Manager, Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Accessibility and Anti-Racism (IDEA²)

Join a Challenger

Being a traditional bank just isn’t our thing. We are big believers in innovating the banking experience because we believe Canadians deserve better options, and we challenge ourselves and our teams to creatively transform what’s possible in banking. Our team is made up of inquisitive and agile minds that find smarter ways of doing things. If you’re not afraid of taking on big challenges and redefining the future, you belong with us. You’ll get to work with people who will encourage you to reach new heights. We like to keep things fun, ask questions and learn together.

We are a big (and growing!) family. Overall we serve more than 370,000 people across Canada through Equitable Bank, Canada's Challenger Bank™, and have been around for more than 50 years. Equitable Bank's wholly-owned subsidiary, Concentra Bank, supports credit unions across Canada that serve more than 5 million members. Together we have over $100 billion in combined assets under management and administration, with a clear mandate to drive change in Canadian banking to enrich people's lives. Our EQ Bank platform (eqbank.ca) has been named the top Schedule I Bank in Canada on the Forbes World's Best Banks 2023, 2022, and 2021 lists. 

Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Accessibility and Anti-Racism work is unlike any other job out there, and you know this because you’ve already lived it. You also know that this role can be joyful, challenging and change-making, often all in one day! Our IDEA² goals as a challenger bank go far beyond equity, with justice and shared wisdom as the gas in our tank!

Reporting to the Vice-President of Talent Strategy & Programs, the Manager of IDEA² will work very closely with the Associate Director of IDEA² to help develop and execute the Bank’s inclusion strategies, in alignment with EQB’s goals, priorities, and strategic plans.

The Manager of IDEA² role not only helps to support equity- and inclusion-focused programs, projects, events and objectives for the organization to achieve, they are also designed to be compliant with and accountable to Employment Equity and Accessible Canada Act legislations. Beyond compliance, when this work is done well, it helps drive employee engagement, provide employees the opportunity to teach and learn from each other, and fosters a culture of inclusion where employees feel a true sense of the importance of their own voice and expertise, as a result of their own lived experience.

The Role

• Drive and support the development of Equitable Bank deeply-valued internal Employee Resource Groups (ERGs)
• Drive the achievement of each ERG’s goals and related three-year plans
• Drive and support the company’s Accessibility work
• Co-create and execute the company’s Mental Health initiatives
• Work with the IDEA² Associate Director and support Equitable’s Reconciliation work
• Work with the IDEA² Associate Director to use the information from Equitable’s self-identification surveys and Employment Equity surveys in order to guide movement forward
• Support the JEDI (Justice, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion) program – Equitable’s equity-focused Learning and Development program
• Support days of cultural awareness and celebration
• Facilitate internal equity and inclusion-specific educational courses that are part of everyone’s targets (Unconscious Bias and Anti-Racism course) as also part of all-manager wellness education (Mental Health First Aid for Managers)
• Facilitate internal training modules re: inclusion to staff (when most effectively and appropriately built internally)
• Lead the writing of the multi-year Employment Equity Plan, the annual Employment Equity Report and any Equity-specific audit work, as well as similar Accessible Canada Act work
• Stay informed of legislative changes and developments in the area of inclusion, diversity, equity and accessibility, and advise or adjust tactics as necessary

Let's Talk About You

• Minimum 3-5 years of full-time experience in diversity and/or employment equity work, ideally with experience reporting annually to the government (such as re: Employment Equity and Accessible Canada Act legislation)
• Professional-level oral and written communication skills
• Professional-level group facilitation skills
• Excellent interpersonal and leadership qualities, resulting in the ability to earn the trust of fellow employees and key stakeholders
• Experience conceptualizing and creating educational modules for staff
• Demonstrated experience and education re: mental health, accessibility, Reconciliation and/or anti-racism work 
• Experience developing policies, strategies and action plans related to inclusion
• Experience supporting event rollouts (and the small details involved in making those successful)
• Proven experience, education and an awareness re: sensitivities in anti-racism and related BIPOC work, with a strong commitment to and understanding of Reconciliation foundation and principles, as well as best practices to honour and support re: people with disabilities, women and LGBTQ+ people in their careers, and educating staff – including managers – on how to best support those individuals
• Results oriented, self-starter, and ability to work independently and as part of a team
• Solid working knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite 
• Excellent record keeping and attention to detail
• Ability to maintain confidentiality of all employee, pay and benefit information 
• Bilingualism would be an asset 

Nice-to-have Experiences and Qualifications

• A Canadian Certified Inclusion Progression (CCIP) designation from the Canadian Centre for Diversity and Inclusion
• Knowledge of HR functions and practices
• Proven existing relationships with other employment equity-focused organizations/non-profits 
• Trained investigative experience within employee relations 
• Certification at either UBCs, Cornell’s or Centennial College’s multi-course inclusion programs 

What we offer [For full-time permanent roles]

💰 Competitive discretionary bonus 

✨ Market leading RRSP match program

🩺 Medical, dental, vision, life, and disability benefits

📝 Employee Share Purchase Plan

👶🏽 Maternity/Parental top-up while you care for your little one

🏝 Generous vacation policy, personal days and even a moving day 

🖥 Virtual events to connect with your fellow colleagues

🎓 Annual professional development allowance and a comprehensive Career Development program

💛 A fulfilling opportunity to join one of the top FinTechs and help create a new kind of banking experience

The incumbent will be working hybrid and in office time will be spent working from Equitable Bank’s additional office space located at 351 King Street East, Toronto, ON.

Equitable Bank is deeply committed to inclusion. Our organization is stronger and our employees thrive when we honour and celebrate everyone’s diverse experiences and perspectives. In tandem with that commitment, we support and encourage our staff to grow not just in their career path, but personally as well. 

We commit to providing a barrier-free recruitment process and work environment for all applicants. Please let us know of any accommodations needed so that you can bring your best self to the application process and beyond. All candidates considered for hire must successfully pass a criminal background check and credit check to qualify for hire. While we appreciate your interest in applying, an Equitable recruiter will only contact leading candidates whose skills and qualifications closely match the requirements of the position.

We can’t wait to get to know you!