ADMINISTRATION OFFICE

13 SCHOOL ROAD, BOX 1

FORT ALBANY, ON

P0L 1H0

TELEPHONE: (705) 278-1044                                                                         FAX: (705) 278-1193

Internal/External Employment Opportunity

Position          FAFN Women’s Shelter Director                 Term:      Full Time

Department:  Fort Albany Women’s Shelter                          Location: Fort Albany, ON

Salary Range: 40/Hours week min                                           Hours:     TBD  

Posting Date: October 22, 2026          Closing Date: November 5, 2026 @ 4:00 pm

The Women’s Shelter Director is responsible for the effective operation and oversight of the Fort Albany First Nation Women Shelter Program (Fort Albany and Timmins locations), Transitional Housing Program, Outreach Program and Domestic Violence Prevention Program. The Shelter Director ensures programs are administered and implemented in accordance with applicable laws, policies, plans, agreements, and budgets, and in a culturally sensitive and trauma-informed manner.

The Shelter Director reports to the FAFN CEO.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Manage all Programs

·         Disseminates knowledge of all policies, procedures, standards and directives to supervisory and frontline staff and ensures reporting requirements are met;

·         Develops and maintains accountability to ensure that client service goals are being met;

·         Operates programs, including but not limited to the provision of case management, clinical therapeutic supervision, individual and group counselling, public education and client advocacy;

·         Operates an educational program for residential clients;

• Monitors the health, safety and security of all the high-risk clients, families and staff;
• Ensures the 24-hour security surveillance monitoring systems are current and operating effectively;
• Ensures the 24 hour/7 day a week crisis line is staffed by workers trained in crisis intervention;
• Seeks, applies for additional funding resources to enhance all programs;
• Ensures that timelines established for both service and administrative requirements are compliant;
• Accountable for individual and team performance;
• Accountable for the development of counseling knowledge and skills by identifying learning needs, determining counselor strengths, promoting self- awareness and transmitting therapeutic knowledge for professional growth;
• Acts as a communication link between supervisory staff and CEO;
• Formulates, plans and coordinates the activities of the programs;
• Develops and implements the annual operational business plan and budget within service and funding parameters;
• Expends funds within the limits of the annual approved operational budget and to bring to the attention of the CEO and funding source of any variations to that budget;
• Prepares the Payroll for all employees;
• Coordinates, chairs and attends various meetings. i.e. Management, supervisory, staff, special projects and committees;
• Develops, amends and implements the necessary policies and procedures to assist in the effective operation of the program and as required by legislation and regulatory bodies;
• Analyzes, monitors and recommends the need for current staff levels to meet program and client needs;
• Prepares, monitors, maintains and reports on various operating budgets;
• Develops and implements applications for funding;
• Forecasts funding usage based on client, family and community trends within the community;

• Ensures program compliance all employment legislation as well as exercises due diligence regarding compliance with all policies, procedures and legislation related to health and safety of employees;
• Writes and issues multiple service provider contracts for prevention activities; and trains, monitors and evaluates their effectiveness and outcome measures;
• Monitors, maintains, responds to emerging issues related to a safe and secure working environment for staff;
• Promotes the integration of quality assurance perspectives, provincial standards and practices in all unit and program activities;
• Conducts an ongoing review of the effectiveness of program services and adapts those services to meeting changing client and community needs.

Supervise program staff

• Manages the Shelter and Outreach Supervisors, Administration staff, Residential Support Workers, Outreach Workers, relief staff, Maintenance Worker and service providers/facilitators of the prevention program.
• Develops/revises program staff job descriptions, develops business cases justifying the need for new hires, develops interview instruments and takes a lead role in the hiring process through screening of applicants, sitting on interview panels, checking
• references and approving new hires based on suitability, matching candidates with the position (all subject to FAFN recruitment/hiring policies).
• Provides direction, leadership, advice and assistance to staff in the performance of their responsibilities. This includes orientation and training of all new staff in accordance with the organization and program policies and procedures.
• Ensures conduct of annual performance evaluations and appraisals of program staff and improves employee performance by coaching, developing and providing feedback in supervision setting or in a performance evaluation.
• Ensures therapeutic clinical supervision of staff and ensures they have a wellness plan.
• Plans and coordinates the continual training needs of the program staff based on staffing requirements and mandated training.
• Determines staff schedules to ensure 24 hour and emergency coverage.
• Develops and administers training plans for staff, to ensure all training needs are met.
• Addresses internal and external complaints regarding staff in a timely fashion and implements corrective action when required.
• Applies personnel policies and practices in a fair and equitable manner.

·         Ensures personnel problems and concerns are handled in accordance with FAFN policies and applicable laws.

