Job Opportunities > Executive Director - Waterloo Co-Operative Residence, Inc.
Position: Executive Director
Deadline: March 8, 2023
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Job Description / Duties
Waterloo Co-operative Residence, Inc. (WCRI) is seeking a new Executive Director to provide leadership and manage all aspects of the organization’s operations.
The Organization
WCRI is Canada’s largest student housing co-operative. As a co-operative, WCRI relies on member involvement in providing affordable housing and creating a supportive and welcoming student community. At WCRI, every member participates to the extent that they are able. We are committed to providing exceptional accommodation, and related services, to students while developing a socially, environmentally, and financially responsible community that embodies, and is governed by, co-operative values. These values are self-help, self-responsibility, democracy, equality, equity, and solidarity. We believe in honesty, openness, social responsibility and caring for others.
The Role
WCRI is on the cusp of an important transformation to develop a system that puts students in the lead of staffing and managing the facilities and engaging them in holistic experiential learning opportunities. They are seeking a new Executive Director to lead this transition and oversee all aspects of the organization’s operations.
Reporting to the Board of Directors, the Executive Director is responsible for the successful leadership and management of WCRI according to the values and strategic direction set by the Board of Directors. They attend monthly Board meetings and Board retreats three times per annum. The Executive Director acts within the policies established by the Board of Directors to execute the following:
• Leadership and Governance – Develop a strategic plan to guide the organization in collaboration with the Board of Directors and staff, while fostering productive and positive working relationships.
• Co-op Management and Development – Oversee all aspects of WCRI operations, including policy development, assessment and evaluation, maintenance, marketing, and issues management.
• Human Resources Management – Recruit, train, and manage staff and establish a positive, healthy and safe working environment.
• Financial Management – Prepare and review budgets, and monitor monthly cash flow, ensuring the administration of WCRI funds are managed in accordance with Canadian accounting standards for non-profit organizations.
Qualifications / Required Skills
The Ideal Candidate
As the ideal Executive Director, you are a strategic and visionary thinker with proven transformational and action-oriented leadership that drives operational efficiency. You approach leadership with a human-centred lens, and able to identify market opportunities and challenges, improve operational effectiveness, increase revenues, and control expenses.
Qualifications needed:
• An undergraduate degree or equivalent experience is required, with at least 5 years progressive experience in relevant fields.
• Demonstrated understanding of non-profit or co-operative leadership and management principles, and challenges facing the sector.
• Management level expertise in human resources, finance, project management, communications, and marketing, ideally applicable in a housing operational context.
• Experience in business administration with a customer service focus.
• Demonstrated computer literacy and an understanding of how to optimize technology in a business setting.
• Policy and governance experience working with, or on, a Board.
• Experience building a staff team, preferably with experience in managing organizational change.
• Knowledge of federal and provincial legislation applicable to co-operative housing organizations is preferred.
Skills and attributes:
• Ability to foster a positive culture focused on knowledge sharing and skill building.
• Adaptability and able to manage unforeseen challenges.
• An exceptional ability to build relationships, winning people over and working effectively with leadership, employees, and partners.
• A spirit of positive restlessness—striving to innovate and seeing possibilities where others see problems.
• Excellent problem-solving skills and the ability to identify opportunities to improve process.
• Excellent written and interpersonal communication skills.
• Availability to work on evenings and weekends as required for monthly Board meetings, etc.
Additional Information
What you can expect:
Salary: Commensurate with experience.
Maintain your well-being. We offer competitive compensation and benefits to our employees including a health and dental plan, group RRSP options, pension-matching and generous time off.
A dynamic workplace. There’s never a dull moment. Here you will work with staff and members from diverse backgrounds. You will have opportunities to provide guidance to people in an early stage of their life and make a positive impact.
Contribute to something meaningful. You’ll enjoy going to work every day. We pride ourselves on an engaging environment where people come first.
Salary: $120-150K
Contact Information
If you are interested in this opportunity, contact Debra Clinton at dclinton@kbrs.ca, Kyle Steele at ksteele@kbrs.ca, Dr. Jennie Massey at jmassey@kbrs.ca or submit your full application package online at: https://www.kbrs.ca/Career/16464.
Employer Profile
WCRI is Canada’s largest student housing co-operative. As a co-operative, WCRI relies on member involvement in providing affordable housing and creating a supportive and welcoming student community. At WCRI, every member participates to the extent that they are able.