People, Culture and Equity Director

At House of Friendship we believe in what we are doing. We get out of bed each day to make a difference in our community; to walk with and to serve. We are not happy with the status quo. We get energy from ongoing learning and growth. We lead with passion and believe without a doubt that everyone deserves to belong and thrive. We live and breathe our values of Compassion Inclusion Justice Dignity and Hope. And we have fun!

Sounds pretty great doesnt it It is!

We are searching for a strategic and community minded individual who understands the importance of a healthy and equitable work environment and who is committed to creating and fostering a workplace where team members are able to work to their highest level in service to House of Friendships mission. Reporting to the Chief Executive Officer the People Culture and Equity Director will provide strategic human resources leadership and direction to the organization with a focus on all aspects of Human Resources Justice Equity Diversity and Inclusion and Psychological Wellbeing. This role participates as a member of the Organizational Leadership Team and as such has a shared organizational responsibility to work effectively as a member of the team and develop and carry out House of Friendships Strategic and Annual Plans. The ideal candidate will possess broad experience in the areas of people culture and equity including strong leadership problem-solving collaboration and decision-making skills. This role will have a particular focus on the Organizational Health aspect of the House of Friendship Strategic Plan Building Health Building Belonging.

** This is a permanent salaried full-time (37.5 hours per week) position with paid sick time personal days vacation time; group health benefits and defined contribution pension plan.

Valid G class drivers license and access to a personal vehicle are required for frequent travel throughout Waterloo Region. **

Key Responsibilities:

Lead develop and support a team of skilled professionals who provide leadership support and service in all areas of Human Resources the Volunteer and Student program Justice Equity Diversity and Inclusion (Justice & EDI) and Psychological Wellbeing

Promote and support a healthy safe and equitable workplace culture for all employees and leaders in all interactions

Strategic thought leader and subject matter expert for House of Friendship leadership and staff members with respect to all human resources practices

Lead the establishment implementation assessment execution and ongoing oversight of People Culture and Equity programs policies procedures and practices ensuring alignment with the strategic objectives of the organization

Develop and support organizational systems and programs that foster a healthy culture with a significant focus on psychological wellbeing Justice & EDI violence prevention and leadership development

Oversee all functions related to employees volunteers and students including employee relations volunteer/student program Justice & EDI (incl. AODA) psychological wellbeing training Occupational Health and Safety/Infection Prevention and Control engagement compensation recruitment selection and onboarding benefits and pension plan programs etc.

Identify and support complex issues and problems assessing options and implications in new ways to achieve outcomes and solutions while bringing the right people together to find solutions

Ensure seamless high-impact delivery of People Culture and Equity programs that support employees and leaders across all departments

Drive continuous improvement of People Culture and Equity systems and processes championing a modern service-oriented approach

Act as a change agent; leading and contributing to continuous improvement and the successful implementation of change initiatives

Lead the collection and analysis of data related to employee experience (i.e. engagement demographic survey etc.) to evaluate options and outcomes for new and existing projects that promote People Culture and Equity strategic initiatives

Contribute to the overall annual and strategic planning processes for House of Friendship

Attend Organizational Leadership and Management team meetings and actively participate as a team member

Support and promote House of Friendships mission vision values equity commitment and service standards and positively represent the agency to our constituencies and the community

Job Specific Knowledge/Skills:

Demonstrated skill and experience handling sensitive emotional or political issues with tact and good judgement with the ability to understand and enable diverse viewpoints and approaches to achieve goals

Considerable analytical interpretive and evaluative thinking to synthesize a diversity of information and to anticipate the impact of actions and initiatives

Excellent verbal and written communication skills including strength in mediation conflict resolution facilitation presentation and public speaking

Strong collaboration and teamwork skills including demonstrated ability to interact lead and participate in consultative decision making that respects people with a diversity of backgrounds experiences and styles while working collegially with a high degree of tact and diplomacy

Knowledge of community partners and programs related to human resources issues Justice & EDI psychological health and safety and/or human rights

Ability to introduce and implement changes within an organizational structure enable others and to operate at the strategic policy and operational levels

Able to work independently on multiple projects with changing priorities

Experience working within a non-profit and/or social services environment is an asset

Ability to connect and synthesize information from various sources and to seek out opportunities to turn information into action

Ability to work collaboratively across programs and departments and with multiple interest-holders

Education/Experience:

University degree in Human Resources Labour Relations Organizational Psychology Business etc.

10 years of progressive experience in roles related to People and Culture and Equity with at least 5 years at the senior leadership level and at least 2 years as part of an Organizational Leadership team

Certified Human Resources Leader (CHRL) designation required

Certification in justice diversity equity inclusion and/or human rights is preferred

Mastery of all aspects of the Human Resource discipline

Extensive knowledge and experience with applicable employment legislation including Employment Standards Act Human Rights Code Occupational Health and Safety Act Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act etc.

