Consultant, Clinical Programs

Ontario Health; London; Hybrid; CAD 60,000 - 100,000

Job description

To obtain a French translation of the following job posting, please email [e-mail]. Requests will be addressed within three business days, and the application window will be extended by three business days.

At Ontario Health, we are committed to developing a strong organizational culture that connects and inspires all team members across the province. Our vision is that together, we will be a leader in health and wellness for all. Our mission is to connect the health system to drive improved and equitable health outcomes, experiences and value. How we work together is reflected through our five values: integrity, inspiration, tenacity, humility and care.

What Ontario Health offers:

Achieving your career goals is a priority to us. Benefits of working at Ontario Health may include the following based on employment type:

• Fully paid medical, dental and vision coverage from your first day
• A health care spending or wellness spending account
• A premium defined benefit pension plan
• Three personal days and two float days annually
• Three weeks’ vacation to start (for individual contributors), increasing to four weeks after two years
• Career development opportunities
• A collaborative values-based team culture
• A wellness program
• A hybrid working model
• Participation in Communities of Inclusion

Want to make a difference in your career? Consider this opportunity.

The Clinical Programs team of Ontario Health West Region is responsible for implementing clinical standards, evidence-based clinical best practices and pathways. The team collaborates with clinical and administrative stakeholders to advance quality improvement and improved access to care across a variety of specialist populations and single disease populations.

The Consultant will be responsible for leading engagement activities with various stakeholders from across the health system to inform the development and implementation of clinical standards, programs and clinical pathways. The Consultant will need to understand and interpret data to design targeted interventions and drive measurable improvements in performance. The Consultant will need to build and maintain strong relationships with providers and partners to enable and support challenging process and organizational changes aimed at improving system capacity and outcomes. The Consultant will lead evaluation activities for key initiatives, including the identification of key performance indicators and the collection and analysis of data to measure and assess impact.

This position will be regional in nature, focusing on the pertinent needs of the West Region. This position reports to the Director, Clinical Programs, West Region.

Here is what you will be doing:

Health System Planning, Quality Improvement and Change Management

• Lead the development and achievement of regional initiatives to improve access to and quality of clinical programs in the West Region.
• Lead change management activities in partnership with health service providers.
• Analyze and interpret robust data sets to understand service gaps, risks, and challenges, and identify and engage appropriate partners to problem solve, design, and implement solutions.
• Lead evaluation activities for key initiatives, including the identification of key performance indicators and the collection and analysis of data to measure and assess impact.
• Leverage system knowledge and relationships to identify and support innovative partnerships and/or programs to enable strong clinical change management and quality and access to care.

Develop and Lead Stakeholder Relationships

• Lead broad engagement and facilitation activities (with senior level health service provider staff, physicians, patients/caregivers, Ministry staff) to ensure policies and strategies are co-designed with service users and aligned with partners' objectives.
• Act as key representative on appropriate tables to inform coordination and planning, development and implementation of best practices, and recommend changes to existing programs including priorities for allocation of funds.
• Provide advice and input from the planning perspective to the development of health-care system plans and manage project plans and budget allocation for planning and integration activities.
• Employ political acuity, negotiation, and persuasion to enable and strengthen strategic collaborations that advance each partner’s interests and objectives.
• Work with internal team members in the West Region as well as across Ontario Health to drive forward West Region strategic projects and initiatives.

Project Management and Objectives Delivery

• Participate in the establishment of regional goals, objectives and strategies for the team and implement initiatives to ensure they are achieved.
• Ensure that programs and initiatives align with provincial and Ontario Health strategies.
• Provide guidance to staff within the portfolio to drive projects in accordance with accepted best practices, standards government/ministry directives, policies and procedures.
• Monitor, evaluate and report on regional activities to ensure achievement of performance objectives.
• Provide leadership in the promotion and strengthening of evidence-based approaches to decision making within the team and the health system.
• Ensure health equity principles and priorities are addressed through planning and implementation processes.

Issues and Stakeholder Management

• Maintain an awareness of current issues in the health care system related to Annual Business Plan strategic priorities and key result areas with a particular emphasis on issues related to the implementation of change initiatives.
• Conduct proactive issues management by anticipating and mitigating issues, facilitating discussions among partners/stakeholders.
• Use excellent problem recognition and problem-solving abilities to handle complex problems and inform management of potential issues and associated solutions.
• Proactively identify partnership opportunities and explore partnership opportunities presented by leadership and upon outreach from partners to advance OH West Clinical Programs initiatives/projects.

