Director, Social Accountability

**Director, Social Accountability** **Waterloo Regional Health Network (WRHN)** The former Grand River Hospital (GRH) and St. Mary’s General Hospital (SMGH) have come together in an extraordinary merger, officially forming the Waterloo Regional Health Network (WRHN) on April 1st, 2025. This bold integration positions WRHN to lead the evolution of healthcare across the region, strengthening partnerships, enhancing patient care, and embedding equity at the heart of service delivery. As WRHN builds a new future for care, a critical leadership opportunity has emerged within the Quality, Research, & Patient Experience portfolio: Director, Social Accountability. **The Position** Reporting to the Vice President, Quality, Research & Patient Experience, the Director will lead the advancement of WRHN’s social accountability mandate, shaping strategy and practice across key areas such as Diversity, Equity & Belonging; Indigenous Health and Truth &Reconciliation; Health Equity; Accessibility, and Environmental Sustainability. The Director will be a strategic thought leader and trusted organizational connector, responsible for unifying values, policies, and frameworks across the network. This is a newly created role with significant influence and purpose, focused on embedding principles of equity, accessibility, responsiveness, and community partnership into how WRHN designs and delivers care. With a balance of systems-thinking and hands-on leadership, the Director will support culture change, relationship-building, and innovation, helping ensure that WRHN is accountable to the communities it serves, inclusive of all voices, and responsive to the structural determinants that shape health outcomes. This includes engaging with populations who may rely on hospitals as primary care, mental health, or crisis response providers, particularly in high-priority or underserved neighbourhoods. This is a unique opportunity to shape a portfolio from the ground up in one of Ontario’s most innovative, integrated health systems, where equity, reconciliation, and sustainability are not side projects, but strategic imperatives. **Key Leadership Priorities include**: **Advance the Social Accountability Strategy** Design and implement a system-wide approach to equity and accountability, aligned with WRHN’s values and patient experience goals. Develop metrics, monitor performance, and ensure the organization meets and exceeds internal and external standards. **Build the Case and Capacity for Equity** Develop and communicate a clear business case for social accountability work, linking it directly to quality of care, patient outcomes, and organizational trust. Support leaders and staff in building the comfort, language, and skills needed to embed equity principles into their day-to-day work. **Champion Equity, Accessibility, and Reconciliation** Foster culturally safe practices and support inclusive, accessible feedback mechanisms. Embed reconciliation and health equity across care, education, research, and operations. **Build Relationships and Community Partnerships** Engage with Indigenous communities, equity-deserving groups, and external partners to inform policy and co-design programs. Represent WRHN in public forums and sector dialogues. **Lead Integration and Organizational Change** Support the alignment of legacy programs and portfolios, building shared structures and unified practices that promote equity, sustainability, and a culture of continuous improvement. **The Person** - Demonstrated success advancing social accountability and leading transformation in complex, multi-site environments. - Deep knowledge in Diversity, Equity, and Belonging; Indigenous Health and Reconciliation; Health Equity; Accessibility, and Sustainability. - A thoughtful, systems-level mindset grounded in humility, trust-building, and collaborative leadership. - Lived experience, whether personal or community-based, that informs equity-focused leadership is a valued asset.