The Muslim Legal Support Centre (MLSC) was initiated by the Canadian Muslim Lawyers Association (CMLA) in 2018 in recognition of the lack of culturally competent legal services accessible to the Muslim community. The MLSC works to empower Muslims in Ontario by providing public legal education, referrals and summary legal advice, in addition to working towards systemic change.
The MLSC is looking to hire a Director who will be responsible for overseeing the MLSC's overall direction, service delivery, programming and administration. With guidance from the CMLA Board of Directors, the Director will lead the MLSC’s granting and human resources activities and guide a team of staff and volunteers to help implement the MLSC’s strategic plans, goals and objectives. The ideal Director will serve as a representative of the MLSC and champion the rights of Muslims in Ontario.
Qualifications and Skills
Post-secondary education or equivalent experience, and two years or related experience in the legal, government, public interest, non-profit or education sectors.
Access to justice expertise and a deep understanding of the legal issues and/or access to justice challenges facing Muslims in Ontario, including Islamophobia and systemic racism.
Excellent leadership skills, strategic judgment, innovative spirit, and the drive to originate and deliver norm-challenging services and programs.
Experience in planning and managing services for and outreach with marginalized and/or vulnerable communities.
Expertise in developing partnerships within and across sectors, and integrating and supporting a diversity of stakeholders.
Experience hiring, training, supervising and supporting staff, students and volunteers.
Demonstrated administrative and financial management capacities including strong budget and variance reporting.
Highly developed interpersonal, verbal and written communication, public speaking, negotiation and conflict resolution skills.
A strong understanding of, and commitment to, anti-oppression principles and an awareness of the various intersections of social identities.
Proven ability to set and meet deadlines in complex and fluid circumstances.
Assets
Experience working with Muslim communities in the Greater Toronto Area and/or Ontario.
Experience with fundraising through private or corporate donations, community-based fundraising campaigns and/or social enterprise.
Experience with grant writing and reporting, and grantor relations.
Knowledge of applicable legislation (Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, the Employment Standards Act, the Ontario Human Rights Code, the Occupational Health and Safety Act, the Ontario Labor Relations Act, the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, and workplace policies as they pertain to employees’ rights, management responsibilities and related legislative policies and requirements).
Project management skills including the definition of objectives, project activities, deliverables, monitoring, and evaluating progress and outputs.
Experience with lobbying, campaigning, community mobilization and/or grassroots systems-change advocacy.
In-depth knowledge of the provision of legal services to diverse clients (including, for example, Ontario’s clinic system) and public legal education principles and models.
Strong strategic and lateral thinking skills and problem-solving abilities.
Evaluation and research expertise.
Terms of Employment
This is a full-time position of approximately 37.5 hours a week. The position is currently a remote position until further notice and the selected candidate can expect to work flexible hours including weekdays, evenings and weekends as needed. The MLSC promotes flexible working hours to encourage higher job satisfaction and organizational growth. The hours and location of work may change as required. We offer a competitive salary commensurate with experience. [Annual Salary approximately 85k)
Application Process
All applicants are requested to contact the MLSC with a cover letter, three professional references and a resume in one document to mlsc.coordination@gmail.com. The document must be in Word or PDF format. Please indicate ‘MLSC Director Application’ in the subject line when the job application is submitted. Applications will be reviewed and interviews will be conducted on a rolling basis until the position is filled, with preference given to applications submitted by June 3, 2022.
The MLSC welcomes diverse applicants who self-identify on the basis of any of the protected grounds under the Human Rights Code. We are committed to full compliance with the Human Rights Code, the Accessibility For Ontarians With Disabilities Act, the Occupational Health and Safety Act, and all other applicable legislation. We will provide accommodation during the hiring process upon request. Information received relating to accommodation measures will be addressed confidentially.
We thank all applicants for their interest. Only those in consideration for the role will be contacted.