Program Specialist - Safe & Healthy Communities

About Red Deer:

Red Deer sits at the heart of Central Alberta along the QEII corridor, perfectly positioned between Calgary and Edmonton. With more than 100,000 residents and a regional reach of over 300,000, it’s a growing hub for business, services, and opportunity.

Here, big-city amenities meet small-city ease. Enjoy abundant parks and trails, vibrant arts and culture, excellent recreation and education, and a strong sense of community.

With easy access to lakes, outdoor adventures, and the mountains, plus a thriving economy and high quality of life, Red Deer is an inviting place to live, work, and grow.

The City of Red Deer is a dynamic municipal organization with a $480M operating budget, a $60M capital program, and a workforce of nearly 1,700 employees. It is focused on growing with purpose by attracting talented, community-minded people who want to make a difference.

Guided by the vision “Our City, One Voice,” Red Deer is building a thriving, inclusive, and connected community, with priorities centered on a vibrant economy, community wellbeing, and strong engagement.

At its core, the City values its people, embracing diverse perspectives and fostering a culture of collaboration, innovation, and shared success

The City of Red Deer is currently hiring a Program Specialist – Safe & Healthy Communities to fill a permanent, full-time position. The Program Specialist - Safe & Healthy Communities is responsible for facilitating City of Red Deer actions related to Community Development primarily focused on Family and Community Support Services (FCSS).

This position is responsible for the effective delivery, accountability and evaluation of programs and services funded by The City of Red Deer and Red Deer and District FCSS under contract to other orders of government. Red Deer and District FCSS is a Multi-Municipal partnership between Bowden, Delburne, Elnora, Penhold, Red Deer County and Red Deer. The District program is administered through the City.

The Program Specialist provide facilitation and professional program and administrative consultation to individuals, groups and agencies working collaboratively to develop, support and promote preventative social initiatives, projects and services that enhance the social well-being of individuals, families, and/or the community.

• Provide leadership, guidance, and performance oversight to staff, volunteers, facilitators, and community partners, including recruitment, training, coaching, and development.
• Lead the planning, implementation, evaluation, and continuous improvement of community programs, services, projects, and initiatives that address current and emerging community needs.
• Manage funding agreements, contracts, and service delivery requirements, ensuring accountability, compliance, reporting, and effective stewardship of public resources.
• Build and maintain collaborative relationships with community organizations, government partners, advisory boards, stakeholders, and funding agencies to strengthen community capacity and outcomes.
• Provide professional consultation and support to community agencies and organizations on program development, service delivery, governance, funding, and community development practices.
• Monitor program outcomes and performance measures, prepare reports and recommendations, and support evidence-based decision-making and continuous improvement.
• Facilitate community engagement activities to identify needs, gaps, challenges, and opportunities, and develop strategies to enhance community wellbeing.
• Coordinate financial, administrative, audit, and reporting processes related to funded programs and agreements with external funding partners.
• Prepare and deliver presentations, reports, public communications, and recommendations for stakeholders, senior leadership, advisory boards, and Council.
• Support emergency response efforts as part of the City's Emergency Social Services program during emergencies and local states of emergency.

• Requires a university degree and courses specific to social sciences,…