Specialty Seating Technician
Company: IWK Health
Req ID: 203182
Department/Program: Remedial Seating, Children's Medical Care
Location: Halifax
Type of Employment: Permanent Hourly FT (100% FTE) x 1 position(s)
Start Date: ASAP
Union Status: NSGEU Hlthcare, Healthcare Bargaining Unit
Compensation: $25.2565 - $29.9405 /hour
Closing Date: 28 May 2025 (Applications are accepted until 23:59 Atlantic Time)
IWK Health is a respected academic health sciences centre located in Halifax, Nova Scotia, providing tertiary and primary care for two million children, youth, adults, and families each year across the Atlantic region. We have a team of approximately 4000 employees, physicians, volunteers, and learners at sites across Nova Scotia. People build careers with IWK Health with our focus on training and mentorship opportunities. We recognize each other’s talent and celebrate our successes. We collaborate in modern facilities or virtually from home, align our work to our values, and enjoy access to enhanced benefits and wellness programs. We are proud to support our patients, families, and communities and are grateful for the generous donor support we receive.
Promoting an anti-racist environment and calling out discrimination as we work and provide care is important to us. We are located in Mi’kma’ki, the unceded and ancestral territory of the Mi’kmaq people. Working in Mi’kma’ki and providing care to those across Atlantic Canada is a shared privilege with the original inhabitants who have lived here for many thousands of years prior to colonization. There are 13 First Nation communities across Nova Scotia, and more than 50 historic African Nova Scotian communities who also have a long, deep, and complex history dating back over 400 years. We have the highest percentage of people with disabilities in the country. Nova Scotia has the highest proportion of transgender and non-binary people than any other province or territory in the country. We are active in our work to eliminate discrimination, but we have more work to do to build that trust, acknowledge our biases, and reduce the barriers our diverse communities face. We want IWK Health to be a safe and supportive space of equity and belonging in the care we provide and the employment we offer. We welcome all interested persons who self-identify as Indigenous, Black/African Nova Scotians, Persons of Colour, Immigrants/Newcomers, Persons with Disabilities, and 2SLGBTQIA+ to apply to support our goal for our workforce to be representative of the patients, families, and communities that we care for at all job levels.
The Opportunity
Reporting to the Managers of Rehabilitation Services, the Specialty Seating and Mobility Technician works as part of an interdisciplinary team in a family-centered care environment, providing specialty seating and mobility services to children and youth with disabilities. They work under the general supervision of the Seating and Mobility Occupational Therapist, and their work is guided by the Occupational Therapist’s assessment and intervention plan. The technician:
• is responsible for wheelchair set-ups as well as the design, fabrication, and modification of custom-made seating, inserts, and other adaptive positioning devices and system setups
• provides technical support to outreach clinics throughout the province, including the organization, implementation, and evaluation of the clinics.
• provides inpatient and outpatient services at the main IWK; travel may be required to see clients within HRM. There is occasional provincial travel with an overnight stay for Clinics.
•liaises with Occupational Therapists, Rehab Funding Coordinator, Rehabilitation Assistant, clients/families, healthcare partners, vendors, and other community partners to ensure continuity of care and capacity building/education.
• provides wheelchair maintenance and operation education to clients, families, & team members
• maintains an inventory of hardware, materials, and supplies, and submits seating purchase orders
• Cares for fleet of “in-house” wheelchairs dedicated to inpatient use.
• Is responsible for ensuring the rehab van is maintained
• Is responsible for the daily recording of workload and some patient documentation. The technician must follow the minimum documentation standards established by IWK Health.
This position requires lifting, the use of hand and power tools, operating shop equipment, and wearing safety glasses in the workshop.
Hours of Work
8/8:30 am to 4/4:30 pm, with occasional travel clinics within Nova Scotia.
Your Qualifications
• High school diploma or equivalent required.
• Two years of post-secondary education or relevant specialized training required. (An equivalent combination of education, training, and experience may be considered.)
• Knowledge of anatomy (completion of an anatomy course) preferred.
• Two years’ experience in seating or alternate positioning required.
• Two years’ experience working with children/youth with developmental disabilities preferred.
• Demonstrated ability to work both independently and collaboratively in an interdisciplinary team.
• Knowledge of equipment, materials, and tools required.
• Proficiency in carpentry, sewing, and mechanics required.
• Ability to design equipment and evaluate materials required.
• Experience operating and maintaining a variety of manual and power tools and equipment is required.
• Knowledge of wheelchairs, wheelchair maintenance, seating, and lifting techniques preferred.
• Knowledge of fabrication techniques and metalworking preferred
• Experience in custom cutting and upholstery preferred
• RESNA Certification preferred.
• Child Passenger Safety Technician (CPST) and Safe Travel for All Children (STAC) training is an asset.
• Physical ability to carry out the duties of this position, including lifting.
• Excellent interpersonal, presentation, and communication (both written and verbal) skills
• Excellent time management, organization, and problem-solving skills.
• Demonstrated initiative, creativity, and self-motivation.
• Demonstrated understanding of and commitment to family-centered care required.
• Flexible to meet workload demands.
• Valid minimum Class 5 Nova Scotia driver’s license required.
• Current successful completion of a Heart and Stroke Foundation of Canada Basic Life Support Level (BLS) Program within the last 12 months, or successful completion of a BLS Renewal Challenge Certificate, is required.
• Competencies in other languages are considered an asset.
Thank you for your interest in IWK Health.
Please note that we only contact applicants selected for interview/testing. If we invite you to participate in an assessment process (such as an interview or testing), you have the right to request accommodation. Please discuss your needs when invited to the assessment process.
This is a Healthcare bargaining unit position. Preference is given to bargaining unit employees for unionized positions. Successful applicants changing unions, bargaining units, or employment status are advised to seek clarification regarding their seniority, benefits, and vacation entitlement and/or usage, prior to accepting the position.
An offer of employment is conditional upon the completion and satisfactory results of all applicable background checks and confirmation of credentials.
If you are an employee of IWK Health, please apply through the internal careers page to ensure you are flagged as an internal applicant.
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Rehabilitation, Occupational Therapy, Technical Support, Technician, Healthcare, Technology