Manager, Academic Support & Volunteer Engagement

YouthLink; Toronto; On-site; CAD 71,000; Full time

Job summary

A community support organization in Toronto is looking for a Manager, Academic Support & Volunteer Engagement to organize and manage academic programming. You will coordinate volunteer efforts and community partnerships, ensuring effective program delivery. The role requires strong leadership and event planning skills, and offers a starting salary of $71,000 along with comprehensive benefits. This is a great opportunity to make a meaningful impact in the community.

Benefits

Comprehensive health and dental coverage

Annual vacation with pay

Maternity/parental/adoption leave top-up

Qualifications

• Experience planning and executing community events.
• Experience supervising staff or coordinating volunteers.
• Culturally sensitive insights working with diverse communities.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate academic programming and support evening academic sessions.
• Build relationships with volunteers and community organizations.
• Participate in operational planning and continuous improvement.

Skills

Event planning

Volunteer management

Leadership

Community engagement

Language skills

Education

Undergraduate degree in a relevant field

Job description

Who we are

YouthLink believes in the potential of every youth, and we are dedicated to providing them with the support, guidance and opportunities they need to make positive life choices. We provide youth with brief and ongoing counselling, in‑home wraparound support, shelter, housing, educational support, and safe drop‑in spaces.

Guided by our mission and inspired by the potential to make a profound impact, YouthLink works closely with youth, families and partners in our community. We come together to highlight and develop strengths, aspirations and positive actions that improve the health and well‑being of all who live, work, study and play in our community. As a service delivery organization, we leverage data‑driven decision‑making and grassroots engagement with youth advisory councils to create an inclusive, innovative, and responsive agency that provides the best fit and most needed services for our communities.

If you are seeking a meaningful opportunity and want to play a key role in bringing our vision for a stronger Scarborough where all youth and families thrive, join us.

Who we need

Reporting to the Senior Manager, Pathways to Education, we are looking for a Manager, Academic Support & Volunteer Engagement. You will be responsible for organizing, managing and supporting the academic support components of the Pathways to Education program in Scarborough Village. You will coordinate and support daily evening academic sessions, staff, volunteers, and engagement activities, ensuring seamless delivery. You will play a critical role in building strong community and educational partnerships to grow volunteer resources, secure program spaces, and advance academic goals. As the Manager, Academic Support & Volunteer Engagement, you will be responsible for the whole volunteer lifecycle, including recruitment, engagement, training, scheduling and evaluation.

This is both a leader and do‑er role, ideal for someone who thrives bringing programs to life and takes professional pride in the accomplishments of their team and participants.

Location and Hours: This is an on‑site role based at our Scarborough Village location and local community centre. Hours are M‑Th 11:30–7:30 and F 9–5 with some flexibility. Weekly travel to the head office, as well as occasional travel throughout the GTA for recruitment events, is required.

What’s in it for you

Impact. You want to contribute to high‑impact, community‑rooted academic programming and help us reach our 2024/25 goal of 92% of participants graduating and pursuing post‑secondary education. You will play a vital role in creating a safe, structured, and empowering space where youth feel a sense of belonging and receive academic encouragement.

Success. You will join a passionate team aligned with our award‑winning, nationally recognised Pathways to Education program. You will work with dedicated volunteers and colleagues committed to equity, collaboration, and youth success, fostering a culture where everyone lifts each other up and thrives.

Growth. You will grow your team‑leadership, partnership‑building, and community‑engagement skills in a uniquely grassroots yet established organization. You will gain valuable insights and knowledge working within an organization that values innovation, continuous improvement, and professional development, with opportunities to expand your expertise and advance your career in this program, or, if you meet the academic requirements, other areas of YouthLink.

How you will make an impact

• Lead and execute. You will coordinate academic programming, plan Homework Club and academic support sessions, and ensure alignment with youth needs. You will develop and implement a volunteer recruitment strategy, define required competencies, and create training modules to ensure consistent, high‑quality program delivery.
• Recruit and engage volunteers. You will build relationships with post‑secondary institutions, community organisations, and corporate partners. You will promote opportunities at GTA events and use social media to maintain strong volunteer engagement.
• Support volunteer integration. You will orient teams to the Pathways to Education model and agency policies. You will onboard volunteers, resolve concerns, and provide constructive feedback aligned with agency policies. You will model organisational values that promote a healthy, safe, and motivating environment. You will address emerging issues early and support risk mitigation plans.
• Build community partnerships. You will expand access to space, volunteers, and resources through strong relationships with community, private, and public partners. You will collaborate on strategies that strengthen academic support and remove barriers for youth.
• Participate in leadership activities. You will contribute to operational planning and continuous improvement at team and manager meetings. You will embed equity principles into program operations in collaboration with ABR leadership. You will support committees and projects aligned with YouthLink’s Strategic Plan.
• Support programming, funder applications and reporting. You will contribute to the development of logic models, indicators, funding opportunities, and budgeting processes. You will prepare reports for internal stakeholders and funders. You will monitor internal and external factors affecting programmes and assess emerging trends.

