Director of Health Protection

Position Summary:

Wellington-Dufferin-Guelph Public Health is dedicated to promoting and protecting the health of individuals and communities in Wellington County Dufferin County and the City of Guelph. With a vision of health and well-being for all we strive to address the diverse health needs of our population through innovative programs and initiatives upstream interventions and collaborative partnerships. From immunization campaigns to disease surveillance and community health promotion our team of dedicated professionals works to ensure the well-being of everyone in our communities.

As a workplace WDG Public Health offers a dynamic environment where passion for public health meets professional excellence. Employees have the opportunity to make a meaningful impact on the health outcomes of our communities while enjoying a supportive and inclusive work culture. With ongoing opportunities for professional development a commitment to work-life balance competitive compensation and benefits and a strong sense of community within our organization WDG Public Health is not only a great place to work but also a rewarding place to grow and thrive in your career.

Read our 2024-2028 Strategic Plan on our Careers homepage for more about our vision mission values goals and priorities.

If you are looking for a rewarding opportunity to use your knowledge and skills to make a difference in the health of our communities we invite you to apply.

Our employees primarily work on-site to foster collaboration connection and effective service delivery. Depending on the role and operational needs flexible or hybrid work arrangements may be available in certain circumstances.

We offer a competitive compensation package including:
Employer paid benefits including extended health and dental;
Defined benefit OMERS Pension Plan with 100% employer matching;
Paid sick time Short-Term Disability Plan and Long-Term Disability Plan;
EAP wellness program for individuals and family;
Employer paid parking;
35-hour work week;
Many opportunities for growth and development including employer paid courses to obtain
certifications;
We value work-life balance as such we pride ourselves on our generous vacation allowance and employee time off.

Knowledge and Scope of Operations Director Health Protection:
Oversees Health Protection programs within the Health Protection and Emergency Preparedness Division while also providing guidance or direction to multiple programs and functions within their division.
Provides leadership direction and support to management supervisory and administrative personnel responsible for the delivery of Health Protection programs.
This will include direct accountability for selected programs through designated supervisory staff.
The role ensures the effective management of daily operations and the delivery of core public health programs and services in accordance with applicable public health standards legislative requirements and organizational priorities

Leadership:
Acts as a hands-on departmental leader supporting the management team through the application of Senior Executive Leadership directives/agency mandates.
Builds effective management teams and supports the development of collaborative working relationships and the coordination of activities across all programs.
Mentors and guides the ongoing development of public health professionals.
Ensures program managers supervisors and assigned program assistants understand and confirm that staff follow specific legal technical and professional standards
As a member of the management team contributes actively towards the development and collective attainment of the agencys strategic direction and performance objectives.
Attends and supports the Vice President of the division at the Board of Health meetings. May be assigned to act on behalf of another Director in their absence.
Participates in an on-call rotation as necessary.

Program and Operational Planning and Management:
Directs and is responsible for mandatory programs and protocols as defined in the Ontario Public Health Standards including development of policies and programs.
Directs activities within the department regarding quality assurance risk management and serious occurrence response.
Monitors significant and sensitive issues related to Health Protection programming budget and human resources matters ensuring that the Vice President of the division is aware of any significant risk.
Informs and supports the Agencys response to health protection and mitigation of infection risk in the community.
Has responsibility to authorize and issue orders made by the Medical Officer of Health under the Health Protection and Promotion Act and pertinent regulations.
Directs the preparation and/or review of reports to the Board of Health.
In concert and co-ordination with divisional Vice President acts as a representative of WDGPH before municipal councils community partners and other government agencies as required.

Financial Planning and Management:
Works closely with the divisional Vice President to support multi-year strategic and operating plans for the department which are innovative and evidence-based maximizing service delivery efficiencies.
Develops and administers the annual budget for department and ensures that the department expenditures are controlled and maintained within the approved budget.
Provides leadership and represents the Health Protection program and its interests on community advisory boards.
Prepares and/or reviews applications and reports related to funding/grant proposals and special projects.
Collaborates with the Corporate Division to ensure that all required updates/progress reports including financial updates are submitted accurately and according to expected timelines.
Identifies and pursues opportunities for revenue generation including fee-for-service programming and alternate funding sources.

Human Resources Planning and Management:
Works closely with the Human Resources team to align the operational vision with the agencys strategic framework.
Establishes a positive healthy and safe work environment per appropriate government legislation and regulations.
Determines staffing requirements for ensuring program delivery within the division.
Oversees employee performance management process which includes monitoring of performance on an on-going basis.

Hours of Work:

Monday to Friday 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM.
Operations Director Health Protection provides on-call coverage.
Please note: Operations Director Health Protection will be based out of our Guelph office.

Position Effective:

August 10 2026

Requirements:

Masters degree in Public Health Health Sciences Administration or related discipline.
4-year Undergraduate Degree in Environmental Health or Nursing at a recognized Canadian university or equivalent.
4 to 6 years experience in job specialty.
5 years management experience or relevant experience required.
1 to 2 years policy development experience.
4 to 6 years human resource planning finance and budget development and implementation business planning familiarity with legal contracts/statements knowledge of legislative requirements under the HPPA.
Current registration with CIPHI (Canadian Institute of Public Health Inspectors).

Special Skills and Training:
Proven expertise in health promotion strategies.
Understanding of all program and workplace legislative requirements; including population health surveillance and health promotion strategies.
Research and evaluation skills.
Excellent risk assessment and risk management skills.
Ability to build consensus function in a team environment.
Critical thinking ability to analyze complex technical and medical information.
Thorough knowledge of finance and administration functions.

We thank all applicants however only individuals selected for an interview will be contacted.

WDG Public Health is committed to providing accommodation during the recruitment process for people in accordance with the Ontario Human Rights Code. If you require accommodation(s) please advise Human Resources in advance and we will work with you to meet your needs. The organization will maintain the confidentiality of information related to an accommodation request and will only disclose this information with the consent of the employee or applicant.

WDG Public Health is an equal opportunity Agency. Personal information is collected under the authority of the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act and will be used to determine eligibility.

If successful in the hiring process it is important to understand that you would be an employee of a health care organization that strongly believes in the importance of immunizations as a necessary public health measure to control the spread of infectious diseases. Subject to any duty to accommodate under the Human Rights Code of Ontario successful applicants will be required to comply with the Agencys Immunization Policy. This policy is available upon request. Applicants who are unable to be immunized due to a valid medical contraindication must have a Statement of Medical Exemption Form completed by their primary care provider.

Required Experience:

Director

Employment Type : Full-Time
Department / Functional Area: Executive Management
Experience: years
Vacancy: 1