Director, Health Promotion & Foundational Standards

Reporting to the Public Health Chief of Staff, the Director Health Promotion and Foundational Standards (HPFS) provides leadership and strategic direction for the implementation of the Foundational Standards of the Ontario Public Health Standards (OPHS), the Ontario Public Health Organizational Standards, and for the function of comprehensive health promotion applied across the department.

• Post-secondary degree in a health or business discipline
• Master’s Degree in Business, Health, or Public Administration

• 10 years of experience in a public/community health environment with a minimum of 5 of those in a senior management position within a community health organization.
• Experience in project leadership, strategic planning, and developing performance measures is preferred.
• Knowledge of the Ontario Public Health Standards.
• Extensive experience as a transformational leader of complex or strategic projects with a sound understanding of governance, accountability, and performance at a strategic planning level
• Knowledge of health assessment, community surveillance, evaluation, medical informatics, business planning and comprehensive health promotion.
• Training in lean methodologies or similar quality assurance methodology.
• Knowledge and understanding of the Personal Health Information Protection Act (PHIPA) and Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (MFIPPA) and how these apply to the collection, storage, use and retention of Public Health data and information.

• Provides leadership to the department in planning, evaluation, health assessment, community surveillance, health promotion, medical informatics, and quality improvement, identifying areas where linkage between the Department and the community would result in increased awareness of public health issues, service delivery and programming. Supports identifying business priorities for the department.
• Ensures departmental priorities and plans are well understood by members of the HPFS team to support teams in effectively working with divisional leaders, offering foundational support (planning, evaluation, analytics and information, continuous quality improvement, health promotion) to drive results
• Leads the overall vision and strategic direction for the HPFS division and optimizes the efficiency and effectiveness of resources through a quality improvement framework.
• Interprets legislation requirements and changes which may impact current or future year service delivery (Health Protection and Promotion Act, PHIPA, Occupational Health and Safety Act).
• Leads information and data governance and principles to maintain integrity and security of sensitive and confidential data and information, including personal health information required by the department and directs records retention.
• Reports to Regional Council, PHSS Committee, Senior Leadership (CLT/SLT), various community agencies, Ministries, professional organizations, and the community at large, conducting research, preparing and presenting information pertinent to the programs and services delivered by Public Health, Health Promotion and Foundational Standards, or related/current health issues and trends,
• Develops proposals for special projects and identifies resource requirements for the development and maintenance of assigned programs.
• Leads, prioritizes, plans, and monitors the administration and management of public health facilities.

Develops and manages relationships with internal and external stakeholders, ensuring programs and services continue to support corporate/community interests and that business needs, plans and initiatives are implemented and managed.

• Corresponds and negotiates with the Ministry of Health, Public Health Agency of Canada, and other national and provincial agencies.
• Develops and maintains partnerships with community agencies, municipalities, professionals, and community stakeholders through consultation and collaboration to share public health expertise and to build a network of specialists within the public sector.
• Collaborates with organizations such as Brock University, Niagara College, and the Ontario Health Team (research, data sharing, student placements).
• Advocates for the development of public health practice through the participation in professional associations and activities to provide the local voice.
• Participates on provincial, corporate and departmental committees, meetings, and bargaining unit negotiations, contributing to the planning and decision-making process.
• Engages with internal directors and managers across departments to facilitate communication related to facilities management (issue management with PH buildings), customer service (information sharing, standards), risk management, and works closely with the Corporate Information Officer as it relates to information technology (project priorities) and medical informatics.
• Works closely with Public Health divisions/programs to identify and provide unique and comprehensive health promotion, planning, evaluation, and continuous quality improvement, analytics and informatics, and customer service support for the delivery of programs, interventions, and initiatives in compliance with the Ontario Public Health Standards.
• Acts as the Senior Leadership Team lead for the Public Health Joint Health and Safety Committee.

• Initiates and manages change by facilitating assessment/evaluation of service delivery, promoting, and directing new strategies for delivery, developing and implementing business plans, and capitalizing on the skills of the managers and staff within the department to meet the requirements of various Provincial and Regional standards of service and financial management.
• Provides leadership to achievement of performance indicators and accountability indicators, including reporting requirements to the Ministry of Health.
• Applies a systems perspective and critical thinking to the analysis of broad departmental and divisional issues using evidence and risk management to make decisions in highly complex or ambiguous situations.
• Ensures a framework is in place to propose, develop, implement, and evaluate new and existing services.
• Initiates and supports research and evaluation activities internal to Public Health and with relevant academic institutions and other Public Health units supporting meaningful co-op experiences.
• Identifies and contributes to the development of departmental and corporate policies and ensures staff awareness of and adherence to department and organizational policies and procedures.

Accountable for medium to long range people resource planning for the division, determining ideal organizational structures, identifying desirable role and skill mix requirements and ensuring ongoing work quality and deliverability of results.

• Working through their leadership team, enables results with the organization’s human capital strategy to foster employee engagement.
• Oversees employee performance, career development, and succession planning activities, ensuring open and transparent metrics and processes are developed and implemented and opportunities are created to facilitate employee growth and development.
• Ensures focus is service excellence, effective communication between leaders and employees, transparency, innovation, and data integrity and work flow integration.
• Ensures staff is connected to corporate priorities and direction and has the information and resources to make successful plans and decisions.
• Helps to break down barriers to employee success, ensuring collaboration and cooperation with other Divisions and Departments
• Ensures all people related issues, including recruitment, grievances and labour relations issues, are aligned to HR and Corporate standards and practices.
• Ensures Occupational Health & Safety policies, programs and practices are implemented, maintained and integrated into all aspects of planning and decision-making.
• Ensures the competency and performance of the Internal Responsibility System within their department, as outlined in the Niagara Region’s Health and Safety Policy is achieved and maintained.

Special Requirements

• Must maintain ability to travel in a timely manner to other offices, work locations or sites as authorized by the Corporation for business reasons.
• An annual influenza vaccination is recommended.
• Regional staff strive to enable the strategic priorities of council and the organization through the completion of their work. Staff carry out their work by demonstrating the corporate values.