Manager, Sector Engagement

**About Homeward Trust Edmonton**

Homeward Trust Edmonton (HTE) is a not-for-profit organization charged with ending homelessness in Edmonton. Our efforts are guided by community needs and priorities as outlined in A Place to Call Home: Edmonton’s Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness. Homeward Trust has a dynamic work environment, filled with high-energy, dedicated, and passionate people.

Homeward Trust embraces the Housing First philosophy. This philosophy follows the principles of finding housing accommodations first and then establishing the supports required by the client to remain in a home. Homeward Trust Edmonton’s programs involve both housing (capital project funding, property management, and sourcing access to new or existing units for client use) and supportive services to individuals in or seeking access to housing programs.

**Position Summary**

The Manager, Sector Engagement & Planning is responsible for coordinating efforts with the community to support the engagement, system planning and implementation of strategies for Edmonton’s Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness (the Plan). They will work alongside Homeward Trust’s leadership and operational teams to ensure that the Plan stays on target, adapts to changing conditions and improves with best practices. The position also plays a vital role in understanding the current State of Homelessness in Edmonton, and be able to action these insights into analyses and recommendations for system interventions and resource allocation.

The position will work closely with leadership and interact with internal and external stakeholders, community members, persons with lived experience, agencies, committees, consultants, government, and industry professionals.

**Duties & Responsibilities**
- Community Planning and State of Homelessness_
- Support leadership in the development, monitoring, and upkeep of the Community Plan to Prevent and End Homelessness.
- To support homeless system planning by maintaining a perpetual understanding of the State of Homelessness. This includes a real-time understanding of service providers, client experiences in accessing services, applicable public policy, and other relevant inputs that influence individuals and the homeless-serving system.
- Conduct environmental scans and situational analyses as well as undertaking research on historical and emerging best practices from the sector, other jurisdictions and social trends
- Engage partners and key stakeholders on several major planning projects including system planning work, engagement, funding, program review, and Indigenous partnerships.
- Support participation in local, national, and international efforts to end homelessness, ensuring alignment of strategies and approaches with Homeward Trust’s priorities.
- Lead sector initiatives such as the Point-In-Time (PiT) Count, including coordination of volunteers, engagement with sector, facilitating the PiT count execution, and completion of associated reporting.
- Stakeholder Relationships & People Leadership_
- Direct and develop employees to ensure progress on the objectives and targets of the Plan.
- Advanced management experience in leading, coaching, motivating and empowering teams while holding team members accountable for delivering performance excellence.
- Works collaboratively with a variety of stakeholders on complex, sensitive projects including the ability to work diplomatically and persuasively with differing stakeholder views while developing and maintaining strong relationships.
- Engagement_
- Extensive, expert knowledge and experience in engagement techniques (survey design, focus groups, town halls, digital platforms), meeting and committee administration and effective engagement processes to involve stakeholders in decision-making, policy and program development.
- Exemplary planning and project management skills, including budget management
- Advanced-level analysis, presentation and communication skills
- Ensure that best practices in community and stakeholder engagement are reflected in Homeward Trust processes and initiatives and remain abreast of current thought leadership on community and stakeholder engagement in partnership with our mandate of ending homelessness.
- Understand government standards, policies and procedures including responsibilities around impact reporting and policy creation in political (and politicized) settings.

**Education & Experience**
- Post-secondary degree in Sociology, Urban Studies, Public Policy, or a related field with a focus on homelessness or housing insecurity preferred.
- Minimum of 3 years of relevant experience, preferably within government, non-profit, social services, or housing sectors.
- as Project Management training/certification are strong assets
- Proven experience in building and maintaining relationships with a range of stakeholders, including but not limited to researchers, policymakers, community organizations, advisory committees, Indi