Chief Executive Officer - ISANS

ISANS is the front door for newcomers and a leader in immigration settlement services

Immigrant Services Association of Nova Scotia (ISANS) helps immigrants build a future in Nova Scotia. With over 40 years of experience, it is the leading immigrant settlement service agency in Atlantic Canada, serving over 10,000 clients annually in 104 communities across Nova Scotia, with over 400 full-time and part-time staff, 750 volunteers, and 90 interpreters. It delivers innovative and effective programs and services in the sector, fosters organizational partnerships, and applies a diversity and inclusion lens in all its activities. As the front door to many immigrants, ISANS seeks to create a safe, welcoming, inclusive community where all can belong and grow, building a stronger Nova Scotia and Canada.

ISANS delivers a variety of services, including language, settlement, community integration and employment, both in person and online. ISANS reflects the diversity of the community it serves, with varied languages, diverse experiences, and unique perspectives that inform its client-centered programming. ISANS seeks to empower clients and staff to collaborate, learn, and grow together—personally and professionally—through partnership, professionalism, and accountability.

ISANS is looking for its next leader to innovate and lead the immigration sector in Nova Scotia during a time of unprecedented growth. In seeking its next Chief Executive Officer (CEO), ISANS envisions a transformational leader who has a track record of guiding an organization through change and building capacity.

The CEO is responsible for creating a welcoming and inclusive culture and overseeing strategy, administration, program delivery, and operational effectiveness. They set an exceptional example of compassion, integrity, intercultural competency, and inclusiveness. They provide guidance and support to the senior leadership team, directors, and staff to achieve ISANS’ mission and ensure cohesiveness within the team and accountability to clients and funders. The CEO reports to the Board of Directors and is ultimately responsible for overall management and leadership, including financial sustainability, operations, organizational brand/culture, change & risk management, and key relationships.

The CEO is a highly compassionate, resilient, and progressive leader with a strong focus on building organizational capacity. The successful candidate is an exceptional communicator who is passionate about serving in a high-profile role and navigating, leading, and advancing the province’s socioeconomic goals by attracting, helping, and retaining newcomers. The CEO has an innate ability to cultivate and nurture critical relationships at the local, provincial, and federal level to maximize impact. This leader is adept at fostering a collaborative workplace culture where teams are empowered and inspired to achieve operational excellence. With sound judgment and an exceptional ability to lead through change, they achieve stakeholder alignment within a diverse and complex environment.

The ideal candidate has a post-secondary or master’s degree, 10 years of leadership experience, with at least two years at the executive level, and an accomplished track record of leadership and capacity building in multi-stakeholder environments. Experience working in a large, complex not-for-profit organization and a deep understanding of the immigration landscape are assets. They possess solid business and financial acumen and a continuous improvement and growth mindset. The CEO has demonstrated cultural competence and sensitivity and a proven commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion to meet the needs of immigrant populations effectively. They have Board governance experience working with and reporting to Directors.

To learn more about ISANS, please visit: https://isans.ca/

ISANS is dedicated to inclusiveness, equity, and accessibility. To help us achieve our diversity goals, we welcome and encourage applications from the following underrepresented groups: Indigenous persons, racially visible persons, persons with a disability, women, and persons of a minority sexual orientation and/or gender identity. If you are a member of one of these underrepresented groups, we invite you to self-identify on your cover letter or resume.

ISANS will provide accommodations to applicants with disabilities. If you require an accommodation(s) to participate in the application, interviewing or selection process, please contact Dominique Roche at droche@royerthompson.com.

Please submit your resume and interest online by clicking “Apply.” For further information about this opportunity, please contact Kim West (kwest@royerthompson.com) and Dominique Roche (droche@royerthompson.com) in confidence at (902) 422-2099.

Royer Thompson Management & Human Resources Consulting is a Canadian talent management firm focused on capturing the full potential of people in organizations by supporting a shared sense of purpose, recruiting and cultivating leadership, and fostering an innovative, caring and entrepreneurial spirit.