Manager, Community Safety and Wellbeing

The Role

Leads the implementation, monitoring, evaluation, and continuous improvement of the Waterloo Region Community Safety and Wellbeing Plan (CSWP). The CSWP is governed by the CSWP Steering Committee and informed by advisory committees, action tables, community input, lived and living experience, legislative requirements, and evidence-based data.

Working with public, private, nonprofit, grassroots, and community-based partners, translates CSWP priorities and Steering Committee direction into implementation plans, initiatives, deliverables, timelines, performance measures, and outcomes.

Supports Waterloo Region’s vision of a community where residents feel safe, cared for, and able to thrive by advancing collaborative, community-based initiatives that build system capacity, reduce barriers, and improve outcomes.

Applies a strong commitment to Reconciliation, equity, diversity, inclusion, anti-racism, anti-oppression, and decolonization in all aspects of CSWP implementation, engagement, evaluation, and reporting.

Reporting to the Director, Strategy, Performance and Partnerships in Public Health and Paramedic Services, and working on behalf of the CSWP Steering Committee, works with elected officials, system leaders, community leaders, and partners to strengthen relationships, partnerships, and implementation capacity across Waterloo Region.

Duties/Responsibilities

• Leads day-to-day CSWP implementation, ensuring Steering Committee decisions are translated into workplans, assigned actions, timelines, deliverables, performance measures, and outcomes.
• Develops and maintains annual and multi-year implementation plans that meet requirements under the Community Safety and Policing Act, 2019 and align with community priorities, evidence-based data, the Region’s objectives, and Steering Committee direction.
• Advances CSWP priorities, initiatives, pilots, projects, policy directions, service coordination improvements, and partner-led actions from planning to implementation.
• Establishes and manages implementation tools and processes, including work plans, trackers, risk and issue logs, decision records, dashboards, reporting schedules, accountability tools, and follow-up processes.
• Coordinates commitments and information flow among Regional departments, area municipalities, police services, health and social services, education, Indigenous partners, nonprofit agencies, grassroots organizations, community groups, advisory committees, action tables, and working groups.
• Identifies implementation risks, service gaps, resource pressures, system barriers, policy issues, and emerging community needs; develops options, implements approved mitigation strategies, and escalates issues requiring Steering Committee direction.
• Provides strategic advice to the CSWP Steering Committee and senior leadership based on implementation experience, community input, evidence, data, risk analysis, and emerging trends.
• Uses community input, lived and living experience, best practices, data equity, identity-based data, storytelling, continuous improvement, and evidence-based approaches to deliver initiatives, assess impact, identify barriers, and support approved course corrections.
• Leads ongoing and annual reporting, including dashboards, scorecards, reports, presentations, public communications, data visualization, storytelling, and community updates on progress, outcomes, risks, barriers, inequities, and emerging issues.
• Presents CSWP updates and responds to questions at Regional Council, Steering Committee meetings, advisory committees, public forums, partner meetings, media inquiries, and community events.
• Builds and maintains trust-based relationships with community leaders, groups, and organizations serving First Nations, Inuit, Métis, African, Caribbean, Black, racialized, 2SLGBTQ+, disability, and other diverse communities.
• Leads meaningful engagement with residents, community organizations, and partners on safety, wellbeing, access, equity, systemic barriers, service gaps, and improvement opportunities.
• Directs and oversees CSWP projects and initiatives, including design, implementation, engagement, training, workshops, conferences, policy development, evaluation, and reporting.
• Identifies funding needs and works with the Government Relations Working Group and partners on funding applications. Manages contribution agreements and oversees implementation, monitoring, and reporting for funded and in-kind initiatives.
• Works on accountability mechanisms to ensure trends adversely impacting various communities are addressed through collaborative processes that build trust.
• Identifies system planning issues, including legislative, policy, service coordination, funding, data, and resource issues, and advances opportunities for integrated planning and improved implementation.
• Leads and supervises staff.
• Performs related duties as required.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Knowledge and skills are normally acquired through a university degree in a related field (including but not limited to public policy, public administration, social planning, criminology, sociology, mental health and addictions, community development), plus significant, progressively responsible related leadership experience.
• Experience leading or implementing programs, initiatives, or partnerships in public administration, nonprofit organizations, community development, human services, public policy, or community safety and wellbeing, including experience with municipal, provincial, and/or federal governments.
• Experience leading systems change and transformation initiatives involving multiple partners, governance bodies, community stakeholders, and shared accountability.
• Knowledge of community safety and wellbeing principles and programs, municipal governance, public administration, research methods, strategic planning, performance measurement, evaluation, and continuous improvement.
• Experience leading through relationship-building and influence to develop, motivate, and support staff and community partners in achieving shared outcomes.
• Experience in people-centred community development with communities facing systemic racism, oppression, discrimination, marginalization, or barriers to safety and wellbeing.
• Deep understanding of anti-oppression, anti-racism, Reconciliation, equity, diversity, inclusion, and decolonization, with the ability to apply these lenses to implementation, governance, engagement, systems planning, evaluation, and reporting.
• Ability to lead transformative change aligned with the Region’s vision and values while delivering on expectations of Regional residents, the CSWP Steering Committee, partners, and communities.
• Knowledge of and ability to comply with policies, procedures, collective agreements, and related legislation, including the Ontario Human Rights Code, Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, occupational health and safety legislation, employment standards, privacy requirements, and applicable municipal policies.
• Computer skills using Microsoft Office, project management tools, data analysis tools, reporting platforms, dashboards, and collaboration technologies.
• Ability to travel within and outside Waterloo Region.
• Ability to adjust hours for stakeholder schedules, community engagement, governance meetings, and public events.
• Ability to support and demonstrate the Region’s values.