Executive Director

About this position

About Pleo

Overview

Pleo is an incorporated non-profit family peer support organization for parents of children to age 25 who are facing mental health challenges. We are staffed with parents who have supported their own children with these challenges – we have traveled the journey.

We support parents of children, youth, or young adults who are struggling, with or without a diagnosis, and across a broad range of challenges including ADHD, anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, borderline personality disorder, learning disabilities, schizophrenia, autism, eating disorders, addiction, and others.

Our proven model of family support is unique within Ontario. Our integrated services include a parent’s helpline providing peer support and guidance in navigating a challenging mental health system, facilitated parent support groups where families can share information and learn from one another, and intensive mobile family peer support.

Our services continuously deliver proven positive outcomes for parents and their children. More than 90% of parents who have used our services report feeling better able to cope, better able to support their child, and better able to access the services they need. They also report feeling less anxious, stressed, and isolated.

In addition to working directly with families, we champion progressive systemic change to create a more effective, family focused approach to mental health care. Through collaboration with service providers and key stakeholders, we ensure that the real needs of the thousands of families we support are understood.

We know first-hand that parents play a significant role in their child’s outcomes, and research supports this. We recognize that parents can’t do it alone. We understand the challenges and stress on families, and we believe that recovery is possible. Hope over despair.

“I called the Pleo Helpline for the first time last week. Being able to speak to someone who gets what I’m going through was such a relief. I feel like I have an ally. Someone who not only gets it, but also can help me figure out what to do and where to go to help my child. Thank you for providing such a wonderful and desperately needed service.”

2022 Award Recipient for Charity Village's Best Nonprofit Employer - Workplace Mental Health (20+ Staff)

For more information, please visit www.pleo.on.ca

Mission

Our Mission is to foster positive outcomes for families with children to age 25 facing mental health challenges by providing family peer support and by amplifying the family voice for system change.

Vision

Our vision is that families facing mental health challenges can flourish, stigma-free, with the support and services they need.

Values

• We have a sincere and compassionate interest in the well-being of those we serve, and we value the dignity of all families dealing with mental health challenges.
• We believe in hope, inclusion, recovery and the capacity of families to provide support and advocacy for their children when supported
• We believe trust, respect, honesty and fairness are the foundations for all relationships
• We value equity and diversity in our community
• We value excellence and meeting the highest standards of professionalism
• We believe in continuous improvement with a bias to action

Organizational Structure

Pleo’s current team is comprised of 26 full and part-time employees working remotely, primarily in the Ottawa region.

Opportunity

Overview

Families in our communities are experiencing many challenges in raising their children. These include serious financial pressures, work-life balance conflicts, parenting styles and expectations, social isolation struggles, social media influences and increasing mental health issues. These challenges and others have added to the number of families reaching out to us for help.

Our current Executive Director has moved to another organization following years of distinguished service as a strong, respected community leader and advocate. We are looking for a new dynamic and creative leader who will continue the work that has been already started and lead us into the next phase of our evolution as a key champion and partner for families.

The next Executive Director of Pleo will have the opportunity to build on the strengths of an organization which has already achieved so much in a relatively short period of time. They will join a small high-functioning management team and an exceptional board to take the organization to the next level of success, service and accomplishment.

Building on a stable and valued foundation, the Executive Director will lead the organization into the future, continuing to build visibility and impact, while refining the services it offers to truly benefit the community it serves. Reporting to the Board of Directors, the Executive Director will work to create a long-term strategy that will guide the future of Pleo in an ever-changing environment while ensuring the organization is evolving to match community needs.

As an experienced fundraiser, the ideal candidate will have a history of success generating sustained fiscal support. They will be a compelling storyteller and strategist able to identify funding opportunities and developing strategic alliances and partnerships within the public and private sectors, including other not-for-profit organizations, government funding agencies, foundations, and corporations.

Pleo is currently an Ottawa-based, remote-run organization. This position will be work-from-home WITHIN THE OTTAWA REGION, with travel within the Champlain Region for team, partner, and fundraising engagements.

Are you the leader to continue to build and grow this legacy and have an exceptional impact for those we serve?

Duties & Responsibilities

You will lead a diverse, inclusive, high-performing and collegial team bringing with you the intangibles of caring, passion, listening, learning and the energy to be a strong advocate for families. Working closely and in consultation with partner associations, funders, clients and staff, you will promote the value of lived experience in supporting families facing mental health challenges with their children.

Reporting to an engaged Board of Directors, you will drive and embrace Pleo’s vision, identify and navigate challenges and opportunities to expand Pleo’s impact, and commit to service excellence and learning through evaluation. You will possess leadership experience, strong fundraising abilities and have primary responsibility for ensuring Pleo’s strategic direction and services are implemented efficiently, effectively and with purpose.

What You Need to Succeed

• Compassion, empathy and the ability to be an "out of the box” leader
• A minimum of 5 years experience in fundraising and revenue generation, with a proven record of meeting and exceeding targets
• A minimum of 3 years experience leading a team, with a proven record of supporting professional development and a positive work culture
• Proven ability to collaborate with internal and external stakeholders, and develop relationships with funders and policy makers
• Experience managing a budget
• Experience in change management
• A relevant combination of a graduate level education and experience in a related field of study OR an equivalent combination of education and experience may be considered
• A demonstrated commitment and understanding of equity, diversity, inclusion and belonging
• While a career in social services is not mandatory, a deep and empathetic understanding of the work that Pleo does and the families we work with is a must
• An ability to communicate in both official languages is an important asset

Compensation

Annual salary starting at $80,000, with 5 weeks paid vacation and individualized statutory holidays

Steps in the Selection Process

1. Interested candidates are encouraged to submit a cover letter and resume by June 16, 2023.
2. Selected candidates will be invited to interview with a selection committee including members of the Board and stakeholders with lived experience relevant to Pleo’s mission.
3. A final candidate will be asked to provide references and allow a background check which may include a review of employment and education history, criminal record, identity verification, and online/social media presence.