Manager, Capacity Building

To lead the strategy, planning, development and management of Public Health Ontario’s (PHO) education, outreach and professional development program and services including Locally Driven Collaborative Projects (LDCP) program to foster change and innovation in individual practice, within organizations and at the system level and to assist in developing the next generation of public health professionals.

Key Responsibilities –

• Manages, oversees and provides advice and support to the development and execution of PHO’s professional development, capacity building and education events by managing the planning, coordination, and production of training and events (e.g., PHO weekly Rounds), The Ontario Public Health Convention (TOPHC) and numerous other major educational workshops and offerings.
• Provides oversight for PHO’s accredited Rounds, eLearning and other professional development activities, ensuring that they are responsive to current and emerging needs, adopting best practices and innovations in adult learning, and have required tracking systems in place (e.g., for Continuing Medical Education credits); supports and facilitates their success by enhancing engagement and interactivity during live sessions.
• Leads the strategy, planning and execution of TOPHC – PHO’s annual convention including registration, event sponsorship and exhibitors, speaker management, budget and expenditure setting and reporting, and vendor management; adjusts strategy and approach to address evolution of public health landscape, ongoing impacts of COVID-19 pandemic and the accelerated shift to virtual learning.
• Leads and optimizes PHO’s medical education and student placement program and delivers student focused learning events and engagement opportunities to enhance connectivity/support during placements.
• Manages all phases of the student placement program including recruitment and orientation of students, supervisor/preceptor training and support, mentoring programs, contract development and execution, and program evaluations while building relationships with academic institutions and program areas.
• Leads, consults, and advises on the development and implementation of eLearning through robust standards, guidelines, processes and application of adult learning theories and principles and best practices for online learning, including content, format and interactivity.
• Leads the strategy, planning and management of PHO’s LDCP program to support research and program evaluation for local public health unit clients, including planning and delivery of cycles for priority setting; process development and delivery of research and program evaluation support; resources and tools to support the development of collaborative, relevant and scientifically sound projects; and ongoing engagement and communication with program participants.
• Manages and leads environmental scans and needs assessments to align PHO events with emerging best practices especially in the virtual learning space; leading process improvement projects including increasing uptake/scalability, engagement and evaluation.
• Provides advice, guidance and support to PHO program areas on the full breadth of event and education planning, logistics and procurements requirements; liaises with speakers, partners, sponsors and PHO’s program areas to ensure requirements are addressed
• Chairs/participates in corporate committees, meetings and working groups; and other activities as required, under the direction of the director.
• Develops program operational plan and goals in support of PHO’s overall Annual Business Plan and Strategic Plan.
• Manages budget, service and performance indicators and ensures consistency in corporate requirements and approval processes for financial, human resources, information technology, operational and business planning functions.
• Builds and leads team of multi-disciplinary staff in support of PHO’s activities.

Knowledge and Skills –

• Demonstrated understanding of knowledge translation and adult education theories and practice, individual and organizational behaviour change and experience with their practical application.
• Strong network of knowledge services, education and academic contacts and collaborators, able to harness capacity and networks to support strategies and plans.
• Strong project management, problem-solving, organizational and prioritizing skills are required in order to plan, coordinate, and execute complex, multi-faceted major events.
• Knowledge of innovative models for knowledge translation and exchange, notably online and distance learning models.
• Sound knowledge of Ontario’s public health sector, its professional groups, standards, organizations and priorities; knowledge of the health system, its complexities and linkages to the public health field.
• Knowledge of public sector procurement requirements and practices; Experience in preparing Statements of Work (SOWs) for business cases, Requests for Proposals (RFPs) and other required documents for securing event vendors.
• Knowledge of, and experience with contract management involving the writing, development and/or coordination of proposals for contracts, RFPs, grant applications for funding programs and both researchers and knowledge users.
• Knowledge of budget management and reporting requirements/procedures in order to develop and prepare event budgets, to track and maintain a record of all event expenditures, and to ensure that event budgets are adhered to, and managed effectively.
• Knowledge of various computer systems /software programs including database management, spreadsheet and presentation applications, MS Office, SharePoint, Adobe Suite and eLearning content authoring tools, specifically Articulate Rise/360.
• Excellent problem recognition and solving abilities on a range of complex tasks.
• Effective planning and organizational skills with a demonstrated ability to set priorities and meet milestones.
• Demonstrated relationship management skills in building and supporting collaborations, across multiple organizations, locations and functions to achieve common goals.

Education and Experience –

• Master’s degree in the areas of public health, education, health sciences, knowledge translation or equivalent area of study.
• Five (5) years of progressive work experience and proven leadership expertise, in planning and managing a program or function within a health, academic, or research institution or a specialized setting/complex environment, including managing staff.
• Experience in managing a multi-disciplinary team.
• Experience in planning and implementing/managing events, in order to lead the development and execution of PHO’s professional development and education events.

Attributes and Competencies-

• Oral and written communication and interpersonal skills, to build capacity and manage networks, relationships and partnerships with all internal and external partners and stakeholders, including scientific, academic and cross functional teams in the development and implementation of strategies.
• Negotiation and presentation skills, to promote/negotiate stakeholders’ participation in program development and implementation; present technical/specialized information and ideas to senior executives, non-technical audiences and PHO’s clients, partners and stakeholders.
• Strong interpersonal, and relationship management / building skills, including diplomacy and negotiations skills to develop and maintain collaborative working relationships with staff, management, senior leaders, and all partners; build networks and establish processes to negotiate and resolve conflict.
• Develops and implements strategies relating to capacity building and facilitation processes and services; addresses capacity building issues and adapts processes and implementation plans, as appropriate.
• Manages risk for area of responsibility within established risk system/model and understanding of professional principles, practices, methods and techniques; this includes identification of issues with content or delivery of capacity building and collaborative activities that may put the reputation of PHO at risk.
• Provides regular reports to the director on the status of projects, including risks identified and action plan to mitigate.
• Analyzes and prepares budgets and tracks and maintains records of all expenditures; decision making is required for deciding what steps to take to ensure that budgets are adhered to, and for deciding how they can be managed as effectively as possible.
• Provides coaching, guidance and feedback, to develop the skills and performance of team members within the Capacity Building Unit.
• Manages and directs the unit staff.