POSITION: COMMUNITY DATABASE TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT LEAD (HIFIS LEAD)

ABOUT THE ROLE:

The HIFIS Lead plays a pivotal role in ending homelessness in St. John's by supporting the development and implementation of the web-based community-wide homeless client database system in St. John's, which is being used by many partner agencies and administrated by EHSJ. The ideal candidate will enjoy the opportunities and challenges of supporting a purpose-built organization working to make St. John's the next community in Canada to end homelessness.

Under the direction of the Manager of Knowledge Mobilization, the HIFIS Lead's primary goal is to help build the foundation of data and information and strengthen the use of the Homeless Individuals and Families Information System (HIFIS) 4.0 within the community. This will allow the EHSJ team and other homeless-serving agencies to more fully understand the factors that contribute to homelessness and inform strategies to end homelessness in our community.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

The HIFIS Lead will maintain and develop the site and user processes; coordinate training and develop user skills; gather, analyze, and synthesize data including through custom reports - all to inform strategic planning and policy development and to monitor progress toward our goal of ending homelessness. The successful applicant will possess both technical abilities to lead system maintenance and development, and communication and teaching skills to develop capacity in users across the community. As an integral part of the EHSJ team, the HIFIS Lead will support the implementation of the St. John's Community Plan to End Homelessness through the following responsibilities:

OVERALL

• Develop a deep understanding of HIFIS 4.0 to strengthen the quality and completeness of the system through
• supporting users and user organizations in the community in their own use of HIFIS,
• maintaining, monitoring, developing, and customizing HIFIS site for community needs
• Develop a strong understanding of Coordinated Access, By-Name Data, Housing First, and other key concepts and systems related to ending homelessness, as well as the data and information requirements related to ending homelessness

TRAINING AND USER SUPPORT

• Be the lead point of contact for user and technical support; communicate with users and user organizations about training, implementation, technical issues, system customization requests, and other issues as arising
• Coordinate and meet with users and user organizations regularly to provide ongoing in-person training and support
• Coordinate the development of print and digital materials to assist in HIFIS 4.0 training and implementation, including handbooks, one-pagers, checklists, videos, etc.
• Manage the user training and activation process
• Develop and deliver a new user training curriculum and process

SYSTEM MANAGEMENT AND MAINTANANCE

• Lead backend configuration and development of existing system
• Develop, build, test and implement new features as required
• Conduct regular audits and analysis of HIFIS data to assess quality and completion; respond to findings with data cleaning and maintenance as required; use audits to identify areas for improvement to inform training and policy development
• Liaise with server host and with federal departments and software designers regarding system updates and technical needs
• Liaise with user organizations; conduct regular informal needs assessments for system customization among users; ensure program updates are reflected in site

POLICY AND SUPPORTING DOCUMENTATION

• Support the St. John's HIFIS Advisory Group with Manager of Knowledge Mobilization
• Inform and participate in the development of policies and procedures relating to system use, data entry, data storage, and various processes related to HIFIS
• Coordinate with appropriate partners in the design, writing, communication, and rollout of/adherence to policies and procedures
• Support the continued development and maintenance of a secure data environment and the policies surrounding it, ensuring the privacy and confidentiality of personal client information

REPORTING

• Develop custom reports using Crystal Reports, leading the design, writing, implementation, and maintenance of library of reports
• Consult and understand reporting needs of EHSJ and community, in partnership with Manager of Knowledge Mobilization, and respond to requests
• Leverage opportunities through Salesforce and Tableau to strengthen reporting and data visualization capabilities
• Support with Reaching Home reporting requirements for Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Canada (HICC), particularly for Homelessness Indicator Project (HIP)
• Support with reporting for other sources, including provincial quarterly reports

WIDER DATA ENVIRONMENT

• Support the development and maintenance of By-Name Data to determine the numbers and demographics of individuals experiencing or at risk of experiencing homelessness, and the monthly inflow to and outflow from homelessness at the community level
• Support the transition toward HIFIS 4.0 becoming the eventual home of By-Name Data

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Experience with training, education, teaching, and/or change management
• Experience with software systems, web-based applications, and/or databases
• Prior experience with HIFIS or other Homelessness Management Information System (HMIS) considered an asset
• Prior experience with Crystal Reports, SQL considered an asset
• Degree or diploma in information technology, computer science, software development, or equivalent combination of education, training and experience considered an asset
• Experience working with personal information, including data privacy and confidentiality considerations
• Excellent time management skills and ability to multi-task and prioritize responsibilities and deadlines
• Strong organizational and planning skills
• Demonstrated attention to detail and problem-solving skills
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, especially presenting complex information in a way that can be understood and adopted by broad range of learners and stakeholders
• Strong interpersonal skills, given requirements for interaction with broad range of learners and stakeholders
• Proficiency in MS Office Suite, particularly Outlook, Excel, Word and PowerPoint
• Working knowledge of Tableau, Salesforce, or other business analytics and data visualization tools considered an asset
• Experience with the non-profit or community sector considered an asset

HOW TO APPLY:

This position provides competitive salary and benefits plan, including health, dental and RRSP contributions. Salary is commensurate with experience, starting at $55,000 per year.

This position is in place until March 31, 2026 with the possibility of extension. This position requires availability for in-person work in St. John's.

For more information about End Homelessness St. John's, please visit our website at wecanendit.com.

Applicants should send a resume and cover letter outlining how they meet the specific requirements of the position to Katie VanKoughnet at [email protected] by Sunday, Dec 15, 2024 at 11:59pm NT.

End Homelessness St. John's is an equal opportunity employer.

While we appreciate all applications, only those candidates selected for an interview will be contacted.