Current status

We received approximately 99 applications for this job opportunity.

All applications received on or before the closing date are screened against the qualifications outlined below. Applicants who meet the qualifications will be invited to continue in the hiring process.

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Join us

Do your best work with the best people in digital. Help us make government simpler, faster, and better for over 14 million people across Ontario.

Join the Ontario Digital Service (ODS) as Director of Chapters, an one-of-a-kind executive role in government, responsible for building diverse, multidisciplinary teams who mobilize their tech, design, data, policy and communications expertise to deliver great products and services to people and businesses, while growing digital and data skills across the public sector.

Bring your strategic vision, digital expertise, and executive leadership experience to scale our impact and accelerate change.

As the Director of Chapters, you will be the chief advocate for our people, working with other collaborative leaders to build, enable and empower trusting teams who work in more networked ways to tackle some of government's most interesting challenges using internet-era practices. You will develop and mentor the next generation of public sector digital leaders, ensuring that people and teams have the tools, information and supports they need to deliver extraordinary results.

Your success is found in creating the conditions for a more connected, collaborative and creative organizational culture, where we use data, work in the open, are more agile, iterative and prepared to fail, set our aspirations high and, most importantly, obsess about user needs.

An effective leader in the Ontario Public Service (OPS) is anti-racist, inclusive, responsible, innovative, and collaborative. You:

  • Demonstrate authenticity, accountability and courage, model ethical behavior, are honest and can make tough choices.
  • Lead with common purpose, embrace positive disruption, and possess a future-forward mindset.
  • Inspire others, value continuous learning and encourage professional development and growth.
  • Help others be their best and clear a path for great teams.
  • Work consistently to confront bias and systemic barriers while understanding the importance of creating a more diverse and accessible workplace.

In this executive role, you will model a new way of working in the public sector and bring together people who are passionate about building the best-possible online experience for our fellow Ontarians.

OPS commitment to diversity, inclusion, accessibility and anti-racism

The OPS is an innovative, responsive, and accountable public service that works hard to be diverse, anti-racist, inclusive, accessible, merit-based, respectful and equitable. Diversifying leadership teams is a top OPS priority with the goal to achieve parity with the Ontario labour force by 2025 for the most underrepresented groups (Indigenous, racialized and persons with disabilities) in leadership positions.

To advance this goal, the OPS is collecting socio-demographic information that will help to address potential barriers and achieve equity in hiring. You are requested to complete the voluntary survey and contribute to building a more diverse, anti-racist, inclusive and accessible OPS.

The OPS invites all interested individuals to apply and encourages applications from Indigenous and racialized individuals and persons with disabilities.

Visit the OPS Anti-Racism Policy and the OPS Diversity and Inclusion Blueprint pages to learn more about the OPS commitment to advancing racial equity, accessibility, diversity and inclusion in the public service.

The OPS offers employment accommodation across the recruitment process and all aspects of employment consistent with the requirements of Ontario's Human Rights Code. Refer to the application instructions below if you require a disability-related accommodation.

What can I expect to do in this role?

Reporting to the Assistant Deputy Minister, Digital, you will:

  • Provide strategic direction and leadership in the planning and management of the structure, model, and resources of the ODS' Chapters, which are functionally organized teams (technology, experience design, product management, data, content design and policy) of highly skilled digital practitioners assigned to multiple projects and product multidisciplinary delivery teams.
  • Act as our chief advocate for people, ensuring that people and teams have the supports, tools and information they need to deliver.
  • Provide a holistic view of the ODS product pipeline and partner with delivery leads to negotiate and manage talent for project and product development.
  • Provide leadership and direction in the development and implementation of training strategies and plans to drive the development of the ODS' digital skills and disciplines, including identifying growth and development opportunities to cultivate and advance the skills sets of our digital practitioners.
  • Lead and develop critical business relationships and partnerships across government on behalf of the ODS, advocating for and educating the broader OPS on the value of digital ways of working.
  • Champion the growth and continuous development of digital disciplines across the OPS.
  • Collaborate with other senior leaders to build, support, enable and empower teams to do their best work.
  • Champion an inclusive, anti-racist and accessible culture where everyone belongs.

How do I qualify?

