Chief of Staff and Chief Medical Officer / Chef du personnel médical et médecin chef

Compensation Pay Range

Job Description:

Chief of Staff and Chief Medical Officer: Recruiting Letter

Dear Candidate,
Welcome to the vibrant world of CHEO, the heart of pediatric health in Canada’s capital. I am delighted you are considering the role of Chief of Staff and Chief Medical Officer.
CHEO is at a historic turning point, and we are looking for a clinical leader to help shape our next chapter. We serve one of the largest territories in Canada, reaching a population of over three million. Every day, our dedicated workforce of 6,000+ professionals work alongside families to provide world-class care, ground-breaking research, and elite clinical training.
Our focus is clear: to build a seamless, connected pediatric health system that brings specialized care closer to home.
Why now? The health care needs for children and families continue to grow in volume and complexity. We have just embarked on the most significant redevelopment in our history. This isn\'t just about modernizing our campus; it’s about fundamentally reimagining how we deliver care. We are strengthening how we lead and measure quality and safety across the organization, and how we partner with community pediatricians, primary care and regional hospitals to reduce unnecessary waits and keep CHEO focused on tertiary and quaternary care. We are collaborating with partners to ensure no child or youth is left behind.
CHEO’s dyad leadership model is vital. The Chief of Staff/ Chief Medical Officer is appointed by and accountable to the Board, and works in close partnership with me, and with our Chief Nursing Executive to lead clinical operations. You will also work closely with the University of Ottawa Faculty of Medicine and the CHEO Research Institute to strengthen a learning health system and a strong teaching environment.
I am looking for a partner in this journey, someone who is passionate about supporting our workforce as they help children and youth live their best lives. And, of course, you’ll be doing this in Ottawa, one of the most beautiful and livable cities in the world.
If this vision aligns with your values and your experience, I would love to hear from you.

Next Steps
Alumni Global is supporting CHEO in this executive search. To express your interest, please send a letter of intent and your curriculum vitae, in confidence, to Thomas Patterson at
thomas.patterson@alumniglobal.com.
With gratitude,
Dr. Vera Etches
President and CEO, CHEO
Chief of Staff and Chief Medical Officer: Posting
CHEO | Ottawa, Ontario
Term
: 5 years, with the possibility of one five-year renewal
Time commitment
: 0.8 FTE (minimum 4 days/week), with flexibility to consider 1.0 FTE or a 0.8 FTE model combined with 0.2 FTE clinical or academic work
Primary location
: CHEO main campus (401 Smyth Rd.), with hybrid work opportunities
The organization
At CHEO, we believe every child and youth deserves the best life possible. More than 6,000 staff, physicians, learners, researchers and volunteers deliver care and support for children, youth and families across Ottawa, Eastern and Northern Ontario, Western Quebec and Nunavut. CHEO is an academic pediatric health institution affiliated with the University of Ottawa, with research and discovery advanced through the CHEO Research Institute.
CHEO is building the pediatric system kids need now and for generations to come, connecting care within and beyond our walls so families experience timely, seamless journeys, as close to home as possible. Equity, cultural safety and sustainability guide our work, and our culture of dyad leadership supports collaborative decision-making across executive and clinical teams.
Ottawa is located on the unceded territory of the Algonquin Anishinaabe Nation. CHEO acknowledges the enduring presence of Indigenous Peoples on this land and the truths of historical harms and the ongoing impacts of colonization. We are committed to advancing reconciliation through respectful relationships, culturally safe care, and an inclusive workplace culture.

The opportunity
Dr. Lindy Samson will complete her ten-year term as Chief of Staff/Chief Medical Officer at the end of August 2026. CHEO is undertaking a comprehensive internal and external search for the next Chief of Staff/Chief Medical Officer.
This is a senior physician executive role with a strong focus on clinical quality and safety, medical staff leadership, and system partnership. The successful candidate will help CHEO strengthen how quality and performance are led, measured, and improved, while supporting medical staff wellbeing and sustaining a respectful, learning-oriented culture. A central priority is advancing equity, inclusion and cultural safety, including improving Indigenous patient experience.
The Chief of Staff/Chief Medical Officer is appointed by and accountable to the CHEO Board of Directors. CHEO’s dyad leadership model is a cornerstone of how we lead, with the Chief of Staff/Chief Medical Officer working in dyad partnership with the President and CEO and, as Chief Medical Officer, with the Chief Nursing Executive to lead clinical operations.

