Senior Director, Supportive Housing and Homelessness

The Government of Nova Scotia•Halifax, NS

6d•$4,754 - $5,943•Onsite

About The Position

The Supportive Housing and Homelessness division is committed to improving outcomes with and for people experiencing or at risk of homelessness through stronger systems, better services and relationships, and together with partners, achieving functional zero homelessness – meaning homelessness is an experience that is rare, briefing and non-recurring. We are hiring a senior executive leader to provide strategic direction and oversight for the supportive housing and homelessness portfolio. This role will shape policy, service delivery, and immediate through to long-term solutions that prevent homelessness and provide leadership to modernize how programs and services are designed and delivered in communities across the province. This role is ideal for a leader who can drive sector transformation while maintaining strong relationships and accountability that create positive outcomes, facilitate compassionate and respectful, sometimes tough conversations that lead to real change, build trust and alignment across government, service providers, and communities, and champion human-centred innovation and long-term, evidence-informed solutions that achieve impactful results including functional zero homelessness in Nova Scotia.

Requirements

Completed post-secondary education in a related field (such as social work, adult education, public administration, planning) and have several years of leadership experience; or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
Proven people management experience, including leading through complexity, ambiguity, and change.
Experience leading large-scale transformation initiatives.
Strong partner engagement and facilitation skills, with the ability to lead challenging conversations, negotiate shared solutions, and maintain productive relationships in tension-filled and dynamic environments.
Experience with planning, budgeting, and financial oversight.
Exceptional communication skills (written and verbal).

Nice To Haves

Lived experience related to housing insecurity or homelessness and/or demonstrated experience working alongside people with lived and living expertise in systems change-focused, service design and decision-making environments.
Experience working directly with housing, social and/ or health systems and/or supportive housing programs (government, non-profit, community-based, for-profit market, or health/social services sectors).
Experience working with intergovernmental partners or multi-jurisdictional initiatives.
A completed related Master’s degree.

Responsibilities

Provide executive leadership in the identification, design, planning, implementation, integration, and evaluation of major, multi-functional, cross-departmental initiatives.
Set strategic direction and lead the work for the supportive housing and homelessness portfolio, aligning initiatives to broader government priorities and long-term strategy.
Lead sector transformation and modernization efforts, including system redesign and improvements to service delivery with and for people experiencing homelessness – using human-centred design and agile methods to produce system level impacts including functional zero homelessness.
Establish and strengthen accountability mechanisms with service providers, including service-level expectations and performance oversight that are focused on positive outcomes for Nova Scotians.
Build and sustain formal partnerships and collaborative relationships across government and with external partners, acting as a key influencer to resolve conflicts and enable shared outcomes.
Lead change management planning and execution to achieve outcomes that support departmental and government strategy.
Oversee planning, budgeting, and financial management.
Provide people leadership, including setting direction, building a high-performing, inclusive and healthy workplace and promoting team excellence and professional development.
Champion adaptability, flexibility and innovation by bringing forward new approaches, learning from leading practices, and adapting to the context, assets, and emerging needs.