Executive Director

About Nellie’s:

Over 50 years ago, a group of women activists, including June Callwood, realized there were only 40 beds for homeless women in Toronto, compared to the 400+ available to men. Moved to action by this inequality, the women founded Nellie’s, a 16-bed shelter, in 1973.

Today, Nellie’s is a place of respite and rejuvenation for women and their children navigating a variety of challenges. Through community outreach, skill-building programs, and space for the unhoused to find shelter, clients are empowered to take steps to change their lives. Nellie’s welcomes people who seek guidance as they reclaim their strength and tap into their resilience to find a new path for their life. The individuals who come through the shelter or access community outreach programs come to Nellie’s with unique experiences and needs. Nellie’s mandate to help all women and their children, regardless of circumstances, is what makes the organization’s work essential.

Nellie’s vision is to be a place where every woman* and her child(ren) who step through its doors finds a pathway to a violence-free life, and to advocate to ensure gender-based violence and oppression is a relic of the past.

Moving into the next 50 years, Nellie’s has big ambitions – a future free of Gender-Based Violence. It is within this context that Nellie’s welcomes applications and nominations for the position of Executive Director.

About the Opportunity:

Reporting to the Board of Directors, and supporting its committees, the Executive Director will oversee the implementation of the strategic plan and lead a vibrant organization that meets both the current and future needs of those in Nellie’s community with kindness, compassion, and excellence.

Through the leadership of a dedicated Management team, the Executive Director is responsible for key organizational functions including funding and fundraising, finance, human resources, program development, evaluation, and communications.

The Executive Director will support the organization’s evolution to meet current and future operational needs by updating policies, procedures, and strengthening program evaluation capabilities. The Executive Director will also advance Nellie’s stance against racism, oppression, and discrimination and actively work to dismantle systemic prejudices and injustices that perpetuate gender-based violence, promoting a just and fair society for all.

As the principal spokesperson for Nellie’s, the Executive Director will develop relationships with funders, politicians, community partners and other stakeholders. As an active participant at policy and community tables, the Executive Director will advocate for systems change and represent the organization within the community and across sectors.

About the Individual:

Nellie’s is seeking a visionary, strategic leader, and a community builder with a passion for and commitment to Nellie’s mission, vision, and values. Lived experience connected to Nellie’s mission is an asset. 

You have progressive management experience within the not-for-profit sector, ideally within the gender-based violence, housing, social services or related sector(s). Experience leading teams within a unionized environment and with union negotiations is an asset. You have experience working with a volunteer Board of Directors, coupled with the ability to develop and execute strategic initiatives. You have financial acumen, knowledge of human resource management and change management, and fundraising skills; facilities management experience is an asset.

You are comfortable representing the organization and serving as its ambassador within the community. Your interpersonal and communication skills enable you to build and sustain strong relationships with colleagues and diverse stakeholders at all levels and across sectors, including community partners, funders, donors, elected officials, task forces, and other organizations.

Your leadership skills build trust, engagement, and collaboration, and you foster an empowering, supportive, and inclusive environment. You have a commitment equity and inclusion, feminist, anti-racist and anti-oppressive frameworks, trauma informed approaches and harm reduction principles.

Location: This position is based in Toronto, Ontario.

Salary Range and Compensation: $115,000 to $140,000 with possible flexibility and a competitive and generous benefits package.

To Apply:

To apply or explore this key leadership  opportunity with Nellie’s please submit a comprehensive resume along with a cover letter in confidence to Sam Walton, Partner (sam@griffithgroup.ca) and/or Robin Noftall, Principal (robin@griffithgroup.ca).

The search committee will be meeting mid-April to review applications.

Nellie’s Commitment to Inclusion:

Nellie’s is committed to the development of an agency that reflects the women it serves. This position is open to all women*. Women* signifies anyone who self-identifies as female, femme and/or woman. This includes transwomen, cisgender women, and non-binary people who identify as femme or female-presenting. Applications from equity-deserving groups are strongly encouraged, including Indigenous persons, racialized persons, persons with disabilities, persons of all sexual orientations and members of other equity-deserving groups.  

Nellie’s and Griffith Group are committed to an inclusive, accessible and welcoming hiring process that provides reasonable accommodation to all applicants. Please advise Sam Walton (sam@griffithgroup.ca) should you require any accommodation to participate in the recruitment and assessment processes.  

Priority will be given to individuals legally entitled to work in Canada.

Nellie’s is situated in Tkarón:to (Ta-kar-on-toe) which is located on the traditional lands of the Mississauga (Missi-sog-a), the Anishinaabe (Ah-nish-nah-bay), the Haudenosaunee (Ho-deh-no-show-nee), the Chippewa (Chi-puh-waa), the Huron (Hur-on), and many other Indigenous Peoples.

Nellie’s acknowledges all Treaty Peoples, including those who came here as settlers, as migrants either in this generation or in generations past, and those of us who came here involuntarily, particularly those brought to these lands as a result of the transatlantic slave trade and slavery. We pay tribute to those ancestors of African origin and descent.