Director of Protective Services/Regional Fire Chief

The Director of Protective Services/Regional Fire Chief is part of the Regional District of Central Okanagan’s (RDCO) Senior Leadership Team, led by the Chief Administrative Officer (CAO), that provides corporate, legislative, financial, and strategic policy advice to the Board of Directors and the organization. Working with the CAO, the Director is responsible and accountable for the overall service delivery, leadership, performance and continuous improvement of RDCO’s Protective Services. This includes oversight of Emergency Management Services (including the Regional Emergency Management Program), Fire Services (including four Paid-on-Call Fire Halls), Bylaw Services, Crime Prevention and Victim Services. This position will strategically lead the evolution of the Protective Services Department in conjunction with the CAO’s mandate to achieve the Board’s vision and strategic priorities.

What You'll Do

1. Provide strategic advice and recommendations to the CAO and Regional Board on sensitive, high-risk, and politically complex matters, ensuring advice is defensible, timely, and aligned with legislative requirements, governance principles and organizational direction.

2. Ensure departmental priorities are informed by community risk, service demand, legislative change, financial sustainability, and Regional Board direction.

3. Provide strategic leadership and oversight of the planning, delivery, evaluation, and continuous improvement of the department by establishing and evaluating service standards, performance measures and accountability frameworks that ensure effective and sustainable programs across the region.

4. Support regional collaboration and guide the organization through emergency preparedness, response, recovery, and resilience initiatives, while providing leadership during major emergency events as required.

5. Lead the development of Board reports, bylaws, policies, service reviews, and strategic goals related to the Protective Services Department.

6. Lead, develop, and inspire departmental leaders and staff by setting clear expectations, modeling organizational values, fostering a culture of accountability and continuous improvement, supporting employee growth and development, and ensuring teams have the capacity, resources, and support required to achieve departmental objectives.

7. Negotiate service delivery agreements, contracts and partnership agreements with local governments, First Nations, service providers, and external agencies to support organizational objectives and Regional Board priorities.

8. Ensure departmental financial planning, budgeting, resource allocation, procurement activities, grants and contracts are in compliance with financial policies, fiscal accountability, corporate objectives and service delivery requirements.

Reports

Direct:

· Manager, Emergency Program

· Manager, Protective Services

· North Westside Fire Rescue Chief / Fire Services Advisor

· Wilsons Landing Fire Rescue Chief (paid on call)

· Ellison Fire Rescue Chief (paid on call)

· Joe Rich Fire Rescue Chief (paid on call)

Indirect:

· 32 staff under Bylaw Services, Community Safety, Victim Services, Fire Services

· 120 Paid on-Call Firefighters

Budgetary Responsibilities

· $13.3 Million

The Ideal Candidate

The ideal candidate is a strategic senior leader with demonstrated experience leading multi-disciplinary teams, managing significant operating budgets, and overseeing complex and geographically dispersed service delivery. They have strong program management, stakeholder collaboration, financial stewardship, and project execution expertise. The ideal candidate has demonstrated ability to assess programs, services, and organizational systems from a strategic perspective, identifying root causes, long-term implications, opportunities for improvement and resource requirements. The ideal background could include protective services, public safety, emergency management, fire services, emergency operations or a related environment. This experience may have been gained in municipal or regional government, provincial or federal agencies, emergency response organizations, the private sector, consulting, or other complex service delivery environments. Most importantly, the ideal candidate is a values-based leader who builds trust and credibility, approaches their work with curiosity and humility, and remains steady in the face of complexity and change. They are willing to address difficult issues directly and respectfully, make sound decisions in complex situations, and hold themselves and others accountable for results.

The Region

The Regional District of Central Okanagan is a diverse and rapidly growing regional government serving over 222,000 residents across urban and rural communities in British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley. As one of the province’s 27 regional districts, RDCO delivers more than 70 services, ranging from regional parks and emergency response to local utilities and development planning. Deeply rooted in collaboration and reconciliation, the RDCO partners with member municipalities, electoral areas, and Westbank First Nation to steward sustainable growth and community wellbeing across 314,000 hectares of land.

Why Join the RDCO

This role offers an exceptional opportunity to live and lead in one of Canada’s fastest-growing regions. With its temperate climate, stunning natural landscape, and thriving economy, the region blends natural beauty with innovation and accessibility. For those seeking meaningful impact and an outstanding quality of life, this position presents a compelling and timely leadership opportunity.

Compensation

In accordance with BC's Pay Transparency Act, the salary range for this position is $183,752 (min) to $204,146 (mid) $224,540 (max) annually, plus a comprehensive benefits package. It is the RDCO’s philosophy to pay in the middle of the range for a fully qualified applicant.

To explore this opportunity further, please submit your cover letter and resume to rdco.com/jobs.