Director, Professional Development and Association Services

ABOUT THE OPPORTUNITY

CHBA’s national office is seeking an association professional who is a dynamic leader to spearhead its professional development programming for industry members and HBA staff across the country.  This affable collaborator will be the staff lead for our national Professional Development Committee and national Executive Officers’ Council, advancing training, education and knowledge sharing within the Associations’ membership and provincial and local HBA offices from coast to coast.  Leading the advancement of CHBA’s new learning management system, suite of courseware, and wiki knowledge centres, plus policy development related to promoting careers in residential construction, this well-rounded professional will be part of CHBA’s senior management team and a key liaison for HBA’s across Canada.  Come join our dynamic team in this exciting position to support our industry in meeting the housing aspirations of Canadians!

ABOUT THE JOB

Key Responsibilities

Reporting directly to the CEO, the Director, Professional Development and Association Services is responsible for:

Developing and implementing innovative learning tools and programs for CHBA, its members and local/provincial HBA staff by:

  • Working with IT experts to advance and manage CHBA’s new TopClass  Learning Management System (LMS) to deliver online learning across Canada (in collaboration with local and provincial HBAs)
  • Via CHBA’s Professional Development Committee, other CHBA committees, and local/provincial HBAs, identify priority training courses to be developed and lead the development of those courses
  • Track professional development activities throughout all levels of the Association and identify opportunities related thereto to benefit members and local/provincial HBAs
  • Support potential new CHBA credentialing
  • Advance CHBA’s new wiki Knowledge Centres for internal staff, local/provincial HBA staff, and member leadership

Acting as the staff lead for CHBA’s Professional Development Committee:

  • In collaboration with CHBA staff and the Committee, including its chair, advance work of the committee to:

1) promote the continued professionalism of home builders and renovators; and

2) encourage continuous advancements in the residential construction labour force development and industry productivity.

  • Coordinating the activities of the Professional Development Committee by providing staff leadership for the meetings (agenda, meeting summaries, project status updates) and working with the Committee Chair to run meetings
  • Providing regular updates (e.g. presentations, seminars, web content, bulletins and magazine articles) on related activities, opportunities and issues
  • Coordinating information sharing among CHBA and other organizations, including program updates for education/training courses
  • Reporting on the status of all programs designed to promote skilled trades and increase the professional development of our members
    • Liaising with CHBA staff and other CHBA committees and councils (e.g. the Canadian Renovators’ Council; CHBA’s Home Modification Council, the Net Zero Housing Council) on issues regarding professional development
    • With the CHBA communications team, drafting content for professional development newsletters to members regarding activities of PDC and other CHBA activities related thereto
  • Liaising with Federal Government officials (e.g. the Employers Commissioner for Employment Insurance; key officials at Employment and Social Development Canada, etc.) to inform government policy regarding professional development and the labour market in the residential construction sector. 
  • Working closely with BuildForce on the annual updating of the sector’s labour market information, supported by CHBA staff including CHBA’s Economist. 
  • As a member of CHBA’s management team, providing policy advice related to the workforce of the residential construction sector
  • Working with CHBA’s marketing & communications team, the Director will lead activities to promote careers in residential construction.

Acting as the staff lead for CHBA’s Executive Officers’ Council (EOC):

  • Delivering innovative solutions for the CHBA, local and provincial HBA staff by:
    • Leading the development orientation and onboarding programming for new Executive Officers (EOs)
    • Providing expert information and advice (including information/content development) on the activities surrounding association best practices related to operations, management and governance
    • Acting as main point of contact for HBA staff questions, supporting requests, information requests and concerns
    • Conducting HBA Executive Officer surveys and providing recommendations on follow-up actions
    • Leading and coordinating the activities of the Executive Officer’s Council and the Council’s Management Committee by working with CHBA’s CEO and the Council Chair to advance key agenda items and the strategic plan; providing logistical support for meetings (agenda, meeting summaries and status updates);
    • Providing regular communications updates (including authoring the monthly e-newsletter) on related activities, opportunities and issues;
    • Coordinating information sharing among the members;
    • Coordinating EOC webinars (working with CHBA’s communications team and using CHBA’s video/webinar facility)
    • Tracking and reporting on progress made on the EOC’s strategic plan.
    • Working with CHBA’s events team, lead the planning, coordination and execution of the annual 3-day Professional Development Forum that brings together EOs from across the country for professional development, sharing best practices, networking and more

ABOUT YOU, THE CANDIDATE

Essential Requirements

Education:

Post-Secondary Education

  • Education in Adult Education; Instructional Design; Applied Arts or English; Electronic Communications, Multi-Disciplinary Curriculum, Technical/Business Writing diploma Post-Secondary education or a related field

-           and  -

  • Post-Secondary education and/or experience in a field directly related to residential construction
  • training and/or certification from the Canadian Society of Association Executives or similar credentials

Experience:

  • Recent practical work experience in developing and delivering curricula and learning content, ideally including experience in a field directly related to residential construction
  • Association/not-for-profit experience
  • Experience in chairing committee/board-type meetings
  • Experience managing projects
  • Experience with Learning Management Systems development and implementation
  • Experience developing successful e-learning, instructor-led and self-guided training materials.
  • Experience using e-learning authoring tools (e.g. Lectora; Captivate; Articulate Storyline 2) to design and develop interactive e-learning courseware and/or recommend optimal design approach
  • Asset: Experience in promoting careers in skilled trades
  • Equivalent combinations of education and experience may be considered.

