Commissioner of Human Services, The Region of Peel

The Region of Peel, located in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA), has been delivering a wide range of resident-focused services and infrastructure to the communities of Brampton, Caledon, and Mississauga for 50 years. Peel is a bustling home to 200,000 businesses and over 1.5 million residents, 51.5% of whom are born outside of Canada and 69% of whom identify with a racialized group. We celebrate our diversity and aim to create a strong sense of community that fosters inclusivity and a sense of belonging. The Region is a 2023 Forbes Best Employer award winner.

The Region of Peel is seeking a Commissioner of Human Services with demonstrated and extensive experience in strategic planning, program development, and financial management within a government or non-profit environment to oversee a comprehensive portfolio of programs and initiatives aimed at enhancing the well-being and social development of individuals and families within the Peel community.

Reporting to the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) and a member of the Executive Leadership Team (ELT), the role of the Commissioner is to affect systems change and provide the strategic vision and operational direction to department staff and information on corporate, department and program services, plans, strategies and initiatives to staff, ELT and Council.

This role encompasses strategic planning, program development, partnership management, community advocacy, and resource allocation to address diverse needs and systemic barriers related to housing services, early years and childcare services, income and social supports, and social development planning. Additionally, the Commissioner provides leadership to Peel Housing Corporation, ensuring the provision of safe and affordable housing options for residents.

The candidate will have a post-secondary degree in Social Work, Public Administration, Urban Planning, or a related field with extensive leadership experience (8+ years) in leading large teams and managing a diverse portfolio of human services administration with a focus on housing, social assistance, and/or community development. The candidate will have a demonstrated track record of strengthening and leading organizational DEI practices and experience working to remove systemic barriers in a large corporation. Education and experience from outside Canada is welcomed.

The candidate will also have excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to engage effectively with diverse stakeholders and communicate complex ideas to a wide audience. The candidate will have political, intercultural, and business acumen and is an experienced leader with organizational awareness, relationship building and partnership capabilities, and who can work both independently and collaboratively across teams, the broader public sector and community partners. Knowledge of the diverse communities that comprise Peel and lived experience is a valuable asset.

To download the complete position profile (PDF), click here.

If you wish to be considered for the role, please email your cover letter and resume in PDF format to Kartik Kumar at careers@lesp.ca by May 9th, 2024 @ 11:59 pm.

Please be assured that any information shared with Legacy Partners will be treated with the strictest confidence and shared only with the client for the purposes of this search.

Thank you once again for your interest.

Legacy Partners and the Region of Peel are committed to equity, diversity, and inclusion and recognize that a diverse staff is essential to organizational excellence. We welcome applications from all qualified individuals and encourage women, members of racialized communities, Indigenous persons, persons with disabilities, and persons of any sexual orientation or gender identity to confidentially self-identify at the time of application. In accordance with provincial legislation, accommodations will be provided by Legacy Partners and the organization throughout the recruitment, selection, assessment and employment process, upon request, to applicants with disabilities. If you would like to self-identify during the recruitment process, please fill out the IISD’s Voluntary Self-Identification Questionnaire and submit it with your application.