Director, Social Development

Are you ready to help shape the future of our Community within a very dynamic and impactful portfolio?

A bit about Cochrane
Cochrane is at a pivotal moment in our journey. We are a mid-sized city - the fastest growing one in Western Canada – and on pace to becoming home to 50,000 residents by the end of the decade. Together, we are building a modern city that acknowledges the changing contexts in which we design and deliver exceptional services to our community. Behind this effort, are our goals of creating a forward-facing public service that embraces change; is more concerned with team wins (over individual ones); and always begins with the fundamental question of “how is this in the best interests of Cochrane’s residents?”
 
We need confident and thoughtful leaders who can engage in human-centered systems thinking, succinct decision-making, and know when to apply each of these skills. While we take building our community seriously, we also strive not to take ourselves too seriously (team building skills are a must, along with GIF and meme communication skills).

Cochrane’s first Director, Social Development
We are excited to be kicking off the search for our first Director, Social Development  to oversee three key areas of our municipality:  Family Community Support Services/Family Resource Network, Housing, and Transit.

We are growing, not just in numbers, although we are up to nearly 300 staff members: but in sophistication and organizational maturity. This moment in our evolution calls for a proven, dynamic leader who is looking to make a significant positive impact in our organization and to a very impactful portfolio for our Community.

This pivotal role is all about building efficient human-centered systems and enhancing interdepartmental collaboration, ensuring the Social Development portfolio is best serving the needs of Cochrane’s Diverse residents.   Reporting to the Executive Director of Community Safety & Wellbeing, you will be at the helm of a passionate management team dedicated to making a real impact.

 In my role as Director, Social Development, I will…
•    Ensure projects and service levels align with Council priorities and community needs, while managing budgets, growth pressures, and operational requirements.
•    Translate Council’s objectives into clear departmental goals and communicate them effectively to ensure alignment across teams.
•    Ensure that programs are culturally inclusive, accessible, and equitable, with a strong focus on community engagement and participation.
•    Oversee budgeting and ensure sound financial practices and fiscal responsibility in the delivery of municipal services across your departments.

•    Build and maintain relationships with local agencies, non-profits and community stakeholders to drive collaborative initiatives.
•    Ensure policies and legislative requirements of the municipality are implemented and aligned with Administrative and Council priorities according to the Municipal Government Act (MGA) and related applicable legislation.
•    Identify opportunities for improvement, direct and implement changes to divisional systems and processes within the portfolio’s departments 
•    Lead and mentor teams within the Housing, Transit and FCSS/FRN portfolio.
•    Work closely with the Executive Director and Emergency Management portfolio to ensure resilience and long-term sustainability of social services in times of crisis.
 
We are looking for someone who identifies and can demonstrate and compliment our leadership competencies of:

•    People Matter
•    Always Learning, Always Growing 
•    We Are Who We Decide to Be
•    Community Focus
•    Embracing Evolution and Growth
•    Inspire a Shared Vision
•    Lead Yourself, Influence Others 

This role is for me because I am…
•    A professional with proven career progression within a social work or public administration sector.
•    Driven with advanced education who has leveraged my experience to ensure technical and human-centered excellence.
•    A compassionate, strategic, and succinct decision-maker with a bias-to-action.
•    A leader whose values authentically guide my behaviours and actions.
•    Able to leverage strategic insight to turn big-picture goals into practical, game-changing initiatives.
•    Self-aware and reflective, accountable and curious, with a strong ethical lens to my work.
•    A believer that ALL types of people are welcome in this organization, but not all behaviours are.
•    Confident that my vision, personality, and skills will contribute to Cochrane’s remarkable growth.
•    Bringing over a decade of senior leadership experience in developing connection, trust, and high-performance on my teams.
•    Certain in my ability effectively communicate key messages and requests across diverse systems and people.
•    Excited about working most days on-site at Cochrane’s administration offices.  
 
I understand the compensation being offered for this role includes…
•    The opportunity to meaningfully contribute to the development of one of Canada’s most exciting modern cities.
•    Holding a leadership role on a team that prioritizes community, culture, people, belonging and relationships.
•    Personalized professional development opportunities.
•    A comprehensive health and dental benefits package, generous vacation, and other cultural benefits.
•    A competitive full-time salary in the public sector ranging between $155,769-166,385
 
Next steps
So, how does this senior leadership role with Cochrane seem to align with your personal vision, abilities, and goals? If you are picking up what we are putting down, we would love to see you apply below before September 30, 2024 at 9pm MST. Please note that we really do enjoy a good cover letter! Thank you for your interest and time!