Director, Health Equity, Safety

Req ID: 187068 
Department/Program: People & Organization Development, Occupational Health, Safety and Wellness 
Location: Halifax  
Type of Employment: Permanent Hourly FT (100% FTE)  x 1 position(s)
 Start Date: ASAP
Union Status: Management, Management/Non Union Bargaining Unit
Compensation: $56.9529 - $71.1914 /hour
Closing Date: September 22, 2024 (Applications are accepted until 23:59 Atlantic Time)

This position is a designated position for applicants who identify as Indigenous, Black/African Nova Scotians, Persons of Colour, Immigrants/Newcomers, Persons with Disabilities, and/or 2SLGBTQIA+. You must self-identify at the application stage. 

IWK Health is a respected academic health sciences centre located in Halifax, Nova Scotia, providing tertiary and primary care for two million children, youth, adults and families each year across the Atlantic region. We have a team of approximately 4000 employees, physicians, volunteers and learners at sites across Nova Scotia. People build careers with IWK Health with our focus on training and mentorship opportunities. We recognize each other’s talent and celebrate our successes. We collaborate in modern facilities or virtually from home, align our work to our values, and enjoy access to enhanced benefits and wellness programs. We are proud to support our patients, families and communities and are grateful for the generous donor support we receive.

Promoting an anti-racist environment, and calling out discrimination as we work and provide care, is important to us. We are located in Mi’kma’ki, the unceded and ancestral territory of the Mi’kmaq people. Working in Mi’kma’ki and providing care to those across Atlantic Canada is a shared privilege with the original inhabitants who have lived here for many thousands of years prior to colonization. There are 13 First Nation communities across Nova Scotia, and more than 50 historic African Nova Scotian communities who also have a long, deep, and complex history dating back over 400 years. We have the highest percentage of people with disabilities in the country. Nova Scotia has the highest proportions of transgender and non-binary people than any other province or territory in the country. We are active in our work to eliminate discrimination, but have more work to do to build that trust, acknowledge our biases and reduce the barriers our diverse communities face. We want IWK Health to be a safe and supportive space of equity and belonging in the care we provide and the employment we offer. We welcome all interested persons who self-identify as Indigenous, Black/African Nova Scotians, Persons of Colour, Immigrants/Newcomers, Persons with Disabilities, 2SLGBTQIA+ to apply to support our goal for our workforce to be representative of the patients, families, and communities that we care for at all job levels.

This new portfolio brings together teams involved in Equity and Belonging, Occupational Health, Safety and Wellness, and Respectful Workplace.

Built on the foundations of equity, diversity, inclusion, reconciliation & accessibility (EDIRA) and psychologically and physically safe workplaces, the Director and team will develop a strategy and action plan grounded in evidence-informed approaches and global/ regional best practices and will oversee resources and programs related to employee wellbeing, physical and psychological safety, and EDIRA.  This work will require collaboration and co-creation with internal, health system and community partners. 

The Director’s first responsibility will be to bring together their team and develop a vision for this new portfolio.  This involves consultation with IWK team members, system partners and community organizations that represent diverse populations and informing next steps.  The Director will oversee and action IWK Health’s EDIRA and health and wellness strategies, support active EDIRA committees, working groups and affinity- groups, and develop metrics for evaluation.  

Supporting an active EDIRA strategic planning process, the Director will work with their team and partners to evaluate the current state, identify and address gaps, set priorities and develop culturally appropriate policies, programs, supports and education. The Director ensures that the EDIRA lens and psychological safe principles are applied to everything we do at IWK Health.

Working with all the directors, the policy owners, and the policy office, the Director will ensure IWK’s Administrative and clinical policies and practices align with a safe and welcoming workplace experience for all, address systemic biases in our employment and patient impacting practices, and ensure we have proper reporting, investigation and resolution supports to address respectful workplace issues, including bullying, harassment, violence and anti-racism.
This role also works closely with the Director of Quality and Patient Safety & Experience and other clinical leaders to ensure any patient and family experiences that identifies harm as a result of discrimination or inaccessibility is addressed from an organizational perspective.

The Director acts as catalyst for change management, by being a change leader who promotes cross-functional collaboration and uniting teams across the organization. 
 

75 hours bi-weekly 

First and foremost, we are seeking an experienced leader who has demonstrated their ability to bring people and organizations together around a common vision, an openness to learn together and the desire to create safe and welcoming spaces for all.  This is a role that requires humility as well as the organizational skills to create action from intent and meaningful outcomes from aspirations.  

• Minimum of seven to ten years' experience in health care or related sector, with a focus on workplace health, safety & wellness, EDIRA or related fields. Minimum three years’ demonstrated experience in a leadership role required. 
• Minimum of a bachelor’s degree in a health discipline, health administration or related field of study is required, with a strong desire for Master’s level education or willingness to pursue.   Advanced diplomas, certificates or training in the above areas are considered assets. Equivalent combination of education, training and experience will be considered. 
• Minimum three years’ demonstrated experience in a leadership role required.
• Hands on experience informal or informal leadership roles in a complex multi-union environment or unionized health care sector experience. 
• Proven experience successfully leading organizational and culture change, ideally related to EDIRA, healthy, respectful and welcoming workplaces or related areas is desirable.,  
• Strong preference for a leader who has experience in healthcare or related sector, training and experience in clinical/occupational health & wellness and/or a track record of building coalitions and advancing culturally informed care and service in a similar environment.
• Demonstrates high degree of independent decision-making, self-direction, motivation, change management knowledge and team building/leadership skills.
• Effective interpersonal and leadership skills with proven communication, negotiation, and conflict management skills.
• Proven ability to identify innovative solutions and recommendations that support system transformation.
• Demonstrated fiscal, financial, and human resource management for their portfolio.
• Results oriented, with excellent facilitation, communication (verbal and written), and relationship building skills.
   

Thank you for your interest in IWK Health.

Please note that we only contact applicants selected for interview/testing. If we invite you to participate in an assessment process (such as an interview or testing) you have the right to request accommodation. Please discuss your needs when invited to the assessment process.

This is a Management/Non Union  bargaining  unit position. 

An offer of employment is conditional upon the completion and satisfactory results of all applicable background checks and confirmation of credentials.

If you are an employee of IWK Health, please apply through the internal careers page to ensure you are flagged as an internal applicant.