COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT OFFICER

• Job ID: 57115
• Job Category: Community & Social Services
• Division & Section: Social Development, Finance & Admin, Community Safety & Wellbeing
• Work Location: City Hall, 100 Queen Street W, Toronto, ON M5H 2N2
• Job Type & Duration: Temporary, Full-time (6 months)
• Salary: $3,376.92 - $4,490.19 (Bi-weekly Rate)
• Shift Information: Monday to Friday, 35 hours per week 
• Affiliation: Non-Union
• Number of Positions Open: 2
• Posting Period: 02-Jul-2025 to 16-Jul-2025
•  

Job Description

TO Wards Peace is an integrated risk-driven, violence interruption model that was co- designed with residents to build the capacity of grassroots organizations to lead teams of Violence Disruption Workers, to intervene in incidences of violence, interrupt escalations or potential retaliation and support the development of community-based solutions within a Public Health Approach. As part of TO Wards Peace, you will work in partnership with various stakeholders including institutional, community-based, and grassroots non-profit organizations to implement and expand the TO Wards Peace Model.

The Social Development Division (SD) drives transformative change to achieve stronger, safer, and more resilient and equitable communities and neighbourhoods in Toronto. SafeTO, the City of Toronto's 10-year Community Safety & Well-being Plan was unanimously adopted by City Council to drive 26 actions across 7 strategic goals. To advance SafeTO's objectives and the SafeTO implementation Plan, the Community Safety & Well-Being Section is hiring two (2) Community Development Officers to support the TO Wards Peace Program as well as upcoming Community Development Officer positions in our Community Safety & Well-Being Section.

Major Responsibilities

• Leads and supports the coordination and implementation of TO Wards Peace an inter- sectoral and collaborative approach to city wide intervention, interruption and prevention supports required to address incidents of violence, providing culturally competent supports, facilitating access to needed trauma supports, and assisting in trauma recovery.
• Conducts programmatic and community wide risk assessments, crisis management and safety planning to ensure an effective service delivery of the TO Wards Peace Intervention model.
• Works with communities and service providers to develop and support localized, innovative and culturally competent community supports, services and strategies and that address impacts of gun violence and gang affiliations and connects them to broader community development efforts.
• Initiates and manages inter-sectoral program partnerships, networks and integrated service planning related to community violence intervention and disruption.
• Supports systems coordination efforts by working with City service areas, including Toronto Public Health, Toronto Police Service, Toronto Community Housing Corporation, community-based organizations, individuals with lived experience and resident leaders to coordinate the provision of community disruption and intervention supports and promote integrated service delivery.
• Identifies and provides advice, mentoring, consultation support, information and referrals to potential community leaders and to service providers and community organizations
• Designs, develops and presents culturally and age appropriate training tools, community outreach materials and education sessions and program for diverse audiences.
• Mobilizes and supports the capacity building of communities to self-advocate and mobilize regarding community safety issues.
• Integrates youth engagement, high risk intervention and youth violence prevention approaches to community violence interruption work.
• Integrates diverse youth, family supports and culturally specific approaches to community violence intervention work.
• Supports the development of organizations and community groups to support community safety priorities, risk mitigation, crisis intervention, prevention supports, such as risk mitigation protocols, prevention-based initiative development, strategic planning, policy development, and human resource development.
• Prepares, develops, and reviews agency contracts to deliver program model for violence prevention, intervention, and interruption services for youth.
• Ensures adherence of service delivery agencies to contractual agreements to ensure effective, high-quality program delivery to mitigate program disruptions and critical program partnerships.
• Supports the development of funding proposals with community groups, agencies and network and assists those groups in negotiating monetary and non-monetary resources with all levels of government and key funding institutions.
• Develops, recommends and administers TO Wards Peace program and project budgets, ensuring that expenditures are controlled and maintained within approved budget limitations.
• Acts as a resource in identifying community risks, intervention and interruption best/promising practices and models for City staff, politicians and other external stakeholders providing regular updates through briefings, e-bulletins, reports, program documentation, and other appropriate materials as needed.
• Contributes to the implementation of the City’s Corporate Strategic Plan and its Priority Actions and SafeTOand 10-year Community Safety and Wellbeing Plan in order to achieve outcomes that promote a high quality of life, a sustainable community and the achievement of operational excellence at corporate, divisional levels and in the community.
• Works with and assists other divisional City staff as well as institutional and community partners to enhance their community development skills and to foster community capacity for community violence disruption by providing consultation, education and facilitation on community development, community safety and wellbeing access as well as equity and advocacy.
• Investigates and ensures timely, accurate and effective responses and service to internal and external stakeholders, including residents, community agencies, Community Resources Section staff, and City divisions
• Interprets, communicates and leverages relevant policies, programs and initiatives with residents, community, partners and stakeholders.
• Updates related databases and ensures that records pertaining to community violence reporting and engagement are accurate.

