Director, Strategy & Improvement

The Opportunity

Reporting to the VP Medicine, Quality & Safety, the Director within the Strategy & Improvement portfolio works closely with the CEO, Executive Leadership Team (ELT), Directors Council, and the Board of Directors to create, deploy, and maintain the organization’s strategic framework. They provide leadership and guidance to help foster a culture of accountability and transparency to support the organization in developing and achieving its strategic objectives.
 

The Strategy & Improvement portfolio is responsible for leading the development and implementation of IWK Health’s annual strategic plan, and for overseeing the management and delivery of approved business cases and provincial transformation initiatives. The portfolio is also accountable for developing and implementing the organization’s continuous improvement program, including leading and facilitating priority LEAN improvement projects.  In addition, the portfolio holds the responsibility for IWK Health’s enterprise risk management (ERM) framework, including its risk and control registers. Working closely with senior leadership, the Director is responsible to create, deploy, and maintain the strategic framework pertaining to Analytics. The incumbent will provide leadership and guidance to help foster a culture of accountability and transparency to support the organization in developing and achieving its strategic objectives.
 

Performance Analytics is responsible for the strategic and tactical design, implementation and support of performance analytics solutions, projects, and services across the IWK and its key partners. Performance Analytics supports achievement of goals and objectives for strategic management and business intelligence including: optimization of access to, and use of, performance data and analytics to inform health service planning and quality improvement; enablement of evidence-based, data driven decision making and knowledge translation; proactive and responsive performance monitoring and deployment of analytics to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of high quality, safe health services.
 

The Director oversees formalizing the organization's annual strategic plan and its execution frameworks/processes – Objectives and Key Results (OKRs). The Director owns the responsibility of communicating IWK Health’s strategy to all staff and physicians and for translating strategy into action to achieve a culture alignment and accountability.  The Director acts as the organization’s OKR lead and works to increase adoption and engagement rates within the framework. The Director owns the annual strategic planning process that shapes and support strategy design and the advancement of strategy execution. They also support facilitation and planning of Board and Executive Leadership Team strategy discussions and events.
 

Related to enterprise risk management, the Director works with staff and physicians and operational leaders in identifying, assessing, analyzing, and implementing mitigation strategies to mitigate identified organizational risks. The Director is responsible and accountable for the development of the organization’s enterprise risk management program framework and for developing bi-annual reports for the Board of Directors.
 

The Director also provides vision and leadership to a skilled team of managers, consultants and analysts who are accountable to the delivery of assigned projects and initiatives, including the areas of transformation and continuous improvement.  
 

The Director works in collaboration with the Director, Quality, Patient Safety & Patient Experience and the Director, Health Information Services to promote and support the development of a culture of safety and to identify opportunities and strategies for improvement.

Hours of Work

37.5 hours/week, Monday – Friday

Your Qualifications

• Master's Level Degree in health-related discipline, health administration or related subjects. Equivalent experience and/or alternative education may be considered.
• Registration with relevant health or professional discipline/college or association. 
• 5-8 years of experience in relevant field of expertise of which a minimum of 3 years must be in a leadership role.
• Expert content knowledge in key areas of leadership responsibility.
• Expert knowledge in field to critically analyze evidence-based practices to inform strategy development and organizational planning.
• Evidence-based collaborative problem solving of complex multifaceted issues.
• Critical thinking/analytical problem solving. 
• Quality improvement methodologies. (e.g., LEAN)
• Strategic planning/systems thinking.
• Excellent interpersonal skills as reflected by active listening, interest-based negotiation and conflict resolution skills.
• Strong presentation and public speaking skills that are responsive to audience needs.
• Advanced communications skills/positive energetic public persona.
• Cultural competence.
• Expertise in leading complex change. 
• High level of emotional intelligence – self-awareness/self-reflection.
• Advanced skills in motivating, coaching and mentoring staff/teams.
• Collaboration, negotiation, and persuasion skills are paramount as this role requires the input of internal and external partners.
• Ability to provide high levels of interpersonal sensitivity and diplomacy.
• Demonstrated strong working memory.