CharityVillage

About The Career Foundation: The Career Foundation is a dynamic non-profit organization that offers a wide range of employment, training, and HR services to job seekers and employers. Since its inception in 1988, The Career Foundation has steadily expanded its services. Operating out of multiple locations, we now help thousands of people each year successfully accomplish their employment goals. Our team of dedicated professionals has described The Career Foundation as caring, compassionate, innovative, and team-oriented. For more information about us and our services, please visit our website at CareerFoundation.com.
Some of the benefits and features available to our employees include: 

• Competitive compensation
• A comprehensive Health Benefits plan that includes massage therapy, naturopath services, travel coverage, and much more
• A comprehensive Dental Insurance plan
• An RRSP Matching benefit
• An Employee & Family Assistance program
• Employee wellness initiatives
• Paid days off for religious observance purposes
• Paid days off for personal wellness purposes

Program & Role Description: Conveniently located in Etobicoke, North York, Downtown Toronto, York, and Scarborough, The Career Foundation’s five (5) full-suite Employment Centres provide job seekers with a full range of services, including exploring career options, improving their résumés, preparing for interviews, and much more. Employers that share our commitment to community hiring can also receive a range of services, including direct access to job seekers of diverse backgrounds and skills, support with coordinating and hosting community hiring events to meet our job seeker clients, advice on how to best coach and work with their new hires to help achieve job retention, and more.

The Career Foundation is seeking a results-driven professional to join our team in the position of Area Manager, Employment and Placement Services for our Scarborough Employment Centre. The Area Manager, Employment and Placement Services is responsible for managing the staff complement at our Scarborough Employment Centre and overseeing all aspects of client service delivery and operations to ensure the site meets or exceeds all performance management indicators.

Position type:

• Full-time (37.5 hours per week)

Location and Requirements:

• This opportunity is based at our Scarborough Employment Centre, located at Kingston Road and Midland Avenue. The successful candidate must be willing to work on-site from the office on a full-time basis to provide effective leadership to the team in all areas of program delivery. The position is currently structured under a hybrid-remote schedule that permits one work-from-home day per week. The hybrid schedule is based on individual and team performance as well as operational needs and requires a private work-from-home space with reliable, high-speed internet. A company laptop, cell phone, and other equipment are provided.

Start date:

• As soon as possible

Reporting to:

• Senior Manager, Employment Services

Background Check Requirement:

• An offer of employment for this opportunity will be contingent on the incumbent providing a Criminal Record, Judicial Matters Check (CRJMC), and Vulnerable Sector Check also known as a Level 3 Check.

Responsibilities include:

Monitoring Service & Quality Control

• Conducts regular daily monitoring of staff schedules, wait times, client files, client service interventions, client assessments, client referrals, client feedback/evaluations, progress towards target/goal achievement, workshops, etc., ensuring adherence to minimum service and quality standards and compliance with The Career Foundation’s and Funder’s guidelines and Standards of Practice.
• Ensures all service interactions are accurately documented in the SSM's CRM system, providing clear evidence of compliance.
• Provides leadership and expertise to the team in areas of customer service, career exploration, assessment, case management, information and referral services, job search, job matching, placement and retention, and other areas of client service.
• Oversees and tracks the appropriate expenditure of financial supports and employer incentives, ensuring robust rationale and evidence is obtained for reimbursement.
• Utilizes and tracks predictive data to determine if the team is on track. In instances where target achievement might be at risk, develops and executes a plan in a timely manner to ensure the program is back on track and all targets are met each month.
• Reviews and approves Better Jobs Ontario (BJO) applications prepared by staff for submission, ensuring all required documentation meets funder requirements and is recorded appropriately in the CRM system.
• Promptly and effectively handles customer complaints or stakeholder feedback, exhibiting exceptional customer service while maintaining documentary records in the CRM system in accordance with The Career Foundation's policies and standards.
• Oversees the quality of the program, ensuring 100% service satisfaction of stakeholders while meeting and exceeding overall effectiveness, customer service, and efficiency targets.
• Performs other relevant duties as needed.

