Supervisor, Centralized Services (12 month)

Legal Aid Ontario employees are committed to making a difference in the lives of our clients.

As an integral partner in the Justice system, working at Legal Aid Ontario is more than just a job. It's an opportunity to help people who need it the most; to ensure each client receives the access to justice afforded to them under the law.

If you are looking for a new challenge in your already meaningful career with a team dedicated to justice, and innovation in a flexible and supportive work environment consider this opportunity below.

Building a diverse workforce that represents the communities we serve while promoting a safe culture and work environment that dismantles systemic barriers, welcomes fresh perspectives and embraces differences as a priority is a core value at LAO. LAO encourages applicants from equity-seeking groups, including but not limited to individuals who are First Nations, Inuit or Métis, Black and racialized, as well as persons with disabilities, women and members of the 2SLGBTQ+ community.

We recognize the value of equity, diversity and inclusion and are committed to addressing systemic barriers, and prioritizing, attracting and retaining diverse staff. All interested and eligible people will be considered, with due consideration to all protected grounds under the Ontario Human Rights Code.

Legal Aid Ontario values integrity, respect, responsiveness, excellence, independence, accountability, openness and consistency. Our recruitment process reflects our commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion. Accommodations are available throughout the recruitment process as well as during employment at LAO. Please direct any accommodation requests to our recruitment team.

Primary function

The successful candidate will use their excellent knowledge of LAO, combined with sound supervisory skills, to direct and coach a diverse team of Centralized Services staff.

LAO is in the process of developing an organization-wide hybrid workplace model, taking into consideration the range of services and roles performed throughout the organization. During this development phase, the work of this role is hybrid and structured to provide some remote work and some in-person presence will be required.

Home Location: Province Wide

Reporting To: Manager, District Operations, Centralized Services, Operations Division

Key accountabilities

• Reporting and HR responsibility for Legal Aid Workers and Support Staff in the Centralized Services Department.
• Other HR responsibilities: Recruitment/onboarding; Computer Access; Training Plan and Monitoring; Performance Excellence Program (PEP) for department staff; OPSEU issues; Department Staff Meetings; Daily Management of department staff in person and remote.
• Supervise the day-to-day operations of the Centralized Services Department staff to achieve client service excellence while effectively utilizing resources and meeting key departmental goals.
• Lead a team of unionized staff; monitor performance measures; coach staff on meeting their individual targets; supporting staff in reaching their performance goals.
• Schedule and monitor the rotation of work assignments for department staff.
• Certificate Management: Oversee certificate transactional work and provide supervision of department staff
• Assisting Directed Interaction (DI) clients.
• Support the team in the understanding and applying Legal Aid Ontario’s (LAO) policies and procedures, specifically those pertaining to applications for legal aid services and certificate management transaction, and, when required, client triage and intake.
• Monitor and audit client interactions for quality and provide constructive coaching and feedback in order to deliver excellent client service.
• Monitor, measure, analyze and escalate issues as appropriate.
• Assist the Manager District Operations, Manager Certificate Services, and Director to respond to stakeholder requests, including from the Client Service Centre (CSC) / Lawyer Service Centre (LSC), client requests for review, interdepartmental inquiries, local agencies, lawyers and members of the public.
• Collaborate and coordinate with district and provincial office partners in the delivery of LAO’s Continuum of Client Services.
• When necessary, this position may be required to respond to client and lawyer inquiries.
• Coordination of document management resources, and tools, such as shared network drives, SharePoint, MS Teams, etc.; maintenance and upkeep of departmental documentation, including operational process, procedure, and instructional tools.
• Other related administrative and supervisory duties as required.

Required skills & experience

• Intimate knowledge of LAO and its operations (as they relate to criminal, family, refugee/immigration, and civil law, as well as duty counsel processes) to directly provide outstanding service to our diverse client base.
• Demonstrated certificate management experience related to amendments, authorizations, change of lawyer, request for review, appellate review, reconsideration, etc.
• Leadership experience motivating, developing and encouraging staff.
• Experience dealing with the interpretation and application of procedural legislation and regulations.
• Strong background in providing direction and guidance to staff (i.e. certificate related issues, application review, general legal information, community referrals, etc.).
• Demonstrated proficiency with PeopleSoft, Microsoft Office and SharePoint).
• Outstanding problem solving, conflict management and analytical skills.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Well-developed customer service and relationship building skills.
• Ability to communicate in written and oral French is considered a strong asset.
• The ability to provide on site or remote, day-to-day or as needed supervision of DO staff.

Organizational competencies expected
• Client Focus
• Adaptability and Flexibility
• Personal Motivation and Accountability
• Focus on Quality and Best Practice
• Problem Solving and Judgement
• Organizational Awareness
• Teamwork and Collaboration
• Interpersonal Communication and Emotional Intelligence

To apply submit a cover letter & résumé.

Please note that all applicants are encouraged to provide a valid email address for communication purposes. Applicants may receive written correspondence regarding this job posting directly to the email address provided on their resume or to the one used to set up their Candidate Profile if applying on Njoyn. As an applicant, it is your responsibility to ensure that you check your email regularly.

Only those candidates selected for an interview will be contracted.

First time applying to LAO? You will need to create a profile AND then apply for the position.
Already have an Njoyn account? Just sign in and select "my jobs" to apply.
Once you have successfully applied you will receive a confirmation email.

Trouble applying? For telephone support please call 1-877-427-7717 or email support: candidate.njoynhelp@cgi.com.