At UJA Federation of Greater Toronto, our vision is to lead the most vibrant Jewish community in North America – a community characterized by its diversity, unity, compassion, generosity and commitment to Jewish values. Together with our philanthropic, volunteer and professional leadership, we’re changing lives.
As one of North America’s leading Jewish non-profits, UJA Federation of Greater Toronto works to preserve and strengthen the quality of Jewish life in Greater Toronto, Canada, Israel and around the world. UJA advances this mission through fundraising, programs, and research focused on our strategic pillars: fighting poverty and improving well-being, growing Jewish education and identity, countering antisemitism and hate, and strengthening connections with Israel and Jewish communities worldwide.
The Vice President, Real Estate is a senior leader responsible for overseeing and optimizing UJA’s substantial real estate portfolio valued at approximately $1 billion. These community assets are core to UJA’s mission, providing welcoming, safe, and purpose-driven spaces for Jewish life to flourish.
Reporting to the Chief Operating Officer, this executive will manage every facet of UJA’s real estate holdings, including strategic planning, property operations, leasing, budgeting, construction, stakeholder engagement, and governance. They will steward diverse spaces, from schools and synagogues to offices and community centers, ensuring each property aligns with UJA’s broader vision and serves the evolving needs of the community.
The successful candidate will combine deep commercial real estate expertise with a mission-oriented mindset, and possess the interpersonal acuity to maintain exceptional relationships with both tenants and volunteer leadership. As a results-driven people leader overseeing the real estate team, they will be a confident strategist and operator with the ability to maximize value, control costs, and deliver creative solutions under constrained budgets.
Strategic Leadership & Portfolio Optimization
Operations & Property Management
Capital Projects & Construction Oversight
Financial Oversight & Budgeting
Leasing & Legal
Tenant & Stakeholder Engagement
Governance & Committee Support
People, Processes & Systems
NOTE: This role requires travel between the various locations. G-license and access to a vehicle is required.
We appreciate your interest in this role.
In sharing your resume, you place your trust in us to treat you with integrity and respect and act in your best interests. All resumes will be held in the strictest of confidence.
Those who most closely meet our client’s requirements will be contacted for an interview.
Please pass this opportunity forward. We welcome all referrals should someone in your network benefit from this opportunity.
Sarah brings over 10 years of experience in executive search and human capital consulting, specializing in real estate, financial services, and professional services. Before joining Thorek/Scott Partners as Director, she held senior roles at global and boutique executive search firms, successfully leading searches across North America at the senior and executive levels. She is known for her collaborative, candidate-focused approach and for providing creative, thoughtful solutions that ensure the best fit for her clients’ needs.
Sarah holds a Bachelor’s degree from York University in Classical Studies. She enjoys reading, cooking, tackling cryptic crosswords, and watching Formula 1 racing.
Research and Operations Specialist
Katie enjoys being part of the Research and Operations division at Thorek/Scott and Partners. Katie utilizes her skills in research, project and data management to support the recruiting efforts of the Thorek/Scott and Partners team. She enjoys working in the positive team atmosphere that Thorek/Scott and Partners offers.
After completing her Master’s in Geography at the University of Toronto, Katie worked in consulting in the environmental non-profit sector where she conducted policy analysis and delivered workshops on sustainable development. Katie continues to pursue her passions of environmental protection by volunteering with local environmental non-profit organizations.
Lisa is thrilled to be a part of the team at Thorek/Scott and Partners. Lisa’s deep background in financial services, relationship building, and customer service coupled with her background in operations and support has been instrumental to the firm’s Research and Operations division. Prior to joining Thorek/Scott and Partners, Lisa worked for over 10 years in a large Canadian Bank in front facing, client operational roles. Having worked for large organizations in the past, she is delighted to be part of a close-knit group and enjoys the upbeat office and friendly environment at Thorek/Scott and Partners.
In her free time, Lisa enjoys reading, crafting and spending time with family and friends.
Derek Young is a former finance professional turned recruitment consultant. He connects top-tier talent with prestigious organizations seeking exceptional leaders. His expertise lies in the recruitment of high-caliber risk and compliance professionals for investment management, real estate, and financial services firms across North America.
Derek joined Thorek/Scott and Partners after a successful tenure with one of the largest globally recognized recruitment firms, where he specialized in consulting legal and compliance professionals across financial & professional services. He is passionate about helping people fulfil their long-term career aspirations. Derek’s personable approach and knowledge of the financial landscape allows him to develop strong relationships with both candidates and clients.
