Executive Director, Community Safety and Wellbeing

The Role

Leads an innovative, community-led, and multi-sector plan to transform safety and wellbeing across Waterloo Region. Working collaboratively with partners across public, private, nonprofit, and grassroots organizations, provides strategic leadership and direction to the planning, implementation, and evaluation of the Waterloo Region Community Safety and Wellbeing Plan (CSWP).  

Supports the vision to enable Waterloo Region to become a community where each resident feels safe, cared for, and has the opportunity to thrive, serving a critical role in advancing collaborative initiatives that drive innovation and capacity across systems and organizations to respond to community-identified priorities.  

With a strong commitment to Reconciliation, equity, diversity, and inclusion, actively works to break down barriers between systems and communities to support integrated, community-based approaches that support better outcomes for residents.     

Reporting to the Regional Chair, on behalf of the CSWP Steering Committee, works directly with elected officials, and system and community leaders, to build relationships, partnerships, and capacity to implement the plan to improve safety and wellbeing for all.  

Duties/Responsibilities

• Leads the collaborative development of the CSWP, including annual implementation plans, ensuring they meet legislative requirements set out in the Community Safety and Policing Act 2019.  
• Uses community input, continuous improvement, best practice, and data driven approaches to deliver on CSWP plan initiatives and outcomes. This includes understanding and using a data equity approach, storytelling, and sharing impact in diverse and community-centred ways.  
• Leads the development and implementation of ongoing and annual reporting on plan outcomes, including preparing reports, presentations, and communications materials. This includes presenting at council meetings, public forums, speaking to the media, and answering questions from partners, agencies, and community members.   
• Establishes and maintains strong, collaborative, trust-based relationships with community leaders, groups, and organizations serving First Nation, Inuit, Metis; African, Caribbean, Black; racialized; 2SLGBTQ+; and other diverse communities to continue building opportunities to engage and partner.  
• Directs and oversees CSWP project development, including community engagement, training, workshops, annual conferences, and initiatives as required by action and advisory tables (e.g., design, funding requests, implementation, evaluation, initiatives, recommendations, policies).   
• As part of priority/risk identification and plan development and implementation, works on strategies to meaningfully engage members of the local community on a broad range of ongoing issues impacting access, equity, eliminating barriers, and creating opportunities.   
• Works on accountability mechanisms to ensure trends adversely impacting various communities are addressed through collaborative processes that build trust. Invites insight from external stakeholders and partners into issues, and developing shared, grassroots, community-informed solutions. This includes using integrated approaches, identity-based data, and community engagement to address inequities across systems, sectors, programs, and services.  
• Identifies funding needs and works with the Government Relations Working Group to create and submit funding applications. Manages contribution agreements and oversees the development and implementation of proposals for funding/in-kind support.   
• Stays current on emerging social, economic, and political trends (e.g., community safety and wellbeing, neighbourhood development, resident engagement, community services, vulnerability) to provide strategic advice to the CSWP Steering Committee and senior leadership.   
• Identifies and defines system planning issues (including law and policy), resource needs, and opportunities for integrated planning.    
• Leads and supervises staff as required.    
• Performs related duties as required.  

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Knowledge and skills are normally acquired through a university degree in a related field (such as but not limited to public policy/administration, social planning, criminology, sociology, mental health and addictions), plus significant, progressively responsible related leadership experience.  
• Experience leading not-for-profit organizations, public administration, or community development programs related to community safety and wellbeing. 
• Experience leading systems change and transformation initiatives. 
• Knowledge of community safety and wellbeing principles and programs, as well as research, strategic planning, and evaluation methodologies.   
• Experience working with municipal, provincial and/or federal levels of government in public policy, human services, or community safety and wellbeing.  
• Experience leading through relationship-building and influence to develop, motivate, and support staff and community partners in achieving collective and specific outcomes.
• Must have lived experience or experience working directly to serve those with lived experience, with understanding of the realities and concerns of priority communities and groups, such as First Nations, Inuit and Metis; African, Caribbean and Black; racialized; persons with disabilities; and/or members of the 2SLGBTQ+ or other under-represented communities and/or experience and skill in people-centred community development with diverse communities including First Nations, Inuit, Metis; African, Caribbean, Black; racialized and other communities facing ongoing systemic racism, oppression and discrimination.  
• Experience and deep understanding of anti-oppression and how to apply this lens across settings and situations. Knowledge and skill using equitable approaches across systems. Ability to apply an anti-racist, anti-oppressive, and decolonization lens to identify best practice in community safety and wellbeing, municipal governance, and community engagement.  
• Ability to lead transformative change in line with the Region’s vision and core value while delivering on the expectations regional residents. 
• Knowledge of and ability to comply with policies, procedures, collective agreements, and related legislation (e.g., Ontario Human Rights Code, Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, health and safety, employment standards).   
• Computer skills using software such as Microsoft Office. 
• Ability to travel within and outside Waterloo Region.
• Ability to adjust hours to include evenings and weekends to accommodate stakeholder schedules.
• Ability to support and demonstrate the Region’s values.