Job Description

Important Notices & Amendments

-----------------------------------

This position

currently falls within our hybrid model

, allowing the employee to

typically

work

a minimum of

50% of

your

time

at your regular work location and the other 50% of time at home.

As an employer of choice, Niagara Region offers competitive salaries and benefits, a defined benefit pension plan, a corporate wellness centre, access to the Employee and Family Assistance Program (EFAP), mentorship and training programs, employee recognition programs, and more. In addition, the Region recognizes the value of having flexible work arrangements to support better work-life balance for our employees. Hybrid work arrangements may vary from one employee to another and may also differ in the number of remote workdays. These opportunities remain subject to the alignment of operational needs, business requirements, and customer service expectations.

Temporary Duration

----------------------




Approximate Duration: 12- 18 months

About Us

------------




Serving a diverse urban and rural population of more than 475,000, Niagara Region is focused on building a strong and prosperous Niagara. Working collaboratively with 12 local area municipalities and numerous community partners, the Region delivers a range of high-quality programs and services to support and advance the well-being of individuals, families and communities within its boundaries. Nestled between the great lakes of Erie and Ontario, the Niagara peninsula features some of Canada's most fertile agricultural land, the majesty of Niagara Falls and communities that are rich in both history and recreational and cultural opportunities. Niagara boasts dynamic modern cities, Canada's most developed wine industry, a temperate climate, extraordinary theatre, and some of Ontario's most breathtaking countryside. An international destination with easy access to its binational U.S. neighbour New York State, Niagara attracts over 14 million visitors annually, as well as a steady stream of new residents and businesses.


At Niagara Region, we value diversity - in background and experience. We are proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We aspire to hire and grow a workforce reflective of the diverse community we serve. By doing so, we can deliver better programs and services across Niagara.


We welcome all applicants! For more information about diversity, equity, and inclusion at Niagara Region, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion - Niagara Region, Ontarioor email related questions to diversity@niagararegion.ca. To send input on reducing barriers in the current hiring process, please email myhr@niagararegion.ca


For the Region's full employee equity statement, Working at Niagara Region - Niagara Region, Ontario.

Don't have every qualification?

You may be hesitant to apply if you do not have every qualification listed in the posting. While specific qualifications are important for certain roles, we invite individuals from diverse backgrounds and varying levels of experience and education to apply. Our recruiters will evaluate your suitability for the role.


Please note that for unionized roles, we must follow collective agreement requirements. However, we encourage all interested candidates to submit their applications. We believe success in a role can extend beyond meeting every single requirement.

-------------------



Job Summary
===========



Salary Pending Review



Reporting to the Associate Director Integrated Systems, the Water Wastewater Health & Safety Program Manager is responsible for the overall management and strategic direction of the Water and Wastewater Division's health and safety program. This role provides advice and leadership to all levels of management and consultation to all employees and Joint Health & Safety Committee members, with the objective of ensuring legislative compliance, minimizing the risk of occupational injuries/illnesses and fostering the divisional safety culture. Provides input to the development of related corporate policies and programs.



Education

Post-secondary degree or diploma (degree is preferred) in Occupational Health & Safety or a related field/discipline. An equivalent combination of education, experience and qualifications may be considered.
Knowledge
=========

Minimum of 7 years of progressive experience in Health & Safety including: health and safety policy, procedure and program development, workplace inspections and accident investigation in a unionized work environment, responding to Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development (MLITSD) inquiries, inspections, and consulting or advising multi-site Joint Health and Safety Committees, including at least 2 years at a supervisory level. Experience in a large multi-faceted industrial work environment and/or in a large municipal/ public sector is preferred. Excellent knowledge of and ability to interpret and apply the Occupational Health & Safety Act (OHSA) and Regulations, Workplace Safety and Insurance Act, Ontario Human Rights Code, collective agreements and related legislation. Must obtain Canadian Registered Safety Professional (CRSP) certification within 18 months of commencing employment. Strong organizational skills are required as well as the ability to anticipate, recognize and respond to problem situations; must have excellent interpersonal skills and communication skills, especially strong writing skills. Additional formal training and/or experience working in water and wastewater treatment plants, collection facilities and laboratories with 24/7 operations, maintenance and technical trades staff is preferred. Additional formal training and/or experience with the prevention of psychological and musculoskeletal injuries and illnesses and/or ergonomics is preferred. The following designations/memberships are deemed an asset: Health & Safety Consultant (CHSC) designation, Canadian Registered Safety Technician (CRST) or member of the Ontario Municipal Health and Safety Professionals Association. Experience as a Schedule 2 employer with WSIB is preferred. Experience with Disability Management Software i.e. Parklane system is preferred.
Responsibilities
================

