Associate Director, Health Promotion and Prevention

Position Profile: Associate Director, Health Promotion and Prevention

Reports to: Director, Community Health and Director, Communications

About the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction

The Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction (CCSA) changes lives by bringing people and knowledge together to reduce the harms of alcohol and other drugs on society. We partner with organizations and diverse communities to improve the wellness of people living in Canada. A non-governmental organization with a national focus, CCSA envisions a healthier Canadian society where evidence transforms approaches to substance use.

Acknowledgement

CCSA acknowledges that First Nations, Inuit and Métis people are the holders of Traditional Indigenous Knowledge. We respect the power of the Indigenous ways of knowing and of Traditional Indigenous Knowledge, and we commit to learning about and incorporating this knowledge into our work with proper guidance.

About the Position
Reporting to the Director, Community Health and Director, Communications, the Associate Director, Health Promotion and Prevention (ADHPP) is responsible for helping lead CCSA’s multi-faceted Health Promotion portfolio with special focus on alcohol, cannabis and gambling. The ADHPP brings knowledge in the field of substance use and addiction and provides guidance and leadership to a team of Researchers and Knowledge Brokers. In collaboration with other divisions within CCSA and external partners, the ADHPP supports and contributes to CCSA’s research activities and knowledge mobilization in the areas of health promotion.

Responsibilities and Accountabilities

• Leads and develops a highly collaborative diverse team to complete projects within their stream based on CCSA’s mandate
• Provides day-to-day oversight of the team, including performance management
• Oversees projects from early exploration to development, implementation and evaluation
• Engages in core activities within the (subject matter expert)
• Acts as a guardian for high standards of quality and compliance
• Establish strong working relationships and actively collaborate with key internal and external partners (Indigenous partners, people with lived and living experience with substance use and addiction)
• Participates in the development of projects plans, oversees the implementation of an integrated, compliant project plans
• Builds capacity within teams to allow for agility in project management
• Presents as a subject matter expert and CCSA representative at conferences, workshops and symposia
• Works independently, fosters constructive cross-functional collaboration with both internal and external partners, manages conflicts, possesses multi-tasking competence and is able to appropriately prioritize workloads
• Contributes to success through active participation in internal and external committees/working groups and closely interacts with other functional areas of CCSA
• Helps develop and implement an annual work plan and performance measures for their stream aligned with CCSA’s mandate and strategic plan
• Helps develop a long-term prevention and health promotion strategy, including consideration for external partnership engagement plans

This position profile is designed to provide an overview of the main responsibilities for the role. Other responsibilities not identified in this position profile may be assigned based on the person’s experience and operational requirements.

Qualifications

• Master's or Doctoral degree in a relevant discipline (e.g., Science, Arts & Humanities, Health Administration, Public Policy).
• 5+ years’ leadership and management experience leading multi-functional teams
• Proactively identifying challenges/problems and proposing solutions with a strong sense of urgency
• Demonstrated success motivating both internal and external team members and collaborators, fostering and nurturing teamwork
• Innovative, strategic and systems-thinker with solid decision-making skills and the ability to deliver results in a timely and effective fashion
• Experienced public speaker, strong written and oral communications skills
• Proven ability to lead and manage teams in the accomplishment of objectives that meet time, quality and budget expectations
• Experience with performance measurement to demonstrate progress towards outcomes
• Familiarity with partnership development and engagement
• Strong attention to detail
• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• Ability to work in a diverse and dynamic cross-functional team
• Passionate about the area of substance use and addiction
• Self-starter who thrives in a fast-paced environment

Assets

• Experience working in or with governmental, non-governmental or international organizations
• Experience working with equity-deserving populations, marginalized groups or priority populations

Language Requirements

As a federally funded organization, CCSA is committed to providing services in both of Canada's official languages—English and French. Some positions require employees to communicate effectively in both languages to support colleagues, partners and the public.

This position has been identified as Bilingual Functional, meaning you must meet the required language levels in reading, writing and speaking in both official languages at the time of appointment.

If you have questions about the language requirements for this position or the assessment process, please email [email protected] before applying. We are happy to help you understand the requirements and determine whether the position is a good fit for your skills and experience.

If no qualified candidate possessing the essential language requirement is identified, candidates who do not meet the language requirement may be considered. Training may be provided to help reach the required level.

Both bilingual and unilingual candidates are encouraged to apply.

Working Conditions

• Occasional high-intensity concentration.
• Occasional exposure to psychologically challenging conditions, such as deadline pressure, interpersonal conflict or extended work hours for which no additional compensation is provided.
• Mental agility: Regular mental attention required to alternate, flex, or adapt one’s attention to handle simultaneous multiple urgent demands and/or perform detail-oriented work with regular interruptions.
• Frequent communication with internal and external contacts.
• Work performed in an office setup or from home (flex-hybrid model) environment, with occasional on-site presence and extended hours during events.
• Physical demands are minimal; no sustained physical exertion is required.

CCSA Values

CCSA is committed to equity, diversity and inclusion in all aspects of our work. As an organization, we are committed to ensuring that First Nations, Inuit and Métis people and all equity-deserving groups are fully represented, including women, people of colour, people with disabilities and people who members of the 2SLGBTQ+ community.

CCSA is dedicated to learning from and supporting people with lived and living experience of substance use health. We encourage people with lived and living experience of substance use to apply to join the CCSA team.

CCSA promotes the rights of all people with disabilities as outlined in the Ontario Human Rights Code and the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005, and its related Integrated Accessibility Standards Regulation. CCSA will make appropriate accommodations on request. Please inform CCSA in advance of a request for accommodation during the recruitment process by emailing [email protected].

AI Disclosure

At CCSA, we are committed to maintaining a fair and equitable hiring process. We do not use artificial intelligence (AI) to screen, assess or select applicants for any positions. While mandatory eligibility questions may be used to confirm minimum requirements, all applications are reviewed and all hiring decisions are made by our hiring team, ensuring that each candidate is thoughtfully and individually evaluated based on their overall qualifications and experience.

How to Apply

If you are interested in this position, please submit a cover letter and resumé. Located in Ottawa, CCSA works within a flex-hybrid model. The successful candidate must be willing to be onsite to attend in-person activities as required. We thank all applicants. Only candidates selected for an interview will be contacted.

No agencies please.