Please Note: If you are a current Oak Valley Health employee, apply to this job via the internal Workday application.
Land acknowledgement:
Oak Valley Health is honoured to provide care on the traditional and treaty territory of the Anishinaabeg, and acknowledge our closest Indigenous communities, the Chippewas of Georgina Island and the Mississaugas of Scugog Island. The land is encompassed within Treaty 13, Treaty 20, and the Williams Treaty.
Today, this area is home to many diverse Indigenous Peoples, and we acknowledge the health disparities and barriers Indigenous Peoples face in accessing care. To support true healing, we are committed to understanding these challenges, learning from Indigenous knowledge, and taking action together to improve safe and equitable health care for current and future generations.
Who you are:
- A healthcare leader who embodies our core values of Respect, Trust, Commitment, Compassion, and Courage.
- A patient-centered leader committed to delivering the highest standards of care to every patient, every day
- A collaborative team player with outstanding communication, critical thinking, and prioritization skills.
- Passionate about innovation, operational excellence, and making a positive impact on patients, families, and team members.
What We Need:
Oak Valley Health is looking for an experienced operational leader to serve as Director, People Development and Wellbeing. Reporting to the Vice President, People and CHRO, this role is accountable for the planning, delivery and continuous improvement of Organizational Development, Learning and Leadership Development, Employee Experience, Occupational Health & Safety, Workplace Wellbeing, and Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging (EDIB).
The Director translates OVH's People Plan 2026–2029 into annual work plans, dependable services and measurable improvements, particularly in Well-being and Belonging and Leadership and Growth. Working through managers and professional teams, the Director establishes priorities, service standards and clear accountabilities; manages budgets and resources; and resolves operational issues across the portfolio.
The successful candidate brings practical experience implementing and sustaining programs that improve employee and leader capability, performance, engagement, health and safety. This role requires sound judgment, active team leadership and the ability to balance daily service needs with planned improvements that support exceptional care and an extraordinary patient and employee experience.
Key Responsibilities:
Portfolio Operations and Team Leadership
- Lead day-to-day portfolio operations through managers and professional teams, ensuring responsive, consistent and coordinated services across OVH sites.
- Translate approved People Plan priorities into annual operating plans with clear deliverables, owners, timelines and measures; monitor progress and address barriers to delivery.
- Manage portfolio budgets, staffing, workload and external service providers; align resources to priorities and deliver within approved funding.
- Coach and develop direct reports, set performance expectations, address performance concerns and build team capacity and succession coverage.
- Maintain a portfolio scorecard covering service delivery, program outcomes and risks; use results and employee and leader feedback to improve services.
Talent Development Learning and Performance Management
- Lead the design, delivery and evaluation of leadership development, employee learning, talent development and succession planning programs aligned with operational needs.
- Identify capability gaps with leaders and subject matter experts; translate needs assessments into practical development plans and accessible learning opportunities.
- Implement and maintain the performance and development review cycle, including goal setting, feedback, development planning, manager tools and training; monitor completion and quality in partnership with HR Business Partners.
- Oversee learning schedules, content quality and program delivery; facilitate sessions and coach leaders when needed, and assess whether learning improves workplace practice.
- Ensure effective use of the learning management system, including Workday LMS, for enrolment, learning records, completion reporting and evaluation; coordinate system improvements with HR Operations and Digital/IT.
Employee Experience Culture and Equity Diversity Inclusion & Belonging
- Coordinate employee engagement and People Pulse surveys, communicate findings and support leaders to implement and track meaningful action plans.
- Deliver onboarding, recognition, team effectiveness and organizational development programs that respond to identified needs and support retention, psychological safety and OVH values.
- Implement approved EDIB priorities through inclusive learning, leadership practices and employee programs; identify barriers and track actions and outcomes with relevant partners.
- Support leaders with facilitation, coaching and practical change management tools to implement new practices and strengthen team effectiveness and accountability.
Occupational Health Safety and Workplace Wellbeing
- Lead Occupational Health & Safety and workplace wellbeing services through qualified professionals, ensuring timely service, appropriate clinical oversight and protection of confidential employee health information.
