Chief Executive Officer

Reporting to the Board of Directors, the Chief Executive Officer is responsible for the overall leadership and operations of FIREFLY. Working in accordance with the mission, vision, values, goals, strategic directions, and policies of the organization approved by the Board to create strategies that ensure the organization’s current and future success.

The Chief Executive Officer is also key to establishing and maintaining collaborative relationships with community partners, interest holders, and funders. The Chief Executive Officer ensures that the Agency is well-positioned externally, and is a key advocate and service system leader for child and youth physical, emotional, developmental, and community services across the Kenora and Rainy River Districts and the province.

The ideal candidate for Chief Executive Officer of FIREFLY embodies a unique blend of compassionate leadership, strategic vision, and operational expertise. They should possess a deep understanding of child development and wellbeing, coupled with a proven track record in managing complex social services through a nonprofit organization. Exceptional communication skills are paramount, enabling them to effectively advocate for children’s welfare and engage with diverse interest holders, including medical professionals, government agencies, and community partners. The ideal Chief Executive Officer should be adept at fostering a supportive and inclusive organizational culture that prioritizes the well-being and growth of both staff and the children/families under their care. They must also demonstrate strong financial acumen to ensure sustainable funding and resource allocation, thereby ensuring FIREFLY’s ability to deliver high-quality, innovative services to children and their families.

Responsibilities

The Chief Executive Officer is expected to recommend, develop, and implement a comprehensive strategy to address the distinct emerging characteristics and needs of the FIREFLY region.

The Chief Executive Officer is expected to undertake the necessary timely actions to meet the changing needs of the community in which it provides services.

Working with key internal and community care-holders (such as Board, Management, staff, social services, education, and health providers), the Chief Executive Officer is accountable for developing and implementing programs, services, budgets, staffing, and communication for the organization and serves as a link with Ministries, community leaders, agencies, and the community at large.

General Responsibilities:

• Provides leadership, guidance, and management to FIREFLY staff, including human and financial resources management in accordance with applicable legislation, accepted business and financial practices and standards, as well as Ministry and Board directives, guidelines, policies, and procedures, as may be changed or established from time to time.
• Translates the strategic direction of the Board, goals, and objectives into operational plans and activities and engages the FIREFLY team to effectively carry out the mandate.
• Develops and promotes a positive and productive FIREFLY work culture, consistent with the shared Mission, Vision, Commitments, and Values of FIREFLY, to attract, inspire and retain the best personnel.
• Demonstrates the Core Values of the organization.

Operations

• Ensures that the operations of FIREFLY promote the delivery of effective high-quality client services to meet the needs of the community and while achieving the best possible client outcomes, meeting specific goals within the context of a balanced budget, available resources, and government priorities.
• Provides annual operating plans that support the strategic plan and correlate with annual operating budgets.
• Develops a comprehensive human resources plan to promote employee engagement and foster a high performing culture to achieve operational efficiencies, including:
• Organization structure, roles, accountabilities, and key success criteria.
• Resource planning, recruitment, selection, retention, and succession planning.
• Learning, development, and performance management.
• Communications and conflict resolution.
• Rewards and recognition.
• Ensures policies are in place to meet legislative requirements and effective management of people.
• Establishes strategies for planning and coordinating service priorities.
• Establishes systems and procedures to support FIREFLY in effectively serving the community as an information resource in matters related to child, youth, and family community services.

Financial & Information Management

• Prepares annual budgets to secure funding for mandated programs and services.
• Establishes a financial management framework, systems, and processes to support sound and timely financial decision-making so that FIREFLY operates within its approved funding and is able to demonstrate that public funds are used to maximum effectiveness, with integrity and honesty.
• Provides financial and statistical reports to the Board to support decision-making, securing Board, Ministries, or other funders approval where required and submitting timely reports to the Ministry as required.
• Establishes an information technology network and maintains the technology infrastructure.
• Establishes a system for the retention of FIREFLY corporate and client services documents and for appropriately making such documents available.
• Provides reasonable measures to ensure the protection, safety, and integrity of FIREFLY client, Board, staff, and organization information.

Communications & Collaboration

• Acts as the spokesperson for FIREFLY to the media and the public.
• Develops strategic alliances with key care-holders to foster awareness of needs within the FIREFLY region, resolve issues and promote collaborative service delivery.
• Establishes and maintains relationships with community leaders, advocacy groups, Ministry staff, clients, community agencies, service providers, staff, and the community at large to ensure the mandate and business purpose of FIREFLY is known and understood.
• Develops an effective communication plan and risk management plan to promote the services and positive values of FIREFLY to care-holders.
• Consults and participates with agency/service provider forums to share best practices, coordinate local services, and promote the efficiency and effectiveness of the services within the FIREFLY region.
• Promotes and builds relationships through allyship of Indigenous populations and underrepresented groups to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion.
• Actively participates on provincial tables for community child and youth services, commits to liaise with community partners and funding bodies, and lead agencies and other external communities.
• Ensures system planning for the region is collaborative and fosters involvement of youth and families, clients, and service and community partners.

