Lead and innovate to increase access to justice.
Nationally recognized as highly innovative and a leader among pro bono legal services organizations in Canada, Pro Bono Ontario (PBO) offers access to justice to low-income Ontarians who would otherwise have nowhere to turn. With an industry leading technology platform, PBO serves over 34,000 clients annually throughout the province who have a diverse range of unmet legal needs and and who experience barriers to justice across multiple dimensions. Given the scope and scale of PBO’s mandate the organization must find creative ways to address demand that continues to grow exponentially.
At an exciting time in the evolution of the organization, and with the forthcoming retirement of PBO’s founding Executive Director, the Board is recruiting a visionary leader for the role of Executive Director. The new Executive Director will generate and seize opportunities related to new partnerships, volunteers, emerging technologies, and achieving sustainable funding. This, all with a view to helping PBO continue to innovate, evolve and reach its next level of achievement in leveraging the skills of volunteer lawyers to address the legal problems that interfere with low-income Ontarians’ ability to lead secure, healthy, and productive lives.
With exceptional people skills, PBO’s next Executive Director will effectively engage senior leaders and bring together current and prospective volunteers, funders and partners in support of access to justice and PBO’s mandate. Passionate about PBO’s mission, the ideal candidate will develop strong and productive relationships with with a wide range of stakeholders, including the Board, the PBO team, partners in the legal sector, partners in government, and other legal service providers in Ontario and across Canada in furtherance of PBO’s vision of achieving 100% access to justice in Ontario. The Executive Director will bring a curiosity around how technology and AI can be deployed to ensure PBO’s volunteers are supported and its clients receive consistent, high-quality legal assistance. This ideal candidate also brings competencies of an effective Executive Director of a dynamic and growing organization, including strong business awareness, financial acumen, strategic thinking and planning skills, paired with relentless positivity, drive for impact and an aptitude for managing and empowering a strong staff team.
The Executive Director will report to the Board of Directors and is responsible for the strategic leadership, team development and successful management of the organization. The ideal candidate will draw upon their 10+ years of progressive leadership experience in the private or non-profit sector and in-depth knowledge of Ontario’s legal community and access to justice issues. to help strengthen the organization and increase its impact. This position is based in mid-town Toronto, Ontario.
If you share a passion for increasing access to justice, consider lending your leadership skills and experience to this rewarding and high impact role.
For more information on this exceptional opportunity, or to submit your application in confidence, please contact Suzanne Clark at sclark@pursuitadvisory.com
Pro Bono Ontario (PBO) is a registered charity that increases access to justice in Ontario. PBO bridges the gap between lawyers who want to donate their services and low-income Ontarians who cannot afford a lawyer or qualify for legal aid. With a focus on legal problems that are both common and under-served such as related to employment, housing, consumer protection, consumer debt, and estate planning (including substitute decision making, wills and powers of attorney), each year PBO serves 34,000 low-income clients with nowhere else to turn.
Staff and volunteers of one of PBO’s best-known services, the Free Legal Advice Hotline, answer approximately 30,000 calls each year and make a significant difference in the lives of people who would not otherwise have access to legal assistance. PBO was founded by the current Executive Director in 2001 when there was no tradition of organized pro bono legal services in Ontario and, since that time, the organization has provided meaningful access to justice for Ontarians through programs that serve children and youth, self-represented litigants, artists, non-profits, and start-ups, among others.
Pro Bono Ontario is an equal opportunity employer that welcomes candidates from equity-deserving groups and is committed to providing accommodations for people with disabilities. Please let us know if you require accommodation during any aspect of the recruitment process and we will collaborate with you to address your needs.