- Oversee employee health programs, disability and WSIB case management, attendance support, accommodation and safe return to work; coordinate complex matters with HR Business Partners, Labour Relations and operational leaders.
- Ensure effective workplace safety processes, including hazard identification, incident review, workplace violence prevention, corrective action follow-up and support for Joint Health and Safety Committees.
- Maintain portfolio policies, reporting and audit readiness to support applicable legislative, regulatory and accreditation requirements; address identified gaps and escalate unresolved risks.
- Use injury, absence, disability and wellbeing trends to target prevention and early intervention, evaluate program effectiveness and recommend improvements with operational partners.
What you bring to the role:
- Master’s degree in Human Resources, Organizational Development, Business Administration, Health Administration, Industrial/Organizational Psychology or a related discipline, or an equivalent combination of education and directly relevant experience.
- CHRL or an equivalent professional designation is preferred. Relevant learning and development, coaching, occupational health and safety, or change management certification is an asset.
- 8 to 10 years of progressive experience in People & Culture, organizational development, talent management or related operational services, preferably in a complex healthcare environment.
- At least 5 years of formal leadership experience, including accountability for multidisciplinary teams, budgets, service delivery and implementation of organization-wide programs.
- Demonstrated direct experience designing, implementing and evaluating talent development, leadership learning and performance management programs, including manager tools, training and sustained adoption.
- Experience leading Occupational Health & Safety, disability management, attendance support and workplace wellbeing services in a complex, unionized environment.
- Experience delivering employee engagement, organizational development and EDIB initiatives, with evidence of practical improvements and measurable outcomes.
- Working knowledge of relevant Ontario employment, occupational health and safety, accessibility, human rights and privacy requirements, collective agreements and healthcare accreditation expectations.
- Strong operational planning, financial management, project delivery and continuous improvement skills, with the ability to prioritize competing demands and resolve service issues.
- Effective facilitation, coaching, communication and relationship-building skills, with sound judgment and discretion in sensitive employee and organizational matters.
- Ability to interpret workforce and program data, develop useful measures and turn findings into actions. Experience with HR information systems, learning management systems and survey platforms; Workday experience is an asset.
Work Schedule:
Full-time, days. Due to the 24/7 nature of hospital operations, occasional early morning, evening, weekend or after-hours availability may be required to support operational needs, major implementations, critical staffing issues or escalation events.
Please note schedules may change due to operational needs.
Compensation:
BAND B
Range:
$75.46 - $98.48
Who we are:
Oak Valley Health is one of Ontario’s leading community health care organizations and include Markham Stouffville Hospital, Uxbridge Hospital, and our Reactivation Care Centre. Across our hospitals and the RCC we provide high quality, patient-centred care to more than 468,000 patients each year. We offer diagnostic and emergency services and deliver clinical programs in acute care medicine and surgery, addictions and mental health, and childbirth and children’s services. We are also proud to be part of the Eastern York Region North Durham Ontario Health Team (OHT).
Our 542 physicians, 35 midwives, over 3,000 staff and 1,000 volunteers serve patients and families with an honoured to care mindset and are focused on delivering an extraordinary patient experience to the residents of Markham, Whitchurch-Stouffville, Uxbridge and beyond. We are dedicated to providing access to the right care, at the right time, in the right place by the right people and at the right cost. Are you ready to join us?
Oak Valley Health diversity statement
Oak Valley Health takes pride in serving some of Canada’s most diverse communities. We are committed to fostering an environment of equity and inclusivity where every person can work and receive care safely, openly and honestly. All qualified applicants will receive consideration and we encourage applications from Indigenous peoples, members of sexual minority groups, members of racialized groups, persons with disabilities, and all others who may contribute to the further diversification of Oak Valley Health. Furthermore, Oak Valley Health is committed to meeting the needs of all individuals in accordance with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) and the Ontario Human Rights Code. Should you require accommodations during the recruitment and selection process, please contact Human Resources.
We are honoured to be recognized as one of Forbes Canada's Best Employers for Diversity. We ranked within the top 150 organizations across the country. Learn more about our commitment to EDI.