Director – Health in Emergencies

About this position

The Health in Emergencies Director will shape CRC’s emergency health interventions in the province and the strengthening of its health surge capacities, including organizing these capacities to provide urgent support and containment efforts in outbreak settings and provide surge support for natural disasters. Services may include epidemic prevention and control, contact tracing, testing, vaccination services; provision of mental health and psychosocial services; support to quarantine / isolation sites and emergency field hospital / clinical surge support to local health authorities. Additionally, the Canadian Red Cross continues to provide response and recovery services to other emergencies such as natural disasters and psychosocial trauma.

The Health in Emergencies Director, will develop collaborative relationships with a network of provincial health partners to understand the health needs within the province related to Covid-19 response and provide leadership and technical expertise towards the planning, design and coordination of Canadian Red Cross COVID-19 interventions and services ensuring they are relevant, technically robust and delivered safely and in accordance with the Canadian Red Cross mission and Fundamental Principles.

The Health in Emergencies Director may provide oversight to a team of clinical and public health professionals, ensuring during non-active response they are engaged in relevant work and in periods of active response, providing leadership and technical oversight to the delivery of services.

You will enjoy: 

Culture: an organization that is guided by our fundamental principles of humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary service, unity and universality

Opportunity: to work with the best and brightest in the non-profit field, in an environment that promotes continuous learning, creativity and collaboration

Employee Benefits: achieve a work/life balance for you and your new team with competitive vacation time, generous personal days and flexible work arrangements

Meaningful Work: You will shape the CRC’s emergency health interventions in the province and the strengthening of its health surge capacities to provide urgent support and containment efforts in outbreak settings and natural disasters.

Who you are:

• You are a leader who can lead teams of diverse health professionals in high pressure and time sensitive operations.
• You are a strong communicator with a high level of diplomacy and negotiation skills.
• You are adaptive who can efficiently manage complex health projects with ability to plan and prioritize appropriately in conditions of ambiguity and uncertainly

In this role you will:

• Provide leadership and technical expertise towards the design and delivery of CRC’s Health in Emergencies / COVID-19 interventions, within the province.
• Critically evaluate and advise the CRC leadership and partners in the design and ongoing adaptation of health in emergencies services, operational tools, communications and trainings.
• Contributes to public health analysis and service related decision-making within the assigned geography.
• Identifies opportunities for CRC health in emergencies programming in support of community needs related to COVID-19 and other crises or emergencies.
• Contribute to the development and updating of provincial risk registers and mitigations.
• In coordination with the National Health and Safety Committee, advise Geographical VPs, and CRC leadership in the adoption and ongoing monitoring of IPC/EPC protocols for CRCS personnel.
• Researches and prepares various communications and documentation on the state of the COVID-19 pandemic within the geography.
• Coordinate with local authorities the process for emergency licencing for out of province clinical profiles in case of deployment in their geography.
• Deploys to field operations within the geography and potentially across Canada to provide technical oversight, expertise and evaluation in the delivery of health in emergencies response services and ensures protocols are in place to prevent the exposure and transmission of COVID—19
• Oversees a team of clinical personnel, ensuring services are delivered safety and to standards, and they are provided with the necessary direction and support.
• Supports an effective, collaborative team within a Matrix Structure in an Emergency Response organization.

We’re looking for:

• Baccalaureate Degree in Medicine, Nursing, IPC or a Public Health discipline
• Professional certification or post-graduate qualification in: public health, tropical medicine/nursing, epidemic management and control, or other relevant field
• Current Professional Registration in Canada is an asset
• Strong knowledge of and an established network of working relationships with provincial and territorial health organizations
• Experience in health needs assessment and the design of health programming, particularly vaccinations, testing, contact tracing
• Ability to establish credibility and nurture positive and collaborative relationships with internal and external partners
• Knowledge of IPC/EPC, particularly with regard to the COVID-19 Pandemic
• Experience living or working in a cultural context other than their own and/or in remote and isolated communities in Canada is an asset
• Demonstrated ability to lead teams of diverse health professionals in high pressure and time sensitive operations
• Able to efficiently manage complex health projects with ability to plan and prioritize appropriately in conditions of ambiguity and uncertainly
• Strong communication, diplomacy and negotiation skills for work in a multi-cultural, multi-disciplinary context
• Competent computer skills (Windows, Microsoft Office, spreadsheets, word processing, e-mail)
• Able to travel on short notice to other destinations within the province and potentially across Canada for periods of several weeks is a requirement
• Fluency in English and French is preferred. In Quebec fluency in French is required.
• Ability to work non-traditional and longer hours often on short notice especially during times of emergency response.
• A valid provincial driver’s licence and a successful Canadian criminal record check with vulnerable sector screening is required.

The Canadian Red Cross is committed to gender equality and social inclusion in our workplace. All qualified applications will receive consideration without regard to sex, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, race, ethnic origin, color, religion, nationality, disability, age, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. We encourage all qualified persons to apply particularly Indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities, ethnic minorities, visible minorities, and others who share our values and contribute to fostering an inclusive and diverse workplace.

Please notify us as soon as possible of any adaptive measures you might require at any stage of the recruitment process.