Staff Management

• Cultivates a positive and collaborative working environment, maintaining an open-door policy to provide team members with easy access to advice, feedback, and suggestions.
• Provides leadership, motivation, and expertise to the team in all areas of program delivery.
• Coordinates staff training, including leading and overseeing onboarding and training for all new team members.
• Regularly reviews role-specific training curriculum and makes updates in collaboration with the Senior Manager and HR as needed.
• Conducts quality performance management daily, including: providing constructive feedback, coaching, and direction to staff members who are not meeting performance expectations to help them improve; recognizing staff members performing well and providing opportunities for further growth and development, wherever possible; documenting regular performance discussions and ensuring formal performance reviews are completed at required intervals; and implementing disciplinary actions, including terminations, when needed through consultation with senior leadership.
• Demonstrates patience, open-mindedness, and respect at all times when managing the team, ensuring that everyone feels heard, valued, and engaged and is operating at their highest potential for their best interest and that of fellow team members and clients.
• Leads weekly team meetings to case conference, share progress towards goals, and leads the team in troubleshooting/brainstorming issues.
• Ensures that all team members adhere to The Career Foundation’s Policies and Procedures Employee Handbook.
• Prioritizes recruitment when a vacancy on the team must be filled, including actioning interviews in a timely manner when recommended by the HR department.
• Oversees and approves staff attendance, including approval of vacation days and other eligible paid days off.
• Performs other relevant duties as needed.

Reporting & Administration

• Oversees the quality of documentation maintained by the team of participant files and service records in mandatory data management systems.
• Communicates regularly with senior leadership and funder representatives and provides weekly reports regarding the team’s progress towards goals, compliance with the funder’s guidelines, and The Career Foundation’s internal standards of practice.
• Prepares funder reports, business plans, and other communications required for the program and meets all report submission deadlines.
• Responds promptly to funder requests for information and support.
• Manages policy sign-off requirements and other correspondence with the team in a timely manner when directed by HR.
• Collects and updates statistical information as needed.
• Coordinates the retrieval of client files for the Director of HR when a request is received in accordance with The Career Foundation’s Privacy Policy for access to personal information.
• Performs other relevant duties as needed.

Budget Management

• Maintains, tracks, and administers the program’s operational and client support budgets with accurate and up-to-date data.
• Tracks and ensures the achievement of Pay for Performance and their related payments are obtained.
• Regularly reviews and reconciles budget expenditures with the Finance team.
• Assumes accountability for all related expenditures and budget outcomes.
• Oversees and approves staff expenses in accordance with related policies.
• Performs other relevant duties as needed.

Outreach, and Partner and Funder Relations

• Develops and implements various outreach strategies for the team to ensure a steady flow of client intakes.
• Represents The Career Foundation at community partner meetings.
• Builds and maintains relationships with community partners to facilitate client referrals and enhance services and supports to meet clients’ needs.
• Works with the team and other site managers to support the development of relationships with employers to facilitate job placements.
• Performs other relevant duties as needed.

Qualifications/ Skills Required:

• A leader with demonstrated success in a management role for at least 3 years where daily monitoring and proactive performance management were required to meet standards and achieve targets.
• A university degree is preferred, or an equivalent combination of education and experience is required.
• Demonstrated experience supervising staff and providing quality feedback and coaching, leading to improved outcomes.
• Experience managing large program budgets effectively.
• Demonstrated organizational skills, effective time management, and ability to multitask to meet deadlines and achieve objectives.
• Skilled at identifying systems and practices for operational effectiveness and efficiency.
• Exceptional relationship development skills and the ability to develop rapport with people in all stakeholder groups, including team members, community partners, funders, program participants, and employers.
• Excellent verbal and written English communication skills with experience writing high-quality reports. Bilingualism in French or other languages is considered an asset.
• Prior experience in the following areas is highly desirable: job development, recruitment, employment counselling, job coaching, retention, outreach, and marketing.
• Knowledge of community resources, support available to job seekers, and current labour market conditions.
• Exceptional customer service skills and the ability to uphold the organization’s service standards, policies, and core values.
• A professional and courteous approach to client service with a high level of respect for the diversity of the people served.
• Proven ability to maintain sensitive information, exhibit tact, diplomacy, and good judgment, with high professionalism, ethics, and confidentiality standards. Capable of working under pressure and meeting deadlines.
• Willingness to step in to assist team members when needed to ensure that program goals are achieved.
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, PowerPoint, Excel) and Outlook 365 applications, including Teams and SharePoint. Must possess the aptitude and willingness to learn and work with new online systems and technologies.
• Knowledge of Power BI is a strong asset.
• Flexibility to occasionally work outside of normal business hours during peak periods when needed.
• An encouraging team player with a positive attitude who leads by example and takes initiative to ensure that objectives are achieved.