Here is what you will need to be successful:

Education and Experience

• Master’s degree in health administration, health planning, business administration or a related field; or an equivalent combination of education and experience in a health care environment.
• Minimum of 8 years of progressive experience in a multi-stakeholder healthcare environment required, with at least 5 years of experience in leading/managing teams (direct or indirect), utilizing relationship building and management skills.
• Experience in the hospital/acute sector an asset.
• Strong and innovative health care leader with a track record in provincial health system integration and successful track record of executing on a range of initiative and inspiring system level change.
• Exceptional relationship developer, capable of inspiring teams and working with organization partners to facilitate change while fostering a culture of creativity and innovation.
• Strong project management experience, including demonstrated ability to efficiently plan, organize and manage multiple complex projects simultaneously with limited supervision or direction.
• Proven ability to collaborate across functional lines of responsibility, lead large internal/external project teams and build consensus where results have implications for change management.
• Ability to work in an independent and self-directed manner while taking accountability for own actions.
• Ability to lead operational initiatives to meet or exceed partner standards and expectations in assigned area and/or across multiple areas, in a timely and respectful manner.
• Ability to prepare materials for presentations, and make presentations, concerning technical and/or sensitive information to a diverse range of audiences.
• Ability to exercise sound judgement on issues of a sensitive and contentious nature and able to negotiate to develop consensus around complex policy strategies.
• Highly developed communication skills, both verbally and written. The ability to provide and obtain information of a complex, technical or sensitive nature effectively, clearly, concisely and logically, and at an appropriate level and in an appropriate format is required.

Knowledge and Skills

• Stakeholder Engagement: Develops networks and builds alliances. Engages in cross-functional activities; collaborates across boundaries and finds common ground with a widening range of stakeholders.
• Critical thinking: Superior critical and strategic thinking.
• Relationship Management: Builds multiple external collaborative relationships to support department performance. Identifies the key issues and accommodates the key players when dealing with external parties/units on joint projects.
• Communication and Interpersonal Skills: Listens well and encourages open communication. Ability to communicate clearly and concisely. Considers and responds appropriately to the needs, feelings, and capabilities of others in different situations; is tactful, compassionate and sensitive, and treats others with respect.
• Risk Management: Measures and evaluates outcomes and corrects direction as appropriate.
• Strategic Planning: Communicates corporate goals and objectives within the department. Aligns department tasks and objectives with corporate goals and objectives. Establishes clear targets and measures to track progress toward department objectives. Shares organizational performance measurement information and encourages dialogue and analysis.
• Change Management: Actively embraces change efforts and initiatives to improve department performance. Develops and uses different methods to help employees to positively react to change.
• System Design: Scan the environment for ideas, best practices and trends across the system.
• Health Care Planning: Demonstrates understanding of the healthcare system and environment. Effectively choose options, plan, implement and evaluate policies and/or programs in health care.
• Program Development: Develops new insights into situations and applies innovative solutions to make organizational improvements. Creates a work environment that encourages creative thinking and innovation. Designs and implements new or cutting-edge programs/processes.
• Time Management: Ability to foster a “team” environment in order to work with partners to develop a better, faster, more coordinated, patient-centered healthcare system.
• Negotiation: Ability to build consensus and foster change.
• Presentation Skills: Strong presentation skills to ensure transformation and partnership concepts and plans are effectively communicated to others.
• Knowledge of Ontario health sector and workforce trends within this sector.
• In-depth development knowledge of local health issues, priorities and needs while recognizing the broader trends in health care policy and system development.

Location: West Region, Ontario (currently hybrid; subject to change)

Employment Type: Permanent Full time

Contract Length: N/A

Salary Band: Band 7

External Application Deadline Date: April 4, 2025

All applicants must be a resident of Ontario to be considered for roles at Ontario Health.

Ontario Health encourages applications from candidates who are First Nations, Métis, Inuit, and urban Indigenous; Francophone; members of Black and racialized groups; 2SLGBTQIA+ communities; trans and nonbinary individuals; and people living with disabilities.

Ontario Health is an accessible employer, and we offer accommodation in all aspects of employment, including the recruitment process. If you require a disability related accommodation in order to participate in the recruitment process, please email [e-mail] and a member of the team will connect with you within 48 hours.