Executive leadership

  • You have an expert understanding of the digital disciplines and how they come together to build highly effective multidisciplinary product teams.
  • You have strong digital leadership experience with demonstrated ability to drive strategic initiatives while improving the digital experience for a range of audiences.
  • You have the ability to lead and align multiple projects and work with senior officials to provide creative solutions that advance strategic goals.
  • You model leadership by creating and promoting a multidisciplinary team environment and a culture of continuous iterative improvement and excellence, which encourages all employees to work collaboratively and cooperatively.
  • You have proven abilities to drive knowledge-transfer and build strategic planning and digital capacity within a complex environment.
  • You have demonstrated ability to utilize the principles and practices of business transformation and change management to challenge the status quo.

Relationship management and communication skills

  • You have a proven track record of building strong, trusting, and collaborative relationships at all levels.
  • You have demonstrated stakeholder management expertise with internal and external partners and the ability to revitalize existing relationships.
  • You have well developed political acuity and experience anticipating and mitigating contentious issues impacting digital transformation, demonstrating excellent analytical and problem-solving skills.
  • You are skilled in distilling complex issues/ideas down into succinct messages for senior decision makers.
  • You have demonstrated strong communications, negotiation, and project management skills to manage large-scale, high profile issues and projects.

Knowledge

  • You have a deep understanding of the digital disciplines including technology, experience design, product management, data, content design and policy and how they work together throughout the product development lifecycle.
  • You have experience leading agile, multidisciplinary product teams from discovery through to implementation.
  • You have a strong understanding and experience of delivering user-centered digital products.
  • You have experience driving talent outcomes in fast-paced business environments.
  • You have thorough knowledge of best in class innovative talent solutions.

Judgement, tact and political acuity

  • You have political acuity to anticipate and respond to politically sensitive situations and demonstrated experience leading issues management, resolution, and risk mitigation strategies.
  • You have the flexibility and resilience to adapt in an everchanging, fast paced and sometimes ambiguous environment.

Additional information

Open house

Interested in learning more about this position and how we work? We are hosting an Open House, you'll hear from our team directly about our work, culture and how we build products. If you are interested, please sign up.

Open house signup

For more information about the ODS, please check out the links below:

Job details

  • Job title: Director of Chapters
  • Job ID: 169634
  • Area of government: Ontario Digital Service
  • Location: 595 Bay Street, Toronto. We are committed to finding the best people wherever they are, and we have the tools to support remote work.
  • Salary: $130,930.00 - $175,070.00 per Year*
  • Job term: 1 Temporary - 18 months with the opportunity of extension
  • Compensation group: Executive
  • Job code: XEXE2 - Executive 2

Apply online

How to apply

  • You must apply online.
  • Your cover letter and resume combined should not exceed five (5) pages. For tips and tools on how to write a concise cover letter and resume, review the writing a cover letter and resume: tips, tools and resources.
  • Customize your cover letter and resume to the qualifications listed on the job ad. Using concrete examples, you must show how you demonstrated the requirements for this job. We rely on the information you provide to us.
  • Please do not include shortened URLs, because your application may not reach us (e.g. https://goo.gl/8lvNl6).
  • Ontario Public Service employees are required to quote their WIN employee ID number when applying.
  • If you require a disability related accommodation in order to participate in the recruitment process, please Contact Us to provide your contact information. Recruitment Services staff will contact you within 48 hours.

We’re accepting submissions until Wednesday, October 13, 2021 11:59 pm EDT.
Late applications will not be accepted.

All external applicants (including former employees of the Ontario Public Service) applying to a competition in a ministry or Commission public body must disclose (either in the cover letter or resume) previous employment with the Ontario Public Service. Disclosure must include positions held, dates of employment and any active restrictions as applicable from being rehired by the Ontario Public Service. Active restrictions can include time and/or ministry-specific restrictions currently in force, and may preclude a former employee from being offered a position with the Ontario Public Service for a specific time period (e.g. one year), or from being offered a position with a specific ministry (either for a pre-determined time period or indefinitely). The circumstances around an employee's exit will be considered prior to an offer of employment.

We thank you for your interest. Only those selected for further screening or an interview will be contacted.

Job advertisements for positions that have been designated bilingual will be provided in both English and French. Positions that are not designated bilingual are not translated and are displayed in English only.