• Ensures appropriate performance management of staff, including disciplinary steps if required.
• Conducts regular supervisory and staff meetings for the purpose of sharing information and encouraging open communication with staff, developing team goals and providing a forum for sharing clinical expertise and best practices.

Program development

• Identifies emerging trends, short- and long-term program goals and creates an action plan to meet those goals based on domestic violence, child welfare/child protection trends, justice initiatives, issues and areas of concern;
• Analyzes and documents the need for future staffing and prepares job descriptions, interview instruments, etc. based on community needs as program grows and develops according to domestic violence and child protection mandate;
• Seeks, applies for and maintains additional funding based on program mandate/increase in service delivery and funding requirements;
• Aligning program services/mandate with FAFN culture and traditional practices.
• Develop programs for victims of human/sex trafficking/sexual assault
• To seek funding, write proposals, negotiate funding, develop work plans;
• Organize, develop training curriculum to meet the needs of staff and community;
• On-going development of emerging trauma informed practices;
• Develops and delivers training modules;
• Critique and evaluate the effectiveness of the training program;
• Produce financial reports, and ensure program accounting;
• Produce evaluative reports on effectiveness of training.

Deliver a 24-hour crisis response service  

• To supervise and implement a 24-hour crisis intervention service to women, men and children of the community and surrounding service areas;
• To assure services are provided on a 24 hour on-call basis to respond to domestic violence emergencies within the Community and surrounding service areas;
• To ensure the 24-hour crisis line is available on a 24 hours a day/7 days a week basis;
• To prepare on-call logs and deal with crisis/emergencies after hours and on holidays.
• Performs other duties as directed

WORKING RELATIONSHIPS

Interpersonal Relationships

• Works with all program staff;
• Works directly with supervisory staff;
• Works directly with Maintenance staff;
• Works with Chief, Deputy Chief, and Council;
• Works with all required programs and services
• Works with other managers and staff;
• Works with community members.

Leadership  

• Directly supervises the Shelter and Outreach Supervisors, Administrative Assistant, Relief staff, Maintenance Worker, Contract service providers and oversees the performance of all staff;
• Manages a program with crisis beds for women, men and children;
• Provides support and direction to 24 hour on-call service Supervisors and to 24-hour Residential Support Workers;
• Directly involved with all program staff in coordination and delivery of domestic violence, child welfare, human trafficking, sexual assault and addiction education/support.
• To be a positive role model

Teamwork

• Actively participates in Program monthly meetings with Ontario Shelters and funders;
• Chairs staff monthly meetings;
• Chairs supervisory (core) bi-weekly meetings;
• Participates in case management meetings;
• Works closely with service providers and partner agencies to develop protocol agreements for service coordination;
• Works closely with the local network of Ontario Shelters and the National Indigenous Circle Against Domestic Violence;
• Works closely with Contract workers/ facilitators who implement the Prevention Program Services.

External Communications

• Maintains open communication with the Indigenous Services of Canada;
• Participates actively with the service network of agencies in the community to maintain a climate of cooperation and collaboration;
• Maintains a working relationship with local media to bring social issues that need to be addressed to the community’s attention.

Training

• Identifies and coordinates appropriate training programs for staff relevant to existing and future program and staff needs based on domestic violence, child
• welfare mandate and addictions education and other training to meet the program’s mandate and service delivery;
• Provides training/orientation to all new employees in accordance with the organization and program policies and procedures;
• Attends all required training to enhance existing skills and support the management of a 24- hour Shelter.

Financial/Negotiations

• Negotiates for required funding from funders: i.e. ISC, CMHC, VAW;
• Manages a balanced budget;
• Writes proposals and negotiates funding amounts with funding sources;
• Negotiates changes to funding/contractual agreements;
• Negotiates working protocols/agreements with service partners, to address client service Requirements;

ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS

Timelines

• Routine administrative deadlines i.e.: business plans, variance reports, quarterly and annual reports to funders, financial budget, proposals etc.
• Subject to unexpected deadlines.
• Subject to aggressive timelines in year end funding opportunities.

Stress

• Ability to make an immediate decision in crisis situations 24 hours a day and 7 days a week;
• Direct and supervise staff in critical situations;
• Decisions made impact children, family and community lives and living situations;
• High level of stress in 24-hour crisis environment;
• High level of uncertainty and need to analyze threat and risk assessments to ensure the safety of women, men, children and staff;
• Subject to abusive/violent clients, their partners, clients with mental illness, clients experiencing drug/alcohol withdrawal, children with behavioral issues;
• Subject to contact by phone or points of entry with abusive partners and/or family members;
• Deadlines for funding requests and reports;
• Requests for immediate statistical and financial reports as required by Provincial and Federal funders;
• Monthly reporting to CEO;
• Exposure to heavy workload, sensitive information and highly charged emotional situations;
• Subject to community demands and political pressures;
• Performance/actions of the position is reflective of the whole program;
• Subject to conflict with clients/workers/community, etc.
• Availability on an emergency 24 hour/7 day a week basis.

