Director, Youth Justice

About this position

About us:

Founded in 1960, the Youth Services Bureau of Ottawa (YSB) is one of the largest and most comprehensive non-profit agencies in Ottawa and a registered charity. It provides mental health services, employment programs, emergency shelter, community, health and housing services, and justice programs to youth in the Ottawa area, serving between 2,500 and 3,000 at‑risk individuals aged 12+ and their families every month. YSB employs 350 caring professionals in a unionized environment in over 26 locations across Ottawa.

The Director of Youth Justice is one of three members of the senior leadership team within our Youth Justice Service area, along with the Assistant Director of Operations and the Assistant Director of Clinical Services. In this role, the Director oversees the delivery of programs within the Youth Justice Services department including the William Hay Secure Custody and Sherwood Open Custody centers, the Tamarack Trades Training Center and various community outreach and counselling programs.

What you will do:

• Establish and communicate the department’s strategic direction, goals and objectives in alignment with YSB’s strategic priorities;
• Provide leadership and direction for the successful delivery of Youth Justice programs and operations;
• Determine staffing needs, conduct recruitment & selection of staff, employee management and performance management through a developmental model of supervision;
• Foster a healthy, psychologically-safe and inclusive workplace and ensure safe work practices are followed as established by YSB and the Ministry;
• Manage departmental budget in accordance with negotiated contracts; allocated resources and donor requirements;
• Build and manage relationships with external funding institutions, community partners and other service providers to improve the quality and access to Youth Justice services;
• Establish and promote inter-departmental partnerships within YSB to ensure a comprehensive approach to clients care;
• Support the Assistant Directors and Program Coordinators in developing interventions that meet the changing needs of our client population;
• Provide the Board with periodic reports and updates regarding departmental activities;
• Work with YSB’s Foundation staff on  grant applications and reporting requirements;
• Represent and advocate for YSB and for clients within the community; 
• Oversee the implementation and compliance to all departmental quality assurance standards and indicators;
• Provide regularly scheduled on call services and occasionally assume other responsibilities within the Youth Justice Service area in the absence of the Assistant Directors.

This opportunity may be right for you if:

• You hold a master’s degree in Criminology, Sociology or other or a related human services field (or a combination of education and experience);
• You are known for your strong people management skills;
• You are passionate and bring energy to the organizational culture;
• You are able to lead, motivate, inspire and encourage innovation;
• You have 8+ years of experience managing programs or services, including 5+ years as a people manager;
• You know and understand the youth justice sector;
• You are data-driven and able to use monitoring and evaluation tools to inform program development;
• Your networking and relationship management skills are strong;
• You have a demonstrated ability to manage change and quickly adapt to evolving environments;
• Your decision making, interpersonal, problem solving, teamwork and communication skills are sharp;
• You understand and are passionate about equity, diversity & inclusion best practices;
• Your written and verbal communication skills in English are strong.

You get bonus points if:

• You are fluently bilingual (English & French);
• You have managed employees in a unionized environment;
• You are experienced in managing the delivery of services to racialized and marginalized communities with intersections of identities.

What we offer:

• An opportunity to join a vibrant team and be part of truly meaningful and rewarding work;
• 20 days of annual vacation + 5 days of management compensatory time + 1 personal day;
• 100% YSB-paid group health benefits;
• Pension plan from Day 1;
• An evolving environment where we tackle new challenges and continue learning every day.

Join us!

If you think this vacancy is a good fit, we would love to hear from you. Please visit the career section of our website to submit your resume and one-page cover letter. Don’t just tell us what we want to hear, tell us your story and why you would make a great addition to our team.

We know applying to a job takes time and thank all candidates for their interest. While we are not able to get back to every candidate, we will ensure shortlisted applicants are aware of their status and will do our best to provide feedback if that can be helpful.

At YSB, we are committed to building a workforce that reflects the diversity of our community. We encourage applications from Indigenous peoples, racialized people, people with disabilities, people from the LGBTQ community and/or people with intersectional identities. Accommodation will be made available for applicants with a disability throughout the hiring process, kindly make your needs known in advance. Due to COVID19 protocols, the selected candidate will adopt a hybrid model of office and remote work but must be willing to work exclusively at the office if this becomes necessary.