Sumac Community Action Program Manager (Full-time, Permanent)

Community Food Centres Canada; Ontario; On-site; CAD 75,000 - 85,000; Full time

Job summary

An established industry player is seeking a Community Action Program Manager to lead initiatives that empower communities through food access and social justice. This role involves developing and implementing programs, engaging with community members, and advocating for systemic change. You'll work closely with diverse teams and community partners to ensure that all voices are heard and valued. If you are passionate about equity and inclusion and want to make a tangible difference in the lives of individuals and families, this is a fantastic opportunity to join a mission-driven organization dedicated to creating positive change in marginalized neighborhoods.

Benefits

Comprehensive benefits package

Defined benefit pension plan

Paid vacation days

Wellness days

Employee Assistance Program

Professional development opportunities

Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in program coordination in social services.
• Post-secondary training in Social Work or related field.

Responsibilities

• Implement and oversee community programs to improve access to resources.
• Manage a team of Community Advocates and foster community relationships.

Skills

Community Organizing

Program Coordination

Crisis Intervention

Advocacy Skills

Communication Skills

Cultural Competency

Conflict Resolution

Education

Post-secondary training in Social Work

Community Development

Tools

Digital Tools

Job description

Community Action Program Manager (Full-time, Permanent) *New Position

Location: Our office is located in Toronto, Ontario.

Reports to: Sumac Community Food Center Director

Hiring Range: $75,000-85,000 annually, including a comprehensive benefits plan, pension plan, three weeks of paid vacation, increasing to four weeks paid vacation in your second year of employment, a December break (usually a week) to recharge, wellness days, access to an Employee Assistance Program and professional development opportunities.

Job Posting Closing Date: May 13, 2025

About us:

At the heart of Community Food Centre Canada’s work is the belief that food is a basic right. We bring people together around good food so communities can thrive. With more than 400 partners across the country, we build inclusive, culturally responsive Community Food Centres, share knowledge, create health-focused programs, and advocate for equitable policy change.

At Community Food Centres Canada (CFCC), we work on behalf of good food for all. Our collective approach at CFCC is founded on dignity and respect, equity and empathy. These values are core to our mission and outlined in our Good Food Principles.

CFCC is strongly committed to equity and inclusion within its community. We especially welcome applications from members of racialized groups, Indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities, persons of diverse sexual orientations and gender identities, people with lived and living experience similar to the communities they serve and others with the skills and knowledge to productively engage with diverse communities. We are committed to an equitable and inclusive selection process and work environment.

This year, Community Food Centres Canada is proud to introduce Sumac Community Food Centre (CFC) – a vibrant, welcoming space in Toronto’s Downtown East where people come together to grow, cook, share, and advocate. Located at 340 Gerrard St E, Sumac CFC will offer a variety of food-focused programs to support individuals and families living on low incomes. The Centre will help improve access to nourishing, culturally appropriate food, build food skills, and create pathways for personal and community transformation.

As a member of the Sumac CFC team, you’ll play a key role in launching this exciting new Centre, whether that’s community outreach and getting the physical space ready, to finalizing program plans and welcoming the first participants in late Summer 2025. Many of our programs will be offered during regular working hours (9 AM to 5 PM, Monday to Friday), but some will take place outside of these hours, including early mornings, evenings, or occasional weekends. We are committed to staff wellbeing, striving to balance program needs with personal schedules. Please note, this is an in-person position.

About the position:

CFCC is seeking a Community Action Program Manager, who will be responsible for implementing and overseeing community programs aimed at improving access to resources for community members. The role involves program development, implementation, evaluation, community engagement, event planning and collaboration with community members to address their needs effectively. The Community Action Program Manager will build relationships with community agencies, manage a team of Community Advocates to offer advocacy and referrals to community members and contribute toward efforts aimed at broader systemic change. The Manager will foster a culture of hope and solidarity by cultivating relationships of trust, respect, and mutual support, ensuring that all programs are rooted in the values of equity, justice, and inclusion.