Key Qualifications

1. Post-Secondary education in Sociology, Social Work, Community Health Promotion, or a related field or approved equivalent combination of education and/or lived experience.
2. Considerable experience in community development, community advocacy infrastructure, capacity building fostering coalitions and inter-sectoral linkages with individuals and/or organizations to address social inequities, violence and trauma in vulnerable communities.
3. Considerable experience in mobilizing community-based responses/interventions for individuals and communities that have been impacted by violent traumatic incidents such as: gun violence and risk factors associated with gang activity.
4. Experience designing, developing and delivering a variety of culturally appropriate training tools and outreach material to support community capacity building and in mobilizing at-risk youth.
5. Experience in the writing of grant proposals, including the development of budgets and submission process to a variety of funding bodies.
6. Considerable experience in managing or leading community programs and/or projects with various partners, from development through implementation.
7. Ability to utilize response approaches such as psychological first aid and trauma informed approaches.
8. Ability to establish an effective working relationship with a variety of community and sector organizations, all City service areas, residents, representatives from various levels of government, elected officials and other related stakeholders.
9. Ability to work within an anti-oppression framework, including familiarity with the sociology of large and complex urban areas with an ethno racially, linguistically and economically diverse population.
10. Understanding of the root causes to community violence, the Adverse Childhood Experience, social determinants of health and Public Health Approach to community violence.
11. Knowledge of youth engagement and youth violence prevention principles and strategies and an understanding of the issues, services and programs that exist for young people who are most vulnerable to crime and victimization in Toronto communities.
12. Strong conflict resolution, interpersonal and problem-solving skills and the ability to develop consensus and recommend effective, strategic solutions at the community level.
13. Ability to effectively communicate, both verbally and in writing, at the management level to a variety of audiences.
14. General knowledge of government legislation in the areas of employment, occupational health and safety, labour and human rights.
15. Excellent knowledge of the human service system in the City.
16. Well-developed management, administrative and customer service skills with an ability to demonstrate a high level of organization, coordination and planning skills.
17. Sound managerial judgment in public/human relations and partnership development.
18. Ability to travel to various locations in a timely and efficient manner.
19. Ability to work flexible hours which may include; overtime, shift work, and occasional evenings and weekends.
20. Ability to support the Toronto Public Service values to ensure a culture that champions equity, diversity and respectful workplaces.

Join Us! 

If you are interested in learning more about the Community Development Officer (TO Wards Peace) role, you can participate in a virtual Microsoft Teams information session with Scerena Officer, Manager, Social Policy SDFA on Tuesday, July 8th from 6:00pm – 7:30pm. You will have the opportunity to ask questions related to the position, working for the City of Toronto's Social Development, Finance and Administration Division, as well as the City's application process. 

Please register to participate in the information session using this link: https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/24a458bd-a00b-4139-8cc3-2fb728db2234@f0bc8ec6-9ed8-4d0c-9189-411ad949cc65

Your name and email are requested for registration, but should you wish your name to remain anonymous at the meeting, please ensure you are not logged into your Microsoft Teams personal account and enter your name as “Private” when you join the meeting.   

Equity, Diversity and Inclusion

The City is an equal opportunity employer, dedicated to creating a workplace culture of inclusiveness that reflects the diverse residents that we serve. Learn more about the City’s commitment to employment equity.

Accommodation

The City of Toronto is committed to creating an accessible and inclusive organization. We are committed to providing barrier-free and accessible employment practices in compliance with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA). Should you require Code-protected accommodation through any stage of the recruitment process, please make them known when contacted and we will work with you to meet your needs. Disability-related accommodation during the application process is available upon request. Learn more about the City’s Hiring Policies and Accommodation Process.