SHIFT LEADER

Toronto; Toronto; On-site; CAD 30,000 - 39,000; Part time

Job summary

The City of Toronto is seeking a Shift Leader for the Shelter & Support Services Division. This part-time, ongoing role oversees shift operations across multiple shelter sites, ensuring client-centered service delivery and housing stability.

You will supervise staff, mentor teams, and support wellbeing while coordinating housing-first case management and maintaining program compliance.

Qualifications

• Post-secondary education in Social Services or equivalent.
• Experience supervising frontline staff in social/human services.
• Experience assisting vulnerable individuals with psychosocial/physical needs.
• Experience with mobile/outreach teams is an asset.
• Valid Ontario Driver's Licence is an asset.

Responsibilities

• Supervise shift operations in a 24/7 shelter setting.
• Provide day-to-day supervision, coaching, and staff development.
• Coordinate Housing First case management services.
• Gather data, monitor programs, and report as required.
• Respond to community concerns and ensure service quality.

Skills

Staff supervision

Outreach experience

Crisis de-escalation

Trauma-informed care

Harm reduction

Communication

Outreach work

Education

Post-secondary education in Social Services

Equivalent education/experience

Job description

Job Category: Community & Social Services

Division & Section: Toronto Shelter & Support Services, Homelessness Init & Prevention Svcs

Work Location: Various Locations (On Site). Please see below.

Job Type & Duration: Part-Time, Ongoing

Shift Information: Rotating Shifts (Days, Afternoons, Overnights). Monday to Sunday.

Affiliation: Non-Union

Number of Positions Open: 10+

Posting Period: 03-Nov-2026 to 18-Nov-2026

Here's a chance to make a difference in the lives of people experiencing homelessness! Working within the City of Toronto's Shelter and Support Services Division, you'll lead a dedicated team delivering shelter services while promoting stable housing solutions.

Reporting to the Program Supervisor and/or designate, and working as part of a collaborative management team, you will supervise all shift operations involved in providing services throughout a 24/7 operation, to meet client needs in a client-focused, holistic manner in accordance with divisional policies and procedures and applicable legislation. For more information about the City of Toronto's Programs and Services, please visit our website at: https://www.toronto.ca/community-people/housing-shelter/homeless-help/

As a Shift Leader, you'll provide day-to-day supervision to assigned staff, ensuring effective teamwork, high standards of work quality and organizational performance, customer service excellence, and continuous learning, while encouraging innovation, evaluating performance, and leading staff development through encouragement, motivation, and training. You will also respond to unplanned staffing gaps and proactively adjusts staffing schedules to maintain adequate coverage in fiscally accountable manner.

Supporting the wellbeing of your staff and team will be an integral part of this role, including creating a culture of psychological safety and maintaining a supportive work environment. Your ability to coach, mentor, and connect with staff and model behaviours that encourage work-life balance, respecting boundaries, and fosters an environment where your staff feel valued and supported, will contribute greatly to ensuring positive workplace mental health. You will also play a role in supporting staff after serious occurrences, raising awareness about available well being resources, and engaging in workplace wellness initiatives. You may also have to manage labour relations, such as hearing and responding to staff grievances and conducting performance management with staff when needed.

Working collaboratively with other supervisory staff, you'll facilitate coordinated Housing First case management services for individuals and families to assist them in achieving housing stability in the community, ensuring clients receive appropriate counselling, support, or referrals, and mediating n their behalf with other service providers. We will also count on you to gather and maintain statistical data and other information on programs for reports, forecast needs and monitor policy and program activities, recommend options, and implement changes to improve operational performance and service delivery.

Your ability to manage administrative duties associated with shelter or institutional operations will prove invaluable as you administer various client funds, TTC tokens, taxis, and voucher issuance, and ensure that appropriate controls and records are kept. This also includes monitoring program operations and providing leadership in service planning and program policy development that in corporates identified needs, with input from clients and community agencies.

As a Shift Leader, you will respond to community concerns and emerging issues, providing timely, professional, and customer-focused service to members of the public.

This includes skills in customer service, communicating with clients, service providers, the general public and/or staff to address service inquiries, requests and/or complaints, applying verbal de-escalation and crisis prevention techniques in defusing potentially volatile situations.

Key Qualifications

• Post-secondary education in Social Services or other relevant discipline related to the job function, or the equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Considerable experience supervising, coaching, and supporting frontline staff in a social services or human services environment.
• Considerable experience in assisting vulnerable persons who are experiencingpsycho/social/physical, emotional and/or environmental problems in a social service setting or human services environment.
• Experience working with mobile and outdoor outreach teams would be an asset.
• Possession of a valid Ontario Class "G" Driver's Licence would be an asset.
• Ability to work rotating shifts, including days, evenings, overnights, weekends and holidays on a pre-scheduled and call-in basis.
• Ability to monitor program operations and maintaining compliance with organizational policies and procedures.
• Ability to respond to and resolve community concerns
• Understanding of and commitment to working from a harm reduction, anti-oppression, and trauma-informed care approach.
• Ability to manage administrative duties associated with shelter or institutional operations, ensuring compliance with divisional and legislative guidelines and policies through continuous monitoring and evaluation.
• Knowledge of current issues related to homelessness, including working with street involved individuals, Housing First, harm reduction, addiction, social work, social housing, alternative and supportive housing, income security, mental health, emergency shelter, community support/health agencies, etc.
• Knowledge of working with Indigenous populations and/or lived experience as an Indigenous person.
• Given the possibly traumatic nature of events encountered in the course of duties, must exhibit a personal history of resilience, and demonstrate a commitment to wellness, both for self and staff.
• Familiarity with government legislation in the areas of Occupational Health and Safety, Human Rights, and other relevant legislation.
• Familiarity working with unhoused populations considered an asset.

SHIFT INFORMATION

For all programs in the Toronto Shelter and Support Services Division, which operate 24 hours a day / seven days a week, part-time employees are expected to be available to work all shifts (days, afternoons & overnight shifts) four (4) separate days a week, of which two (2) days must include Saturdays & Sundays. Hours of work will be determined based on operational needs.

PLEASE NOTE

Work schedules are posted six (6) weeks in advance and Part-Time Shift Leaders work on average between 20 - 40 hours per week. As full-time opportunities arise, our part-time workforce receives consideration prior to external candidates.

A Vulnerable Sector Police Reference Check will be required as a condition of employment.

• Streets to Homes - 129 Peter Street & 51 Lisgar Street
• Isolation & Recovery Program - 2180 Islington Avenue
• Scarborough Women's Shelter - 20 Milner Business Court

Other sites as necessary.

Equity, Diversity and Inclusion

The City is an equal opportunity employer, dedicated to creating a workplace culture of inclusiveness that reflects the diverse residents that we serve. Learn more about the City's commitment to employment equity .