PROGRAM MANAGER CHILD SVCS

• Job ID: 61710
• Job Category: Community & Social Services
• Division & Section: Children's Services, Agency Services
• Work Location: METRO HALL, 55 John Street, Toronto, ON M5V 3C6  
• Job Type & Duration: Full-time, 1 temporary (12 month) vacancy

• Salary Range: $123,833 - $170,184, TM0595,Wage Grade 8  

  Ideal Hiring Zone: $139,659 - $151,419 
• Shift Information: Monday to Friday, 35 hours per week 
• Affiliation: Non-Union
• Number of Positions Open: 1 
• Posting Period: 23-Jan-2026 to 06-Feb-2026  

Job Summary:

Reporting to the Director, Agency Services, we are seeking a dynamic and experienced Program Manager who is passionate about fostering a positive and inclusive workplace culture. In this role, you will lead and motivate a team of District Consultants responsible for a portfolio of Children's Services child care programs within the City of Toronto.

As a successful Program Manager, you will provide strategic leadership and operational oversight, champion collaboration, and model respectful communication. You will drive change initiatives, lead impactful projects, implement business process improvements, and work closely with a diverse range of partners.

Your key focus will be to manage and ensure the effective implementation of the Canada-Wide Early Learning Child Care Program (CWELCC) and the Toronto Children's Services Service Plan, while maintaining high-quality service delivery, ensuring financial accountability, and building strong, trust-based relationships with our community partners. By promoting a culture of equity, inclusion, and continuous learning, you will help create an environment where staff and families feel supported and valued.

Toronto Children’s Services is committed to fostering an inclusive, accessible environment where all employees and members of the public feel valued, respected and supported. We are dedicated to building a workforce that reflects the diversity of the public and the communities in which we live and serve.

Major Responsibilities:

• Inspire and motivate a diverse team, fostering collaboration, supporting continuous learning, and encouraging innovative thinking.
• Supervision of staff in managing sensitive and complex issues with clients and the community.
• Supervises the day-to-day operation of all assigned staff including the scheduling, assigning and reviewing of work. Authorizes and controls vacation and overtime requests. Monitors and evaluates staff performance, approves salary increments and recommends disciplinary action when necessary.
• Manages labour relations, including the hearing of grievances, WSIB, etc. Manages joint labour/management sub-committees. Represents the Division in labour negotiations and manages the business changes required as a result of new collective agreement. Represents Division/Department on cross-departmental and intergovernmental initiative.
• Oversee the management of a diverse portfolio of Children's Services programs, ensuring accessibility, quality, and alignment with the Children's Services Service Plan.
• Leads continuous improvement by using evidence, data, and trends to guide policy decisions and service planning.
• Evaluates the impact of changes made to CWELCC system to ensure childcare is accessible and equitable for equity‑deserving families.
• Develop, recommend and implement policy and operational changes through an equity lens.
• Evaluate, monitor, and provide direction to agencies with service agreements, ensuring compliance with policies, legislation, and quality standards.
• Promote continuous service improvement through the development and negotiation of action plans with service providers.
• Ensure financial alignment for child care agencies, with service agreements as it relates to their operating budgets, funding requests and audited financial statements.
• Develops, recommends and administers the annual budget for the unit, and ensures that the unit's expenditures are controlled and maintained within approved budget limitations. Represents the unit on Capital project management.
• Develop and implement detailed plans and reports and recommend policy changes based on program needs and best practices.
• Manages or leads the development of key divisional reports regarding program-specific requirements.
• Manage contentious issues and serious occurrences related to services for children, ensuring appropriate follow-up, corrective action, and implementation of preventative strategies.
• Respond to media inquiries and prepare media materials and briefing notes as required.
• Liaise and negotiate with provincial staff, other municipalities, elected officials, and community groups regarding policy interpretation and application.
• Represent the Division on cross-divisional and intergovernmental initiatives.
• Represent the Corporation and the Division in a variety of community initiatives, collaborating with childcare operators, other child/family service agencies, Boards of Education, and Municipal/Provincial politicians and staff.

Key Qualifications:

1. Post-secondary education in relevant field (e.g. Early Childhood Education, Social Services, Public Administration, or a related field) or an equivalent combination of education combined with relevant experience.
2. Considerable experience in change management within a major public or private sector organization.
3. Considerable project management experience managing multi-faceted projects from inception through to completion in a deadline-oriented environment and providing strategic advice to senior leaders on service improvements.
4. Considerable experience leading, coordinating, and motivating staff, conducting performance appraisals, and managing employee and labour relations matters. Demonstrated ability to provide innovative, results-oriented leadership, foster teamwork, and create an environment for success.
5. Considerable experience managing budgets and ensuring financial accountability.
6. Considerable experience building strong and trusted relationships with a wide variety of partners through consultation and engagement to identify changes, impacts and solutions.
7. Strong knowledge of relevant legislation and acts, including the Employment Standards Act, 2000 (Ontario), the Occupational Health and Safety Act, the Labour Relations Act, and the Human Rights Code etc.
8. Sound knowledge of current issues, emerging trends, and best practices in the children’s services sector, as well as expertise in the delivery of community-based programs and services that promote child well-being and family support.
9. In-depth understanding of not-for-profit and corporate governance, including expertise in developing by-laws, meeting financial requirements, and designing effective organizational structures.
10. Lived experience as an Indigenous person, a Black person, or a member of an equity-deserving group (e.g. people with disabilities, racialized people, members of 2SLGBTQ+ community, etc.) is considered an asset.
11. Extensive leadership experience in championing and advancing reconciliation, equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility initiatives, fostering an inclusive organizational culture and driving systemic change.
12. Strong strategic thinking and planning skills and proven ability to manage complex projects and drive change initiatives.
13. Excellent oral and written communication skills at a senior management level including the ability to write concise reports and executive summaries.
14. Excellent organizational skills with the ability to meet competing priorities.
15. Exceptional analytical, problem solving, negotiation and conflict management skills.

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.