Associate Director of Operations and Development

ABOUT US

Kennedy House (KH) is a not-for-profit organization with a long-standing dedication to providing exceptional personalized care for youth in the Greater Toronto Area for over 50 years. KH started with an initial family-like group home in 1971 and currently operates several residential and community-based programs, for marginalized and at-risk youth, including:

• One residential home for young people in care; 
• Three homes for youth and young adults living with developmental disabilities; 
• A Day Treatment school program for youth struggling in the typical school setting; 
• Kennedy House Youth Centre, a secure custody facility for male youth experiencing conflict with the law; 
• Bailiff services to safely and securely transport youth experiencing conflict with the law; 
• Kennedy House After School Program for children aged 4-13 in underserved communities throughout Scarborough; and 
• Kennedy House Youth Shelter, for youth aged 16-24 experiencing homelessness.  

KH works with youth to enable them to grow as individuals and contribute as members of the community. This is achieved by providing customized support and building trusting relationships.

To learn more about our organization and the causes we support, we strongly encourage you to visit our website.

SUMMARY

The Associate Director of Operations and Development is a strategic leadership role that will work in collaboration with the Executive Director to provide overall guidance to the various Kennedy House programs and ensures the agency provides optimal service to all of our stakeholders. Specifically the Associate Director will ensure that all legislated requirements are met, evaluates service effectiveness using data and metrics and monitors day to day operations to ensure program expectations / clinical needs are being addressed with the most updated resources. This position also involves identifying training needs, creating effective curriculum, and working with the senior managers to enhance employee skills, productivity, and overall organizational performance. Overall, this role ensures that agency services meet all legislative and funder requirements, while promoting continuous improvement, strong oversight, and operational leadership. The Associate Director is a key member of the Senior Management Team and reports to the Executive Director.

The annual salary for this role is $90,000.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Operational Leadership

• Oversees daily program operations and service delivery in collaboration with Program Managers.
• Executes Board and ED approved directives, policies, procedures, and standards.
• Ensures compliance with licensing (MCCSS, Shelter Standards, QAM…), contractual obligations, and accreditation.
• Supports operational planning and achievement of annual service targets.
• Ensure all training programs, activities, and materials comply with relevant legal, regulatory, and company standards.

2. Program Performance & Quality Assurance

• Conducts regular program reviews, audits, and performance assessments.
• Tracks trends in incidents, complaints, and outcomes to improve service quality.
• Monitors corrective actions in response to compliance findings.
• Manages data-driven service reporting for internal and external stakeholders.
• Establish metrics for evaluating training effectiveness (ROI, performance metrics, feedback) and use data analysis to drive continuous improvement of program content and delivery.

3. Financial and Resource Management

• Supports development of the operational budget with the respective Senior Manager, ED and Finance.
• Monitors expenditures, staffing costs, and resource utilization.
• Manage the training budget and resources effectively to maximize impact without compromising quality.

4. People Leadership

• Ensures HR recruitment, onboarding, performance management, and training efforts align with agency targets and goals.
• Maintains positive labour relations, supporting a respectful workplace culture.
• Create, mentor and manage a team of training professionals, fostering a culture of continuous learning, collaboration, and professional growth.

5. Stakeholder Collaboration

• Represents the organization at compliance reviews, meetings and sector tables when delegated.
• Develops relationships with community partners and funders that enhance service delivery.
• Build strong working relationships with internal and external stakeholders, including vendors and partners, to ensure training initiatives meet diverse organizational needs.

6. Strategic Planning and Implementation

• Collaborate with senior leadership to identify skill gaps, assess training needs, and develop a strategic training roadmap that aligns with organizational goals and objectives.

7. Program Design and Development

• Oversee the design, development, and delivery of innovative training programs, utilizing various instructional methodologies and technologies (e.g., e-learning, workshops, on-the-job training, simulations, mentorship programs).

8. Acting Executive Director Responsibilities

• Acts for the ED during scheduled absences and as delegated.
• Provides Board-ready operational information and reports when requested.
• Overall, perform other duties as assigned.

CORE COMPETENCIES

• Leadership and supervision of diverse teams
• Strong operations oversight and implementation focus
• Risk and regulatory management
• Conflict resolution and labour relations
• Financial stewardship
• Effective communication and relationship-building
• Ability to lead change and continuous improvement
• Is solution focused and results driven

EDUCATION

• University Undergraduate/Graduate Degree in Business, Social Services or relevant.

QUALIFICATION

• 5 years of senior leadership experience in a not-for profit sector
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills
• Sound leadership skills
• Time management, organized and results oriented
• Prioritizes tasks and manages conflicts

WORK CONDITIONS

• Work performed in an office environment but may be required to travel to different Program locations within the east GTA
• May be required to work some late afternoons/evenings
• Manual dexterity required to use desktop computer and peripherals.