About WINS

Women in Need Society (WINS) is a Calgary-based charity social enterprise dedicated to supporting women, their families, and individuals facing barriers to thriving through community programming, employment services, basic needs support, and advocacy. Revenue from our thrift stores and generous partners helps fund community programming that builds skills, confidence, and connection so community members can move from surviving to thriving.

Role Summary

The Director of Community Impact is a senior strategic leader responsible for designing, delivering, and scaling WINS’s community programs to drive measurable outcomes for women and families. Leading a diverse portfolio—including Community Resource Hubs, Employment Readiness, Basic Needs Support, and skills-based training—this role advances WINS’s mission through systems thinking, outcomes-driven leadership, and strong community partnerships.

As a member of the Senior Leadership Team, the Director of Community Impact contributes to organization-wide strategy, planning, and performance, ensuring the community impact portfolio is responsive, accountable, and aligned with WINS’s strategic priorities and long-term sustainability. Operating within a dynamic social enterprise environment, this role requires agility to adapt programs to emerging community needs and changing social and economic conditions. The Director oversees a team of twenty-one with a clear focus on growth, quality, innovation, and measurable impact.

Key Accountabilities

Strategic Leadership & Program Development

• Provide strategic leadership for all programs ensuring alignment with organizational priorities and long-term goals.
• Evaluate and drive continued program improvement focusing on service excellence and high impact.
• Champion social innovation by piloting, testing, and scaling innovative approaches that address systemic barriers and advance sustainable solutions for women and families into compelling impact narratives that strengthen stakeholder engagement, funder confidence, and brand credibility.
• Lead applied research and environmental scanning to identify emerging trends, promising practices, and evidence-based approaches that strengthen program design and community impact.
• Oversee evaluation frameworks, theories of change and logic models to ensure program performance is measurable, data-informed, and aligned with WINS’ strategic goals.
• Ensure appropriate risk management, participant safety, privacy, and contract compliance standards across programs and services.
• Review and recommend operational best practices, standards, procedures, and controls.
• Forecast and operate within agreed budgets for the financial performance of the Community Impact division, including budget development, resource planning, and contract/funder compliance in partnership with Finance and Fund Development.
• Serve as staff liaison to Board or Committee structures related to community impact and program strategy, providing regular updates, insights, and recommendations to support governance oversight and strategic decision-making.

Advocacy & Policy Influence

• Champion WINS’s advocacy efforts for gender equality and poverty reduction, positioning WINS as a trusted expert in effective, evidence-informed solutions that advance economic security and social inclusion.
• Advance social-justice-informed advocacy by valuing individual lived experience and focusing on the person rather than the barriers impacting them.
• Translate program evidence and lived experience into credible policy recommendations, applying a systems-change lens to identify root causes of inequity and advanced structural solutions that remove barriers for women and families.
• Monitor and analyze emerging policies, legislation, and regulatory trends to identify opportunities and risks that may impact WINS or the communities it serves.
• Develop and communicate clear, evidence-informed policy positions grounded in program outcomes and lived experience to strengthen WINS’ credibility as a sector voice.

Partnerships & Community Engagement

• Develop and lead a partnership strategy that convenes cross-sector partners, expands program access, and strengthens coordinated responses to systemic barriers.
• Collaborate with internal teams to align partnership opportunities with organizational needs, ensuring shared objectives and mutually beneficial outcomes.
• Monitor and evaluate partnerships and engagement outcomes, using data and feedback to assess impact, identify opportunities and refine approaches for continuous improvement.
• Ensure programming is culturally responsive, equitable, and aligned with community needs.

Leadership & Team Development

• Lead, coach, and develop a high-performing, values-aligned team accountable for measurable impact and service excellence.
• Set clear divisional priorities, performance targets, and success metrics aligned with WINS’ strategic plan.
• Build strong cross-functional partnerships to ensure integrated planning and enterprise-wide collaboration.
• Establish effective planning, reporting, and accountability rhythms to drive execution and results.
• Develop leadership capacity within the division through succession planning, mentorship, and talent development.
• Recruit, retain, and empower skilled professionals to support current operations and future growth.
• Foster an inclusive, equity-centred culture that reflects WINS’ commitment to dignity, respect, and community responsiveness.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in social work, Public Policy, Community Development, Social Sciences, or relevant experience.
• 10+ years of progressive leadership experience in community impact, human services, public policy, or related fields, including strategic oversight of programs, people, and performance.
• Expertise in theory of change development, logic models, and impact evaluation.
• Experience in advocacy, public policy, and system change initiatives.
• Strong understanding of issues affecting women, poverty, gender equity, and workforce inclusion.
• Excellent communication, leadership, and stakeholder engagement skills.

What We Offer

• Competitive salary and benefits

• Professional development opportunities

• A meaningful role in shaping community change and advancing equity.

• Supportive, mission-driven culture

Why This Role Matters

The Director of Community Impact plays a vital role in elevating WINS’s impact, visibility, and long-term sustainability. This leader drives meaningful outcomes for women, families, and individuals facing systemic barriers and contributes to broader community and policy-level change.