Vice President, Brand, Strategy & Partnerships
The Opportunity
The YMCA of Simcoe/Muskoka is in search of a Vice President, Brand, Strategy & Partnerships (Vice President) to advance the mission and vision of the Association by growing brand awareness and trust; building and stewarding strategic partnerships; and driving and monitoring strategic plan outcomes. The Vice President will play a pivotal role in ensuring the Association remains responsive and future-ready, applying strategic foresight to anticipate trends and opportunities, safeguarding and strengthening the YMCA’s brand and public profile, and acting as a collaborative manager of change.
Reporting to the President & CEO and as a critical member of the leadership team, the Vice President will work closely with colleagues to continuously assess the landscape to identify strategic opportunities and risks for the Association. As an experienced and highly strategic leader, the Vice President will serve as a thought partner across the organization in recognition and pursuit of initiatives that advance the YMCA of Simcoe/Muskoka’s mission and core strengths.
The Vice President will lead the translation of strategy into action, working collaboratively to enable and support colleagues in delivering operational activities aligned with the strategic plan. By coordinating efforts across the organization, the Vice President will help to identify synergies, drive efficiencies, build momentum and ensure a consistent and credible brand presence across all activities and communications.
As the organization works together to deliver on the Association’s objectives, the Vice President will play an important part in championing transparency and accountability. This includes providing guidance and oversight in the development of scorecards, dashboards, metrics, and data to monitor progress against organizational priorities, and to support Association leadership and the Board in making strategic decisions. The role also oversees evaluation and analytics to support program growth, wellbeing, and community impact while achieving measurable outcomes.
Working closely with the President & CEO the Vice President will provide oversight and coordination of municipal and regional government relations efforts across the Association, supporting colleagues who maintain government relationships to ensure alignment, consistent messaging, and clear processes that strengthen engagement with local governments and advance organizational priorities.
Leading a team of two high-performing direct reports, the Vice President will be a strong mentor and coach, fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration and continuous learning.
About the YMCA of Simcoe/Muskoka
The YMCA of Simcoe/Muskoka is a charity dedicated to building healthier, stronger communities by promoting physical, mental, and social well-being for all. We offer a wide range of inclusive and affordable programs and services to individuals and families, regardless of their background or financial situation.
The YMCA is a charity that ignites the potential in people, serving over 64,000 individuals across Simcoe County, the District Municipality of Muskoka, and the District of Parry Sound. We are dedicated to creating vibrant, connected communities where everyone belongs.
Our commitment is to create a safe and supportive environment where everyone feels welcome and valued. At the Y, we believe in the potential within each person to shine, and through support, positivity, and guidance, we empower individuals to overcome obstacles and achieve their goals.
Our History
The first Canadian YMCA was founded in 1851 in Montreal. Since that day, YMCAs across the country have proudly been serving people of all ages, backgrounds and abilities in Canada. Through the YMCA of Simcoe/Muskoka, vital programs and services continue to be delivered over 170 years later.
Programs and Services
The YMCA of Simcoe/Muskoka employs 1,300 employees, engages 331 volunteers, and operates a diverse array of programming across our communities with 100 locations.
Child Care Programs & Services
YMCA Mission, Vision & Values
Our mission, our vision and values reflect the aspirations of the communities we serve and the rich history and service of the YMCA over the past 170 years in Canada. From Alliston to Parry Sound, Collingwood to Gravenhurst, and everywhere in between, the communities we are in are each a distinct part of who we are and what we achieve.
Additional Information
Strategic Plan: Forward, Together
Key Duties & Responsibilities
Leadership
- Demonstrate strong support and commitment to the YMCA’s mission, vision and core values, advancing both the Association’s priorities and the broader YMCA movement.
- Actively participate as a member of the Leadership Team, contributing to strategic discussions, fostering cross-functional collaboration, and supporting effective data-driven organizational decision-making.
- Build and sustain trusted relationships with internal and external stakeholders, positioning the Association as a credible, collaborative partner.
- Lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing team, setting clear expectations, providing coaching and feedback, and fostering a culture of accountability, collaboration and continuous learning.
- Serve as an ambassador for the YMCA, representing the organization at community, sector, and professional forums to strengthen visibility, partnership and brand presence across both the for-profit and not for profit community.
- As a strategic thought partner to the Leadership Team, apply an evidence-based and systems-oriented leadership approach, integrating best practices, data, and market insights to inform strategic and operational decision-making.
- Leverage evaluation, analytics and research (primary and secondary) to inform charitable and business strategies, guide engagement efforts, and strengthen evidence-based decision-making, in collaboration with senior leaders.
Brand
- Accountable for the organization’s brand, marketing, and communications, supports the Director in leading marketing and communications initiatives while providing oversight and strategic leadership for brand and reputation management.
- Provide strategic foresight, monitoring long-term trends, assessing relevance, sustainability and potential impact for programs, services and locations to inform decision making and future readiness.
- Monitor market trends, identifying program and service gaps, as well as emerging opportunities, while understanding the diverse needs of participants to support decision making within the leadership team.
- Develop and steward the YMCA’s brand and positioning, ensuring the organization’s purpose, values and impact are broadly and deeply understood across all audiences.
- Oversee reputation management and issue preparedness, ensuring the Association is equipped to respond to emerging issues, manage risk, and maintain credibility as a trusted community voice.
- Provide strategic oversight of communications and brand activation to ensure effective reputation management.
- Enhance the Association’s public profile and visibility, maximizing opportunities to advance the story of the YMCA’s impact across Simcoe/Muskoka’s diverse communities.
