Overview
Director, Leadership Strategy and Practices Branch Jobs in Toronto, Ontario, Canada at Ontario Public Service Leadership | Leadership dans la fonction publique de l’Ontario
Title: Director, Leadership Strategy and Practices Branch
Company: Ontario Public Service Leadership | Leadership dans la fonction publique de l’Ontario
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Apply By: Sunday, June 7, 2026 11:59 pm EDT
Lead the Future of Senior Executive Leadership in Ontario
This is not your traditional HR leadership role; it is an opportunity to influence the future of senior executive leadership across one of Canada's largest and most complex public service organizations.
As Director, Leadership Strategy & Practices, you will influence how senior executives are identified, developed, and supported across the provincial government, ensuring Ontario has the leadership strength required to deliver results now, and in the future.
Why This Role Matters:
You will operate at the centre of government decision-making. This role entails partnering directly with senior executives across ministries, your work will shape:
- enterprise executive succession and leadership continuity
- the development of future senior leaders
- government-wide leadership and talent strategies
- organizational resilience and long-term workforce capacity
This role is ideal for a leader motivated by sustainable enterprise impact, complexity, and influence at the most senior levels.
About the job
About the Branch:
The Leadership Strategy and Practices Branch leads enterprise-wide approaches to:
- executive talent planning and leadership continuity
- leadership assessment, development, and executive coaching
- executive onboarding and integration support
- talent mobility and enterprise leadership development
We are a strategic driver of future-ready leadership capacity across the OPS.
What You'll Do
Reporting to the Assistant Deputy Minister, Talent Leadership and Performance, you will:
Shape Enterprise Leadership Strategy
- Provide trusted advice to senior executives on complex leadership and talent decisions
- Drive integrated strategies that align leadership capability with government priorities
- Lead transformation initiatives that modernize leadership strategies and strengthen the integrated talent management continuum
Lead High-Impact Transformation
- Oversee large-scale, high-profile initiatives across succession planning, leadership development, and talent systems
- Advance modern, evidence-informed leadership practices and approaches
Build and Lead Future Ready Teams
- Lead multidisciplinary teams delivering critical enterprise leadership services
- Foster a culture of inclusion, accountability, and excellence
- Model Ontario Public Service leadership behaviours while inspiring trust and credibility at senior leadership tables
Partnership with Senior Leadership
- Provide strategic counsel in complex, politically sensitive environments
- Build strong, trusted relationships across ministries and central agencies
- Offer strategic advice at the executive-level on sensitive leadership, succession, talent, and organizational matters
Deliver Results That Matter
- Translate strategy into measurable outcomes that strengthen senior executive capability and organizational performance
- Lead transformation while critically balancing innovation, operational effectiveness, governance, quality oversight, and organizational risk management
What you bring to the team
An Enterprise Leader
- Experienced in leading in complex, high-profile environments requiring sound judgment and responsiveness
- Skilled at aligning priorities and driving results across large, multifaceted organizations
A Strategic Talent Expert
- Deep expertise in executive leadership strategy, succession, and talent management
- Able to leverage data and insight to inform decisions and shape forward-looking talent systems
A Change Leader
- Proven ability to lead large-scale transformation and modernization initiatives
- Balances innovation with strong governance, operational discipline, and risk management
A Trusted Advisor
- Brings executive presence, credibility, and strong political acuity
- Skilled at establishing credibility and influencing senior leaders on sensitive and complex issues
A Builder of Culture and Capability
- Creates inclusive, inspired, high-performing teams and environments
- Advances leadership excellence and continuous learning
Don't meet every qualification?
If you are excited about this position and meet most, but not all, of the listed qualifications, please still consider applying. We recognize that no one person might have every qualification in this job ad, and you just might be the right candidate!
How we support diversity, inclusion and accessibility
We are building an inclusive workforce that reflects the communities we serve. We encourage everyone interested in working with us to apply, including people with disabilities, Indigenous, Black and racialized individuals, as well as people from all ethnicities, cultures, sexual orientations, gender identities and gender expressions.
Our hiring process is accessible, consistent with Ontario's Human Rights Code and the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005. We are working to prevent and remove barriers in our hiring processes and can offer accommodation to address specific needs related to Code-protected grounds such as disability, family status and religion. For more information about accommodation during the hiring process please contact us.
Learn more about the work the OPS is doing to create an inclusive, anti-racist, accessible and diverse workplace:
- diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives
- accessibility
- Anti-Racism Policy
What we offer
The Ontario Public Service is one of Ontario's largest employers. Employees work for a wide range of ministries, with offices in more than 70 cities across the province. We offer:
- a career that can grow across ministries and job functions
- flexible learning and developmental opportunities, including education and mentorship programs
- many employee networks offering support for and education about underrepresented groups
Our comprehensive compensation and benefits package includes:
- a defined-benefit lifetime pension plan (guaranteed, ongoing inflation-protected income after retirement)
- 100% employer-paid group health, dental, life and disability benefits
- a $750-per-year health and wellness spending account
- 25 days' vacation, increased after 15 years
- parental leave top-up benefits including for adoptive parents
- an Employee and Family Assistance Program, which provides confidential counseling services
Note:
- This role is located in Toronto and requires 5 days in office.
- The Ontario Public Service (OPS) is building a modern, inclusive, and high-performing organization, and we are seeking an exceptional leader to play a defining role in that transformation.
- A career in the Ontario Public Service is driven by a passion for creating a stronger Ontario. We foster a diverse and inclusive workplace where employees have the resources and opportunities, they need to be fulfilled and inspired to move Ontario forward.
- The OPS uses multiple methods to assess candidates for executive positions; these may include resume screening, interviews, assignments, psychometric assessments, simulations and reference checks.
- This competition may be leveraged to fill other vacancies for similar roles.
