Director, Professional Practice and Policy (Allied Health)
Professional Practice
Vancouver, BC
In accordance with the Purpose, Vision, Values and Coast Salish Teachings, and strategic directions of PHSA, safety, including both patient and employee safety, is a priority and a responsibility shared by everyone at PHSA. As such, the requirement to continuously improve quality and safety is inherent in all aspects of this position.
The Director, Professional Practice and Policy (Allied Health) reports to the Executive Director or designate, is accountable for providing strategic, operational, and educational leadership for allied health professional practice across BC Cancer in accordance with the Mission, Vision, Values and strategic directions of the organization.
Provides leadership, strategic direction and mentoring in the planning, development, implementation and evaluation of professional practice standards, evidence informed clinical practice, education training and ongoing professional growth. Provides expert advice on professional practice issues, including resource planning and input into professional development needs. Implements professional practice standards to improve equity, diversity, inclusion and to eliminate anti-Indigenous racism.
Plays an integral part in defining the quality-of-care processes and creating quality practice environments in collaboration with key partners in BC Cancer. Liaises, influences and consults with various partners to develop, promote and advance interprofessional practice across the portfolio and to enhance the profile of allied health. Key partnerships include other PHSA Programs and Services, Health Authorities, the Ministry of Health, colleges, universities, professional associations, and regulatory bodies.
Supervises staff, develops and manages operating budgets and represents BC Cancer professional practice regionally, provincially and nationally.
What you’ll do
- Plan, develop, and evaluate the annual operating plans for professional practice, in alignment with the mission, vision, and direction of PHSA and BC Cancer.
- Implement changes to professional practice standards to eliminate anti-Indigenous racism and improves equity, diversity and inclusion is achieved. Foster team spirit, trust, and mutual respect.
- Direct the operational activities of professional practice within BC Cancer, including setting an prioritizing deliverables, leading Professional practice staff, and assisting team members to define shared and individual goals and meet target dates.
- Oversee the recruitment, development, and retention of professional practice leaders. Evaluate individual and project team performance in collaboration with appropriate partners. Investigate work and staff issues and in consultation with the Executive Director, manages performance-related matters.
- Assess resources utilize patterns, models of care, skill mix, and supply issues, make recommendations to operational and practice leaders to promote patient safety, best practices, patient access, and efficient flow across the care continuum, while fostering a sustainable nursing and allied workforce.
- Develop and manage operational budgets, monitor expenditures, perform variance analysis, and support annual capital planning process within the context of operational demands and environmental and resource constraints and uses best utilization methods. Approve expenditures and prepare summaries for fiscal reporting. Liaise with representatives of Finance in addition to the Executive Director on budget matters.
- Foster relationships within professional practice and with other key partners to advance professional practice issues and promote best practices within the applicable programs. Broker effective partnerships with internal and external vested parties regarding the planning, resource allocation, priority determination, and strategic direction for professional practice.
- Identify, implement, and monitor quality improvement initiatives with key partners with a focus on developing, implementing, and evaluating strategies that support safe, competent, and ethical practice.
- Ensure professional standards, registration requirements, practice guidelines, professional credentials and the code of ethics for staff are understood, monitored and maintained. Support the development, implementation and evaluation of evidence based and wise practice supports that are consistent with professional colleges, regulatory bodies, and accreditation standards.
- Advocate for and lead efforts to leverage and support regulated health professions use of their optimized scopes of practice and unregulated clinicians’ skills and abilities in ways that support best patient care in alignment with PHSA and BC Cancer goals.
- Provide expertise in identifying needed practice supports, including policies, decisions support tools such as protocols and care paths and procedures. Advance the use of informatics in support of clinical practice.
- Develop a vision and strategies for education, research and innovation related nursing and/or allied professions. Support the development of educational resources and tools, and evaluation of nursing and allied health educational initiatives and strategies. Represent the professional disciplines at key local, provincial, national, and international forums.
- Maintain an awareness of current trends and issues related to the portfolio through methods such as literature review, contact with peers at other organizations and attendance at seminars, workshops and education programs.
