MANAGER HOMELESSNESS (Outreach and Access)

• Job ID: 54815
• Job Category: Community & Social Services
• Division & Section: Toronto Shelter & Support Services, Outreach and Access
• Work Location: 55 John Street Toronto, ON M5V 3C6, and 51 Lisgar St. Toronto ON M6J 0B9
• Job Type & Duration: Full-time,
• Salary: $123,833-$170,184
• Shift Information: Mon-Fri, 35 hours per week
• Affiliation: Non-Union
• Number of Positions Open: 2
• Posting Period: 15-APR-2025 to 29-APR-2025

Who is our ideal candidate?

Are you a champion of achieving equitable outcomes in housing and homelessness programs and services? Do your career goals include applying and enhancing your leadership skills to effectively contributing to reducing homelessness in Toronto? If so, you may be interested in this exciting opportunity at the City of Toronto's Toronto Shelter and Support Services Division.

You are an experienced leader with a deep understanding of issues surrounding homelessness and in the delivery of services to people who are vulnerable. 

You possess strong leadership and communication skills with a proven track record of working effectively with staff at all levels of the organization, stakeholders including elected officials, advocates, and the public, coupled with knowledge of systemic oppression and the barriers faced by people living in extreme poverty.

You are a champion of equitable access to programs and services and adopt anti-racist, trauma informed, harm reduction, and housing first approaches.

You are an experienced People leader with a passion for cultivating positive workplace cultures and driving employee engagement. With a proven track record of developing and implementing strategies to foster inclusive environments, enhance employee satisfaction, and drive organizational success.

You are committed to working with Indigenous partners and communities towards reconciliation, supporting Black staff and clients to confront anti-Black racism, and working within the principles of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion to support all communities of inclusions within Toronto.

The Outreach and Access section co-ordinates access to Toronto’s Shelter and Outreach Services and resolves operational issues for Toronto Shelter and Support Services. 

There are manager vacancies in the following units:

Streets to Homes (S2H), this unit engages people experiencing street homelessness in Toronto to address their self-identified needs towards securing and sustaining housing.

Encampment Office (EO), this unit leads and co-ordinates the City of Toronto’s Interdivisional encampment response.

Major Responsibilities

Reporting to the Director, Outreach and Access (O&A) section, within the Toronto Shelter and Support Services (TSSS) Division, the Manager Homelessness (Outreach and Access) is responsible for managing program and service development, implementation and co-ordination of the City’s Interdivisional Protocol for Encampments (IDP), developing and implementing plans, process, and guidance to improve housing outcomes for individuals experience homelessness who are living outdoors or in encampments. Through monitoring performance indicators, addressing barriers to housing, and working collaboratively with stakeholders across multiple sectors, including Indigenous partners, you will contribute to improved outcomes at a system level.  This includes the co-design of equity-based policies, programs, business processes, and performance measures in partnership with key divisional partners that support the connection of people experiencing homelessness to housing and supports.
     
In this role, you will use human-centered approach to ground your work in the development and implementation of processes, policies, and systems for data collection and reporting. You will implement performance indicators and monitor and assess system-level outcomes to ensure appropriate service delivery and accountability and to measure program effectiveness.

Job Description:

• Develops and implements detailed plans and recommends policies regarding program specific requirements in collaboration with key Divisional partners. Partners include people with lived experience of homelessness, Indigenous partners, Black-serving organizations and other homelessness and housing providers focussed on improving housing outcomes for people experiencing homelessness who are living outdoors, including encampments.
• Ensure responsiveness of housing and homelessness services by identifying best practices and service gaps, providing supports to agencies, shelter providers and communities, and developing new programs and policies.
• Using a strategic approach, develops communication and change management plans to ensure adoption of plans, process and guidance focused on improving outcomes for individuals experiencing homelessness and access into Toronto’s Shelter System.
• Liaises with community groups regarding issues relevant to homelessness and/or participants including participating in or leading planning groups and advisory committees.
• Within the Division's strategic directions, leads in strategic and operational planning and implementation, and change management initiatives that may be large scale and transformational utilizing effective management strategies and action planning to facilitate service delivery improvements.
• Enhances divisional outcomes by managing a wide range of complex, high profile projects involving multiple stakeholders, tight timelines and establishing project scope, action plans, and identifying critical success factors.
• Manages, motivates, and trains staff, ensuring effective teamwork, high standards of work quality and organizational performance, continuous learning and encourages innovation in others.
• Anticipates and identifies emerging trends, opportunities and challenges and makes recommendations to senior management and takes action regarding program improvement or development in order to more effectively connect people experiencing homelessness with housing and supports.
• Provides innovative leadership and excellent customer service that demonstrates commitment to organizational values and principles.
• Manages occupational health and safety, performance management and development, and labour relation issues and investigations related to unionized and non-unionized City staff, ensuring compliance with City of Toronto policies and procedures, collective agreements, and Provincial legislation in collaboration with the People & Equity Division.
• Anticipates and identifies emerging trends, opportunities and challenges and makes recommendations to senior management and takes action regarding program improvement or development in order to more effectively connect people experiencing homelessness with housing and supports.
• Develops, recommends, and administers the annual program budget and ensures that expenditures are controlled and maintained within approved budget limitations.
• Prepares reports and provides advice to City Council, City Manager and Senior Management Team in support of sound decisions for the City. Attends Committee meetings to answer questions or provide clarification as required by Members of Council.
• Prepares briefing notes, reports, research analysis, fact sheets, dashboards, newsletters and communication materials for Council, media, community partners and people experiencing homelessness through a variety of means and forums including conferences, seminars, workshops, web-based media, presentations, and facilitations of internal/external committees and workgroups.
• Represents the Division and the City at relevant inter-divisional, Corporate, inter-governmental consultations and external groups involved with housing and homelessness issues that impact the City of Toronto.

Key Qualifications:

1. Post-secondary education in a relevant professional discipline, i.e. Public or Business Administration, Social Services or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
2. Extensive experience in developing and implementing innovative programs and improving service delivery by conducting business process reviews and/or operational service reviews and making appropriate recommendations for improvements.
3. Extensive experience related to strategic and operational planning and implementation, change management that includes leading large scale transformational change initiatives utilizing effective management strategies and action planning to facilitate service delivery improvements.
4. Builds, strengthens and maintains strong relationships with community, businesses, associations, other City Divisions and related organizations to ensure divisional services and programs are well understood, advocated for as required and equally accessible.
5. Develops plans and reporting KPIs to measure outcomes from investments in the short, medium and long term both at a program level and in the community (where possible, and in collaboration with other City Divisions).
6. Extensive experience leading, managing, coaching, and motivating a diverse workforce in a social/human services environment, ensuring effective teamwork, providing resolution to issues, ensuring high standards of work quality and organizational performance, continuous learning and encouraging innovation in others.
7. Considerable experience in the development and management of operating budgets.
8. Well developed interpersonal skills with the ability to communicate and work effectively with staff of all levels in the organization
9. Ability to manage stakeholders, maintaining positive effective working relationships with strong ability to influence coupled with political acuity.
10. Proactively works with and engages with Indigenous Communities in collaboration with the Indigenous Affairs Office, lived experience and/or experience working with equity deserving groups (e.g. Black communities, 2SLGBTQ+) would be an asset.
11. May be required to Act as a Divisional spokesperson with the Media.

Please Note: 

• A Vulnerable Sector Police Reference Check will be required as a condition of employment.
• For more information on Shelter Services, please visit our website at: http://www.toronto.ca/housing

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.