At Adsum for Women & Children, they believe that everyone has the right to a safe, secure home. Their mission is to lead change in housing through advocacy, supports and services to end homelessness. They do this by providing emergency shelter and permanent housing, services and supports for women, families and gender expansive persons who experience homelessness or housing insecurity. They operate out of several locations that we own, as well as locations that they rent. 

At Adsum, they aim to meet people where they’re at, without judgement. Respect, self-worth, trust and inclusion are values that guide their work everyday. Adsum is a unionized workplace. They have been a Living Wage employer for six years. They prioritize diversity and inclusion considerations in hiring and have several designated positions in order to reflect the population that they serve.

The position of Culture & Diversity Manager is new for Adsum. They are looking for a person who is excited about people development and coaching, wants to ensure all team members are making a meaningful impact and has an ability to engage the people around them. The Manager will have primary responsibility for providing strategic leadership and oversight for researching, developing, implementing and maintaining a range of policies and procedures to support a climate that values and prioritizes equity, diversion and inclusiveness. 

They want Adsum to be a welcoming place for all employees. They can promise that every workday will be different; therefore you must be comfortable operating in a changing and dynamic workplace. If you are passionate and skilled at creating an environment where people collaborate and thrive, this may be for you. 

About the role

This is a high impact position, focused on strengthening all facets of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Belonging (DEIB) in the workplace for all employees, cultivating a supportive environment. By recognizing and championing DEIB you will help fulfill their vision of attracting, retaining and

integrating diverse talent, ensuring no discrimination in the hiring process internally and externally.  

We are looking for a Culture & Diversity Manager to role model collaboration, recognize, create, and implement plans to promote diversity within Adsum. This includes measuring and forecasting diversity metrics and revising and updating all communication on our website, social media pages, job descriptions and internal documents to ensure we use non-discriminatory language. We always want our team members to feel heard and motivated. Part of accomplishing this will be recommending benefits that cater to the whole team. This includes making exit interviews count, conducting them with the goal of taking a deep look at workplace culture, day-to-day processes, and employee morale: You will learn why they are leaving and what could be done to retain them. 

You will have the opportunity to build capacity instead of dependency, embody inclusion and a coaching orientation in all interactions. This includes coaching and motivating managers to help them excel their people management skills. You will work with the senior management team to create clear overviews of the skills the team needs, and which employees have them. Furthermore, helping senior management, you will assess risks, design an effective succession plan, conduct risk assessments and vibrant development plans helping employees on their journey to growth within Adsum. 

What you will bring: Creativity, Authenticity and Empathy  

Embodying these traits in your day-to-day will be crucial as you lean into new practices: crafting programs, facilitating presentations, and creating ongoing internal professional development sessions. 

These internal programs include: 

Promoting awareness of discrimination issues in the workplace and encouraging individuals to take responsibilities

Educational programs on topics such as cultural awareness and sensitivity, conflict resolution and leadership development

The management of Culture & Diversity at Adsum is a unique opportunity to use your head, heart and gut. Here are some more boxes we’re hoping you can tick:

• Experience working in a fast-paced environment where a sense of urgency has been demonstrated
• Knowledge of labour and human rights legislation
• Knowledge of Inclusion, Diversity, and Equity concepts and/or programs
• Ability to develop rapport with colleagues, representing different perspectives, backgrounds and levels
• Hands on experience designing policies
• Proactively anticipates needs and obstacles and prepares for them, moving fast to devise an imperfect solution instead of waiting for ideal circumstances or otherwise letting the problem fester
• When faced with a situation where policy or practice does not exist, you move forward to the best of your ability, eventually turning that experience into an impactful process
• Demonstrated ability to inspire a team
• Experience working in a not for profit is an asset
• Experience working in a unionized workplace is an asset

Rate of pay

This is a management position. Salary is based on credentials, experience and within a range set by the organization from $65,000-$80,000

Benefits

Adsum offers a comprehensive benefits package including basic health and dental care, short and long-term disability, sick leave, EAP, four weeks vacation, etc.

Adsum and Venor are both committed to employment diversity. We welcome applicants from all backgrounds to apply. This particular position is designated; we are seeking candidates who are Indigenous, African Nova Scotian or Other Racially Visible Persons. We are deliberate and proactive in hiring in order that the diverse population of women and families and gender diverse individuals experiencing homelessness can see themselves reflected throughout the organization. Applications will be accepted on an ongoing basis until a suitable candidate is identified. 

To learn more about this exciting opportunity, contact Nada Halaweh via nada@venor.ca