- Partner with the Development team to support a strong culture of philanthropy, aligning brand, storytelling, and communications to strengthen awareness, engagement and fundraising.
- Work closely with operational leaders to leverage data analytics that support marketing and communications strategies to meet revenue targets.
- Collaborate with the broader YMCA federation, ensuring alignment and consistency in positioning messaging and communications with YMCA Ontario, YMCA Canada and international partners.
Strategic Plan Leadership & Coordination
- Support the President & CEO to foster shared alignment on strategy and vision, ensuring all departments and teams understand and contribute to the Association’s priorities.
- Facilitate the shared development of the Annual Association Operating Plan, translating strategic objectives into actionable goals, initiatives, and performance measures, supporting implementation and tracking progress and KPIs.
- Monitor progress against strategic goals, using scorecards, dashboards, and metrics, leading development of these tools in collaboration with the Leadership Team, to ensure accountability and inform data-driven adjustments.
- Support and enable cross-functional collaboration, engaging staff, volunteers, and leadership teams to deliver the strategic plan effectively.
- Support continuous improvement, leveraging evaluation and insights from analytics to refine strategies, enhance operational effectiveness, and achieve desired outcomes.
Strategic Partnerships & Alliances
- Working closely with the President & CEO and senior leadership, develop an engagement roadmap, expanding and sustaining high-level relationships and partnerships that advance the YMCA’s mission and strategic priorities.
- Provide oversight and coordination of municipal and regional government relations efforts across the Association, supporting colleagues who maintain government relationships to ensure alignment, consistent messaging, and clear processes that strengthen engagement with local governments and advance organizational priorities.
- Use research, analytics and data to inform strategic decision making in the identification of partnership opportunities, while fostering a culture of curiosity and data-informed decision making across the Association.
- In collaboration with the leadership team, support the identification of future opportunities for strategic partnerships by serving as a strategic thought partner, helping colleagues assess alignment with the organization’s mission and goals while identifying opportunities that support long-term growth and evolving needs of the communities we serve.
Qualifications & Key Competencies
- Progressive experience in senior leadership roles including strategy, strategic alliances and partnerships, brand management or related areas, preferably in the not for profit or social services sector.
- Proven track record of building and sustaining high-level partnerships with community, corporate, philanthropic, and government partners.
- Experience participating in strategic planning and translating strategy into actionable plans with measurable outcomes; skilled in developing, monitoring, and evaluating scorecards, dashboards, and KPIs.
- Expertise in brand stewardship, reputation management, and strategic communications, including aligning internal and external messaging to reinforce organizational values.
- Ability to represent the organization publicly with credibility, enhancing visibility and partner engagement.
- Strong leadership, mentorship, and team development skills, with the ability to set clear goals, provide guidance, and foster collaboration and accountability among staff and volunteers.
- Skilled in cultivating, negotiating, and managing relationships.
- Proven change management skills, with the ability to guide teams through organizational transitions, fostering buy-in and sustaining momentum toward strategic goals.
- Strong analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills to support evidence-informed strategies and forward-looking organizational approaches.
- Manage a forward-thinking approach; generate ideas for strategic change and demonstrate perseverance in implementing strategies.
- Capacity to guide colleagues in identifying opportunities for strategic improvement and innovation.
- High emotional and social intelligence, with demonstrated ability to build trust, navigate complex relationships, and collaborate effectively across diverse teams and partners.
- Awareness of community needs, trends, and opportunities, with exposure to or interest in social services, health, and/or youth/family-focused programming.
- Experience leveraging research, data, and outcomes measurement to inform programmatic and strategic decisions.
- Understanding of municipal government structures and experience with government relations is a strong asset.
- Demonstrated professionalism, sound judgment, and discretion in working with diverse teams and partners.
- Ability to make informed decisions and provide leadership within ambiguous situations.
- Exceptional written, oral, and presentation skills, with the ability to communicate impact stories thoughtfully and compellingly.
- A personal understanding of and appreciation for the mission, vision, strategic outcomes and values of the YMCA.
- Post-graduate education in a relevant discipline, or an equivalent combination of advanced training and leadership experience, is preferred.
For More Information
KCI Search + Talent has been retained to conduct this leadership search on behalf of YMCA of Simcoe/Muskoka. For more information about this opportunity, please contact Ellie Rusonik, SVP/Lead, KCI Search + Talent at YMCASM@kcitalent.com.
Interested candidates are invited to send a resume and letter of interest to the email address listed above by June 3, 2026. All inquiries and applications will be held in strict confidence.
To view the full Executive Brief, please visit www.kcitalent.com.
The YMCA of Simcoe/Muskoka is committed to diversity and social inclusion and to meeting its obligation under Ontario’s Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005 (AODA), by providing accessible environments that respect the rights of every individual.
The YMCA of Simcoe/Muskoka is committed to fair and accessible employment practices. Our goal is a diverse, inclusive workforce that reflects the communities we serve. Each step of our recruitment process is human-led; we do not use artificial intelligence (AI) or automated screening tools. Individuals needing employment accommodation in the hiring process or job postings in an alternative format may contact the KCI Search Consultant.
The hiring range for this position is $150,000 - $170,000 with a competitive benefits package including health benefits, 5% RRSP match, and YMCA Health, Fitness & Aquatics Membership.
Hybrid work arrangement. The role is primarily remote, with no fixed office location/office. Travel to multiple YMCA sites and attendance at in-person meetings required.
This posting is for a current vacancy.
Required career level
- Executive/Leadership
Salary range
- $150,000 - $170,000 per year