Job Description

POSITION DETAILS

Social Action Researcher

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Program:

Strategy and Innovation

Contract:

Permanent, Full-Time; 35 hours per week

Location:

128A Sterling Road or from a safe home-based office as required

Salary:

$59,083 - $72,947 Grade 8 EX

Application Deadline:

July 28, 2025, by 5:00 PM

File Number:

SA #26-25 - with cover letter and resume

E-Mail:

hrdep@familyservicetoronto.org

Mail:

HR, 355 Church Street, Toronto ON M5B 0B2

Web:

familyservicetoronto.org

Grow with us!

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Family Service Toronto (FST) helps people face a wide variety of life challenges. For over 100 years, we have worked with individuals and families destabilized by precarious mental health and/or socioeconomic circumstances, to achieve greater resilience and stability in more just and supportive communities. We achieve this through our direct service work of intervention and prevention which includes, case management, counselling, peer support and education; knowledge building; and system-level work including social action, advocacy, community-building and working with partners to strengthen the sector.


We're proud of our people and culture! We are constantly evolving what we do and how we do it. Our work is grounded in the lived experience of the clients and the community. We celebrate diversity, equity, inclusion, and excellence. We are agile, learning and always willing to try new things.


FST hosts the National and Ontario Campaign 2000: End Child and Family Poverty in Canada, which are broad coalitions of community organizations committed to community engagement, public education, research and policy change to eradicate poverty in Canada.


FST's Social Action (SA) department focuses on driving system-level change for more just and supportive communities at the local, provincial and national levels. Our community building, research, public education and advocacy work is focused on influencing the systems and institutions that shape the lives of all community members.

The Opportunity!

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We are looking for a Researcher, Social Action who is experienced in community-based research methods and principles to implement the research activities of Social Action, Strategy and Innovation and Campaign 2000. Working closely with the Social Action team, Campaign 2000's steering committee members and diverse communities within FST program areas and from across the country, the successful incumbent will be responsible for developing, implementing and coordinating a variety of research activities including, but not limited to: community conversations and focus groups with diverse people living in poverty; literature reviews and statistical data gathering and analysis. The Social Action Researcher will be responsible for using intersectional and gender-based analysis to synthesize data and create a variety of outputs including reports, briefing notes, summaries, recommendations, etc. to advance poverty elimination locally and nationally


This position reports to the Senior Director, Strategy and Innovation/National Director, Campaign 2000. The position will work remotely and on-site as required. Hours of work may be irregular and involve evenings and weekends. Travel will be required.

What's in it for you?

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Hone your skills and learn from a diverse, highly skilled team! Thrive in trust-based culture and have fun, working with an amazing, diverse group of driven, talented people. Get on-the-job training and development. Make a significant impact on our clients and community. This full-time permanent position offers flexibility, generous paid leave and comes with an attractive compensation and benefits package.

Who You are

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You have strong interpersonal relations and respect, which will enable you to create 'brave spaces' when facilitating community conversations and interviews with people directly affected by poverty. Your technical expertise as well as your personal, professional and behavioural integrity will allow you to build rapport and establish yourself as a credible and trustworthy resource to all project stakeholders. You are a creative problem-solver and decision-maker, which allows you to go beyond the conventional. You pay attention to detail and are a strong communicator. You are someone who has a strong sense of justice and a commitment to equity and inclusion, which may have been developed through your own personal lived experience.

Qualifications

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Degree in Public Policy, Social Work, Adult Education, Political Science, Women's / Gender Studies or a related field. Foreign credentials and relevant experience will be considered. Minimum five years of related experiences, with three years of community-based, participatory research experience or equivalent combination of education and experience. Strong skills in quantitative and qualitative research and evaluation methodologies. Experience coordinating and conducting research activities, including designing research tools, carrying out interviews and focus groups and analysing qualitative and quantitative data. Proficient Microsoft Office applications, online survey platforms (such as Survey Monkey, Google Forms) and research software (such as SPSS, MAXQDA, Descript). Excellent written and verbal communication skills for a range of audiences, including writing high quality reports and research pieces, ability to translate findings into plain language, and dynamic presentation skills. Highly developed interpersonal skills and ability to build effective relationships with diverse participants, team members and community partners. Knowledge of federal, provincial, and municipal government social and economic policy, jurisdiction, and experience with government relations an asset. Ability to work in and apply intersecting frameworks relevant to the project: strengths-based, feminist, anti-colonial, anti-racist, anti-oppression, etc. Experience with advocacy and activism on policy issues. Excellent interpersonal, organizational and conflict resolution skills. Ability to self-direct and carry out tasks independently. Ability to work effectively in an environment that is frequently ambiguous. Ability to manage a demanding workload by determining priorities, planning ahead, anticipating problems, identifying solutions and meeting deadlines. Spoken languages other than English considered an asset. Satisfactory Criminal Reference Check with Vulnerable Sector Check upon hire.

Interested?

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This job posting is for an

existing vacancy

within our organization. We are actively seeking qualified candidates to fill this current position as soon as possible. If you meet the listed qualifications and are interested in joining our team, we encourage you to apply.


Please indicate file number

SA #26-25

on your application and submit cover letter and resume by

July 28, 2025, 5:00 PM

to

hrdep@familyservicetoronto.org

.

Our goal is to attract, develop, and retain highly talented employees from diverse backgrounds allowing us to benefit from a wide variety of experiences and perspectives.


We actively encourage applicants from all equity seeking groups. First Nations, Inuit, Metis, Black and People of Colour, people with disabilities, people of diverse gender expression, members of 2SLGBTQI+ communities and people with lived experience of poverty are encouraged to apply.


In accordance with Ontario Human Rights Code, Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005, and FST's Equity and Inclusion policy, accommodation will be provided in all parts of the hiring process. Applicants need to make their needs known in advance.


We thank all applicants and will contact the individuals selected for an interview.