Knowledge:

  • Knowledge of the residential construction industry
  • Knowledge of residential construction
  • Knowledge of adult learning theory, learning design, learning technologies, industry and marketplace best practices
  • Knowledge of association/not-for-profit management and governance best practices
  • In-depth knowledge of Word, Outlook, Excel and PowerPoint

Skills and Abilities:

  • Demonstrated ability to work with a variety of stakeholders at various levels of government
  • Demonstrated ability to develop strong working relationships that encourage cooperation.
  • Demontrated ablility to multi-task, advancing multiple projects and activities simultaneously
  • Demonstrated ability to chair meetings
  • Demonstrated ability to identify sources of, and provide information and guidance on, matters that may be of interest to clients.
  • Demonstrated ability to plan and execute meetings
  • Demonstrated writing and presentation skills to a variety of audiences
  • Demonstrated abilities with standard office software including of Word, Outlook, Excel and PowerPoint

Team Fit:

  • Passionate about finding creative solutions to enhance the professional development of the sector
  • Friendly and helpful with a positive client-service outlook
  • Outstanding interpersonal and listening skills with a demonstrated ability to develop strong working relationships that encourage cooperation.
  • Detail-oriented with excellent organizational and time management skills, and the ability to prioritize and handle multiple tasks and competing deadlines.
  • Enthusiastic desire to contribute to the overall success of the CHBA and its members.
  • Self-starter who thrives in an environment where he/she can be equally successful working independently as well as collaboratively in a team environment. 

ABOUT CHBA

How we deliver our services

CHBA is the national level of one association working at three levels – nationally, provincially and locally. Our members join a Local Home Builders’ Association (HBA), and in so doing also become members of the provincial and national levels of the Association. There are over 50 constituents (local and provincial) HBAs in the Association.

Our membership is made up of over 8,500 leading companies from coast to coast – including home builders, renovators, land developers, trade contractors, product and material manufacturers, building product suppliers, lending institutions, insurance providers, and service professionals. Our industry currently represents over $150B of economic activity and over 1 million on- and off-site jobs.

The members engaged with the National Association are leaders in the industry and within the local and provincial levels of the Association – they are successful business people who volunteer their time for years to give back to the industry and support its overall success.

Each level of the Association works to support the members and works with the government at its level (federal, provincial or municipal) to advance the interests of the industry and Canadians with respect to housing. The three levels of the Association collaborate to ensure a consistent approach towards real solutions that will benefit members and consumers alike.

CHBA is a federal not-for-profit organization governed by a Board of Directors elected by the membership, supported by our professional staff.

At the national level, our system of Committees and Councils brings together industry experts from across the country to share information and ideas, collaborate on common issues, and to formulate recommendations to governments to improve the quality, affordability and choice of homes for Canadians.

Our Team

The national office staff is a high-performance team of cross-disciplinary professionals working in a dynamic and welcoming work environment. There is a great deal of comradery in our day-to-day dealings with each other, our constituent associations, our Board leadership and its Executive Committee, and our members. We juggle a variety of work activities that allow us to take on new challenges and develop new skills and make use of the multi-disciplinary team we have on staff. We value a positive and collaborative work environment above all, striving for continuous improvement, and at all times treat each other with respect.

  • We are naturally entrepreneurial and innovative and enjoy collaborating on new ways of approaching a task or challenge.
  • We work both autonomously and together in teams, knowing that we each bring our own expert contribution to the organization.
  • We are not shy about asking for help and we celebrate each other’s strengths.

We are constantly and solely focused on delivering the best services and support to our membership, in the most efficient and effective manner possible, always bearing in mind that per our strategic plan: “CHBA exists to serve the interests of our industry and to help our members succeed and prosper as they strive to fulfill the housing aspirations of Canadians”.

Our Location

Located on Laurier Avenue just beside the Lord Elgin Hotel on Elgin Street, CHBA’s new offices are a stone’s throw from Parliament Hill and key government agencies, where CHBA staff have meetings on a regular basis. The newly completed space offers our staff a wonderful work environment, with new office furniture, high-tech boardrooms, a spacious kitchen, casual meeting and group work spaces, a dedicated video room and more. Connected to the Marriott and Metcalfe hotels next door, there is easy access to various amenities, including CHBA discounted rates for membership at the hotels’ fitness centre, pool, sauna and whirlpool facilities (which all CHBA staff make use of). Parking for vehicles and dedicated secure storage for bikes is available, and the location offers easy access to public transit and outdoor activity areas along the canal. Close to many restaurants and stores, the location provides quick access to Sparks Street, Elgin Street, the Rideau Centre and the Byward Market.


Hours of work

The hours of work are from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, Monday to Friday, though some flexibility is available. There may be a requirement to travel within Canada to attend meetings. The incumbent may be asked to work overtime from time to time.  

Please send resume and cover letter to Recruiting@ihradvisoryservices.ca. CHBA is looking to fill this position ASAP, and will assess applications as they are received. Accordingly, there is no closing date for this posting. The application process for this posting will close when we have received a sufficient number of qualified applicants.  


Accommodations will be provided at all stages of the hiring process. We ask applicants to make their needs known in advance.  

We thank all applicants for their interest in this opportunity. Only those selected for an interview will be contacted.