Key Responsibilities

• Clinical quality, safety and standards
• Lead oversight of clinical standards, evidence-based practice, peer review and quality improvement.
• Strengthen performance measurement and use of data to reduce unwarranted variation and improve outcomes.
• Ensure regulatory and compliance leadership across clinical areas, including PHIPA, medical staff by-laws and standards of care.

Strategic clinical and system leadership

• Advance CHEO’s system-wide vision for connected care across Eastern and Northern Ontario, Western Quebec and Nunavut.
• Support models of care that help children receive the right care in the right setting, closer to home where appropriate.
• Help embed a learning health system, linking operations, research, education and improvement.

Medical staff leadership and workforce oversight

• Lead the medical workforce: recruitment, engagement, development, accountability and professionalism.
• Oversee credentialing, privileging, reappointment and medical staff HR matters with fairness, clarity and consistency.
• Support a healthy culture, including addressing conflict and behaviours that impact teams and patient care.

Academic mission, teaching and learning

• Support a positive, safe and effective learning environment for medical learners.
• Strengthen relationships with academic partners, including the University of Ottawa Faculty of Medicine and the CHEO Research Institute.

Partnerships and external relations

• Build trusted relationships with families, community pediatricians, primary care leaders, regional partners and system leaders.
• In collaboration with the CEO, support government relationships connected to clinical and system priorities.

Governance and Board relationships

• Serve as Chair of the Medical Advisory Committee and related committees, and as a non-voting member of the Board.
• Advise on medical staff appointments, privileges, quality and clinical risk.
• Ensure compliance with the Public Hospitals Act, the medical staff by-laws and governance frameworks.

Qualifications

• Privileged member of CHEO’s medical staff, or eligible for appointment.
• Eligible for appointment to the Faculty of Medicine, University of Ottawa.
• Licensed (or eligible for licensure) to practise medicine in Ontario, with RCPSC or CFPC certification (or eligibility).
• Minimum 10 years of relevant leadership experience.
• Bilingualism (English/French) is preferred.

What CHEO Is Looking For

• A physician leader with a clear, practical focus on quality and safety, and the ability to translate clinical complexity into accessible decisions and messages.
• A steady, respectful, and courageous approach to performance, professionalism and difficult conversations.
• A leadership style grounded in equity, inclusion, cultural safety, family-centred care and trauma-informed practice.
• Strong operational judgement, comfort working in ambiguity, and the ability to build trust across diverse teams.
• Confidence using data, risk frameworks, clinical informatics and AI-ready environments to guide improvement.

Compensation
CHEO is open to considering a 0.8 or 1.0 FTE appointment. The executive compensation range for the role (0.8 FTE) is:
Base salary: $267,800 to $309,000 with potential for a 6% incentive

How To Apply

• Alumni Global is supporting CHEO with this search. Applications will be reviewed on an ongoing basis. Please submit: a letter of interest (addressed to the Selection Committee), and a current curriculum vitae.
• Please contact Thomas Patterson, Managing Director, for a confidential discussion on thomas.patterson@alumniglobal.com.

Commitment to equity and inclusion
CHEO is committed to an inclusive, respectful and culturally safe workplace. We welcome applications from all qualified candidates and strongly encourage applications from Indigenous Peoples, Black and racialized communities, persons with disabilities, people of diverse sexual orientations and gender identities, and members of linguistic minority communities.
CHEO values diversity and is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to providing an inclusive and barrier-free work environment, starting with the hiring process and welcome interest from all qualified applicants.
Should you require accommodation during any phase in the recruitment process, please contact Human Resources at TalentAcquisition@cheo.on.ca.
All information received in relation to accommodation will be kept confidential and will be handled in compliance with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act.
We thank all those who apply, however, only those to be interviewed will be contacted.

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