Career Development Specialist

About HIEC

HIEC is an innovative not-for-profit social enterprise that focuses on partnership, mentorship, and workforce development. With over 30 years of experience as an active, community-focused organization, HIEC aims to enhance career education and inspire youth to make informed career decisions.

Learn more at www.hiec.on.ca

Why Us?

At HIEC, our goal is to positively impact the career journeys of others - and that includes our own team! We foster a culture where people feel valued, respected, and inspired to bring their best ideas forward. You’ll join a team that encourages innovation, collaboration, and continuous learning in a workplace where you truly belong.

This role also offers:

• Competitive salary (we include the details!)

• Health and Dental Benefits Package

• Mental Health Supports (Calm App subscription)

• Professional Development and Career Growth Opportunities

• A workplace rooted in inclusion, creativity, and purpose

Position Description

The Career Development Specialist serves as HIEC’s internal subject-matter expert on career development, leading the creation of innovative, research-informed, and equity-focused resources that enhance programming across Ontario and beyond.

This role is responsible for designing, coordinating, and evaluating a range of career development activities that align with organizational goals and funding priorities. The successful candidate will bring deep expertise in career development alongside strong skills in curriculum design, facilitation, and partnership building.

As part of HIEC’s growing Program and Funding portfolio, the Career Development Specialist will play a key role in shaping and contributing to the evolution of HIEC’s career development initiatives - helping our programs stay relevant, inclusive, and impactful in a changing world.

Job Responsibilities and Key Accountabilities

• Lead the development of engaging career development materials, including guides, toolkits, workshops, and digital resources that reflect best practices and innovation in the field.

• Provide expertise and leadership on career development frameworks, ensuring principles and strategies are embedded across HIEC programs and initiatives.

• Integrate an equity lens into all aspects of program design and delivery; lead discussions that address barriers to participation for underrepresented groups.

• Conduct research on labour market trends, emerging skills, and best practices to inform content and program enhancements.

• Develop and implement evaluation tools to assess the effectiveness of workshops and programs; analyze results and recommend improvements.

• Strengthen partnerships with educational institutions, industry, and community organizations to support collaborative initiatives.

• Design and facilitate professional learning sessions, workshops, and presentations on career development, employability, and 21st-century skills.

• Support funding proposals, grant applications, and reporting for career development initiatives.

• Collaborate with internal teams to ensure career development content aligns with communications, evaluation, and organizational priorities.

• Represent HIEC at conferences, partnership meetings, and events to share insights and promote best practices in career development.

Qualifications to Succeed

• Bachelor’s degree in Education, Social Sciences, a related field, or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Certified Career Development Practitioner (CCDP) designation required.
• 7-10 years of progressive experience in career development, education, and/or workforce development
• Demonstrated experience developing and implementing career development programs, resources, and services.
• Proven ability to design and facilitate training for diverse audiences (students, adults, newcomers, and educators).
• Strong understanding of labour market data, employability frameworks, and career development theories.
• Experience integrating equity, inclusion, and accessibility principles into program design.
• Bilingualism (English/French) is a strong asset.

Key Competencies

• Self-starter with a passion for education and career development

• Expertise in developing diverse and comprehensive career programming, including instructional design and delivery

• Deep understanding of career development models, adult learning principles, and counselling techniques.

• Ability to translate complex concepts into accessible, engaging resources.

• Strong leadership and facilitation skills with the ability to inspire collaboration across teams.

• Skilled at partnership development and stakeholder engagement.

• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills with tact, diplomacy, and clarity.

• Analytical and data-driven, able to synthesize evaluation outcomes into actionable insights.

• Strategic, adaptable, and self-directed with strong initiative and sound judgment.

• Highly organized and comfortable managing multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment.

• A natural collaborator with a proven track record of building strong partnerships and working effectively in cross-functional teams

• Ability and willingness to contribute to projects of varying size and scope

• Strong leadership abilities with the ability to guide and motivate a team

Working Conditions

• Typical work schedule is Monday to Friday, with some requirements and flexibility to work additional hours, occasionally during evenings and weekends.

• This is a hybrid role that requires travel to our office, conferences, and off-site events as needed.

• A Vulnerable Sector Screening (VSS) check will be required.

• Valid driver’s license and access to a vehicle is required

We thank everyone who submits an application for their interest! This job opening represents an active vacancy. Although our team is mighty, it's still small; only successful applicants will be contacted. To ensure that each candidate's journey is consistent and that it is a fair and equitable hiring process, we will not respond to any personal messages regarding this role.

Target Salary: $66,538.00 - $78,000

Salary Grade 5: $66,538,06 - $84,281.55

Actual compensation for an individual may vary depending on skills, performance over time, qualifications, experience, and location.

HIEC is committed to equity and creating a respectful and inclusive workplace culture that reflects the broad diversity of communities we work with. This includes people who identify as immigrants, refugees, women, Indigenous, Black, LGBTQ2S+ people of colour, and people with disabilities. Accommodations are available on request for qualified candidates during each stage of the recruitment process. Please note that candidates applying for Canadian job openings should be authorized to work in Canada. Please contact Human Resources athr@hiec.on.cafor any accommodations or questions relating to our accommodation process.