WHO WE ARE

Are you looking to make an impact in your community? Do you have endless optimism, ready to move and create change in the community? Through the vision to eliminate poverty in our community and guided by a passionate concern for the dignity and well-being of each individual, Bissell Centre’s work is based on building relationships, hope and trust. Our community comes from all walks of life and so do we.

Through our programs we work to empower people from meeting their own basic daily needs to having sustainable livelihoods, secure housing, and feeling hope for the future and make plans for a prosperous life. By joining Bissell Centre, you will become part of a fast-paced and dedicated team that works together to realize our vision.

Currently, Bissell Centre is looking for an individual wanting to join the Housing team. Are you ready to be our Director Housing and make an impact in our community?

The Director Housing, reporting to the Executive Services Officer, is a key member of the Leadership team, responsible for overseeing the staff of multiple departments and their respective scopes of responsibility at Bissell Centre.

This individual is responsible for overseeing the day-to-day operations of Bissell Centre’s housing departments. The position, in collaboration with the Executive Services Officer, is accountable for managing department grants, outputs, outcomes, financials, evaluations, and portfolio development. The Director works collaboratively with other agency Directors, Managers, staff, and community organizations to develop and nurture relationships to achieve Bissell Centre’s mandates.

Portfolio Accountabilities

Bissell Centre’s range of housing services include Community Bridge, the Outreach Housing team, Homeless to Homes, and a Supportive Housing site.

Community Bridge

Community Bridge is a financial empowerment focused case management program that provides small, interest-free loans to cover arrears and prevent eviction, utility disconnection, and foreclosure. Through referrals and financial empowerment support (budgeting, accessing benefits, savings, and goal setting), Community Bridge prevents housing loss while promoting long-term housing sustainability.

Outreach Housing

The Outreach Housing team supports individuals experiencing homelessness to secure housing. The Outreach Housing team’s approach is based on the principles of Housing First, which asserts that housing should be addressed before addressing other barriers in an individual’s life.

Homeless to Homes

The Homeless to Homes team provides intensive case management to individuals who have recently been housed and have a history of chronic homelessness and co-morbidities. The team provides long-term follow-up support to ensure stability.

Supportive Housing

Hope Terrace is a 34-unit, 24/7 supportive housing facility for individuals over the age of 18 who have been diagnosed with FASD.

For all programs within Housing Services, the Director is accountable for the following:

• Supporting Managers in establishing and delivering effective service models that meet the needs of community members and achieve KPIs and targets set by funders.
• Representing Bissell Centre at external stakeholder tables to address system challenges related to ending homelessness.
• Ensuring program compliance with best practices, Bissell Centre’s values, and existing funding contracts.
• Seeking out, securing, and managing new funding streams from diverse sources and developing plans for program expansion.

Key Accountabilities

Departmental Accountabilities

• Ensure adherence to the agency’s mission, vision, philosophy, values, and objectives.
• Submit monthly, quarterly, and annual reports, including outputs, outcomes, program highlights, stories, and quality improvement initiatives.
• Follow all procedures necessary for creating and modifying program procedures.
• Monitor the implementation of logic models/frameworks and the achievement of outputs and outcomes.
• Ensure compliance with legal, regulatory, contractual, standards of care, and applicable accreditation requirements.
• Ensure service user, stakeholder, and community input as required.
• Facilitate inter-departmental coordination and collaboration.
• Work collaboratively with Managers to ensure operational efficiency and best practices.
• Create, modify, and dissolve departmental procedures in line with Bissell Centre policies.
• Propose policy changes in collaboration with the Director, People & Culture.

People & Culture Accountabilities

• Collaborate with Managers and Facilities to ensure proper maintenance and safety of all program areas.
• Oversee recruitment, hiring, orientation, training, and supervision of direct-report staff.
• Manage performance and progressive discipline of staff in accordance with People & Culture policies and procedures. In consultation with People & Culture, recommend termination of staff within the portfolio subject to Officer approval.
• Facilitate regular communication with Managers and teams to inspire, plan, and direct.
• Implement regular meetings with direct reports to ensure targeted goals, program delivery, and timely submission of reports.
• Collaborate with People & Culture to provide guidance and support to managers in recruitment, orientation, training, performance management, and employee relations.
• Approve and monitor staff timesheets, overtime, health maintenance, and vacation balances.
• Approve vacation and protected leaves.
• Complete and/or supervise probationary appraisals of new direct reports.
• Complete annual developmental appraisals of direct reports, including training, mentorship, and professional development opportunities.
• Ensure documentation and follow-up (reporting, debriefs, training, etc.) are completed for all Critical Incidents.
• Attend Management Team meetings on a rotating quarterly basis to engage with managers, address organizational issues, and collaborate on organizational initiatives.
• Ensure adherence to Bissell Centre policies and revise departmental procedures to align with policies.
• Create new positions and/or modify job descriptions in collaboration with Finance and People & Culture, based on departmental needs and budget.
• Provide coverage of Manager job duties as required for vacation, illness, and other absences.
• Approve budgeted professional development in accordance with People & Culture policies and employee development goals.

