Manager of Social Services Research and Planning

BASIC FUNCTION

The Manager of Social Services Research and Planning reports to the Director of Children’s Early Years and is accountable for aligning service system planning, research, and reporting for the Wellington service delivery area across the three divisions of Children’s Early Years, Housing Services, and Ontario Works in the Department of Social Services. Duties include the development of Children’s Early Years’ Service Plans, and ensuring that approaches to service system planning, and development of policies, guidelines, preliminary reports, research and data analytics, quality measurement tools, divisional work plans, and evaluation of internal services are undertaken in a consistent manner across the divisions of the Department of Social Services. The Manager of Social Services Research and Planning ensures consistency in the use, presentation, and mobilization of data and research across the Department of Social Services. This position also supports relevant community planning tables by working collaboratively with community agencies to develop community plans, data resources, consultations, and evaluation of system-wide services. The Manager of Social Services Research and Planning oversees all positions associated with research and data analytics in the Children’s Early Years Division, supports community planning tables, and works closely with other divisions within Social Services, County departments, local community agencies and contracted services. 

PRINCIPAL RESPONSIBILITIES

• Provide strategic advice to the Director as well as other managers concerning direct delivery of services provided by the division.
• Oversee the development of the Early Years’ Service Plan and advise on divisional service and strategic plans and preliminary reports as required by the County in its role as Consolidated Municipal Service Manager.
• Collaborate with both internal and external partners to support the development of service plans to support high quality, accessible, available services that are responsive to the needs of children, families, individuals, and communities.
• Design and lead highly complex investigative campaigns with significant impact on achieving divisional and community plans including strategic goals, activities, and financial goals.
• Provide leadership in innovative service system planning related to creating value from analyzing and linking latent data assets, existing data warehouses, existing transactional data, and external data sources.
• Provide highly specialized advice and expertise in research, data analytics, human services informatics, geospatial analysis, structured and unstructured data mining and human services system intelligence.
• Assist in developing internal and contractual policies and procedures to ensure all regulations are being met.
• Ability to strategically balance service system accountabilities with the mandate and responsibilities of internal and external partners.
• Assess requirements for and secure and oversee services of consultants, research associates and vendors to achieve deliverables as appropriate.
• Cultivate staff to build partnerships with internal/external departments and community agencies.
• Support establishment of community engagement, consultation, planning methodology, public data, and documents, planning tables activities, and evaluation strategies.
• Ensure that system planning is integrated across all systems and sectors impacting children, families, individuals, and communities.
• Ensure that community partners are engaged as an integral part of the system planning and implementation process.
• Ensure that measures associated with system planning and management are integrated and reported at a strategic level to inform the division’s future policy and programme development.
• Identify resources required to meet operational requirements.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Four-year university degree in Public Administration or Community Planning.
• Minimum of five years experience or equivalent in a supervisory/project management, and/or advisory capacity in human services or related field.
• Previous experience in a supervisory or management role, preferably in Human Services, is required.
• Minimum five years of experience or equivalent on a senior management team in a supervisory/project management, and/or advisory capacity in human services or related field.
• Knowledge and specialization in planning human services.
• Senior level policy analysis and research skills.
• Excellent report writing and presentation skills for a wide array of audiences, including Council, the Ministry, system partners and community at large.
• Advanced strategic thinking, problem solving and planning skills and budget acumen.
• Knowledge and understanding of federal and provincial legislation as well, regional, and local service issues legislation governing all areas of social services.
• Highly developed skills in project management of multiple linked projects within and across systems.
• Macro integrated analytical and conceptual skills to identify linkages, gaps, and opportunities across systems in planning and delivery of services.
• Demonstrated knowledge of integrated planning, its various components and policy making processes.
• Ability to effectively work internal corporate departments as well as community partners who hold service system responsibilities.
• Ability to build community/system capacity and balance service system accountabilities with the mandate and responsibility of internal and external partners.
• Knowledge and understanding of Ontario’s Occupational Health and Safety Act.
• A valid driver’s licence (minimum G2 Class) and access to a reliable vehicle; flexibility of location is required.