Program Manager, Strategy and Integrated Planning

Legal Aid Ontario

$106K — $138K *
Education, Government & Non-Profit
5 - 7 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in business administration, management, public policy, or related field; Master's degree preferred.
  • 5+ years of experience in program management, strategy development, and business planning, ideally in the public sector.
  • Proven experience in developing corporate business plans, annual reports, and strategic plans aligned with government directives.
  • Strong leadership and project/change management skills.
  • Excellent analytical capabilities to synthesize complex information and provide strategic insights.

Responsibilities

  • Lead the development of LAO's Annual Business Plan and Annual Report in compliance with AAD.
  • Activate and operationalize LAO's 5-year Strategic Plan into actionable initiatives.
  • Maintain a planning framework that integrates strategy and business planning efforts.
  • Prepare performance reporting including KPIs and KRIs for executives and the Board.
  • Monitor progress and regularly report on key milestones and performance metrics.

Benefits

  • Opportunity to work within a reputable organization aiding the public sector.
  • Professional development and mentorship opportunities to enhance strategic planning skills.
  • Collaborative work environment fostering transparency and accountability.
Full Job Description
Union:

Non-Union

Job Number: J0826-0173

Job Title: Program Manager, Strategy and Integrated Planning

Job Type: Permanent Full Time

City, Province, Country: Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Job Location: Toronto

Job Category: Management / Consulting

Classification: SPG3

Open Positions: 1

Posting Date: August 18, 2026

Closing Date: September 1, 2026

Salary: $106,619.00 - $138,611.00 /Year

Primary function

Department Overview

The Enterprise Strategy Management (ESM) department, within the Strategy and Public Affairs (SPA)Division, leads Legal Aid Ontario's strategic and business planning processes, and strategic initiative delivery. ESM is responsible for the development of LAO's 5-yearStrategic Plan and its activation across the organization, ensuring alignment of divisional and corporate priorities to government direction, the Letter of Direction (LoD), and LAO's mandate.

ESM manages LAO's project delivery framework and provides Project Delivery and Change Management Consultants to support the implementation of strategic initiatives. The department oversees the portfolio and prioritization of projects, ensuring that initiatives are aligned with LAO's strategy and deliver on government and organizational priorities. ESM also ensures compliance with the Agency and Appointment Directive (AAD) through the Business Plan and Annual Report.

As a central hub, ESM tracks and reports on the status of strategic initiatives and corporate performance for executives, the Board, and the Ministry of the Attorney General (MAG).

The Program Manager, Strategy and Integrated Planning supports the Director, ESM, by leading the operational delivery of LAO's business planning and performance reporting functions. The Program Manager is responsible for the development of the Annual Business Plan and Annual Report in compliance with the Agency and Appointment Directive (AAD), the activation of LAO's 5-year Strategic Plan, and the preparation of performance reporting for executives and the Board.

The role also contributes to the successful delivery of LAO's strategic initiatives by working closely with project delivery staff and change management consultants. In this capacity, the Program Manager ensures initiative reporting aligns with enterprise planning and may support or take a lead role in implementation depending on organizational needs. The position further provides direction and resource management to assigned consultants and analysts supporting planning.

Home Location: Provincial Office - Toronto
Secondary/Other Locations: Not applicable

Reports to: Director, Enterprise Strategy Management

Key accountabilities

Strategy & Integrated Planning
• Lead development of LAO's Annual Business Plan and Annual Report in compliance with the Agency and Appointment Directive (AAD), ensuring alignment with government priorities, the Letter of Direction (LoD), LAO's strategic plan, and organizational mandate.
• Activate and operationalize LAO's 5-year Strategic Plan, translating priorities into actionable initiatives and integrated planning activities.
• Develop and maintain a planning and reporting framework that integrates strategy and business planning.
• Support the Office of the CEO with the preparation of the CEO's report back to the Board, ensuring alignment with organizational performance and strategic commitments.
• Coordinate development of Vice-President (VP) commitment letters, including:
o Forward-looking letters that establish divisional priorities for the year ahead.
o Retrospective summaries of achievements against those priorities, which are rolled into the Annual Report and the CEO report back to the Board.
• Provide oversight and guidance for divisional business planning, ensuring consistency, alignment, and integration with LAO's enterprise planning framework.
• Prepare and deliver performance reporting, including KPIs (Key Performance Indicators), KRIs (Key Risk Indicators), and key initiative dashboards to executives and the Board.
• Ensure reporting on strategic initiatives is aligned with enterprise planning, business plan commitments, and board/executive reporting requirements.
• Work in partnership with the Business Intelligence team to prepare accurate and timely KPI and KRI reporting, ensuring consistency across data sources and alignment with LAO's performance measurement framework.
• Monitor progress and provide regular reporting on key milestones, performance metrics, and deliverables.
• Act as a strategic advisor to senior leadership on planning and performance insights.

Leadership & Collaboration
• Provide direction, coaching, and resource management to assigned staff (consultants/analysts supporting integrated planning), including workload planning, priority-setting, and performance management.
• Support staff development through training, feedback, and mentorship to build internal capacity in strategic planning
• Build collaborative relationships across LAO.
• Promote a culture of accountability, transparency, and results-oriented decision-making.

Required skills & experience
• Bachelor's degree in business administration, management, public policy, or a related discipline (Master's degree preferred).
• Minimum 5 years of progressive experience in program management, strategy development, and business planning, ideally within the public or broader public sector.
• Experience leading the development of corporate business plans, annual reports, and strategic plans in alignment with government directives.
• Strong project management, leadership, and change management skills.
• Demonstrated ability to analyze complex information, synthesize insights, and provide strategic advice to senior leadership.
• Experience managing and developing professional staff, including consultants or analysts, with proven resource management and coaching capabilities.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with experience in facilitation, negotiation, and presenting at the executive/Board level.
• Strong written communication skills to prepare business plans, briefing notes, and submissions.
• High level of organizational and time management skills; able to manage competing priorities and adapt to changing needs.
• Professional designations or certifications in project management (e.g., PMP), change management(e.g., Prosci) or finance/accounting are considered assets.

To apply submit a cover letter & résumé.

Only those candidates selected for an interview will be notified by email.
Final candidates for this position will be required to undergo a criminal record check.

Please note that all applicants are encouraged to provide a valid email address for communication purposes. Applicants may receive written correspondence regarding this job posting directly to the email address provided on their resume or to the one used to set up their Candidate Profile if applying on Njoyn. As an applicant, it is your responsibility to ensure that you check your email regularly.

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Trouble applying? For telephone support please call 1-877-427-7717 or email support: [email protected]

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