After completing his B.Com from the University of Toronto’s Finance program, Derek began his career as a financial advisor working for two of Canada’s largest wealth managers. These roles taught him the importance of listening to his clients and always putting their goals first. Derek has lived and traveled in Ireland, Europe, Asia and Africa. He enjoys playing and watching a variety of sports, and spending time with friends and family.
Lisa is thrilled to join the Thorek/Scott and Partners team and brings 30 years of experience in large public sector organizations. She has held multiple executive leadership positions in the education sector and as CEO was responsible for overseeing all aspects of the organization including Human Resources, Operations, Information Technology, Finance, Capital, and Leadership.
Lisa brings her insight and experience to executive recruitment. She is a highly motivated and goal-oriented professional dedicated to finding high quality talent.
Lisa has worked with multiple stakeholders within the community and at the Provincial level. She has trained senior executives on Strategic Planning and Implementation in Canada and the United States. She has taught Masters’ level courses and College programs. She has authored documents on Strategic Planning, Poverty, Succession Planning and Leadership Development.
She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology, and a Master’s degree in Leadership/Administration. Lisa completed the Executive Leadership programs at Rotman School of Management and the Richard Ivey School of Business as well as earning multiple certificates at the Queens Executive Education Program.
Lisa belongs to several professional organizations including the Professional Women’s Network, Equal Voice and Elevate. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with family, travelling, and giving back to her community.
Lauren is a senior executive search consultant with 20 years of experience advising the Canadian recruitment market. Known for her sharp insight and empathetic approach, she sees herself as a passionate advocate for her clients and candidates. Throughout her career, Lauren has advised numerous organizations on shaping their strategic vision and has played a leading role in executing on those initiatives.
Active in multiple sectors including Real Estate, Investments and Financial Services, Lauren and her team are proud to deliver great leaders and build extraordinary teams. She has spoken on recruitment and search issues to a wide range of audiences.
Sari Friedman is delighted to be back at Thorek/Scott and Partners. With over 25 years of real estate and finance experience and a passion for people, transitioning into the recruitment industry was a natural fit for Sari.
She brings multiple experiences and synergetic attributes to her role at Thorek/Scott. Having worked as an equity research associate covering real estate and REITs, Sari has a strong understanding of the real estate industry. She holds a real estate license, has actively traded real estate and is a personal investor. Sari’s technical insight combined with her outstanding business acumen, strong negotiation and research skills adds tremendous value to clients and candidates.
Sari is well known for her caring and friendly demeanour. She is passionate about helping people with an emphasis on providing an individualized human experience. She will often go above and beyond when coaching her candidates and clients throughout the recruitment process. Sari takes the time to understand the needs of her clients and candidates and creates long lasting relationships.
Sari graduated from University of Western Ontario majoring in Economics and earned her MBA from the University of Toronto Rotman Management Program. She enjoys spending time with her family and friends, cooking, travelling and camping.
Steven is a CPA who graduated with an honours bachelors degree in business from McMaster University & from Cornell University with an Executive MBA. Before joining Thorek/Scott he spent his career in industry, building large support service teams and also taking an active role in the overall corporate recruitment functions as a VP/CFO. He prides himself as a recruiter who is transparent, a great communicator and gives honest feedback.
Steven is passionate about travelling, having visited over 130 countries, and about his Toronto Maple Leafs.
Faye Thorek is an accomplished executive search consultant with over 40 years of experience in the Canadian recruitment market. Known for her keen insight and compassionate dedication to her work, Faye envisions herself as an advocate for those with whom she conducts business. Over the years, Faye has consulted numerous companies on how to best craft their strategic vision and then taken the lead on executing that mandate. She has spoken on recruitment and search issues to a wide range of audiences.
Outside of the office, Faye is also a committed investor in people. She volunteers with Out of the Cold, Kids.now, and Bereaved Families of Ontario (BFO). She has sat on the Professional Development Steering Committee of the HRPAO. She is a former member of the Board at BFO and the North York Harvest Food Bank.
Having founded Thorek/Scott and Partners over four decades ago, Michael Thorek has been shepherding its growth ever since. Together with his wife, Michael is dedicated to building a business with humanity, innovation, and excellence at its core. A specialist in the recruitment of talent for the Financial Services Industry, Michael has currently turned his interest towards the field of Risk Management, Capital Markets and Database Marketing Analytics. A jack of many trades, Michael is also a father, inventor, scholar and scribe, who possess a keen interest in comparative religions.