Organizational Performance

• Oversees the design, delivery, and quality of programs and services.
• Develops, implements, and monitors a system of performance measures of FIREFLY services.
• Develops processes and systems to identify service delivery issues, develops remedies and measures progress to promote continuous improvement in operational performance and enhance care-holder satisfaction.
• Ensures mechanisms are in place to identify and assess risks to the organization at all levels.
• Establishes ongoing learning and evaluation processes to ensure optimum standards of programs and support services are developed and maintained.

Board & Governance

• Provides the Board with relevant information, advice, and assistance in meeting its responsibilities.
• Assists the Board with the development and implementation of a Strategic Plan for FIREFLY, and works with the Board to promote, implement, and monitor the strategic directions in the plan.
• Advises the Board on compliance with Ministry directives, guidelines, policies, and procedures, and legislative requirements.
• Apprises the Board on all matters pertaining to the implementation of policy and the operations of FIREFLY and ensures that the Board has the information that it requires to carry out its responsibilities.
• Provides updates to the Board regarding internal and external actions and trends which may impact the organization.
• Provides regular reports to the Board on all performance measures.

Other

• Occasional travel is required. This will include travel both by car and by air. Travel will include destinations both within FIREFLY’s service region as well as outside of its service region.

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE

While the search committee recognizes that no one candidate is likely to meet all qualifications in equal measure, those listed below are desirable and will be used to compare candidates.

• A progression of senior management experience, preferably acquired in the community social services/health sectors (governmental; non-governmental; not-for-profit; and commercial) of at least five years duration;
• Education/professional qualifications that give evidence of the intellectual ability to deal with complex strategic and operational issues. Academic credentials at the Master’s level or equivalent are beneficial.
• An effective and respectful communicator and listener; relates well to others with proficient interpersonal and presentation skills;
• Manages conflict in a positive way;
• Confident and competent in an ambiguous and uncertain environment;
• Resilient and persistent in the face of adversity, versatile, and highly energetic;
• A leader acknowledged as such;
• A bias for action;
• Regarded as a visionary who believes innovation to be an essential driver of evolution and growth;
• Enthusiasm and a passion to excel and take calculated risks;
• Sound judgment in dealing with complex, multi-lateral, and hierarchical situations involving multiple stakeholders;
• A consultative, collaborative, and empowering leadership style; excellent role model;
• Integrity, honesty, empathy, compassion, and self-confidence, with the ability to respect and motivate a team;
• Provide and be open to feedback;
• Work hard, setting challenging personal and organizational goals, objectives, and achieves results.

You’re someone who

• Is an inspirational and forward-facing, influential and highly respected strategic leader.
• Has substantive leadership in an executive capacity, ideally demonstrated in human service delivery organizations.
• Demonstrates cultural competency and sensitivity, promoting a culturally inclusive environment and fostering a culture where diversity is celebrated, equity is a priority, and inclusion is embedded in every aspect of the organization’s operations and interactions.
• Possesses a strong and sincere commitment to addressing the Truth and Reconciliation Commission's Calls to Action.
• Demonstrates experience in Strategic Planning and high-level delivery, translating organizational vision into successful outcomes.
• Has a track record, of some material consequence, in undertaking change management processes in complex operating environments.
• Exhibits experience with the negotiation of service contracts and labour agreements.
• Has demonstrated leadership in working with Boards of Directors and understanding of the Board governance model.
• Possesses a solid understanding of government, policy, and programming related to health and social services environment and especially the area of children’s services and northern practice.
• Has business management skills including budgeting, financial planning, and management, project planning.
• Has excellent written, oral, and presentation communication skills.
• Demonstrates capacity to develop and maintain internal and external trusting, professional relationships.
• Has a track record of purposely developing networks to build value through collaboration.
• Understands, embraces, and values lived experience.
• Is a progressive leader who thinks beyond the confines of traditional models to recognize opportunities and find new and better ways of doing things.

For more information visit: www.fireflynw.ca/careers

All applications must be submitted using the email address fireflyceoapp@gmail.com

Job Types: Full-time, Permanent

Benefits:

• Company pension
• Dental care
• Disability insurance
• Employee assistance program
• Extended health care
• Life insurance
• On-site parking
• Paid time off
• Vision care

Work Location: In person

Application deadline: 2024-10-31