Strategic Advocacy (External Stakeholder Engagement)

• Represent Bissell Centre (and all its priorities) in person, online and in writing with external stakeholders including, but not limited to:
  • Preparing and delivering presentations.
  • Representing Bissell’s messaging to media.
  • Engaging the community as a good neighbor and to build buy in.
• Development of marketing and communications content utilizing Bissell templates in partnership with Marketing & Communications.
• Ensure that brand consistency is upheld at Bissell Centre through adherence to standardized templates, key messages, and brand guidelines.
• In partnership with Resource Development and in alignment with the organization’s contract and grant management processes:
  • Explore new avenues for partnership and funding.
  • Participate in negotiation of funding agreements.
  • Create and maintain of funding reporting requirements.
• Participate in relationship management with key donors, funders, partners and other external stakeholders.
• Generate alignment between internal practices, data collection and external communications.
• Seek out, secure, and manage funding streams from diverse sources.

Financial

• In collaboration with the Executive Services Officer, managers, and Finance, develop, implement, and monitor annual program budgets.
• In collaboration with Managers, Resource Development, and Finance, implement strategies for increasing financial stability and sustainability of programs and services.
• Monitor, approve, and submit receipts for expenditures.
• Ensure departments meet their financial targets as laid out in their budgets.
• Create, modify, and terminate memorandums of understanding, funding agreements, reports, and budgeted contracts under $5,000 and less than 12 months in length.
• Exercise signing authority and responsibility for organizational cheques and electronic payments after the completion of probation and required training.

General and Administrative

• Attend and participate in organizational events, including the Annual General Meeting, Bissell Staff Gala, fundraising events (e.g., Coldest Night of the Year), and portfolio-specific events.
• Perform other duties as required.

Direct Reports

• Manager, Housing and Outreach.
• Manager, Permanent Supportive Housing, Hope Terrace.

Qualifications, Skills, and Abilities

Formal Education and Experience

• University degree in a related field.
• Minimum of 3 years of senior management experience. An equivalent combination of training and experience may be considered.
• Experience in program planning, development, case management, evaluation, and supervisory roles.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to self-manage, assign, supervise tasks, and work collaboratively.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Behave Ethically: Understand ethical behavior and business practices and ensure own behaviour is consistent with these standards and aligns with the mission and core values of Bissell Centre.
• Build Relationships: Establish and maintain positive working relationships with others, both internally and externally, to achieve the goals of the organization.
• Communicate Effectively: Speak, listen and write in a clear, thorough and timely manner using appropriate and effective communication tools and techniques.
• Focus on Participant Needs: Anticipate, understand, and respond to the needs of participants and the community to meet or exceed their expectations within the organizational parameters.
• Foster Teamwork: Foster, sustain and role model productive team management practices, and contribute to a positive team environment. Share expertise and knowledge to support, coach and develop others.
• Make Decisions: Assess situations to determine the importance, urgency and risks, and make clear decisions that are timely and in the best interests of the organization.
• Organizational Skills: Set priorities, develop a work schedule, monitor progress towards goals, and track details/data/information/activities.
• Plan: Determine strategies to move the organization forward, set goals, create and implement action plans, and evaluate the process and results.
• Solve Problems: Assess problem situations to identify causes, gather and process relevant information, generate possible solutions, and make recommendations and/or resolve the problem.

• Leadership and Management Skills: Has strong leadership and management skills; clear ability to think, plan, and act strategically; is a team leader and a team player; leads by example; able to empower employees to achieve their best.
• Change Management Skills: Personal capacity to adapt to change, lead competently through change, and make strategic adjustments to address changing needs.

Conditions of Work

• On call rotation (role dependent).
• Some evenings and weekends may be required.

Screening Requirements

• Police Information & Vulnerable Sector Check, renewed every 3 years.
• Child Welfare Intervention Check.
• COVID-19 Vaccination confirmation, with exception due to established exemptions.
• Drivers Abstract.

Training Requirements

• Conflict Into Calm Training.
• Valid First Aid certificate meeting at a minimum CSA Standard Z1210-17 First Aid Certification.