Manager, Social Action

**Grow with us**

Family Service Toronto (FST) helps people face a wide variety of life challenges. For over 100 years, we have worked with individuals, families and communities destabilized by precarious mental health and/or socioeconomic circumstances, to achieve greater resilience, stability, and equity.

We achieve this through our understanding of poverty and the harmful effects of marginalization, discrimination, and oppression. We direct our energies to support individuals and families in our core service areas - community counselling and mental health, gender-based violence and developmental disabilities. At the same time, we work to influence policy, build knowledge, strengthen communities and advocate for system change.

We’re proud of our people and culture We are constantly evolving what we do and how we do it. Our work is grounded in the lived experience of the clients and the community. We celebrate diversity, equity, inclusion, and excellence. We are agile, learning and always willing to try new things.

**The Opportunity**

The Manager, Social Action leads and supports FST’s social action work across the organization. They develop and assist FST in articulating public policy positions with respect to social and economic issues that affect the individuals, families, and communities we serve. The Manager supports the development of a culture of advocacy and social action within FST and in the community social services sector through research, education, policy development, and community building activities. Additionally the Manager provides leadership and support to Campaign 2000, a cross-Canada public education movement to build Canadian awareness and support for the 1989 all-party House of Commons resolution to end child poverty in Canada by the year 2000 The Manager secures and maintains funding for the department’s programs and services.

**Responsibilities**

**Planning**
- Participate in the development of the organization’s annual operational plan and budget.
- Monitor achievement of the department’s operational plan, reporting results as required.
- Participate in planning for operational business improvements and new organizational projects, identifying and responding to opportunities as they arise.

**Research and Evaluation**
- Ensure that the department’s work is grounded in best practices, research, and evaluation, using processes which include and value the voices of clients and community participants.
- Foster a culture of learning, evaluation, and innovation within the department and across the organization that contributes to knowledge creation, learning and improvement within FST and the community.

**External Relationships**
- Be knowledgeable t on the Canada Revenue Agency’s rules on charitable activities.
- Build and maintain media relations, government relations and excellent community relationships and networks across all program areas.
- Provide nimble response and timely support on issues as needed.
- Build and sustain excellent relationships with funders.

**Operations**
- Conduct, coordinate, and manage policy research, policy development and other activities related to FST social action priority areas, including poverty, immigration and settlement, income security and employment, health, and housing.
- Oversee the day-to-day operation of the work of Campaign 2000 office.
- Provide leadership and support to the Campaign 2000 including coordinating all aspects of annual child and family poverty report card production and leading advocacy and media efforts.
- Coordinate policy development and review for departmental policies, through a consultative process.
- Ensure timely and accurate data collection and usage to provide useful reports for funders and the board and to improve quality of service.

**Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion**
- Articulate commitment to diversity, challenge the status quo, hold others accountable, and makes diversity, equity, and inclusion a priority.
- Act as a change agent for integration of Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI), anti-oppression and social justice principles within FST policies, practices, culture, programs, and activities, and within the sector, and community.
- Accountable for development of and progress toward organizational EDI goals.

Key Qualifications
- You have Post graduate degree in social work, political science or a related field or equivalent combination of education and experience.
- You have relevant experience in advocacy, social action, and community building.
- You are a demonstrated strong leader in your workplace and your community.
- You have experience analyzing, interpreting, and working with quantitative and qualitative research related to social issues.
- Experience working with the media and acting as a media spokesperson.
- You know how to develop great content for social media channels and campaigns.
- You are an experienced partnership builder and can work in a variety of sectors