What you bring
Qualifications
- A level of education, training, and experience equivalent to a Master’s Degree in an allied health discipline and a minimum of ten (10) years of progressive leadership responsibility in a complex health care or academic health sciences environment.
- Current practicing registration with a regulatory body, if applicable.
- Demonstrated knowledge of the historic and ongoing impacts of settler colonialism on Indigenous Peoples in social and health contexts, including supported by significant knowledge of Indigenous-specific mandates, including clear understanding of and commitment to eradicate Indigenous-specific racism and discrimination and embed Indigenous Cultural Safety and Humility. Demonstrated knowledge of the historic and ongoing impacts of settler colonialism and systemic racism on Indigenous Peoples within social and health contexts, underpinned by significant expertise in Indigenous-specific mandates. This includes a clear understanding of and commitment to eradicating Indigenous-specific racism and discrimination. Additionally, it involves embedding Indigenous Cultural Safety and Humility, and an advanced expertise and unwavering dedication to engaging with diversity, centering equity, and advancing inclusion (DEI).
- Demonstrated knowledge and understanding of legislative obligations and provincial commitments within Professional Practice and Policy contexts found in the foundational documents including Truth & Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action (2015), In Plain Sight (2020), BC's Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (2019), United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), Reclaiming Power and Place Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women & Girls Calls for Justice (2019), the Declaration Act Action Plan and Remembering Keegan: A First Nations Case Study, Anti-Racism Data Act, BC Human Rights Code - and how they intersect across the health care system.
Core Competencies:
- Brings an understanding of the Indigenous specific racism and the broader systemic racism that exists in the colonial health care structure, and has demonstrated leadership in breaking down barriers and ensuring an environment of belonging and Indigenous Cultural Safety. Demonstrates action-oriented practices addressing Indigenous-specific racism and dismantling systems of oppression, as well as confronting/addressing broader issues of racism and discrimination. Exhibits strong DEI and anti-racism competencies/skills to lead by example fostering a culture of continuous learning, equity, inclusion and belonging.
- Indigenous-specific anti-racism, anti-racism and Indigenous Cultural Safety and foundational documents and legislative commitments (the Declaration Act, the Declaration Action Plan, TRC, IPS, Remembering Keegan, etc.).
Skills & Knowledge
- Thorough understanding of professional practice legislation and controls on practice.
- Comprehensive knowledge of professional practice issues and future directions for professional practice at the provincial and national levels.
- Broad knowledge of interprofessional practice and education, and models of care delivery across a variety of disciplines and settings.
- Broad knowledge of research processes and methodology.
- Demonstrated ability to plan, organize, set, and accomplish objectives and goals in a complex, fast-paced environment.
- Demonstrated leadership, communication, interpersonal, decision-making, and problem-solving skills.
- Demonstrated ability to supervise, coach, mentor and model key behaviors to staff.
- Proven ability to build networks and develop mutually beneficial working relationships.
- Demonstrated ability to work within a matrix environment. Demonstrated ability to critically analyze industry and professional literature.
- Demonstrated ability to utilize creativity and innovation to develop strategies.
- Demonstrated ability to develop quality assessment systems/tools.
- Demonstrated ability to work independently and in collaboration with others.
- Demonstrated knowledge of collective agreements, applicable legislation as well as principles of union/management relationships.
- Ability to develop and manage a budget, monitor expenditures, and perform variance analysis.
- Demonstrated deep understanding of their personal learning/unlearning journey in relation to Indigenous-specific racism and dismantling systems of oppression, as well as addressing racism more broadly. Able to articulate and share this journey to motivate and inspire others enhancing a culture of learning/unlearning and self-reflection.
- Demonstrated knowledge of the social, economic, political realities of settler-colonialism and impacts on Indigenous peoples in social and health contexts as well as knowledge and understanding of, and commitment to upholding legislative obligations and provincial commitments in the foundational documents: Truth & Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action (2015), In Plain Sight (2020), BC's Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (2019), United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), Reclaiming Power and Place Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women & Girls Calls for Justice (2019), the Declaration Act Action Plan, Remembering Keegan: A First Nations Case Study, and the Distinctions Based Approach.
