THE ORGANIZATION

In June 1995, more than 40 corporate leaders and individuals committed their support to make Kids Kottage a reality. Leaders like the ‘First Lady’ of Alberta at the time, Mrs. Colleen Klein, and community leader and businessman, Mr. J.R. Shaw were two of the first to put their support behind the Kids Kottage vision.  Since the inception of the Kottage, they have evolved in their programming and philosophies to meet the needs of thousands of children. Kids Kottage is a 24/7 shelter operation for children 10 years and under that supports families by relieving them for a 72-hour period from the challenges they face like homelessness, the effects of poverty, mental or physical health barriers and/or toxic levels of stress.  The Kottage helps the whole family and fills in the gaps in a family’s support system, caring for the children while the adults are connected to the resources, they need to prevent the family from falling further into crisis.   The Kottage is, above all, a prevention service provider where families can gain strength and stay together.

There are a lot of people in this world who need help.  But there are a few more deserving of help than those under the age of ten. It’s about right now. It’s about the future. It’s about economics. It’s about human potential. It’s about doing the right thing.  It’s about breaking the cycle. It’s about giving children a chance to live. It’s about the belief that every child deserves to feel SAFE. That’s why Kids Kottage exists.

The Kids Kottage Vision and Mission are:

Vision

Our vision is to build strong families and ensure the safe-keeping and well-being of all children.

Mission

To prevent child abuse and neglect before it becomes a way of life.

To ensure children are safely cared for when their families are in crisis or need respite.

To assist parents in crisis, continually helping them work toward meeting their potential.

For further information on Kids Kottage Edmonton, please visit their website at www.kidskottage.org.

THE OPPORTUNITY

Kids Kottage is currently recruiting for a Program Manager that will report directly into the Executive Director.  As the Program Manager, you will operate like an operations manager, having full responsibility for developing and managing the programs offered by Kids Kottage.  You will be responsible for the direct supervision of a Cook, Housekeeper, and 2 Team Leads, Intake/Follow Up Lead and a Childcare Lead, that are responsible for all intake of children and childcare while they are in the Kottage. You and your team will work with parents of the children to connect them with community services that will aid and support them by liaising closely with the Community Navigator.  Kids Kottage has the capacity to house up to 12 children that remain with them for up to 72 hours.

Kids Kottage is implementing new programs and practices such as a Trauma Informed Practices program that focuses on ACEs (Adverse Childhood Experiences) recognizing that toxic stress during childhood years can lead to negative outcomes in adulthood.  Kids Kottage is looking to build the foundation of resilience, beginning in early life which is critical to preventing and buffering toxic stress.  This philosophy will be upheld by the Program Manager and will be disseminated throughout the operation.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Aligns with the Executive Director to understand the company’s vision, core values, culture and overall direction maximizing organizational value;
• Works with the Executive Director to continue the development of the Trauma Informed Practices program ensuring the team is trained and understands their role within it;
• Hire, train and mentor the team towards the operational vision and goals;
• Conduct regular operations meetings with operations staff to align the team and ensure daily operations are exceeding goals;
• Oversee creation of daily/weekly/monthly duty schedules for operations staff;
• Set standards and oversee the child experience within the home;
• Work with the Community Navigator to manage complex family needs to provide the families with the support they require for ongoing success;
• Be a support to the team; particularly in supporting their emotional needs when dealing with tough situations.

FIRST YEAR – MEASURES OF SUCCESS

• Build a team environment that is positive, calming and allows for a sense of humor with the goal to create an organizational culture that minimizes staff turnover;
• Develop program planning for the children and implement it through training and development of the Team Leads;
• Create key performance metrics to monitor the success of the Trauma Informed Practices program and all other programming developed;
• Manage the facility including maintenance plans, cleanliness, and the safety of all within it.

THE INDIVIDUAL

Given the pivotal role this individual will be expected to play in achieving the strategic objectives of Kids Kottage and in supporting the success of the organization, it is essential that the successful candidate possess the following education, experience, and personal attributes:

Education

• Post-secondary degree in Social Work, Education, Recreational Therapy, Sociology, Early Childhood Development or a related field;

Experience

• 5+ years of experience in working with children with the ideal candidate having experience as a social worker, teacher, counselor or psychologist;
• 2-3 years of experience in a leadership role having hired, trained, mentored and motivated teams;
• Experience in developing programs and/or educational content with success in implementation and monitoring the results;
• Has worked in an environment that requires strong emotional boundaries;
• Demonstrated track record of successfully meeting or exceeding goals;
• Collaborate effectively with team-members across all levels and departments;
• Strong relationship building skills with a sense of compassion and emotional intelligence;
• Able to multi-task effectively, and maintain flexibility;
• Strong work ethic with a sense of urgency;
• Operates with no judgement or stigma and will do whatever it takes to get the job done;
• Excellent customer-service skills as well as good written an oral communication.

Personal Profile

• A positive personality that can bring light into challenging and dark situations;
• A strong sense of humor;
• Understands boundaries and can enforce and set them as required;
• High level of integrity and accountability;
• Strong work ethic and positive team attitude;
• Alignment to a higher purpose outside of oneself;
• Sound analytical thinking, planning, prioritization, and execution skills;
• Ability to respond appropriately in pressure situations with a calm and steady demeanor;
• A servant leadership style that places no judgement on others;
• Strong problem identification and problem resolution skills;
• Sound judgement and decision-making skills;
• Professionalism;
• Results oriented and driven;
• Accountable and dependable.

Compensation

A competitive compensation package awaits the successful candidate.

Location

Edmonton, Alberta

How to Apply

For the opportunity to join Kids Kottage in the role of the Program Manager, please email your resume to DreamBig@profoundtalent.com referencing Position ID # ANKG-733140.

Should you have an inquiry regarding this position, please contact Terri Davis at 587-200-0114 ext. 101.  For further information on ProFound Talent Inc. please visit the following:

Website: www.profoundtalent.com

YouTube: profoundtalent

* We thank all applicants for your submissions; however, only candidates being considered for this role will be contacted. *