Director, Professional Practice and Registration

Ocswssw; Toronto; Hybrid; CAD 128,000 - 173,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid time off

Health and dental benefits

Professional development

Pension plan

Job summary

Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers seeks a strategic Director of Professional Practice & Registration to lead key regulatory programs in Ontario. The role focuses on fair registration practices, professional standards, continuing competence, and public protection.

You will shape policies, oversee registration processes, and guide initiatives while collaborating with a high-performing team.

Qualifications

• Graduate degree in social work and in good standing with the College.
• Minimum 10 years of progressive leadership experience.
• Experience developing policies, programs, and operational practices.
• Strong communication, facilitation, public speaking and engagement skills.
• Ability to manage budgets and resources.
• Proficiency with Microsoft 365.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic and operational leadership for the Registration & Renewals and Professional Practice teams.
• Lead the delivery of registration, renewal, equivalency, and professional practice programs that are fair, consistent, and compliant with regulatory requirements.
• Oversee entry-to-practice standards, registration processes, and complex registration matters.
• Guide the College’s Continuing Competence Program and professional practice initiatives.
• Develop and implement policies, standards, practice resources, and regulatory programs that support public protection.
• Monitor legislative, regulatory, and practice trends, providing expert advice and recommendations to leadership.
• Support the Standards of Practice Committee and other internal committees through subject matter expertise and staff leadership.
• Foster an inclusive, high-performing team culture through coaching, development, and continuous improvement.
• Lead educational initiatives, presentations, and resources for registrants, applicants, employers, and the public.
• Represent the College in external consultations, key engagement activities, and public-facing initiatives.
• Contribute to organizational strategy, operational planning, and cross-functional projects as a member of the Management Team.

Skills

Leadership experience

Regulatory expertise

Public speaking

Stakeholder engagement

Budget management

Strategic thinking

Change management

Policy development

Analytical mindset

Microsoft 365 proficiency

Education

Graduate degree in social work

Tools

Microsoft 365

Job description

With over 35,000 registrants, the Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers ("the College") is the regulatory body for social workers and social service workers in Ontario. Our mandate is to serve and protect the public interest through self-regulation of the professions.

The Role: Director, Professional Practice and Registration
Employment Status: Permanent Full Time
Type of Position: Existing Vacancy
Location: 2-3 days per week at the Downtown Toronto Office
Number of Vacancies: 1
Target Salary Hiring Range: $128,039 - $172,852

Help Shape Professional Standards and Protect the Public Interest

We’re looking for a strategic and collaborative leader to join our management team as Director, Professional Practice & Registration. In this role, you’ll lead key regulatory programs that support fair registration practices, professional standards, continuing competence, and public protection. You’ll also play an important role in advancing organizational priorities, modernizing services, and supporting a high-performing team.

As Director, Professional Practice & Registration, you will:

• Provide strategic and operational leadership for the Registration & Renewals and Professional Practice teams.
• Lead the delivery of registration, renewal, equivalency, and professional practice programs that are fair, consistent, and compliant with regulatory requirements.
• Oversee entry-to-practice standards, registration processes, and complex registration matters.
• Guide the College’s Continuing Competence Program and professional practice initiatives.
• Develop and implement policies, standards, practice resources, and regulatory programs that support public protection.
• Monitor legislative, regulatory, and practice trends, providing expert advice and recommendations to leadership.
• Support the Standards of Practice Committee and other internal committees through subject matter expertise and staff leadership.
• Foster an inclusive, high-performing team culture through coaching, development, and continuous improvement.
• Lead educational initiatives, presentations, and resources for registrants, applicants, employers, and the public.
• Represent the College in external consultations, key engagement activities, and public-facing initiatives.
• Contribute to organizational strategy, operational planning, and cross-functional projects as a member of the Management Team.

We’re looking for a leader who combines regulatory expertise with strong people leadership and strategic thinking.

• Graduate degree in social work and in good standing with the College.
• Demonstrated experience and understanding of regulatory functions and interpreting regulatory statues, bylaws and other relevant legislation.
• Minimum 10 years of progressive leadership experience leading collaborative and inclusive teams.
• Experience developing policies, programs, and operational practices.
• Demonstrated success leading organizational initiatives, change management efforts, and program development.
• Strong communication, facilitation, public speaking and engagement skills with diverse audiences and interested parties.
• Exceptional judgment, political acuity, and ability to manage sensitive and confidential matters.
• Demonstrated ability to build and sustain collaborative relationships and partnerships across internal and external groups.
• Experience developing and managing budgets and resources.
• Strong analytical, decision-making, and problem-solving skills.
• Proficiency with Microsoft 365 and an interest in leveraging technology to improve operational effectiveness.

At the College, you’ll work alongside dedicated professionals who are committed to protecting the public and supporting professional excellence. The role comes with:

• Paid time off with vacation and care days, with additional office closure in December.
• Comprehensive health and dental benefits, including a Health Care Spending Account, enhanced mental health coverage and employer-match Pension Plan.
• Professional development opportunities including attending industry conferences and the opportunity to represent the College.

In service of our public protection mandate, the College is guided by being:

• Ethical: Behaving in a manner that is equitable, inclusive, respectful, kind and upholds the dignity of all individuals.
• Accountable: Serving and protecting the public by remaining responsible, responsive and transparent.
• Effective: Conducting and providing service in a timely, efficient and impactful manner.
• Community-centred: Collaborating with diverse perspectives, interests, and identities to ensure voices are heard, valued, included, and respected.

While all responses are appreciated and will be handled with the strictest confidence, only those being considered for interviews will be contacted.

The Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers values transparency and fairness in recruitment. While our system (ADP Workforce Now) includes AI-powered features, we do not use AI to screen, assess, or select applicants. Our recruitment team reviews and assesses at every stage for all final hiring decisions.

The Ontario College of Social Workers and Social Service Workers strives to be diverse, inclusive, fair and equitable and to create an accessible, barrier-free workplace.

If you require Code-protected accommodation at any time during the recruitment process or if you are unable to apply to this position due to a requirement, email us at [e-mail] with subject line "Director, Professional Practice and Registration" or call 877-828-9380 x208.

Application deadline: October 30, 2026