Executive Director
Executive Director, The Gathering Place
St. John’s, NL
The Gathering Place is seeking a compassionate and visionary leader to serve as its next Executive Director. This role offers the opportunity to make a profound impact in the lives of people experiencing homelessness, precarious housing, and poverty in Newfoundland and Labrador.
The Organization
The Gathering Place is a non-profit, street-level, community health centre that provides primary health care, supportive housing, meals, clothing, programming, and social supports to thousands of Guests each year. For more than 25 years, the organization has worked in partnership with health and community organizations to provide care in an inclusive, low-barrier environment.
Guided by compassion, respect, dignity, inclusion, and community, The Gathering Place fosters belonging and builds relationships among Guests, staff, volunteers, and partners. Its mission is to create and sustain an inclusive, safe and compassionate community where people who are underserved, at risk, or in need, receive nourishment, health and social support, housing, and respite from discrimination, loneliness, and exclusion.
The Role
Reporting to the Board of Directors, the Executive Director provides passionate, strategic, and operational leadership to ensure the continued success, growth, and impact of The Gathering Place. A visible and engaged advocate, the Executive Director will steward relationships with Guests, staff, volunteers, donors, community partners, and government stakeholders, while ensuring fiscal accountability, organizational sustainability and effective program delivery.
Key areas of oversight and responsibility include:
The Ideal Candidate
You are a dynamic and values-driven leader with a proven ability to inspire others and create inclusive, innovative, and compassionate environments. You bring significant experience in organizational leadership, ideally within the non-profit, community, or community health sector, and a demonstrated passion for working with vulnerable individuals.
Your collaborative leadership style, exceptional communication skills, and ability to build high-performing teams will enable you to advance The Gathering Place’s mission. You are adept at strategic planning, operational oversight, and financial management, and you bring a growth-minded vision for expanding the organization’s reach and impact.
While the Search Committee recognizes that no one candidate is likely to meet all qualifications in equal measure, those listed below are desirable and will be used to compare candidates.
Qualifications and Experience
We will provide support in this recruitment process to applicants with disabilities, including accommodations that take into account an applicant’s accessibility needs. If you require accommodation, please contact accommodate@kbrs.ca or communicate your needs to the recruitment professional named below.
If you are interested in this opportunity, contact Michelle Doyle at mdoyle@kbrs.ca, or Dr. Jennie Massey at jmassey@kbrs.ca, or submit your full application package by clicking 'Apply Now'.
St. John’s, NL
The Gathering Place is seeking a compassionate and visionary leader to serve as its next Executive Director. This role offers the opportunity to make a profound impact in the lives of people experiencing homelessness, precarious housing, and poverty in Newfoundland and Labrador.
The Organization
The Gathering Place is a non-profit, street-level, community health centre that provides primary health care, supportive housing, meals, clothing, programming, and social supports to thousands of Guests each year. For more than 25 years, the organization has worked in partnership with health and community organizations to provide care in an inclusive, low-barrier environment.
Guided by compassion, respect, dignity, inclusion, and community, The Gathering Place fosters belonging and builds relationships among Guests, staff, volunteers, and partners. Its mission is to create and sustain an inclusive, safe and compassionate community where people who are underserved, at risk, or in need, receive nourishment, health and social support, housing, and respite from discrimination, loneliness, and exclusion.
The Role
Reporting to the Board of Directors, the Executive Director provides passionate, strategic, and operational leadership to ensure the continued success, growth, and impact of The Gathering Place. A visible and engaged advocate, the Executive Director will steward relationships with Guests, staff, volunteers, donors, community partners, and government stakeholders, while ensuring fiscal accountability, organizational sustainability and effective program delivery.
Key areas of oversight and responsibility include:
- Strategic and Operational Leadership – Develop and implement organizational strategies, policies, and annual operating plans. Oversee program delivery, human resources, and financial management.
- Community and Guest Engagement – Champion the mission and values of The Gathering Place by building and expanding relationships with Guests, volunteers, staff, and partners. Ensure services and supports are inclusive, accessible, and responsive to community needs.
- Financial Sustainability and Growth – Accountable for strong fiscal management and lead fund development strategies that leverage both public and private sources. Explore innovative approaches to program and organizational financing.
- Board and Governance Support-Partner with the Board of Directors to advance strategic priorities, strengthen governance, and build organizational capacity.
The Ideal Candidate
You are a dynamic and values-driven leader with a proven ability to inspire others and create inclusive, innovative, and compassionate environments. You bring significant experience in organizational leadership, ideally within the non-profit, community, or community health sector, and a demonstrated passion for working with vulnerable individuals.
Your collaborative leadership style, exceptional communication skills, and ability to build high-performing teams will enable you to advance The Gathering Place’s mission. You are adept at strategic planning, operational oversight, and financial management, and you bring a growth-minded vision for expanding the organization’s reach and impact.
While the Search Committee recognizes that no one candidate is likely to meet all qualifications in equal measure, those listed below are desirable and will be used to compare candidates.
Qualifications and Experience
- An undergraduate degree in a relevant field, or equivalent education and experience.
- A minimum of five years of progressive senior leadership experience, ideally in a non-profit, health, or community-focused environment.
- Strong experience in strategic planning, budget preparation, and operational management.
- Proven ability to build partnerships with diverse stakeholders including government, community groups, and donors.
- Demonstrated knowledge of community and primary health care, as well as the social determinants of health.
- A strong understanding of a unionized environment.
- Experience collaborating with and supporting a Board of Directors.
- Deep commitment to values of compassion, harm reduction, respect, dignity, inclusion, and community.
- Proactive, energetic, and collaborative leadership style.
- Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with experience in media and public speaking.
- Strong financial and organizational management capabilities.
- Capacity to inspire and engage staff, volunteers, and community partners.
- Commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion.
We will provide support in this recruitment process to applicants with disabilities, including accommodations that take into account an applicant’s accessibility needs. If you require accommodation, please contact accommodate@kbrs.ca or communicate your needs to the recruitment professional named below.
If you are interested in this opportunity, contact Michelle Doyle at mdoyle@kbrs.ca, or Dr. Jennie Massey at jmassey@kbrs.ca, or submit your full application package by clicking 'Apply Now'.