ShelterCare Senior Manager

At House of Friendship, we believe in what we are doing. We get out of bed each day to make a difference in our community; to walk with and to serve. We are not happy with the status quo. We get energy from ongoing learning and growth. We lead with passion and believe without a doubt that everyone deserves to belong and thrive. We live and breathe our values of Compassion, Inclusion, Justice, Dignity and Hope. And we have fun!

Sounds pretty great, doesn’t it? It is! 

ShelterCare is a complex care facility providing addictions, primary care, mental health and housing resources for individuals experiencing homelessness. The Senior Manager will provide strategic leadership for a 24/7 shelter so participants can become healthier and housed - exiting the cycle of homelessness for good. The Senior Manager, ShelterCare will utilize their passion for operational excellence, community leadership and systems thinking to execute on a new program in a new location. Alongside a team of 50, the Senior Manager will use project management, strategic planning and data-based decision making to manage change and meet outcomes. This role will supervise the ShelterCare management team overseeing three managers: people and culture, program operations and health integration and partnerships. The Senior Manager will be responsible for ensuring evaluation and continuous improvement towards ShelterCare program outcomes. This role participates as a member of the Housing Services leadership team and will work alongside organizational leaders to support working groups and action interdisciplinary strategic planning initiatives within housing and across the organization.

** This is a 1 year contract position, from approximately August 2025 to October 2026.

This is a full-time position, offering 37.5 hours per week. Schedule Monday to Friday,

8:30am to 4:30pm, plus participation in the supervisory weekly on-call rotation.

Valid G class driver’s license and access to a reliable vehicle required.

Successful completion of a Police Records Check (Vulnerable Sector)

required pre-employment. **

Key Responsibilities:

•       Lead, develop, support and provide strategic leadership to the ShelterCare management team (3 direct reports) and provide oversight to the supervisory team, direct service team and volunteers supporting the program

•       Lead management team meetings and actively participate as a team member within Housing Services

•       Coach management team members on planning and communications related to change processes and work through organizational design to drive clarity at the program level

•       Provide strategic leadership for all aspects of program operation, deliverables and outcomes; including program development and review, program budget, allocation of resources, and relationships with funders, community partners, staff and people we serve

•       Champion the development, implementation and accountability to program policies and procedures

•       Lead risk mitigation process to create a supportive environment that is physically and psychologically healthy

•       Collaborate with internal and external parties to guide project planning for continuous improvement, including creating work plans and budgets, building the team with internal and external partners, and co-creating measures and outcomes

•       Participate in community leadership opportunities including external communications, media and committees regarding the ShelterCare program, housing and homeless issues

•       Engagement with local, provincial and federal associations tied to supportive housing, affordable housing, addictions, mental health and homelessness

•       Support the program Director with administration, creating reports and proposals to support and secure diverse funding opportunities

•       Secure, maintain and report on operational funding alongside the director

•       When required develop funding and/or research proposals for the program area

•       Contribute to the overall annual planning processes for housing services and implementation of organizational wide strategic planning initiatives

Job Specific Knowledge/Skills:

•       Grounded in the value of relationship-centered coaching for teams and relationship-centered healing for the people we serve and community

•       Ability to build effective teams and creating an atmosphere of belonging and collaboration that values diversity and individual strengths

•       Ability to foster relationships with key partners, effectively build formal and informal relationship networks inside and outside the organization to increase opportunities for innovation and positively impact outcomes

•       Excellent organizational and time management skills – attention to detail including skills in logistics, planning and objective note keeping

•       Passion to support leaders and teams providing exceptional services to people experiencing trauma, mental health, addiction, poor health, poverty and/or homelessness

•       Ability to work collaboratively in cross-divisional, cross-departmental and multi-stakeholder teams

•       Ability to connect and synthesize information from various sources and to seek out opportunities to turn information into action

•       Demonstrated coaching, conflict resolution and negotiation skills with dedication to performance management, coaching and support for direct reports

•       Demonstrated collaborative approach that values open and honest communication, integrity, respect, consistency and fairness

•       Comprehensive knowledge of applicable employment legislation including Employment Standards Act; Human Rights Code, Occupational Health and Safety Act; Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, etc.

