Chief Quality and Risk Officer

Chief Quality and Risk Officer

Permanent Full-Time

Salary: $115,420 - $144,280 (Commensurate with Experience)

Location: St. Joseph’s Health Centre, Sudbury, Ontario

Start Date: As Soon As Possible

Lead Quality. Advance Safety. Drive Excellence.

St. Joseph’s Health Centre (SJHC) is seeking a dynamic and visionary healthcare leader to join our senior leadership team as Chief Quality and Risk Officer.

Reporting directly to the President & Chief Executive Officer, the Chief is responsible for providing strategic and operational leadership for quality improvement, patient and resident safety, risk management, accreditation, and organizational performance across St. Joseph’s Health Centre and its operating entities.

This is an exceptional opportunity for an experienced healthcare leader who is passionate about improving outcomes, reducing harm, fostering a culture of continuous improvement, and ensuring the delivery of safe, high-quality, person-centered care.

About the Role

As the organization's senior leader for Quality, Risk, Patient Safety, and Performance Excellence, you will champion initiatives that strengthen patient and resident outcomes, our risk framework, promote a culture of safety and learning, and leverage data and analytics to drive continuous improvement and evidence-informed decision-making across the organization.

Working closely with senior leaders, physicians, managers, frontline staff, residents, patients, families, and community partners, you will lead organization-wide efforts to advance quality, risk management, support high reliability practices, and enhance organizational performance through robust measurement, analysis, and reporting systems.

Key Responsibilities

Quality Improvement & Strategic Leadership

• Lead the development, implementation, and evaluation of SJHC’s Quality, Risk, and Patient Safety Strategy.
• Oversee the development and monitoring of the annual Quality Improvement Plan (QIP).
• Champion continuous improvement initiatives using evidence-based quality improvement methodologies.
• Establish and monitor organizational quality indicators and performance targets.
• Support leaders across the organization in achieving quality and operational excellence goals.

Risk Management & Regulatory Compliance

• Provide leadership for the organization’s Enterprise Risk Management program.
• Identify, assess, and mitigate clinical, operational, strategic, and organizational risks.
• Ensure compliance with applicable legislation, standards, and regulatory requirements.
• Support leadership teams in addressing risks, quality concerns, and compliance issues.
• Maintain organizational risk management frameworks and reporting processes.

Patient Safety & Clinical Excellence

• Lead the organization's patient and resident safety programs and initiatives.
• Oversee systems for incident reporting, analysis, investigation, and organizational learning.
• Facilitate reviews of critical incidents, adverse events, and near misses.
• Promote a Just Culture approach that encourages transparency, learning, and improvement.
• Lead initiatives aimed at reducing preventable harm and improving quality outcomes.
• Collaborate with operational leaders to implement best practices in patient and resident safety.

Data, Analytics & Performance Intelligence

• Lead the organization's quality, safety, and performance measurement framework.
• Develop and maintain enterprise-wide quality and safety dashboards, scorecards, and performance reporting systems.
• Oversee the collection, validation, interpretation, and analysis of quality, patient safety, risk, operational, and patient experience data.
• Identify trends, emerging risks, opportunities, and system performance gaps through advanced analytics and benchmarking.
• Support evidence-informed decision-making through the use of data visualization, predictive analysis, performance intelligence, and outcome measurement.
• Collaborate with clinical and operational leaders to establish meaningful key performance indicators (KPIs) aligned with strategic priorities.
• Monitor organizational performance against provincial benchmarks, Accreditation Canada standards, Ontario Health indicators, and sector best practices.
• Lead the development of performance improvement action plans and monitor progress toward targeted outcomes.
• Prepare comprehensive performance reports and quality analyses for the Senior Leadership Team, Quality Committee, Medical Advisory Committee, and Board of Directors.
• Champion the use of data literacy, measurement science, and analytics capabilities throughout the organization.

Accreditation & Organizational Performance

• Lead Accreditation Canada preparation, survey readiness, and ongoing compliance activities.
• Coordinate required organizational practices and quality assurance activities.
• Develop and maintain quality and performance dashboards.
• Analyze trends and recommend strategies for improvement.
• Prepare reports and presentations for the Senior Leadership Team, Board of Directors, and committees.

Leadership & Team Development

• Provide leadership, mentorship, coaching, and performance management to the Quality, Patient Safety & Risk team.
• Foster an engaged, collaborative, and high-performing work environment.
• Build organizational capacity in quality improvement, patient safety, accreditation, and risk management.
• Support leadership development and change management initiatives across the organization.

Patient, Resident & Family Engagement

• Promote patient, resident, and family participation in quality improvement initiatives.
• Support systems that enhance patient and resident experience and service excellence.
• Ensure feedback and lived experiences help inform organizational planning and decision-making.

Qualifications

Education

Required

• Bachelor’s degree in a health-related discipline.

Preferred

• Master’s degree in Healthcare Administration, Health Sciences, Nursing, Public Health, Business Administration, or a related field.
• Certification in Quality Improvement, Patient Safety, Risk Management, Lean Healthcare, or a related discipline.

Experience

• Minimum 7 years of progressive leadership experience within healthcare.
• Demonstrated experience leading quality improvement, patient safety, risk management, accreditation, and performance initiatives.
• Experience in hospital and/or long-term care settings is strongly preferred.
• Proven success leading organizational change and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Experience presenting to senior leadership teams, committees, and Boards of Directors.

Skills & Competencies

• Strong knowledge of healthcare quality, patient safety, accreditation, and risk management frameworks.
• Excellent understanding of healthcare legislation, standards, and regulatory compliance requirements.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making abilities.
• Exceptional communication, facilitation, and relationship-building skills.
• Demonstrated ability to manage complex, sensitive, and high-impact issues.
• Strong project management and organizational skills.
• Commitment to patient-centered care, equity, diversity, inclusion, and culturally safe care.