Director, Community & Social Services

Reporting to the Chief Administrative Officer, the Director provides executive leadership for the Community and Social Services Department, with accountability for strategic direction, operational performance, financial stewardship, and legislative compliance across Provincial and County programs and services. The portfolio includes Ontario Works, Children’s Services, Housing, Homelessness, Physician Recruitment, Community Safety & Wellbeing and related community supports. The Director ensures services are aligned with legislation, ministry directives, service contracts, County policies, and professional standards while advancing integrated, fiscally sustainable, and community-responsive service delivery across Northumberland County.

At a system level, the Director sets direction for service planning, policy implementation, partnership development, and long-term community outcomes across Northumberland’s human services portfolio. Overseeing the department’s senior leadership team the Director aligns County priorities, provincial policy, and funding requirements across Ontario Works, Children’s Services, emergency shelter, homelessness prevention, community housing, and affordable and supportive housing initiatives. Success in this role requires strong judgment, political acuity, change leadership, and the ability to steward public resources while building effective cross-sector partnerships.

Full Time $149,088.97 - $186,351.58 (based on a 35-hour work week) Cobourg Expires in 21 days

Key Leadership Accountabilities

• Provide executive leadership and strategic oversight across Ontario Works, Children’s Services, Housing, Homelessness, Physician Recruitment and related community supports.
• Lead and develop a senior leadership team, to deliver integrated, high-quality, and fiscally responsible services.
• Advise the Chief Administrative Officer and Council on service strategy, policy, funding, risk, and community impact.
• Strengthen cross-sector partnerships and position the County to respond effectively to evolving social, economic, and housing pressures.

Qualifications & skills

• University degree in Social Sciences, Public Administration, Business Administration, or a related field; a master’s degree is considered an asset.
• Minimum of ten (10) years of progressively senior leadership experience in municipal government, the broader public sector, or a comparably complex service environment, including oversight of multiple program areas through senior managers.
• Demonstrated executive leadership in community and social services, with strong knowledge of Ontario Works, Children’s Services, Housing, Homelessness, and integrated human services planning.
• Proven ability to advise senior administration and Council, translate legislation and policy into strategic and operational direction, and lead in a politically sensitive, public-facing environment.
• Extensive experience leading organizational change, service transformation, and high-performing teams in complex, multi-stakeholder environments.
• Strong financial and business acumen, including complex budgeting, long-range planning, funding optimization, and stewardship of provincially and municipally funded programs.
• Thorough knowledge of the legislation, policy frameworks, service contracts, and funding guidelines that govern community and social services in Ontario.
• Exceptional communication, relationship-building, and partnership skills, with the ability to work effectively across government, community agencies, service providers, and external stakeholders.
• Demonstrated ability to balance strategic, operational, political, and community considerations while advancing organizational priorities and measurable outcomes.
• Membership with the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers (OCSWSSW) and the Ontario Municipal Social Services Association (OMSSA) is considered an asset.
• Valid Class G driver’s license with a clean abstract and access to a personal vehicle.

How to apply

Human Resources

County of Northumberland

555 Courthouse Road

Cobourg, ON K9A 5J6

Email: ***email_hidden***

Fax: 905-372-3046

Please note that accommodations are available, upon request, to support applicants with disabilities throughout the recruitment process. Please email your request to [email protected] or call 905-372-3329 ext. 2327. Alternative formats of this job posting are available upon request.

Personal information collected through the recruitment process will be used solely for the purpose of candidate selection, in accordance with the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act.