to engage partners in joint public awareness campaigns about issues related to the root causes of child welfare related issues. Understanding of community development principles, including skill building and collaboration for greater collective impact. Awareness of innovative approaches and best practices in providing services to diverse communities. Ability to work with the Leadership team and Board of Directors as needed. Demonstrated understanding and expertise in inclusive leadership practice. Ability to motivate, mentor and coach a team of highly-skilled leaders. Ability to lead teams through organizational change and crisis situations. Demonstrated strong interpersonal skills. Experience in the child welfare sector is considered a plus. Bilingualism preferred.

QUALIFICATIONS

Education and Experience

• Successful completion of a bachelor’s degree in a related field from an accredited educational institution or with a Master’s Degree in a related field from an accredited educational institution or equivalent experience. A minimum of eight (8) to ten (10) years of relevant experience, preferably within a related Human Services field with demonstrated experience leading interdisciplinary high performing and diverse teams. A combination of recent and relevant education and/or experience will be considered. 

PAY GRADE: Non-Union- Pay Grade 10 ($124,667.20 - $158,341.93)

HOURS OF WORK 33.75 hours per week

Candidates who meet the qualifications are welcome to apply by no later than March 5, 2024 by 11:59pm.

Internal Applicants: Please apply for this opportunity using your Agency ADP account.

External Applicants Apply Here: Recruitment (adp.com) or www.yorkcas.org/careers/

We appreciate all applications received.  All communications will be held in strict and professional confidence. Only those candidates selected for an interview will be contacted.  We thank all applicants for their submissions. 

Employment at York Region Children’s Aid Society is conditional upon the verification of credentials, a satisfactory vulnerable sector check, a class “G” driver’s license with daily access to an insured vehicle, and proof of COVID-19 vaccination (2 doses required), as per YRCAS’ Mandatory COVID-19 policy.

York CAS cares about the health and safety of their employees and closely follows the Public Health Guidelines and Recommendations. The mandatory vaccination requirement as it relates to employment is currently suspended. Should the mandatory vaccination requirement be reinstated, the successful candidate will be required to comply with YRCAS’ Mandatory COVID-19 policy (providing proof of COVID-19 vaccination-2 doses required).

Anti-Oppression/Anti-Racism at York Region Children’s Aid Society

YRCAS is committed to having a workforce that is reflective of the diversity of York Region and strongly encourages application from all qualified individuals, especially those who can provide different perspectives and contribute to a further diversification of ideas. 

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

York Region Children’s Aid Society is committed to employment equity, diversity and inclusion in the workplace, and fostering equity, diversity and inclusion in recruitment practices is a key aspect of the search process.   The current posting is in search of candidates who identified from the following equity seeking groups; women, racialized persons/persons of colour, Indigenous Peoples, persons with disabilities, and persons of the 2SLGBTQ+ community. If you are of the aforementioned identities, and feel comfortable making it known, you may choose to self-identify as member of a designated group. Any information directly related to you is kept confidential and used in a safe manner to inform our recruitment process towards being an equal opportunity employer.

Vaccination Policy

The successful candidate will be made an offer of employment on the condition of being fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Fully vaccinated is defined as having received all of the required doses of a Health Canada approved vaccine and having received the final dose at least 14 days before your employment start date. The candidate will be asked to provide York Region Children’s Aid Society with proof of full vaccination, prior to the candidate’s employment start date. Acceptable proof includes an Ontario Ministry of Health COVID-19 vaccine receipt which you can obtain through the Provincial portal https://covid19.ontariohealth.ca/, or other government-issued vaccine passport or certification. As described above, the requirement to be fully vaccinated is subject to the Ontario Human Rights Code. If the candidate is unable to receive the COVID-19 vaccine for a reason protected by the Code, requests for accommodation from the vaccine policy will be assessed on a case-by-case basis and will be subject to York Region Children’s Aid Society accommodation process.

Accommodation at YRCAS

We are committed to a selection process and work environment that is inclusive and barrier free. Accommodation will be provided in accordance with the Ontario Human Rights Code. Applicants that may require accommodation during the selection process are encouraged to notify the Human Resources Department when contacted for an interview.

Human Resources will work together with the hiring committee to arrange reasonable and appropriate accommodation for the selection process, which will enable you to be assessed in a fair and equitable manner.