Director, Operations

The Director, Operations is the operational architect of Ark Aid’s mission. Reporting directly to the Executive Director, this senior executive role oversees the organization’s foundational systems, including finance, human resources, organizational culture, compliance, and fund development.

Leading a team of four direct reports, the Director ensures that Ark Aid’s rapid growth is structurally sound, financially resilient, and ethically governed.

The ideal candidate balances strict financial and legal rigor with deep relational empathy. This role establishes the strategic, multi-year frameworks that protect organizational assets, diversify revenue streams, and cultivate a psychologically safe, trauma-informed workplace. Ultimately, the Director, Operations ensures that as the organization expands, its internal systems remain robustly capable of supporting its faith-based mission of dignity, belonging, and care.

Key Responsibilities

Organizational Strategy & Senior Leadership

• Operational Vision: Capture, measure and report on the multi-year strategic direction for the operations portfolio, allocating resources across people, finance, technology, and compliance.
• Accountability Metrics: Establish portfolio-wide KPIs and hold managers accountable to outcomes that drive continuous organizational learning.
• Executive Representation: Serve as the senior authority on operational health, presenting to the Board and interfacing with municipal, provincial, and federal partners.
• Strategic Growth: Identify, evaluate, and recommend new business ventures, entity formations, earned revenue structures, and expansion opportunities.

Financial Strategy, Sustainability & Budget Ownership

• Budget Stewardship: Own the multi-million dollar operations budget, making critical resource decisions across HR, IT, and infrastructure.
• Financial Resilience: Drive a 3–5 year sustainability strategy to diversify revenue, reduce reliance on single-stream funding, and build cash reserves.
• Creative Financing: Evaluate and pursue innovative funding models, including social impact capital, blended finance, and social enterprise revenue.
• Audit & Compliance: Lead the external audit process, ensure CRA and charitable compliance, and proactively manage material financial risk with the Board.
• Workforce Planning: Define the 1–3 year talent acquisition, retention, and leadership development strategy to support organizational growth.
• HR & Legal Compliance: Govern the employee lifecycle and policy framework to ensure strict compliance with ESA, OHSA, Human Rights Code, and WSIA.
• Psychological Safety: Embed trauma-informed workplace structures, reflective supervision, and compassion fatigue supports into daily operations.
• Mission-Driven Culture: Champion Ark Aid's Christian identity, ensuring faith values of dignity and care are woven into all HR practices.

Financial Projections, Forecasting & Organizational Planning

• Multi-Year Planning: Direct the annual and multi-year operating budget processes, establishing clear assumptions and strategic funding priorities.
• Financial Intelligence: Oversee real-time financial forecasting, variance analysis, and cash-flow scenario modeling for executive decision-making.
• Growth Projections: Ensure financial models account for complex scenarios, including NOAH Housing developments and capital campaign impacts.
• Risk Stress-Testing: Model financial contingencies to protect the organization against sudden funding losses or rapid cost escalations.

Contract Management, Funder Accountability & Compliance

• Contract Governance: Establish the framework for entering, monitoring, and exiting contracts with funders, government entities, and vendors.
• Compliance Registry: Maintain the organization's central contract register to track terms, reporting obligations, and renewal timelines.
• Government Oversight: Monitor municipal, provincial, and federal funding agreements to ensure zero compliance gaps or reporting delays.
• Risk Management: Define the enterprise risk appetite, ensuring proactive compliance across PIPEDA, employment law, and CRA regulations.

Operational Efficiency, Systems & Infrastructure

• Systems Integration: Architect the administrative, HR, financial, and database software systems required to scale operations smoothly.
• Process Optimization: Identify and eliminate operational friction, establishing clear, consistent policy standards across all locations.
• IT Infrastructure: Direct the IT & Data Systems Coordinator to maintain secure, cost-effective, and highly integrated technological systems.
• Operational Excellence: Build a culture where administrative systems are highly efficient and serve to empower the front lines.

Fund Development Strategy & Business Development

• Revenue Strategy: Design the 3–5 year fund development roadmap to secure an optimal mix of community giving and corporate donations.
• Business Development: Evaluate social enterprise and earned-revenue models that strengthen Ark Aid’s independent financial base.
• Entity Structuring: Lead the financial and governance structuring of new spin-offs, including the NOAH Housing Corporation.
• Donor Relations: Coach the Fund Development Manager to execute relationship-centric donor campaigns that yield measurable revenue growth.

Manager Development & Leadership

• Direct Report Coaching: Recruit, mentor, and coach three senior managers to confidently lead their individual portfolios.
• Outcome-Based Reviews: Establish clear, outcome-based performance expectations through regular accountability and development conversations.
• Succession Pipeline: Cultivate internal leadership pipelines to reduce organizational vulnerability to key-person dependencies.
• Mutual Accountability: Foster a leadership culture defined by servant leadership, transparency, and shared organizational responsibility.

Qualifications & Skills

Required

• Education: Degree in Business Administration, Finance, Nonprofit/Public Administration, or a related field; or equivalent executive experience.
• Leadership: 8–12 years of progressive experience, with 3–5 years at a Director/VP level managing multi-million dollar budgets and multi-team portfolios.
• Financial Strategy: Proven success owning financial sustainability strategies, multi-year projections, and organizational-level resource allocation.
• Contract Management: Strong track record in contract negotiation and funder accountability within complex government and philanthropic environments.
• People Management: Experience coaching and holding senior managers accountable, building leadership capacity over task management.
• Mission Fit: Active commitment to Christian values, with the ability to champion Ark Aid's faith-based, community-led vision.
• Compliance: Valid driver’s license and a clear Vulnerable Sector Check.

Preferred

• Credentials: MBA, CPA, CHRL, C.Dir (Chartered Director), or PMP designation.
• Business Development: Experience with social enterprise structuring, earned-revenue models, or new entity formation.
• Regulatory Knowledge: Deep understanding of CRA charitable compliance and Ontario financial reporting standards.
• Legal & Risk: Familiarity with Ontario employment legislation (ESA, OHSA, Human Rights Code, WSIA) and enterprise risk management.

Organizational Requirements

• Mission Integrity: Model Ark Aid’s faith values, ensuring mission integrity is embedded in every strategic, operational, and enterprise decision.
• Governance Reporting: Maintain transparent, timely, and accurate reporting to the Executive Director and Board of Directors.
• Compliance & Ethics: Uphold all internal policies, codes of conduct, confidentiality agreements, and strict conflict of interest guidelines.
• Executive Leadership: Actively participate in high-level strategic reviews, senior leadership planning, and Board committee engagement.

What We Offer

• Competitive Compensation: Salaried position starting at $95,000 (commensurate with experience).
• Comprehensive Benefits: Full health, dental, and wellness benefits program.
• Work-Life Balance: Generous paid vacation and time-off allotment.
• Executive Leadership: A high-impact role guiding the strategic direction of a rapidly growing organization.
• Meaningful Impact: The opportunity to directly transform community services and shape the future of housing stability in London.

Ark Aid Mission is committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion in our hiring practices, and we actively welcome applications from all interested candidates, including individuals with disabilities.

Accommodations are available upon request at any stage of the selection process. If you require disability-related accommodation during the recruitment or interview process, please contact us.

Our Commitment to Authentic Review: At Ark Aid, we value human connection and lived experience. While we may use technology to help manage applications, every single resume is personally reviewed and evaluated by a human member of our leadership team. No automated screening or AI filters will reject your application.

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