•       Demonstrated exceptional leadership in program oversight, implementation, assessment and reporting

•       Experience in keeping financial records, budgets and funding agreements is required

•       Familiar with healthcare and housing systems is an asset

Education/Experience:

•       University degree Business, Leadership, Organizational Behaviour, Healthcare, Social Sciences, Social Work, or other related fields is required (Masters preferred)

•       At least 5 years’ experience leading a large team and/or providing leadership development and/or program leadership

•       Proven skills in strategy, influence and negotiation with a demonstrated ability to cultivate and maintain productive relationships

•       Highly organized with the ability to handle and prioritize multiple projects, relationships and competing priorities and deliver projects on time in a dynamic environment

•       Excellent communication skills (verbal, written and presentation)

Critical Skills:

•       Commitment to understand and uphold the mission and values of House of Friendship is expected

•       Exemplary emotional intelligence, resilience, communication, conflict management and problem solving skills required

•       Ability to work professionally as a team member with staff, participants and community members

•       Build solid and fruitful relationships with community partners and agencies to increase opportunities for innovation and positively impact outcomes

•       Demonstrated ability to create and maintain a positive work environment including the ability to navigate change in a positive and productive manner

•       Experience or strong interest in working with diverse populations including people from various cultural background, income levels, and sensitivity to their needs

•       Strong intercultural competency, with the ability to recognize and respect cultural diversity, able to be diplomatic and sensitive to the dynamics of a culturally diverse workplace

•       Experience with and commitment to using an anti-racism, anti-oppressive and trauma informed approach in consultation, program design, evaluation processes and service delivery

•       Respectful, supportive and engaging approach to persons with physical and/or cognitive disabilities, addictions, mental health and other life challenges

•       Excellent project, timeline and deadline management skills including skills in logistics and planning and detailed record keeping

•       Must be dependable, professional, flexible, a team player, and have a positive attitude

•       Able to model effective problem solving by recognizing the human, interpersonal and technical sides of a problem, show flexibility and explore possible solutions in an innovative and creative way

•       Act as a change agent; contributing to continuous improvement and the successful implementation of change initiatives

Compensation:

At House of Friendship, we know that our team members are the key to the success of our organization and our ability to provide essential services to the community. In support of our mission and in alignment with our values, House of Friendship is committed to ensuring fair, market competitive, and rewarding compensation practices for all of our team members. We aspire to support our team members to create a great work environment where our team is able to thrive, succeed, and have a positive work experience.

House of Friendship compensation practices including our pay grid, have been developed using documented leading pay practices in the not-for-profit sector including Pathways to Decent Work (Ontario Nonprofit Network) and Ontario Living Wage Network. We value the experience that new team members bring to the organization and have a process in place to review previous related experience for placement on our pay grid.

We value the work that you do with fair pay and benefits:

·        Time off includes vacation pay and 2 personal days per year

·        Employee & Family Assistance Program

Rate of Pay:

At House of Friendship all compensation ranges are categorized under a series of “grades” and we base our payment structure on internal equity. When determining rate of pay, a candidate’s past related experience will be taken into consideration.

Grade: 6 (Manager II)

Min: $37.33

Mid: $42.44

Max: $47.55

Working Conditions: 

•       37.5 hours per week; generally daytime with pre-planned evening and weekend work to support the 24/7 program operation

•       This is an on-site position with flexibility to work from home as needed

•       On-call rotation to support 24/7 operation of the program

•       Occasional travel throughout the Region of Waterloo for required meetings and community engagement

•       Encountering participants at program sites who may be under the influence of drugs or alcohol, and/or experiencing symptoms of mental illness can be expected

House of Friendship is open and inviting to qualified candidates with lived experience.

House of Friendship supports justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion in our workplace. We strive to be a workplace free of harassment and discrimination and we are committed to removing barriers and being an inclusive, work environment. House of Friendship is a place where each person can bring their true selves and feel that they belong. We aspire to be an organization that is anti-racist and anti-oppressive so that our team, and therefore our community, can truly belong and thrive.

We invite applications from all qualified candidates and actively encourage applications from members of groups with historical and/or current barriers to accessing employment including, but not limited to Indigenous Peoples, members of racialized groups, persons with disabilities, women, and members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community.

If you require accommodations to be able to participate fully at any stage in the recruitment process, including applying for this position, please let us know so that we can discuss accommodation options.  Accommodations will be provided upon request.

If you are as passionate as we are about serving the community, let’s talk.

To apply, please submit your resume and cover letter here:

https://house-of-friendship.hirehive.com/sheltercare-senior-manager-waterloo-on-nHmgT2

By end of day June 30, 2025.