Chief Equity Officer and ADM of Education Equity and Governance Secretariat

Overview / Background

The Ontario Public Service (OPS) is one of the largest employers in the province, employing more than 60, people. We have a wide range of meaningful and rewarding career opportunities in communities across Ontario. We welcome new ideas and new people, encourage learning and development, and reward achievement. We offer challenging work and competitive pay and benefits. With government involved in so many different lines of business, working in the OPS offers a tremendous range of exciting career opportunities.

The Education Equity and Governance Secretariat leads work in the identification and removal of systemic barriers to facilitate the strengthening of cultures of respect for human rights and equity and to ensure accountability across the education system. The Education Equity and Governance Secretariat works to ensure that all students and employees in Ontario’s publicly funded education system have a safe, fair and respectful work and school environment. The Secretariat addresses the accountability of school boards by building their capacity to address human rights and equity issues in education and support evidence-based and transparent decision-making through demographic data collection, analysis, and public reporting.

Position / Responsibilities / Requirements

Reporting to the Deputy Minister of the Ministry of Education, the work of the Chief Equity Officer and ADM of Education Equity and Governance Secretariat is focused on two main areas : human rights and equity and school board governance.

In the area of human rights and equity, the Secretariat is responsible ensuring that students in Ontario's publicly funded education system learn in barrier-free environments and can acquire the skills they need to be successful, competitive, and productive members of society and have opportunities to reach their full potential.

In the area of school board governance, the Secretariat is responsible for policy and program development to support effective, accountable school board governance. This includes responsibility for policies, regulations, and legislation regarding key governance issues, including director of education hiring, trustee code of conduct, and board reviews.

Position Profile

The ideal candidate will possess demonstrated executive-level leadership experience in relevant sectors and strong competency and profound grasp of human rights principles, specifically concentrating on identifying and addressing systemically based barriers to equitable student achievement.

The ideal candidate should have expert level knowledge about the Human Rights Code and be able to provide intersectional and non-hierarchical analysis and strategic direction in its application. In addition, the ideal candidate will have expertise in governance, exemplary political acuity, and will work collaboratively with senior leadership in the sector, the ministry, and across government to foster cultures that uphold and promote human rights.