Clear evidence of leadership in justice diversity equity and inclusion and a record of working collaboratively with a wide range of constituencies with diplomacy empathy and tact

Thorough understanding of Justice and EDI psychological health and wellbeing and culture-related frameworks are essential

Knowledge of the National Standard for Psychological Health Safety Global Diversity Equity Inclusion Benchmarks (GDEIB) Truth and Reconciliation and the 94 Calls to Action is an asset

Knowledge of practice of Circles and Restorative Justice is an asset

Relevant experience in developing implementing and evaluating organizational programs; with a comprehensive knowledge of the current best practices related to people culture Justice & EDI and psychological wellbeing

Critical Skills:

An innovative and strategic thinker with a broad vision for organizational culture and the role of Justice and EDI and psychological health and wellbeing in changing systems and helping to create a safe healthy respectful and equitable work environment

An authentic bold and creative leader with a passion for and proven results in leading coaching and developing people and teams

Commitment to understand and uphold the mission vision values equity commitment and service standards of House of Friendship is expected

Exemplary emotional intelligence resilience communication conflict management and problem-solving skills required

Able to model effective problem solving by recognizing the human interpersonal and technical sides of a problem show flexibility and explore possible solutions in an innovative and creative way

Demonstrated ability to create and maintain a positive work environment including the ability to navigate change with diplomacy creativity and collaboration

Act as a change agent; contributing to continuous improvement and the successful implementation of change initiatives

Excellent project timeline and deadline management skills including skills in logistics and planning and detailed record keeping

Experience with and commitment to using an anti-racism anti-oppressive and trauma informed approach in consultation program design evaluation processes and service delivery

Strong intercultural competency with the ability to recognize and respect cultural diversity able to be diplomatic and sensitive to the dynamics of a culturally diverse workplace

Respectful supportive and engaging approach to persons with physical and/or cognitive disabilities addictions mental health and other life challenges

Compensation:

At House of Friendship we know that our team members are the key to the success of our organization and our ability to provide essential services to the support of our mission and in alignment with our values House of Friendship is committed to ensuring fair market competitive and rewarding compensation practices for all of our team members. We aspire to support our team members to create a great work environment where our team is able to thrive succeed and have positive work experience.

House of Friendship compensation practices including our pay grid have been developed using documented leading pay practices in the not-for-profit sector including Pathways to Decent Work (Ontario Nonprofit Network) and Ontario Living Wage Network. We value the experience that new team members bring to the organization and have a process in place to review previous related experience for placement on our pay grid.

We value the work that you do with fair pay and benefits:

Time off includes five (5) weeks of vacation 5* personal days (3 for 2025) and sick credits totaling approximately 12 days per year

Full-time benefit plan including Extended Health Care (EHC) Dental Group Life Accidental Death and Dismemberment (AD&D) Long Term Disability (LTD) Flexible Spending Account and Employee & Family Assistance Program

We believe strongly in supporting the mental health of our team members including providing access to the Employee and Family Assistance Program $2000 for counselling services and our workplace Wellness and Psychological Health and Safety programs.

We help you save for the future by providing a retirement plan that includes a matched Group Pension Plan as well as a Group RRSP and a Group Tax Free Savings Account

Rate of Pay:

At House of Friendship all compensation ranges are categorized under a series of grades and we base our payment structure on internal equity. When determining rate of pay a candidates past related experience will be taken into consideration.

Grade: 7

Min: $47.65

Mid: $54.90

Max: $62.16

Working Conditions:

37.5 hours per week; generally daytime weekday hours with flexibility for very occasional evening and weekend hours to support program and organizational needs

Travel throughout the Region of Waterloo; access to a reliable vehicle and drivers license required

Hybrid work environment; regular in-person and online meetings with the ability to perform some work from a home office

Encountering participants at program sites who may be under the influence of drugs or alcohol and/or experiencing symptoms of mental illness can be expected

House of Friendship is open and inviting to qualified candidates with lived experience.

House of Friendship supports justice equity diversity and inclusion in our workplace. We strive to be a workplace free of harassment and discrimination and we are committed to removing barriers and being an inclusive work environment. House of Friendship is a place where each person can bring their true selves and feel that they belong. We aspire to be an organization that is anti-racist and anti-oppressive so that our team and therefore our community can truly belong and thrive.

We invite applications from all qualified candidates and actively encourage applications from members of groups with historical and/or current barriers to accessing employment including but not limited to Indigenous Peoples members of racialized groups persons with disabilities women and members of the 2SLGBTQIA community.

If you require accommodations to be able to participate fully at any stage in the recruitment process including applying for this position please let us know so that we can discuss accommodation options. Accommodations will be provided upon request.

If you are as passionate as we are about serving the community and ready to make a huge impact

lets talk.

To apply please submit your resume and cover letter here:

end of day October 24 2025.