Senior Occupational Health, Safety And Wellness Specialist

Senior Occupational Health, Safety and Wellness Specialist
Regular Full Time
Requisition ID: 3635
Salary Range: $99,224 to $116,765 Annually

The City of Markham is proud to be recognized for the 3^rd consecutive year as one of Canada’s Best Employers, and ranked in the top three for Government Services by Forbes and Statista Inc! The City of Markham is a dynamic and change-oriented leader that stands out from other Canadian municipalities. The recipient of multiple environmental awards, we are recognized for our innovative sustainability and urban planning initiatives as much as for our fiscal accountability. More than 353,000 residents call Markham home and benefit from our rich heritage, culturally diverse environment, vibrant local economy and focus on quality of life. 

Applications are now being accepted for the regular full time position of Senior Occupational Health, Safety and Wellness Specialist in the People Services Department. To apply for this position, please submit your resume and cover letter online by January 1, 2024.

Join us and make a lasting difference!

JOB SUMMARY

Reporting to the Senior Manager, Human Resources – Employee & Labour Relations and Health & Safety, the Senior Health, Safety and Wellness (SHSW) Specialist provides expertise to the City regarding Occupational Health and safety issues, occupational and non-occupational return to work strategies and Wellness initiatives. The SHSW Specialist interprets and promotes alignment with legislation and best practice relating to workplace health and safety, occupational injury and illness as well as non-occupational medical disability accommodation. 

The SHSW Specialist develops and promotes strategies for compliance with health and safety legislation, policies, standards, and processes and partners with client departments in managing occupational and non-occupational return to work to support timely and safe return to work for staff. The SHSW Specialist is also responsible for developing and promoting a wellness plan to support employees’ ability to stay at work.

This position plays a very important role in ensuring the safety, health and wellbeing of our staff. This role is an exciting opportunity for a Subject Matter Expert who is passionate about Health and Safety and keeping abreast of legislation, regulations, best practices and trends in Health and Safety and Disability Management; with a proven track record for developing and implementing forward-looking programs training and services in support of organization goals and priorities!
 

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Providing consulting services regarding health and safety legislation, trends, policies and practices by:

• Developing and implementing an annual health and safety plan to support continuous improvement across the Corporation.
• Developing and implementing an annual health and safety training plan that aligns with the Health & Safety Continuous Improvement plan.
• Leading health and safety risk assessment projects with client departments
• Ensuring all plans and initiatives reflect good financial stewardship and efficiency 
• Interpreting health and safety legislation, including changes, and providing timely guidance relating to strategies for compliance 
• Developing and revising the City’s Health and Safety Management System (HSMS) including policies, standards and procedures to support legislative compliance and best practice
• Partnering with client departments to support workplace health and safety across the Corporation by:
• ensure compliance with the City’s HSMS;
• provide guidance with regard to best practice to address unique situations and changes in circumstances

• Mentoring and acting as a resource to the Joint Health and Safety Committees
• Ensuring Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development (MLITSD) notification and reporting requirements are met and acting as point-of-contact with MLITSD and other enforcement agencies such as TSSA.
• Acting as resource to client departments for MLITSD field visits and accident investigations
• Leading internal health and safety investigations
• Researching, analyzing data (including internal and external data, trends and benchmarks) and preparing metrics and reports relating to health and safety
• Managing health and safety vendor relationships
• Analyzing Health and Safety cost drivers, such as training and equipment to identify cost saving opportunities to support fiscal responsibility and stewardship
• Developing and maintaining communication strategies to promote health, Safety and Wellness best practices
• Providing health and safety training to employees

Manage occupational and non-occupational planning to support timely and effective return to work and workplace medical accommodation by:

• Partnering with client departments to ensuring compliance with WSIB requirements including the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act and alignment with WSIB Operational policy
• Managing WSIB claims to ensure cost mitigation where possible including supporting early and safe return to work
• Ensuring the Workplace Medical Accommodation process complies with the Ontario Human Rights Code medical disability requirements including employer requirements prescribed in the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act and the Integrated Accessibility Standards Regulation
• Providing documentation to support actuarial reviews and audits relating to WSIB claims and reports

Promote Wellness including resource utilization by departments and staff by:

• Developing and implementing an annual Total Wellbeing plan to promote utilization of current wellness resources by departments and staff
• Leading the Total Wellbeing Steering committee
• Maintaining an awareness of current industry practices and innovations related to wellness initiatives and opportunities with the objective of continuous improvement and adding value to the Total Wellbeing program
• Managing wellness vendor relationships
• Other duties as assigned. 

REQUIRED SKILLS & COMPETENCIES

• Seven years’ experience in the health and safety field with specific experience in the design and implementation of health and Safety and disability management programs, and training.
• Post-secondary degree in Occupational Health and Safety, Environmental Health or related program, and/or equivalent combination of training, education and experience.
• Canadian Registered Safety Professional (CRSP) designation, or other health and safety designation preferred.
• Advanced knowledge and experience in managing all aspects of Occupational Health and safety including but not limited to conducting workplace hazard assessments and job hazard analyses, developing and providing training, conducting ergonomic reviews, leading investigations and reporting to external agencies, Senior Management, Union and JHSC.
• Advanced knowledge of relevant legislation: Ontario Occupational Health and Safety Act and Regulations, applicable CSA Standards and Workplace Safety & Insurance Act and Regulations.
• Advanced knowledge and experience in managing Workers Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) Schedule 2 employer claims.
• Advanced knowledge and experience in managing non-occupational absences, return to work and workplace medical accommodation processes.
• Advanced knowledge and experience relating to workplace mental health support including leading wellness programs and Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) / Peer Support systems.
• Ability to work successfully as part of a team within People Services and client department groups. 
• Agility and resilience that supports an ability to adapt to client departments’ changing needs and requirements.
• Demonstrated excellence in both written and verbal presentation skills.
• Demonstrated excellence in communicating effectively and with professionalism with People Services staff, senior management, client department leadership, employees, members of the public and vendors.
• Demonstrated strong conflict resolution skills.
• Clearly demonstrated organizational skills required to effectively manage all responsibilities in a timely and effective manner.
• Demonstrated strong MS Office skills including Outlook, WordPerfect, Excel and PowerPoint and Microsoft Teams, Zoom, Skype, etc. 
• You will hold a valid Ontario Class “G” Driver’s Licence, as the position involves travel to satellite offices, meetings and conferences.
• You are flexible in terms of work hours, in order to facilitate handling of urgent health & safety issues.
• A satisfactory police criminal record check will be required as a condition of employment.

CORE BEHAVIOURS

• Service Excellence: Meets or exceeds service standards when interacting with customers in the community and in the organization. 
• Change & Innovation: Responds positively and professionally to change and helps others through change. 
• Teamwork & Relationship Building: Interacts with others in an inclusive, collaborative and respectful way that creates effective working relationships. 
• Communication: Communicates in a clear, professional and respectful way; demonstrates active listening. 
• Accountable & Results Oriented: Demonstrates ethical behaviour and accountability, aligns with City values, and abides by relevant policies and legislation. 
• Management & Leadership: Demonstrates self-management, professionalism and engagement; leads by example. 

The City of Markham is committed to inclusive, accessible and barrier free employment practices and to creating a workplace that reflects and supports the diversity of the community we serve.  Please let us know if you require an accommodation and we will work with you to ensure a barrier free hiring process. 

We thank all applicants who have applied. However, only those applicants selected for an interview will be contacted.