Disability Employment Inclusion Specialist

Disability Employment Inclusion Specialist – Job Description

The Ontario Disability Employment Network (ODEN) is a professional body of employment service providers united to increase employment opportunities for people who have a disability. We have over 130 members from across the province that support people of all disability types.

Our Vision

That all people who have a disability in Ontario have access to the labour force and the ability to achieve meaningful employment.

Our Mission

• Remove barriers that limit employment opportunities for people who have a disability.
• Developing marketing initiatives and provide education for the business and corporate sector about the merits of including people who have a disability in the workforce.
• Improve the skills and competency of employment service providers through networking, information sharing, training, and the promotion of best practice.
• Work with government on issues that impact service delivery and employment service providers’ ability to help people who have a disability achieve their employment goals.

Mandate – Centre for Excellence in Employment Services

ODEN operates the Centre for Excellence in Employment Services. The mandate for the Centre for Excellence is to ensure Ontario builds and maintains the best possible employment service delivery network through five core areas of work – promoting innovation and best practice; providing top notch training and development for professionals in the sector; providing consulting assistance; engaging the business community; and supporting community networks.

Core Principles

We subscribe to some basic but core principles in our work

1. Our job is to make it practical and simple for both businesses and Employment Service Providers (ESPs) to work together and increase employment opportunities for job seekers who have a disability
2. We respond to all customer requests – businesses and ESPs in a timely manner
3. We uphold a high standard of professionalism in all we do
4. We operate and act with honesty and integrity

Our Team

We are a dynamic team, comprised of a Chief Executive Officer, Director of Development and Capacity Building, Director of Special Projects and Innovation, Director of Business and Financial Services, a team of Disability Employment Inclusion Specialists, Administration and Membership Coordinator, Accounting and HR Assistant and a Communication Strategist. In addition to our core team, ODEN also engages with professionals through additional contracts to support specialized projects and initiatives.

Our team members work from home offices and collaborate through virtual platforms and scheduled in-person meetings.

Roles and Responsibilities:

The Disability Employment Inclusion Specialist has expertise in training and consulting for the business and/or disability service sectors. The role involves developing and managing strategic relationships with employment service providers, businesses and community partners to promote disability inclusion and support ODEN’s mission. This position contributes to ODEN’s sustainability by identifying opportunities for externally funded engagements and strategic partnerships. Success in this role requires proactive relationship management, responsiveness to partner needs, and a focus on measurable impact.

Employer Engagement and Capacity Building

• Engage and encourage business owners/operators to include people who have a disability in their hiring and recruitment processes
• Make presentations and provide training to business audiences based on the Business Case for disability inclusion in the workplace, e.g., Chambers of Commerce, HRPA, Service Clubs, Corporations, etc.
• Develop and maintain strategic business relationships with employers to advance disability inclusion in the workforce
• Promote and broker customized training opportunities and memberships. Prepare agreements and manage corporate accounts, ensuring ongoing engagement, satisfaction, and measurable outcomes
• Utilize evaluation tools and modify curriculum and delivery methods in consultation with ODEN team members
• Participate in the development of various tools & toolkits for employers – utilizing various mediums – print, digital, video, etc.
• Provide account management support to corporate members, including training and consulting, on disability inclusive employment
• Provide consulting assistance to businesses on disability-related issues – recruitment and on-boarding processes, accessibility, accommodations, etc.
• Coordinate/broker job opportunities with employment service providers to provide job candidates and support services to businesses
• Participate in the development of marketing, educational and awareness campaigns that focus on a business audience
• Support business led hiring and disability employment inclusion initiatives. Initiatives may be supported by ODEN staff based on sector and/or geography
• Identify and develop business champions across the province

Employment Service Provider Engagement and Capacity Building

• Translate the employer experience into training programs for employment service providers
• Develop and provide training for professionals who work in the delivery of employment services with a focus on disability inclusive employment and enhanced service quality
• Develop and strengthen relationships with employment service providers and community partners to build their capacity for promoting disability-inclusive employment through effective business engagement strategies
• Prepare partnership agreements and manage ongoing engagement, ensuring alignment with internal strategic goals and the achievement of key deliverables, such as training completion, stakeholder participation, and measurable inclusion outcomes
• Utilize evaluation tools and modify curriculum and delivery methods in consultation with the team
• Develop and foster relationships between businesses and their local Employment Service Providers to facilitate easier access to jobseekers
• Provide consulting services for employment service providers on staff development, program development and improvement, development of annual workplans, etc.

Innovation

• Research new trends and innovations in employment services and related areas
• Identify content for existing training programs/curriculum, based on current or new promising practices
• Apply evaluation tools and modify approaches accordingly to ODEN’s model of continuous improvement
• Identify inclusive hiring methods, successful employment models and promising practices from the employment service and business sectors and participate in the development of case studies

Additional Duties

• Provide support in the development and delivery of ODEN’s Annual Rethinking Disability Conference
• Provide support in the development and delivery of ODEN sponsored trade shows, conferences, and events
• Represent the organization at various events promoting ODEN and its services and/or projects
• Provide input, content and relevant topics for ODEN’s social media posts, monthly newsletters & communiques
• Maintain documentation of work and records to support ODEN’s outcomes measurement and compliance requirements for funders, grants, and contractual obligations

Reporting:

The Disability Employment Inclusion Specialist reports to the Director of Development and

Capacity Building. This reporting may change as the needs of the organization change.

Working Conditions:

• ODEN is based on a ‘virtual’ platform, and no offices exist. As such, candidates must have a fully equipped, secure and ergonomically suitable home office including a computer capable of operating MS Office 365 and other current software
• An advanced computer literacy and competency level with MS Office 365 applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, MS Teams, SharePoint) that enable you to successfully meet the functions of the role independently
• The ODEN Team meets routinely through virtual platforms and scheduled in-person meetings.
• We expect all team members to contribute to meeting discussions and organizational development goal setting and attainment
• Extensive travel is required and the ability to work outside of regular working hours for meetings and community events, training, seminars, or to work in other locations, including multiple overnight stays while on assignment
• All team members are expected to work collaboratively with their directors in setting personal development goals and to work toward the attainment of those goals
• Work closely with their director to ensure all proposals, correspondence, reports, etc. meet ODEN Brand guidelines, pricing structures, templates, etc.
• Ensure all required reports, contracts, time sheets, expense claims, etc. are provided to the administrative team and/or updated in the CRM in a timely manner
• All team members will adhere to ODEN’s Code of Ethics, Conflict of Interest, and all policies and practices as outlined in the Personnel Policy Guide

Please Note:

The role description outlined above indicates the general nature and level of work expected. It is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of all activities, duties, or responsibilities, and may be altered due to the changing nature of work.

Salary:

$75,000/year

Applications:

Please send your cover letter and resume to hr@odenetwork.com by February 15, 2026 at 5:00 PM EST.