Senior Manager, Community and Access

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!

House of Friendship is a leading provider of solutions in the areas of housing, addiction services, food security and community development across Waterloo Region (www.houseoffriendship.org). Our 86-year history has built a legacy of innovation, adaptation and the continuous pursuit of better ways to meet the needs of individuals and families impacted by poverty and addiction. Our mission is at the center of all we do as we pursue more integrated ways to walk with community members experiencing increasingly complex needs.

We are looking for someone to utilize their passion for operational excellence, community leadership and systems thinking to guide and progress Community Services programs and integrated intake and service navigation. Leading a team of managers and supervisors, the Senior Manager will use project management, strategic thinking and data-based decision-making to manage change and improve participant outcomes. The Senior Manager will be responsible for ensuring evaluation and continuous improvement in program outcomes. This role participates as a member of the Program Director’s leadership team and will work alongside organizational leaders to support working groups and action interdisciplinary planning initiatives across the organization.

** This full-time position offers 37.5 hours per week. Schedule is generally weekday, daytime hours. Flexibility required, including some evening and weekend hours to support special events.Valid G class driver’s license and reliable vehicle are required; frequent travel within Waterloo Region required **

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead, develop, support and provide strategic leadership to the Community Services management team and Intake team and provide oversight to the supervisory team, direct service team, and volunteers supporting the programs

• Lead management team meetings and actively participate as a team member across integrated programs

• 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 committees and leadership opportunities to advance community development, social justice, and poverty alleviation

• Engagement with local, provincial and federal associations tied to community development, social justice, and poverty alleviation

• Support the 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 Community Services and Access 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 create 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 seeking community services and supports

• 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 with electronic health records, documentation standards and Personal Health Information Protection Act (PHIPA)

• Experience with EMHWare is considered an asset

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

• Familiarity with community development, social justice, and poverty alleviation is an asset

Education/Experience:

• University degree in 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 across varied portfolios

• Minimum of 2 years’ experience in a role with responsibility for intake and/or service navigation. Ideally, experience with centralized intake for an organization with diverse programming

• Experience with integrating unique programs to align systems and processes

• Demonstrated experience leading teams of regulated and non-regulated staff

• 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 understanding and upholding 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 backgrounds, 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 five (5) weeks of vacation, 5* personal days (3 for remainder of 2026) and sick credits totaling approximately 12 days per year

• Full-time benefit plan including Extended Health Care (EHC), Dental, Group Life, Accidental Death and Dismemberment (AD&D), Long Term Disability (LTD), Flexible Spending Account and Employee & Family Assistance Program

• We believe strongly in supporting the mental health of our team members, including providing access to the Employee and Family Assistance Program in addition to $2,000 for counselling services (included in the group health benefits package) and our workplace Wellness and Psychological Health and Safety programs

• We help you save for the future by providing a retirement plan that includes a matched Group Pension Plan as well as a Group RRSP and a Group Tax Free Savings Account

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: Manager II

Min: $38.08

Mid: $43.29

Max: $48.50

Working Conditions:

• 37.5 hours per week; generally daytime, weekday hours with some flexibility for evening and weekend hours to support special events

• Hybrid work option with on-site requirements and the ability to work from a home office

• Travel throughout Waterloo Region; consistent access to a reliable vehicle and G class driver’s license required

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

This role is being posted to fill a new role in the organization.

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 (required) and cover letter here:

https://house-of-friendship.hirehive.com/senior-manager-community-and-access-kitchener-J8BFUI

By end of day November 11, 2026.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is not being used in the screening of applications.