Advisor, Health Workforce Best Practices Permanent

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
• Health care spending account
• Premium defined benefit pension plan
• 3 personal days and 2 float days annually
• Individual contributors start at 3 weeks’ vacation, and 4 weeks at 2 yrs.
• Career development opportunities
• A collaborative values-based team culture
• Wellness programs
• A hybrid working model
• Participation in Communities of Inclusion 

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

The Advisor is a subject matter expert for the Health Workforce Data, Planning & Evidence department. The role is consultative in nature for both the department and when required for other teams across the organization.

The Advisor develops, manages, and executes initiatives. They act as an advisor to the director and may lead/oversee projects including the researching, collecting and disseminating health workforce best practice information. This includes information on evidence-based staffing models, team-based care, and system level care delivery to support and optimize Ontario’s health Workforce.

The Advisor is usually to be consulted for their expertise and advice or help in the area of health workforce planning and optimization. They are a high-level decision maker with an in-depth knowledge of health workforce research and best practices.

Here is what you will be doing:   

Key areas of responsibility include:

• Strategic planning to support health workforce optimization;
• Subject matter advice to the Director, the department, and the team at large; and
• Stakeholder engagement to gain knowledge of health workforce best practices.

Overall

• Provides input on the overall departmental strategic plan, with a focus on integrating knowledge dissemination.
• Works with project leads and/or director to advise on research and best practices as it pertains to Ontario’s Health Workforce

Analysis

• Develops frameworks, methodologies, standard metrics and/or tools; works with teams to mobilize new knowledge into reports, research manuscripts, presentation/webinars, and online content aimed at a variety of information uses including by not limited to OH management and staff, policy and decision makers, and healthcare planners in Ontario.
• Consults with business leaders (e.g., OLTCA, OHA, hospitals, OHTs, clinical leaders, etc.) and provides authoritative advice on health workforce best practices.
• Leads and develops initiatives whether for operations, projects, or research.
• Conducts research, reports, and presentations on:
• • The best use of our current health workforce to provide robust care to patients (e.g., staffing models); and
  • Recommendations on how to optimize Ontario’s future health workforce to ensured streamlined, high quality health care.
• Develops and implements innovative approaches to evaluate policies, programs, and research (both external and internal to OH) as it applies to the department.
• Interprets and summarizes and presents key findings to technical and non-technical audiences.
• Provides data, evidence, and information in support of OH’s Knowledge Hub including support for expert panels.
• Conduct qualitative and quantitative analyses to support project and/or program goals, as required.

Coordination/Collaboration

• Proactively engages with stakeholder to understand an anticipate their needs for information using surveys and key informant interviews; develops and fosters partnerships with organizations and client groups to ensure the relevance and quality of knowledge products.
• Works with other OH departments to enable new, innovative modes of information dissemination, such as Ontario’s HHR Knowledge Hub, online forums, podcasts, expert panels, social media, and infographics, etc. to further the mandate of the department.
• Deploys resources to ensure successful delivery of projects.
• May recruit and informally supervise students.
• Identifies and rapidly escalates urgent politically sensitive issues to ensure appropriate responses.
• Demonstrates exceptional tactical and critical strategic thinking to keep research effective and impactful when faced with changing circumstances, such as shifts in political priorities or funding changes.
• In conjunction with the Lead, HWRBP, recommends and supports the development of health workforce programs and policies that drive health workforce optimization. Mitigates against risks and identifies opportunities for program improvement.

Relationship Management

• Develops relationships with colleagues within the team, across the organization, and externally to understand best practices, issues, and research needs; shares information; and provides assistance in understanding methodologies and results.
• Demonstrates leadership and integrity in interactions with internal and external stakeholders.
• Collaborates with internal colleagues to ensure quality standards and other quality products are delivered on-time and on budget.
• Builds relationships with industry colleagues to remain current on best practices, issues, and trends.
• Mentors and coaches junior team members to grow capabilities and expertise.

Here is what you will need to be successful:   

Education and Experience:  

• Master’s degree in health, public health, epidemiology, or a health-related profession. Strong preference will be given to a candidate with experience as a regulated health professional.
• 3-5 years work experience in the Ontario Health System with a wide range of clinical and administrative stakeholders.
• Experience in engaging technical and clinical audiences to gather research/best practices/analysis requirements, interpret results and information to facilitate decision-making.
• Experience using healthcare and demographic datasets and standards, including CIHI (DAD, NACRS, CCRS, NRS), RPDB, OHIP, ON-MARG, and Statistics Canada census considered an asset.
• Experience working in a health human resources-related role, including understanding of both health professional and healthcare organizational perspectives an asset.

Knowledge and Skills:

• Knowledge of health workforce best practices associated with staffing models and system level care delivery to optimize the health workforce.
• Knowledge of relevant health human resources stakeholders, regulators, and associations to support research, data collection and information sharing.
• Demonstrated ability to appraise evidence and research to evaluate its quality, importance, and applicability.
• Judgement, planning and organizations skills to ensure that research, analysis, and information needs are established and met, with priorities and deadlines being observed in support of the achievement of overall departmental goals.
• Advisory and communication skills to collaborate with a broad range of contacts, to deliver analytical/research reports and provide expert input.
• Strong written and communication skills to prepare reports and lead presentations.
• Project planning & management. Adept at balancing concurrent tasks and projects and works effectively in a dynamic working environment.
• Strong problem-solving, research, and critical thinking capability.
• Demonstrated ability to take initiative and exercise sound judgement in setting priorities, identifying issues and determining the action(s) required.
• Proficiency in MS Office Suite in particular Outlook, Word, PowerPoint and Excel
• Ability to work collaboratively to determine work objectives as well as in self-directed manner as defined within the overall context of the project plan.
• Strong ability to deal with ambiguity and flexibility to pivot to adapt to changing demands.
• Proven ability to develop relationships with key stakeholders to establish trust, credibility, and respect.
• Strong technical skills, including the ability collect, analyze, and present data. This includes the ability to effectively collect information through surveys and other mechanisms.

Location: Ontario (currently hybrid; subject to change)

Employment Type: Permanent Full time

Salary Band: Band 5

External Application Deadline Date: January 28, 2025