Job Description
The City of Ottawa is Canada’s capital of close to one million people and the fourth largest municipality in the country. Ranked as one of the top places to live and raise a family in Canada, the City also places first for business friendliness and second for economic potential. The City of Ottawa has been named one of the Top 100 Employers in Canada for five consecutive years, as well as one of Canada’s Best Diversity Employers and Canada’s Top Greenest Employers. The City of Ottawa is an Employer of Choice to its 17,000 employees and is regarded highly for its leadership in service delivery innovation.
Housing Services is responsible for effectively influencing, advocating, and implementing a housing system that meets the needs of the citizens of Ottawa. Reporting to the General Manager, Community & Social Services, the Director of Housing will demonstrate leadership in negotiating with provincial and federal representatives for a systemic and fiscal framework that will achieve Council’s housing vision. The Director is accountable for developing and maintaining strategic business and community partnerships to respond to the City’s housing requirements, while managing multiple complex multi-million-dollar projects. You will lead the affordable housing agenda by influencing policy changes and collaborating with stakeholders in regard to program funding, mortgage lending and the provision of support services to residents. Representing the City, the Director will develop and implement effective housing strategies and is accountable for federal, provincial, and municipal funding. The Director is responsible for administering social housing programs and delivering programs for emergency shelter services, homelessness and social housing, and Official Plan policies for affordable housing throughout the community. The Director is also responsible for managing the Service’s financial and human resources, in addition to stakeholder and partner relationships.
The ideal candidate will come with a 4-year university degree in Social Work, Planning, Business Administration, Public Administration, or another related field. An MBA or MPA is an asset, along with community-based experience. A minimum of 10 years of experience in the social service or housing sectors is required, along with at least 5 years managing human resources, external contract resources, as well as operating and capital budgets in a complex public organization or private sector corporation. The candidate must possess the flexibility to be able to adapt to the municipal bureaucracy. This is a bilingual position and fluency in both of Canada’s official languages is required.
The City of Ottawa is an equal opportunity employer. In accordance with the Accessible Canada Act, 2019 and all applicable provincial accessibility standards, upon request, accommodation will be provided by both Odgers Berndtson and the City of Ottawa throughout the recruitment, selection and/or assessment process to applicants with disabilities.
The City of Ottawa is committed to an equitable, strategic and inclusive hiring process and supports a workforce that reflects the diverse population of Ottawa. In addition to meeting the requirements of the position, the following are considered assets:
- Lived experience and identity as a member of Indigenous, Black and other racialized communities, persons with disabilities, women and other equity- deserving groups
- Experience working with a diversity of communities from the many intersecting social identities, such as race, gender identities and expressions, sexual orientation, disability, class and religions facing the greatest systemic and structural barriers
- Knowledge of community demographics and the related socio-economic realities of diverse groups
- Demonstrated understanding of the value of diversity and inclusion in the workplace
- Ability to apply an equity and inclusion lens to customer service and to internal decision-making processes
- Ability to communicate in a language other than French or English