Key Responsibilities:

Community Action Program

• Responsible for the planning, development and implementation of community action programs.
• Conduct comprehensive assessments to identify the needs of the community.
• Use data to inform program development and implementation.
• Provide supervision, support, and act as a resource to the Community Advocates in their casework with community members.
• Work with the Advocates to identify areas for strategic systemic action and develop campaigns, events and initiatives to address these injustices, provide direct casework support to community members including: advocacy, assessment, supportive counselling, crisis intervention and case management when required.
• Network and build connections with other agencies and advocacy groups to support both the individual casework and systemic work of the project.
• Onboard and provide support and supervision to Advocates, students and volunteers.
• Develop, coordinate, and facilitate future Community Action Training sessions for community members.
• Track, document and evaluate the progress of the project through data collection and statistics, and contribute to funding reports and proposals.
• Any other duties as assigned.

Organizational Support & Collaboration

• Responsible for managing a team of Advocates, including recruitment, educational/training opportunities, scheduling, and honorariums fostering a positive work environment.
• Keep staff informed about policies, procedures and responsibilities regarding the Community Action Program.
• Facilitate and/or support food programs as necessary.
• Model professional behavior and positive communication through an anti-racist/anti-oppressive approach with participants, volunteers and partners.
• Represent the organization at community events.
• Participate in internal agency-wide events and retreats.
• Develop funding proposals, and write reports to funders as required.

Community Building

• Build strong and trusted relationships with community members and local organizations.
• Organize and facilitate community meetings, focus groups, and other engagement activities.
• Ensure community voices are included in program planning and decision-making.
• Ensure conflicts are managed and resolved in a timely manner.

Qualifications & Skills:

• Post-secondary training in Social Work, Community Development, or a related field, or equivalent professional experience providing case management or social work support.
• Five years of experience with program coordination in a social services setting.
• 3+ years of experience with case management.
• Experience in effective community organizing.
• Excellent knowledge and navigation skills of social service systems that affect communities living on low incomes, including social assistance, subsidized housing, legal aid and health care.
• Experience supervising diverse staff and volunteer teams, ideally supervision of peer workers with lived experience.
• Excellent group facilitation, interpersonal, communication skills utilizing an anti/racist/anti-oppressive approach.
• Excellent interpersonal, advocacy and written and verbal communication skills.
• Ability to be patient, positive and supportive in high pressure moments.
• Demonstrated experience in crisis prevention, intervention, de-escalation and conflict resolution skills and knowledge.
• Demonstrated experience and cultural competency in working with members of equity deserving groups and people of diverse cultures in a community-based setting.
• Demonstrated commitment to equity, inclusion, reconciliation and anti-oppressive practice through continuous development, modeling inclusive behaviors, and proactively managing bias.
• Alignment with CFCC values and contribute to the evolution of our culture, and a work environment that is grounded in Relationship-focused, Integrity, Courage and Equity.
• Ability to speak a second language (e.g. Tamil, Bengali, Somali, Arabic, Spanish, Cantonese, Vietnamese, Mandarin) and knowledge of the Downtown East are assets.
• Deep understanding of the intersectionality of inequity, systemic barriers, and community resilience.
• Passionate about working in an organization that values and promotes diversity, equity, inclusion and that strives to work from an anti-racism and anti-oppression framework.
• Comfortable with using a variety of digital tools and willingness to learn new digital tools as necessary.
• Availability & willingness to work some early morning or evenings, the occasional weekend on a regular or as-needed basis.

Successful candidate will be required to complete a Vulnerable Sector Check.

You don’t think you meet all the criteria? Still apply. Research shows that women and people from equity deserving groups, often do not apply until all the boxes are ticked.

Why work for us?

We offer:

➔ Comprehensive benefits package including extended health, dental, life insurance, short and long-term disability insurance, membership in a defined benefit pension plan, 15 paid vacation days in your first year (increasing to 20 paid vacation days in your second year of employment), a December break (usually a week) to recharge, wellness days, access to an Employee Assistance Program and professional development opportunities.

➔ A culture of mutual support where staff are committed to creating an equitable and inclusive Canada.

➔ An opportunity to be part of a movement building health, belonging and social justice in marginalized neighbourhoods across Canada through the power of food.

How to apply:

To apply, please scroll up and click Apply Now. Please attach your resume and cover letter. In your cover letter, please share what you think makes you an ideal candidate for this role. Only those applicants being considered will be contacted. If you require any accommodations or technical support, please email [e-mail] (please do not email your application to this email). Thank you for your interest in CFCC.