Toronto Community Housing Seeking Community Practice Consultant

Reporting to the Manager, Community Practice and Planning, the incumbent works in close collaboration with business units, Operating Units (OU's), tenants, community partners and external stakeholders to plan, develop, document and implement the effective delivery of initiatives, programs and opportunities that advance our Community Management Plan (CMP) and our commitment to creating healthy communities. The Community Practice Consultant (CPC) will advance a vision of organizational change and horizontal accountability that catalyzes community building efforts in the areas of property management, youth development, community economic development, city building, seniors support, tenant and civic engagement, leadership and participation in governance. The CPC will work as part of a larger community development team which involves working closely in our communities with Operating Unit frontline team members, tenants, Tenant Councils and community partners.
Responsibilities:

• Initiates and manages inter-sectoral program partnerships and service planning at the neighbourhood level as guided by Toronto Community Housing's corporate strategies
• Leads the coordination of community health planning to align the operations, maintenance and community health agendas of the organization to ensure horizontal accountability
• Works with Toronto Community Housing staff, communities and service providers to coordinate and develop innovative and accessible service responses to identified community needs in the form of two and/or three year plans
• Mobilizes and trains communities to advocate on their own behalf and strategize on social development issues
• Provides guidance and expertise on community development and community capacity building to decentralized Toronto Community Housing operations units and facilitates and supports inter-divisional initiatives
• Assists in the development of grassroot organizations and community groups established to meet identified service needs through, for example, board development, financial planning and management, policy development, crisis management, strategic planning and human resource development
• Acts as an expert resource to operating units for facilitation, asset mapping, strategic planning, research, evaluation, and organizational change strategies
• Develops and implements, with Toronto Community Housing staff and key stakeholders, appropriate strategies to address community needs and improve access by implementing projects, partnerships and coalitions that promote inter-sectoral linkages
• Provides expertise and coaching to other Toronto Community Housing staff to enhance their community development skills through consultation and education on community development, access, equity and advocacy to ensure the incorporation of community development principles in all organizational activities and programs
• Integrates youth engagement and youth employment programs/initiatives locally
• Identifies and provides guidance, coaching, advice, mentoring, consultation support, information and referrals to potential community leaders and to service providers and community organizations
• Identifies, designs, develops and delivers culturally appropriate training and education sessions for diverse audiences
• Builds, maintains and/or coordinates relevant networks and service coordination mechanisms
• Develops funding strategies with community groups and agencies and assists those groups in negotiating monetary and non-monetary resources with all levels of government bodies
• Communicates and interprets relevant Toronto Community Housing policies, programs and initiatives to the community
• Acts as a resource for the Board of Directors, Executive Committee, operational and planning units and politicians in identifying and acting on current and anticipated community needs and issues
• Other duties as assigned
Qualifications:

• Post secondary education in a relevant field or equivalent combination of education and progressive experience
• Proven experience in strategic planning, project and program management, as well as in developing tools such as work plans, environmental scans, budgets and evaluation plans
• Extensive experience in community development and in creating and implementing concrete responses to address changing needs of communities
• Extensive experience in working with communities to address social inequities, ability to lead needs assessments, program planning and grant / project management
• Demonstrated experience in organizational development, understanding of inter-sectoral linkages, community capacity building and advocacy
• Demonstrated experience in writing successful funding proposals, grants and business cases
• Strong knowledge of community issues and trends, community services and resources and the community service sector
• Highly developed analytical, writing, and problem-solving skills, and sound managerial judgement
• Strong group facilitation and public meeting skills for leading community processes, consultations and forums with tenant groups, diverse communities, and community agencies
• Strong knowledge of Toronto Community Housing's communities and its tenant participation system
• Strong commitment to and understanding of anti-racism theory and practice, anti-oppression frameworks and proven ability to apply these skills and work effectively with a diverse population that faces multiple socio-economic barriers
• Sound knowledge of government legislation in the areas of equity and human rights, employment, occupational health and safety, labour and employment
• Demonstrated ability in establishing effective working relationships with colleagues, community organizations, representatives from various levels of government and elected officials
• Excellent written, oral and public relations skills at the management level
• Ability to travel to various locations in a timely and efficient manner.
• Ability to work flexible hours which may include: overtime, shift work, and occasional evenings and weekends
• Strong interpersonal and conflict resolution skills
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team in a fast-paced environment
• Knowledge of Toronto Community Housing's communities and operations is an asset

Toronto Community Housing is committed to equity in employment. Our goal is a diverse, inclusive workforce that reflects the communities we serve. We strongly encourage applications from women and men, people from racialized communities, sexual minorities, persons with disabilities and aboriginal persons.

Persons with disabilities who need accommodation in the application process, or those needing job postings in an alternative format, may e-mail a request to human [dot] resourcestorontohousing [dot] ca.

We thank all applicants in advance for their interest in this position, however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted.