The Doorway is seeking a collaborative, community focused leader to be their next Executive Director (ED). The successful candidate will be an engaging, inclusive, approachable leader with good listening and communication skills.  Grounded in the belief of a youth’s ability to self-determine and a passion for helping young people help themselves, the candidate will display values of empathy, compassion and a commitment to possibility and hope in their every interaction.  A great team leader, the candidate will work well with others, respecting their views and supporting staff and volunteers to develop their skills.  Positive and encouraging, the candidate will have an open and flexible style and commitment to nurturing a positive work culture. They will be good at problem solving and able to make sound decisions that generate unified support from diverse groups of stakeholders.

They will be a confident leader who can network and speak publicly about The Doorway in a business environment yet still be able to engage with participants on a meaningful level.  An accomplished relationship builder, the candidate will be able to participate in positive ways in community initiatives to support youth and to develop partnerships that benefit The Doorway’s participants. They will have the skills to raise significant support to fund our mission and will strategically engage with the community for greater awareness and stronger partnerships to ensure The Doorway thrives into the future, reaching and serving more youth.

The candidate will have a post-secondary degree in sociology or complementary field as well as extensive knowledge and direct experience with vulnerable youth such as in social work, addictions, family services, mental health, or other similar work experience. The candidate focuses their practice within a participatory action research framework.

The successful candidate will have experience supporting and partnering with a nonprofit Board of Directors in its governance duties and working with an engaged, passionate workforce of staff and volunteers. The successful candidate will have a good understanding of non-profit finances, including project-based funding, grant applications, reporting and their implications.

Organization Overview 


Since 1988, The Doorway has been dedicated to helping youth thrive by offering unconditional support, encouragement, and guidance as they choose to leave the streets for a better life.

We respect each young person’s autonomy and individuality and are committed to fostering an inclusive community where they feel valued, understood, and empowered.

We believe in building agency—helping youth recognize their strengths, make confident choices, and take meaningful action toward their goals. By nurturing their resilience, critical thinking, and adaptability, we empower them to overcome challenges, seize opportunities, and actively shape their future in a positive way.

Our Vision: An equitable world where young people have the tools to thrive.

Our Mission: Making change possible by empowering young people to take steps towards a better quality of life.

Our Values: Respect, Belonging, Care, Courage, Tenacity, Trust, Grace.

We support young adults, aged 17-30, who have found themselves living on the street. They face significant challenges—addiction, mental health issues, homelessness, job instability, food insecurity, limited access to education, and social isolation. At The Doorway, we not only offer hope but also practical skills and resources to help them overcome these challenges.

We recognize that homelessness is often just a symptom of deeper issues like isolation, low self-worth, and shame. Our focus is on supporting these young adults and helping them build confidence, connections, acceptance, and respect: the foundations needed to help them make meaningful progress toward their goals.

Through our proprietary MYPLAN program, we empower participants to set their own goals and create a plan to achieve them, while also providing access to clean, legal cash. Through MYPLAN they build confidence, agency, and resilience in a supportive environment that respects their individuality and autonomy. This process helps them develop essential skills like critical thinking and problem solving while taking ownership of their growth, and actively shaping their future, bringing them closer to the life they envision.

Our support for Making Changes is expanding through provision of learning opportunities requested by participants and collaborations with other agencies. Examples of these are employment and life skills. In the coming year, graduates of our MYPLAN process will have the opportunity to participate in our inaugural Alumni Peer Program.

Your Opportunity

The Doorway is at an exciting place for a new leader to join with the Board, staff and participants in creating new supports and connections to help them thrive. Based on a solid history of supporting Calgary youth experiencing homelessness and with continuing commitment to unlocking the potential of street youth, The Doorway is poised for growth in numbers of young people participating in MyPlan and in the kinds of learning and other opportunities that will support them reaching their goals. The impact of this work extends far beyond individual youth. As these young people thrive, their transformation ripples throughout the community, igniting a chain reaction of positive change. The Doorway is not just shaping futures, it is shaping communities.

This role is for someone with a passion for creating safe, non-judgmental spaces for vulnerable youth to make change in their lives at their own pace and focused on the things that matter to them. Through listening and collaborating with participants, staff, community members and other individuals, groups and agencies, you will support individual as well as systemic change. You have the ability to see potential in people and situations, to foster and implement strategies for adapting to the changing world as individuals, an organization and as a sector. You are excited to develop the relationships and programs that will bring the community together with street youth to build a better future for all.

Role Emphasis

The Executive Director (ED) is responsible for the successful leadership, management and operations at The Doorway (The Backdoor, Youth Employment Society). The ED, in partnership with the Board, will ensure that The Doorway has a long-range strategy for success and achieves consistent and timely progress on its goals. As the senior staff member of The Doorway, the ED clearly understands, demonstrates and practices the values and philosophy of the organization while leading and supporting a small, capable, engaged team of staff and community volunteers who support youth in their MyPlan journey. Other key responsibilities include resource development; optimal use of organizational finances, staff and resources; long range strategic, workforce and fiscal planning; operational oversight and support; building collaborative relationships with other agencies to support street youth; enhancing The Doorway’s role in the community and ensuring The Doorway’s programs evolve to meet the changing needs of the community.

The Executive Director works closely with the Board of Directors, and has several direct reports;

• Youth and Community Facilitators (3) who work as a self managed team
• Fund Development Specialist
• Bookkeeper (Contract)
• IT Support (Contract)

Key Accountabilities:

Leadership and Culture

• Establish a positive, healthy, and safe work environment while fostering a culture consistent with The Doorway’s core values.
• Recruit and retain a team of staff and volunteers who fit the culture and perform in their roles.
• Provide day-to-day leadership and a focus on strategic execution towards the society’s long-term vision.

Operations, Program, and People Management  

• Maintain an organizational structure that meets current and future program needs.
• Ensure program development to support organizational outcomes.
• Develop and monitor operating plans in collaboration with staff.
• Identify, evaluate and mitigate risks to The Doorway people (participants, staff, volunteers), finances, goodwill, and brand.
• Ensure participants are supported in their MyPlan journey and in reaching their goals.
• Oversee all business processes including human resources, accounting/record keeping, purchasing, insurance, and location maintenance activities. 

Community Leadership and Advocacy 

• Seek to ensure that people, particularly those who are most vulnerable in society, are able to have their voice heard on issues that are important to them, defend and safeguard their rights, and have their views and wishes genuinely considered when decisions are being made about their lives.
• Collaborate with other organizations in shared learning and thought leadership.
• Maintain awareness of the social issues that young people living on the street encounter in their process of cultural integration, and utilize The Doorway’s experience and      knowledge to help achieve systemic change.

Financial Planning and Management 

• Manage the regular monthly submission of financial statements, operational performance reports, and other relevant information to the Board.
• Maintain a system of internal controls and accounting procedures that safeguard the organization’s financial resources.

Fund Development

• Ensure effective strategy and activities related to fund development.
• Nurture a culture of philanthropy and champion the mission and vision of The Doorway as a key factor to sustainable funding for programs and operations.
• Support staff and Board in execution of fundraising initiatives such as grant writing and reporting; event management; soliciting direct individual and corporate donations, gifts in kind, and sponsorships; organizing casinos; and obtaining support from private and public foundations.

Governance and Board Relations 

• Collaborate with the Board of Directors to model governance best practices.
• Work with the Board to develop and implements strategic plans and priorities to fulfill The Doorway’s long-term vision.
• Engage Board members collectively and individually as strategic partners to advance the interests of The Doorway.

Competencies

Key competencies the candidate must demonstrate are:

• • Strategic Thinking
  • Organizational and Environmental Awareness
  • Leadership
  • Communication
  • Accountability
  • Networking and Relationship Building
  • Adaptability
  • Fund Development

Required Experience/Skills

• At least five years of experience in a senior leadership/Executive Director position, working collaboratively with a volunteer Board of Directors.
• A clear understanding of the non-profit sector and government systems, legislations and funding.
• Passion for and connection with the vulnerable youth sector, ability to positively influence key stakeholders and partners locally, provincially and  nationally to enhance the experience of youth in our communities.
• Collaborative and engaging leadership style.
• Experience with and commitment to participatory program development.
• Excellent communication skills: demonstrated ability to tailor communication to different audiences, particularly participants, staff, volunteers, donors, community leaders, partner agencies and politicians.
• Strong operational and business skills: strategic planning, people and organizational leadership, sound financial knowledge, innovative program development and human resources management plus hands on experience supporting vulnerable youth.
• Exceptional fund development/donor stewardship skills:  a strategic approach to developing sustainable funding and a strong financial foundation  through establishing strong relationships and support with funders and partners in collaboration with staff and Board.

Education

Post-secondary degree in sociology, community development, social work, education or a related discipline, supplemented by business experience.

Candidates with a different combination of relevant experience and education are welcome to apply.

impact8 Inc. thanks all candidates for their interest. Only those selected for an interview will be contacted. The Doorway will not respond to inquiries concerning this posting. Please direct questions to .