Develops, manages and supports the delivery and performance of the Water and Wastewater Division's health and safety programs and strategies that comply with regulatory standards, legislation policies and protocols; support and drive workplace safety and divisional performance. (45% of time)
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Plays a key leadership role in ensuring the division is compliant with all applicable regulations made under the Occupational Health & Safety Act, Industry Standards and best practices regarding health and safety. Provides consultation, advice and leadership to all levels of management on issues related to occupational workplace safety and industry best practices. Consults and manages the development and implementation of initiatives to prevent occupational injury and illness. Oversees the creation of education, communication, and implementation of programs to assist in the understanding and application of health & safety requirements across the division. Monitors compliance of divisional programs with changes in legislation and internal policy/practice deficiencies, developing strategies to address issues, update programs and guidelines and ensure all staff are informed. Responds to safety related inquiries, inspections and ensuing orders from the Province. Offers consult in senior leadership decisions regarding Provincial orders, visits, critical injury investigations and reporting. Continually monitors and evaluates the performance of health and safety programs and reports performance metrics to the divisional leadership team. Provides guidance in the development and/or improvement of safe work procedures and maintains an inventory of divisional standard operating procedures. Determines required training and ensure safety audits are conducted in order to identify and mitigate risks. Supports the review and update the Emergency Response Procedures as necessary, to ensure the procedures remain relevant to activities in the workplace and align with Niagara Region Quality Management System (QMS) procedures.
Researches and identifies emerging trends in the organization and in the external environment in order to make strategic recommendations, to proactively manage the future health and safety needs of the Water and Wastewater Services Division. (25% of time)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Identifies opportunities for process and program improvements, identifying issues and gaps in effectiveness of services, researching best practices, and developing and implementing improvement initiatives. Develops Health and Safety strategies, goals and priorities, ensuring alignment with corporate direction, monitoring changing priorities, trends and emerging issues, identifying areas of potential impact to strategic plans, operations, delivery of services and providing recommendations on addressing issues. Reports on external benchmarking of divisional health and safety programs. In partnership with the W-WW Training Advisor, identifies and facilitates the development of new health and safety training content and materials specific to W-WW and in-line with evolving regulatory requirements. Provides recommendations to the Divisional Leadership Team on the creation of new / strategic modification to existing health and safety programs to ensure alignment with Divisional Strategic Initiatives, and to address future needs and proactively mitigate risk.
Supervises staff, coordinating and planning work, providing work direction, assigning tasks and projects, determining methods and procedures to be used, monitoring quality of work, resolving problems and ensuring assigned results are achieved. (15% of time)

Enables results with the organization's human capital strategy to foster employee engagement. In conjunction with the Manager provides training and development, coaching and discipline when necessary, and manages staff recruitment. Ensures focus is service excellence, communication/transparency, innovation, and data integrity and workflow integration. Ensures staff has the information and resources to make successful plans and decisions. Ensures all people related issues, including recruitment, grievances and labour relations issues, are aligned to HR and Corporate standards and practices. Helps to break down barriers to employee success, ensuring collaboration and cooperation with other teams within their division and department. Ensures Occupational Health & Safety policies, programs and practices are implemented, and maintained. This includes workplace inspections, monitoring, accident reporting and investigations, and ensuring any observed hazards or lapses in the functioning of OH&S processes, and other OH&S concerns are responded to promptly. Ensures all individuals under supervision have been informed of hazards and instructed on the necessary risk control and emergency response measures.
Liaise with internal and external invested parties on matters relating to occupational health and safety. (10% of time)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Chair of the Water and Wastewater Health & Safety Steering Committee. Provides support and guidance to the division's Multi-Site Joint Health & Safety Committee and attend meetings regularly as a subject matter expert. Act as a resource in clarifying safety standards for external parties. Represent the Director, W-WW Services on health & safety or other committees as assigned.
Manages and administers annual and multi-year Capital and Operating budgets for which they are delegated authority ensuring support of Council's objectives, financial transparency and accountability, monitoring budget adherence, identifying and explaining variances, and financial reporting is effectively managed in compliance with corporate financial policies. Administer and approve the acquisition of goods and services for their direct reports in accordance with the procurement policy. (5% of time)

Performs other related duties and responsibilities as assigned or required.

Special Requirements
====================

Must maintain ability to travel in a timely manner to other offices, work locations or sites as authorized by the Corporation for business reasons. In accordance with the Corporate Criminal Record Check Policy, the position requires the incumbent to undergo a Criminal Records Check and submit a Canadian Police Clearance Certificate. Regional staff strive to enable the strategic priorities of council and the organization through the completion of their work. Staff carry out their work by demonstrating the corporate values.

Closing Statement

---------------------




Uncover the wonder of the Niagara Region and join a team dedicated to meeting tomorrow's challenges TODAY!



Let us know why you would be an excellent team member by submitting your online application.



We thank all candidates for their interest however, only those candidates selected for an interview will be contacted.


We confirm that we do not use AI in screening of applicants, and this position is an existing vacancy.


If you require an accommodation for the application process in accordance with the Ontario Human Rights Code and the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, the alternate formats for contacting us are as follows:

Email: myhr@niagararegion.ca Phone: 905-980-6000 or 1-800-263-7215 Bell Relay: 1-800-855-0511 * In-person: Sir Isaac Brock Way, Thorold, ON L2V 4T7 - Human Resources Department