Manager, Community Physician Health and Safety

SWITCH BC is a collaborative organization that influences, invests in, and supports provincewide activities to improve occupational health and safety. Our organizational model, unique in Canada, brings together health employers, unions, physicians, the Ministry of Health, and WorkSafeBC on SWITCH BC’s Board of Directors to make consensus, strategic decisions.

Our purpose is:

• To promote safe and healthy workplaces throughout British Columbia’s healthcare sector; and;
• To collaborate with unions, employers, and Doctors of BC to develop and pursue a provincial framework, systems and programs aimed at improving the health, safety, and wellbeing of B.C.’s health care workers.

SWITCH BC is an inclusive organization, focused on advancing Indigenous cultural safety, anti-racism, diversity, equity, and inclusion in our policies and practices. We are helping create an environment that addresses systemic barriers, biases and inequities that exist for First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples, racialized individuals, individuals with disabilities and complex health conditions, immigrants, 2SLGBTQQIA+, and other underrepresented groups.

Role Summary

Reporting to the Director, Operations, the Manager, Community Physician Health and Safety Program (the Manager) will support physicians working in the community in meeting their obligations regarding workplace health and safety, psychological and physical health and safety, and violence prevention, and helping to create and maintain safe work environments.

The Manager works within SWITCH BC to plan, implement, liaise, and work collaboratively with key partners internally and provincially to lead the development of a comprehensive and supportive health, safety and wellbeing program for physicians working in the community.

The role provides leadership and expertise on a range of activities of varying size and scope, including developing key resources, participating in provincial working groups, providing advice to health system partners, engaging with physicians working in the community and supporting the provincial Community Physician Health and Safety Oversight Group.

This role is part of a key initiative from the 2022 Physician Master Agreement Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) negotiated between Doctors of BC and the Ministry of Health, to provide support for the health and safety for community based physicians.

As part of the MOA, SWITCH BC is responsible for developing and implementing health and safety supports for community physicians program. Key deliverables include:

• Development of foundational and essential health and safety content to support community physicians in implementing health and safety programs in their workplaces;
• Development of a provincial community physician health and safety portal;
• Establish a sustainable provincial health and safety program for community physicians using principles of continuous quality improvement.

The Manager will need to interface effectively with professionals at all levels and collaborate with physicians and clinic staff in community offices to collaboratively support community physicians in building health and safety programs.

Please note that this is a remote worker position (must reside in BC) and only candidates that live in BC will be interviewed. Frequent travel for in-person events and visiting community physician clinics within BC is required.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Leads program development to meet physician needs, by providing leadership and oversight to achieve key program deliverables. Provides leadership and stewardship through the Community Physician Health and Safety Oversight Group through facilitation, development of meeting materials and ensuring guidance and feedback is incorporated.
• Leads team to provide occupational health and safety support to community physicians and assists clinics in developing their own health and safety programming.Engages with contractors and partners to ensure deliverables are met in alignment with project timelines, scope, and budget. Provides direction and support to direct reports.
• Develops networks to build engagement and participation with key partners for strategic initiative work. Leads formal engagement activities with physicians working in community and clinic staff, Doctors of BC, and existing physician engagement structures.
• Collaborates across boundaries and finds common ground with a wide range of partners including vendors, government agencies, professional associations, regulatory bodies, and health authorities.
• Identifies key components and underlying issues and systematically analyzes problems and determines solutions.
• Synthesizes evidence and aligns multiple ideas and strategies to develop tools and resources to support strategic initiatives including, but not limited to: reports, resources, web-based tools, position, policy and other documents.
• Works on all phases of project management and program development including, but not limited to: coordinating meetings, project planning, outlining health, safety and wellbeing core obligations under relevant legislation, evaluation and monitoring of existing and new program deliverables; presenting to internal and external audiences; preparing reports.
• Performs other related duties as assigned.

Education, Training, and Experience

A level of education, training, and experience equivalent to a Master’s degree in a related field and seven (7) years recent related experience as a health and safety professional leading people and managing health and safety initiatives/projects, ideally within the healthcare system.

Skills and Abilities

• Experience as a leader on strategic initiatives, preferably focused on health, safety, and wellbeing and with physicians. Knowledge of workplace health and safety and psychological and physical health and safety.
• A solid understanding of the BC health system and the operational context of primary and specialty care.
• Experience working with physicians and existing engagement structures. Experience working directly with community physicians is an asset.
• Skilled at facilitating group sessions; preparing for effective meetings and using methods and questioning skills to maximize group participation.
• Experience and knowledge of health and safety legislation and best practices in health and safety management systems.
• Knowledge of CSA Standards for Occupational Health and Safety Management Systems and Psychological Health and Safety in the workplace.
• Practical experience leading teams and scaling programs.
• Experience and knowledge in managing multiple and complex projects with diverse organizations, groups and individuals representing a wide spectrum of ideas and interests. Experience using continuous quality improvement principles in program management.
• Excellent and effective communication skills, both verbally to small and large groups in a public forum, and in writing for publications.
• Ability to identify key components and underlying issues and systematically analyze the problems and determine cause/effect relationships and resolve problems in a sound decisive manner.
• Demonstrated ability to build trust with key partners (Doctors of BC, physicians, health authorities, government, quality and safety organizations at the provincial and national level and others) to meet mutual goals.
• Experience using a variety of styles and tactics appropriate to the context to influence thinking, attitudes, and behaviours.
• Ability to respond to the needs of partners supported by an acute awareness of the impact of actions.
• Ability to travel within British Columbia to community physician clinics is required.

Compensation and Benefits

In joining SWITCH BC, we are pleased to offer you a rewarding career. In recognition of your skills and experiences, and in alignment with our core values of building safe and healthy work environments, we are pleased to offer comprehensive benefits which includes, but is not limited to:

• Competitive salary
• Generous extended health benefits with no waiting period, long-term disability benefits, and Municipal Pension Plan
• Paid vacation (20 days per year - prorated in first year) and sick leave allowances
• Flexible work arrangements
• Professional development and membership opportunities

As a key organization within the BC healthcare sector, we also encourage current health sector employees to ask about pension and benefits portability options, which may also be available. SWITCH BC is committed to be an equitable, diverse, and inclusive workforce.

We recognize that there are a variety of experiences that contribute to the overall qualifications for each role. If you feel that you could excel in this position, but do not necessarily meet the formal requirements, we still encourage you to apply. We wish to thank all applications for their interest and effort in applying; however, only those candidates selected for an interview will be contacted.

Job Type: Full-Time, 37.5 hours per week

Salary Range: $106,026.00 - $125,906.00 (Range 9) per year depending on experience

The starting salary for this position would be determined with consideration of the successful candidate’s relevant education and experience as well as internal equity, and would be in alignment with SWITCH BC’s compensation framework.

Please note that this is a remote worker position (must reside in BC) and only candidates that live in BC will be interviewed. Frequent travel for in-person events and visiting community physician clinics within BC is required.

Application instructions:

In your cover letter, please describe your most complex health-related project or program you have led. Include scope, timeline, your specific responsibilities, and how you engaged partners and managed competing priorities.

Please provide an overview of your experience working with physicians, partnering with health organizations, and navigating or contributing to governance structures.

Closing date: April 27, 2026 at 3:00 PM PST