Interim AdoptOntario/ARE Program Manager

Job Description: Interim AdoptOntario/ARE Program Manager

The position start date is January 4th, 2027, this is a one-year contract covering parental leave and may be renewed thereafter on a monthly basis based on organization staffing needs.

Program Responsibilities:

• Plan the delivery of the overall program and its activities in accordance with the mission and the goals of the organization
• Work with ARE Coordinator, to oversee and execute Regional and Provincial AREs
• Develop communications programs that effectively describe and promote the organization and its products
• provides leadership to the design and development of system platforms and oversees the full design and integration to ensure that the platforms deliver the program capability they are designed for, in order to fully support our programs and priorities.
• Ensure that program activities operate within the policies and procedures of the organization
• Ensure that program activities comply with all relevant legislation and professional standards
• Develop forms and records to document program activities
• Oversee the collection and maintenance of records on the clients of the program for statistical purposes according to the confidentiality/privacy policy of the organization
• In consultation with the Executive Director, recruit, interview and select well-qualified program staff
• Ensure that all program staff receive an appropriate orientation to the program
• Plan and coordinate meetings on project timing, goals, and budget to ensure fulfillment of internal and customer expectations and compliance with policies and contractual requirements
• Manage program staff by providing direction, input and feedback
• Liaise with other managers to ensure the effective and efficient program delivery
• Manage the collection and review of reports. Prepare assessment reports from archival and operational data
• Collaborate with others in conducting and responding to audits
• Ensure that the program operates within the approved budget
• Monitor all budgeted program expenditures
• Provide advanced subject matter expertise to agencies to ensure the effective use of AdoptOntario systems; such as navigating the system, using applications and sustaining system integrity
• Advise on and develop presentations along with other communication tools to disseminate information to and receive feedback from the field.
• Proactively engage with users to identify unresolved issues and route to appropriate team members for further investigation and resolution
• Where issues are identified, escalate support and route to appropriate resources
• Review customer feedback and concerns and provide suggestions to developers to continuously optimize and improve the experience for users
• Ensuring best practices of information management within the Ontario Child Welfare Sector
• Provide child welfare business guidance and service intelligence as required
• Gatekeep for CAS users’ access to Personally Identifiable data as this role proactively performs quality control checks on work performed
• Liaise with stakeholders, advisory groups and/or steering committees to ensure effective and consistent application of business decisions are aligned with sector developed leading practices
• Support, through a coordinated approach, alignment of the child welfare field across multiple governance and operational tables
• Gather knowledge from sector knowledge leaders and transform this knowledge base into best practices case studies, thereby improving the consistent practices for all agencies
• Facilitate the collaboration of knowledge transfer, training and change management between agencies that have either adopted within all agencies
• Act as a resource to agencies and liaise with the CWS for information and issues resolution
• Facilitate the coordination, harmonization, field inputs and implementation of business processes through governance and field operational tables
• Support local training, change management and user acceptance
• Participate in meetings of the Steering Committee and other governance tables, operational committees and working groups as assigned.
• Interim and Final reports to be finalized and submitted to the MCCSS
• New fiscal budget and program proposals to be submitted to the MCCSS
• Attend weekly leadership meetings

Information Technology Management Responsibilities:

• Lead the design and maintenance of the AdoptOntario Professional Databank, monitoring its development, application, performance, testing, and security.
• Coordinate services provided by external IT contractors to align with AdoptOntario objectives.
• Work with Manager overseeing IT on IT issues

User Engagement and Experience:

• Proactively engage with users to identify unresolved issues and route them to the appropriate team members for resolution
• Maintain a positive working relationship with Avocette Industries, our technology partner, who is responsible for maintaining and monitoring AdoptOntario Databank, Centralized Adoption Intake Admin System, and ARE Online platform
• Review customer feedback and concerns to provide suggestions for continuous optimization and improvement of user experience

Website Management and Stakeholder Liaison:

• In collaboration with Communications, ensure the website is accurate, timely, and user-friendly
• Liaise with stakeholders, advisory groups, and steering committees to align practices and policies with best practices
• Apply feedback from stakeholders to ensure the user experience meets the stated goals of AdoptOntario
• Other duties as assigned

Reporting Relationship:

• Supervised by Executive Director

Working conditions:

• Primarily office work
• 37.5-hour work week, occasional evening and weekend work
• Hybrid Position - Minimal travel Occasional travel to program events, quarterly team and staff events
• This is a 1-year contract that may be extended longer based on department staffing needs
• Salary $70K - $74K/annum dependent upon experience
• Vacation 3 weeks
• Competitive Benefits package after 3 months with Empire Life

Qualifications:

• Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) or equivalent education and experience
• Previous supervisory/management experience
• Previous experience working in public adoption or related fields
• Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to engage the community in meaningful discussions related to permanency for children and youth
• Strong ability to use and apply technology in program management and coordination

If interested in applying, please forward application to acoadmin@adoptontario.ca. The application deadline is November 16th 9am.