What we bring
Every PHSA employee enables the best possible patient care for our patients and their families. Whether you are providing direct care, conducting research, or making it possible for others to do their work, you impact the lives of British Columbians today and in the future. That’s why we’re focused on your care too – offering health, wellness, development programs to support you – at work and at home.
- Join one of BC’s largest employers with province-wide programs, services and operations – offering opportunities for growth, development, and recognition programs that honour the commitment and contribution of all employees.
- Access to professional development opportunities through our 2,000+ in-house courses including a range of experience level, profession-specific, or other essential training on Indigenous Cultural Safety; Indigenous-specific anti-racism; Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and accessibility, mental health and well-being, and more.
- Enjoy a comprehensive benefits package, including municipal pension plan, and psychological health & safety programs and holistic wellness resources.
- Annual statutory holidays (13) with generous vacation entitlement and accruement.
- PHSA is a remote work friendly employer, welcoming flexible work options to support our people (eligibility may vary, depending on position).
- Access to WorkPerks, a premium discount program offering a wide range of local and national discounts on electronics, entertainment, dining, travel, wellness, apparel, and more.
Job Type: Regular Full-Time
Salary Range: $130,864 – $188,116. The starting salary for this position would be determined with consideration of the successful candidate’s relevant education and experience, and would be in alignment with the provincial compensation reference plan. Salary will be prorated accordingly for part time roles.
Location: 601 W. Broadway Vancouver, BC
Closing Date: Open until position is filled
Hours of Work: 08:00-16:00 (Monday to Friday)
Requisition # 199712E
What we do
The Provincial Health Services Authority (PHSA) plans, manages and evaluates specialized health services with the BC health authorities to provide equitable and cost-effective health care for people throughout the province. Our values reflect our commitment to excellence and include: Respect people – Be compassionate – Dare to innovate – Create equity – Be courageous.
Learn more about PHSA and our programs: jobs.phsa.ca/programs-and-services
PHSA is committed to anti-racism and equity in our hiring and employment practices. With learning and compassion, we are addressing existing inequities and barriers throughout our systems. PHSA is seeking to create a diverse workforce and to establish an inclusive and culturally safe environment. We invite applications and enquiries from all people, particularly those belonging to the historically, systemically, and/or persistently excluded groups identified under the B.C. Human Rights Code.
One of PHSA’s North Star priorities is to eradicate Indigenous-specific racism, which includes ongoing commitments to Indigenous recruitment and employee experience as well as dismantling barriers to health care employment at every level. We welcome Indigenous individuals to apply and/or contact the Sanya’k̓ula Team (Indigenous Recruitment & Employee Experience) for support at [email protected].
Indigenous-specific anti-racism initiatives are rooted in addressing the unique forms of discrimination, historical and ongoing injustices, and exclusion faced by Indigenous peoples. These initiatives align with an Indigenous rights-based approach, recognizing the inherent rights and title of BC First Nations and self-determination of all First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities. PHSA is mandated to uphold legislative obligations and provincial commitments found in the foundational documents including the Truth & Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action (2015), In Plain Sight (2020), BC's Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (2019), United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), Reclaiming Power and Place Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women & Girls Calls for Justice (2019), the Declaration Act Action Plan and Remembering Keegan: A First Nations Case Study.
Attention current employees of PHSA:
You must apply via your internal profile at http://internaljobs.phsa.ca.
The internal job posting expires on June 12, 2026 and will no longer be accessible. If the internal job posting has expired, please e-mail [email protected] with the six-digit job requisition number and your PHSA employee ID number to be considered as a late internal applicant. Please do not apply for the external job posting.
If you have not yet set up an internal profile, please e-mail [email protected] with your PHSA employee ID number to obtain your temporary password. Our business hours are Monday-Friday 8:30am-4:30pm, excluding Statutory Holidays and a Help Desk Representative will respond to you with 1-2 business days.
If you are not a current employee of PHSA and require assistance with your application, please contact the External Careers team at [email protected].