Working Conditions

• Office work in 24 hour/7 days a week crisis environment with the potential of dangerous or deadly situations;
• Working at computer on average 5 hours in a work day;
• Meeting with staff on average 3 hours in a work day;
• Regular extended office hours i.e.: weekends, after hours;
• Regular travel for meetings with funders and provincial regulatory bodies;
• Regular travel for training and attendance at committee meetings;
• Regular exposure to unfavourable hazards i.e.: injury or threat of physical injury;
• Ability to make an immediate decision in crisis situations to resolve and address crisis/life and death situations;

Cultural Competency

• Knowledge of community – who we are and what we do;
• Knowledge of the Indigenous language is an asset;
• Knowledge of the Indigenous culture is an asset;
• Knowledge of community is an asset;
• Administers a trauma informed program that compliments Traditions and Culture;
• Administers, maintains and monitors the Traditional and Cultural teachings/ceremonies and events clients have requested;
• Administers, maintains and monitors the Traditional and Cultural teachings that are incorporated into group discussion and/or treatment of clients.

ACCOUNTABILITY

• To ensure the health and safety of workers, when domestic violence situations occur and to provide staff with debriefing and crisis intervention;
• To implement and monitor all services and components of the program by establishing and maintaining an information data base;
• Demonstrates the highest standards of service consistent with the program principles and policy in working with families and children in care;
• To collate and prepare pertinent statistical data used for periodic reports, funding requirements and the planning and development of program budgets;
• To monitor and evaluate effectiveness of therapeutic services;
• To abide by multiple funding agreements;
• To abide by applicable legislation, laws
• To maintain confidentiality;
• To ensure the work environment complies with the Occupational Health and Safety Act of Ontario;
• To supervise staff with efficiency, fairness and professionalism;
• To ensure that clientele is treated with fairness and empathy;
• To communicate and/or negotiate tactfully with various agencies;
• To ensure efficient and secure services to the organization;
• To support and develop employees in the delivery of professional quality, evidence based and clinically focused services to the community;
• To keep pace with any new developments in the field of expertise;
• To act in accordance with the highest professional standards of integrity, ethical conduct and competence at all times;
• To fulfill the responsibilities in a manner consistent with the terms and conditions of the General Personnel Policy (GPP), Standard Operating Procedures (SOP), and all Administrative Directives.

QUALIFICATIONS

Education and Experience Required

• Social Work degree or Diploma and/or a minimum of 10-year work experience in a 24-hour shelter crisis program;
• Certified Drug and Alcohol Clinical Supervisor and/or Certified Indigenous Focus Oriented Train the Trainers or working towards.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• working knowledge of relevant legislation, policies and procedures related to: programs, human resources, operations, and finances;

Abilities, Skills and Aptitudes

• Adaptability: Demonstrate a willingness to be flexible, versatile and/or tolerant in a changing work environment while maintaining effectiveness and efficiency;
• Behave Ethically: Understand ethical behavior/business practices, ensure that own behavior and the behavior of others is consistent with these standards and aligns with the values of the program;
• Build Relationship: Establish and maintain positive working relationships with others, both internally and externally, to achieve the goals of the program;
• Communicate Effectively: Speak, listen and write in a clear, thorough and timely manner using appropriate and effective communication tools and techniques;
• Foster Teamwork: Work cooperatively and effectively with others to set goals, resolve problems, and make decisions that enhance the effectiveness of multiple programs and services;
• Lead: Positively influence others to achieve results that are in the best interest of the program;
• Make Decisions: Assess situations to determine the importance, urgency and risks, and make clear decisions which are timely and in the best interests of the program;
• Organize: Set priorities, develop a work schedule, monitor progress towards goals, and track details, data, information and activities;
• Plan: Determine strategies to move the organization forward, set goals, create and implement actions plans, and evaluate the process and results;
• Solve Problems: Assess problem situations to identify causes, gather and process relevant information, generate possible solutions, and make recommendations and/or resolve the problem;
• Think Strategically: Assesses options and actions based on trends and conditions in the environment, and the vision and values of the organization.

     Interested applicants, please submit your CPIC, 3 references, cover letter and resume to:

Human Resources Department

Fort Albany First Nation

Box 1

Fort Albany, ON P0L 1H0

Or fax: (705) 278-1193

Or email: hr.admin@fortalbany@fortalbany.ca