Director, Indigenous Health & Wellness

Who are we looking for: Are you looking for a new and leadership challenge in healthcare? Interior Health has an exciting opportunity for a Corporate Director, Indigenous Health & Wellness. The location for this role is flexible within the Interior Health Region of British Columbia. We are looking for people who want to make a difference in the communities in which they live, work, and play. Relocation allowance may be provided, apply today to join our amazing team.

Some of the benefits of joining Interior Health:

• An attractive remuneration package
• Excellent career prospects
• Employee & Family Assistance Programs
• Employer paid training/education opportunities
• Employer paid vacation
• Employer paid insurance premiums
• Extended Health & Dental coverage
• Municipal Pension Plan
• Work-life balance
• Relocation Allowance may be provided

Salary range for the position is $128,298 to $184,428. Interior Health establishes salaries within the minimum and maximum of the salary range based on consideration of the qualifications, experience of the applicant, and an internal equity review of the salaries of other employees.

How will you create an impact: Interior Health Authority is on a journey towards reconciliation. As a collective, the Interior Health (IH) team acknowledges the traditional territories on which they work, live, and play including the lands of the Dakelh Dene, Ktunaxa, Nlaka’pamux, Secwepemc, St’at’imc, Syilx and Tsilhqot’in peoples. Interior Health is committed to working with First Nations and Métis Nation British Columbia to plan and deliver culturally sensitive healthcare services and to deliver on its goal of Improving Health and Wellness.

Reporting directly to the Vice President Indigenous Partnerships and in accordance with the established vision and values of the organization, the Director, Indigenous Health & Wellness provides leadership and support to strategic and operational planning, implementation, coordination, relationship building, and evaluation of Indigenous Health & Wellness in Interior Health and across the Interior region. Working in close collaboration with Indigenous Partners and other relevant internal/external partners, the Director guides the approach of incorporating and embedding an Indigenous lens across IH’s health system design, service delivery, evaluation, and organization approaches and practices.

The Director interprets and translates provincial mandates, IH-wide directions, and portfolio priorities into operational strategies, while working collaboratively with leaders across Clinical Operations to ensure organization-wide capacity is strengthened and a culturally safe, respectful, and racism-free organization evolves. The Director provides strategic leadership to a core team and works closely with leaders at various levels throughout the organization to advance Indigenous Health & Wellness.

What will you work on:

• Collaborates with the Vice President Indigenous Partnerships (VP AP) and Indigenous Health team in the ongoing development of the Indigenous health & Wellness Strategic Plan.

• Leads and oversees the implementation of the Indigenous Health & Wellness Strategic Plan, enhancing Indigenous Partners involvement in health system design, service delivery, and evaluation.

• Creates and sustains an effective network of Indigenous leaders, senior healthcare leaders, physicians, healthcare staff, partner organizations, government representatives, and other Health Authority colleagues to support the integration of community engagement and partnership development approaches in decision making.

• Leads and oversees strategies, plans, and frameworks that build and foster relationships, partnerships, and engagement with Indigenous Partners.

• Promotes and maintains relationships external to Interior Health including: First Nations Health Authority; First Nations individuals and communities; Metis Nation British Columbia (MNBC); Metis and Inuit communities, individuals, and organizations; Indigenous-serving organizations; and other government and non-governmental leadership.

• Establishes or contributes to the development of necessary organizational consultative, advisory and/or steering structures within Interior Health that support genuine, meaningful, and sustained Indigenous patient, client, resident, family, and community engagement.

• Participates in short and long-term organizational and strategic planning, establishing relevant organizational priorities where applicable.

• Develops and implements plans to enhance engagement capacity with Indigenous Partners through the development of policies, practices, programs, training, and tools.

• Co-chairs the Partnership Accord Technical Table (PATT) and participates at the Partnership Accord Leadership Table (PALT) on a regular basis.

• Oversees the Letter of Understanding (LOU) approach with Indigenous Partners and its ongoing evaluation.

• In consultation with VP AP, provides oversight for all reporting requirements, including external and internal, for the Indigenous Partnerships portfolio.

• Establishes strong working relationships and partners internally to develop and operationalize strategies and plans to improve local and organizational systems and service delivery for Indigenous clients.

• Builds influence and trust with leaders, medical staff, employees, partners, and other partners through effective communication and negotiation in support of the program’s activities. Meets regularly with IH leaders to identify and review related work. Participates in IH initiatives across portfolios aimed at serving Indigenous Peoples.

• Identifies strategies to actively build leadership capacity within the organization towards improved wellness, cultural safety, and reconciliation.

• Establishes or contributes to the development of necessary organizational consultative, advisory and/or steering structures within (and with external partners) that support genuine, meaningful, and sustained Indigenous community engagement.

• Identifies and supports the involvement of appropriate Indigenous representation (internal and external) to sit on working groups, providing consultative advice to project design and execution.

• Engages and seeks collaboration with local, provincial, and national leaders in Indigenous engagement to inform strategy and practice, gaining an understanding of trends and developments and how they may impact IH, our clients, and our partners.

• Participates on organizational, local, and provincial committees representing the organization and the program, with Indigenous Health leaders and partner organizations, including health authorities, local government, provincial government, and community organizations.

• Leads the completion of business cases, operational reviews, needs assessments, and environmental scans to identify viable organizational objectives, directions, and options.

• Keeps informed about evolving Indigenous health trends and practices, shares knowledge and supports integrating evidence-based practice in the delivery of quality care/services.

• Identifies and ensures the expedited resolution to problems or barriers to enable successful completion and sustainment of initiatives. Understands and develops contingencies to manage the related risks of initiatives.

• Reports out on program activities, including project(s) updates, annual reports, committee(s) updates and other reports as required.

• Provides leadership to the Indigenous Health & Wellness Team, including Indigenous Health & Wellness Practice Leads.

• Recruits, selects, hires, and manages staff and contractors as needed. Monitors and conducts performance evaluations, recommends training and development, undertakes disciplinary action if required including termination, and ensures mission-driven recognition strategies are in place.

• Manages contractual relationships with external consultants as required.

• Manages within approved budgets and makes resource recommendations.

• In alignment with IH’s Occupational Health & Safety Program, maintain a healthy and safe work environment through complying with and implementing applicable Occupational Health and Safety Regulation, responding to requests from WSBC, identifying hazards and communicating risks, ensuring compliance with employee training, conducting effective incident investigations, and implementing required corrective actions.

• Performs other related duties as required.

Honouring Interior Health’s commitment to Truth and Reconciliation and the Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (DRIPA), and Pursuant to Section 42 of the BC Human Rights Code, preferential consideration and/or hiring will be given to qualified applicants who self-identify as Indigenous (First Nations, Métis, or Inuit).