Director, Cultural Safety and Humility

Full-time, contract (24 months)

Position summary

The College of Physicians and Surgeons of BC (CPSBC) acknowledges that British Columbia is home to incredibly diverse populations of First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities. CPSBC embraces the opportunity to learn from the many Nations, communities, and leaders in the province to deliver more culturally safe and accessible health-care services and ensure that its policies and processes are aligned with principles of cultural safety for Indigenous Peoples.

Reporting to the registrar and CEO, and sitting on the leadership team, the director, cultural safety and humility (DCSH) plays a pivotal role in the development and execution of strategies for Indigenous cultural safety and humility, and supports CPSBC’s overall reconciliation, equity, diversity and inclusion initiatives.

While preference will be given to applicants who are Indigenous, CPSBC will consider applications from non-Indigenous allies. We invite applicants to self-identify within their resume or cover letter if they are comfortable doing so.

Duties and responsibilities

Duties include but are not limited to the following:

• regulatory process review
  • oversee the review of public facing regulatory policies, procedures and practices and make recommendations to ensure they are culturally safe, trauma aware and inclusive so that members of the public, particularly Indigenous Peoples, feel safe and respected when contacting CPSBC and filing complaints
  • partner with leaders across the organization to ensure cross-program development of culturally safe, trauma-aware and inclusive regulatory policies, procedures and practices
  • facilitate continuous improvement and maintenance of policies, procedures and practices in our regulatory work to ensure CPSBC meets its legal and ethical obligations to address Indigenous-specific racism in the health-care system
• engagement
  • help build and foster relationships with key partners and audiences including Indigenous knowledge keepers, organizations and communities, to collaborate on CPSBC projects and initiatives
  • work closely and collaboratively with CPSBC’s leadership team to embed cultural safety and humility within the organization
• other duties
  • support the registrar and CEO to build cultural safety throughout the organization through reporting and monitoring of cultural safety and humility initiatives
  • support the registrar and CEO to report on cultural safety and humility initiatives to the Board
  • support human resources to ensure an inclusive and safe workplace culture
  • support human resources to facilitate anti-racism and decolonial learning opportunities and training for CPSBC staff, board and committee members to build organizational leadership capacity for integrating cultural safety and humility and inclusivity within CPSBC and for the healthcare professionals it regulates
  • support communications and public affairs to ensure standards, bylaws and communications are culturally safe and inclusive
  • support CPSBC’s work to implement the Health Professions and Occupations Act (HPOA) to ensure the organization is compliant with the Act in regards to discrimination, cultural safety and humility, and inclusivity

Skills and qualifications

Essential skills and qualifications include:

• a level of education, training and experience that provides you with the skills and ability to advance systems level change and foster systems thinking to lead change
• demonstrated experience implementing anti-racism, cultural safety and humility, diversity and inclusion and anti-oppression programs in a complex organization
• knowledge and understanding of current and historical Indigenous issues, cultures, practices, Indigenous cultural safety and humility, Indigenous specific racism, anti-racism, equity, diversity, inclusion and Indigenous world view
• track record of developing and implementing best practices in approaches to reconciliation with First Nations and developing and maintaining relationships with first Nations governments and organizations
• excellent interpersonal skills and a demonstrated ability to work with and inspire/motivate a wide range of people with cultural awareness and sensitivity
• knowledge of appropriate legislation such as Health Care Consent Act, Child, Family and Community Services Act, Mental Health Act, Health Professions Act, Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, and Personal Information Protection Act, United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples
• excellent oral and written communications skills and the ability to communicate effectively with individuals at all levels of the organization
• ability and aptitude to respond to changing priorities and adjust milestones and targets to maintain forward momentum
• open to giving and receiving feedback across the organization
• regulatory or health care experience an asset 

The compensation range for this position is $129,098 to $193,646 per year.  The compensation range is the span between the minimum and maximum base salary for a position. The midpoint of the range is approximately halfway between the minimum and the maximum and represents an employee that possesses full job knowledge, qualifications and experience for the position. In the normal course, employees will be hired, transferred or promoted between the minimum and midpoint of the salary range for a job.

In addition to the base salary, the College provides pension contributions to the public service pension plan, a parking/transit subsidy, a wellness allowance, and a flexible health and dental plan as part of the total compensation package.

CPSBC offers other great benefits such as flexible working arrangements (compressed work week, hybrid work-from-home/in-office model), competitive annual vacation and personal days off, support for professional development, and access to a fitness centre and pool, all of which make the College an excellent and rewarding working environment.