What you bring

• The education and experience. You have an undergraduate degree in a relevant field and experience planning and executing events or programming. Ideally, you have experience engaging youth in community events. You have culturally sensitive insights and experiences working in and engaging racially diverse and underserved communities. A second language (Tamil, Urdu, Farsi, Creole, French, or Spanish) is an asset. Access to a vehicle and a valid G licence are assets.
• The leadership. You bring experience supervising staff or coordinating volunteers. You have recruited, trained, and supported staff, student placements, or volunteers. You can build strong partnerships across youth, community, and service‑oriented groups, creating a network you can draw from. You have the organisational and analytical skills to support programme or event development.
• The engagement skills. You think creatively about supporting teams and participants, as well as volunteer engagement strategies. You have strong facilitation and presentation skills in both in‑person and virtual formats. Ideally, you bring experience supporting youth academically and understand barriers such as learning disabilities, special needs, learning gaps, and the challenges of English Language Learners.
• The commitment to equity. You stay current on Equity, Diversity, and Belonging best practices and work collaboratively with ABR leadership to embed these principles. You embrace reflective growth and understand systemic oppression—including colonisation, racism, transphobia, classism, misogyny, moralism, and ableism—and its impact on youth.
• The integrity. You navigate ethical considerations thoughtfully, adapt your decision‑making to diverse situations, and manage challenging interactions with diplomacy and professionalism. You maintain high standards of accountability, welcome feedback, and demonstrate consistent respect.
• The communication skills. You may speak additional languages relevant to Scarborough communities. You have exceptional listening skills and adapt your communication to ensure clarity and trust across diverse groups.

Compensation

$71,000 per year

Benefits

At YouthLink, we understand the nature of our work and the deep commitment every team member offers. We strive to provide a rewarding compensation and benefits package to support our people. This includes:

• Comprehensive health and dental coverage for you and your family, with 100% of the premiums fully covered.
• Annual vacation with pay at 1.66 working days for each calendar month to a maximum of 20 working days per year.
• 5 ‘authorized absence’ days for family illness or emergency circumstances that prohibit employees from reporting to work.
• 5 paid management days, which can be used throughout the calendar year.
• 3 paid agency days every calendar year after 3 calendar months service.
• Maternity / parental /adoption leave top‑up payments (to top‑up Canadian government unemployment benefit payments).
• 100% premium cost for long‑term disability coverage paid by employee.
• Eligibility to participate in the pension plan after 2 years of continuous service with a generous matching employer contribution.

What you can expect from our hiring process

• A virtual interview with a Talent Advisor to discuss your interest in joining the company and in the role. The conversation will be recorded using BrightHire, an AI‑powered video interview tool. More details will be shared when you are invited to interview.
• An interview with the hiring manager to share your experience and discuss how you would apply your experience to actively building trust and nurturing a community‑based learning environment and safe space through an anti‑Black racism lens.
• A Vulnerable Sector police check and references will be conducted before an offer of employment.

Apply now

We welcome applications from candidates who reflect the communities we serve, particularly candidates from Black communities, Indigenous communities, racialised people, persons with disabilities, members of diverse gender identities and people with lived experiences.

We are seeking candidates who demonstrably operate and practice from an equity and trauma‑informed lens. We encourage applications from passionate professionals who will help us dismantle systemic barriers and embrace working outside of Euro‑centric practices.

If you meet 70% of the qualifications we are looking for and share 100% of our passion and commitment to supporting youth and their families, please submit your application. We can’t promise to hire you; we can promise to review your lived and learned experiences fully.

We are committed to providing equitable employment opportunities and a workplace free from discrimination and harassment. We are equally committed to providing an inclusive and accessible workplace. If you require accommodations at any stage of the interview process, please email us at [e-mail].

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