Privacy Specialist

Unity Health Toronto, comprised of Providence Healthcare, St. Joseph’s Health Centre and St. Michael’s Hospital, works to advance the health of everyone in our urban communities and beyond. Our health network serves patients, residents and clients across the full spectrum of care, spanning primary care, secondary community care, tertiary and quaternary care services to post-acute through rehabilitation, palliative care and long-term care, while investing in world-class research and education. Join our team in our mission to continue to put patients and families at the centre of everything we do, in the role of Privacy Specialist.

As a member of the privacy team, the Privacy Specialist (“Specialist”) supports Unity Health Toronto in ensuring organizational compliance with relevant privacy legislation across the organization. The Specialist takes day-to-day direction from the Director of Privacy and supports the escalation of risk decisions to senior leadership as appropriate.

The primary role of the Specialist position is three-fold:

- To support the organization in implementing, sustaining, monitoring and improving a comprehensive privacy program in a complex hospital environment;
- To complete privacy-related deliverables for new and modified projects, including but not limited to PIAs, PIA summaries, obtaining risk mitigation sign off, self-assessments, construction of supportive policies & procedures; and
- To assist the Director in implementing operational compliance programs (e.g. auditing, risk register).

The Specialist will promote and pursue the adoption of relevant best practices and standards, and provide formal and informal analyses and guidance to a variety of stakeholders, with a focus on continuous quality improvement. The Specialist has a considerable degree of interaction with a variety of internal and external stakeholders, including: project managers, vendors, consultants, government/regulatory bodies, expert peers in the healthcare field, clinicians, patients/clients, and members of the public. Leadership and communication skills are required to build credibility and trust, and to accomplish goals with the assistance of internal and external teams.

**DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES**:

- Supports the development of the privacy program by:

- Identifying, escalating and tracking risks;
- Providing guidance compliant with legislative requirements, regulator’s expectations, best practices, and organizational risk tolerance; and
- Planning activities to implement, sustain, monitor and/or improve pieces of the privacy program.
- Further supports the development of projects and other initiatives by:

- conducting privacy impact assessments (PIAs);
- providing guidance on technical, physical and administrative controls to enhance privacy;
- assisting internal teams to implement recommended controls; and
- providing feedback on contracts and RFS/RFP response content.
- Keeps abreast of changing requirements and trends in privacy and information access.
- Conducts research and environmental scans on privacy controls and emerging trends.
- Develops policies & procedures.
- Produces documentation to meet internal and external reporting requirements.
- Represents the organization externally.

**QUALIFICATIONS**:

- University undergraduate degree in a related field (e.g., business, public or health administration, library sciences or information management).
- Experience in a hospital or life sciences environment is preferred.
Canadian certification with the International Association of Privacy Professionals (CIPP/C) or an equivalent credential is an asset.
- Demonstrated experience in the design and delivery of a piece of an operational privacy program (for example, implementing a training program, piloting an audit regime, operationalizing a policy).
- Demonstrated experience providing privacy guidance and conducting privacy impact assessments (PIAs).
- Excellent presentation and training skills.
- Demonstrated strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
- Knowledge and skills in using Microsoft Office Suite, Adobe Acrobat and other office software.
- Excellent interpersonal, communications and customer service skills.
- Ability to work independently, with little day-to-day supervision.
- Excellent organizational and time management skills and the ability to respond to a multiplicity of demands and prioritize work activities.
- Demonstrated consensus-building capacity in working with internal and external stakeholder groups.
- Experience responding to complex inquiries from patients is an asset.
- Information Security training or familiarity with cloud and artificial intelligence technologies is an asset.
- Project management experience an asset.

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