Client Engagement Lead

Health Standards Organization (HSO); Ottawa; Hybrid; CAD 98,000 - 115,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid work model

Psychological safety culture

Job summary

Health Standards Organization (HSO) is seeking a Program Manager to lead the accreditation program for Québec and Canadian Francophonie. You will manage a small team, ensure manuals and tools reflect relevant standards, and work with regional and enterprise teams to improve program delivery.

You will build durable stakeholder relationships, advise on strategy, and translate complex trends and risks into practical improvements, while maintaining a client-focused approach and high-quality outputs.

Qualifications

• University degree in health administration or related field.
• 5+ years in healthcare, health system administration, quality improvement, accreditation, certification, consulting, or related field.
• Experience leading people, programs, or complex initiatives.
• Strong ability to build durable stakeholder relationships and influence clients, partners, committees, and senior decision-makers.
• Fluent in English and French; strong communication skills.

Responsibilities

• Represent the business unit and align priorities with stakeholders.
• Lead a small team, set priorities, coach, and foster accountability.
• Maintain and improve the assigned accreditation program.
• Ensure manuals and tools align with standards and are practical for clinical teams.
• Review survey reports and use findings to improve impact.
• Build relationships with staff, clients, partners, and committees.
• Develop expertise in standards and serve as a trusted resource.
• Identify risks and improvements to meet standards.
• Monitor trends and advise strategy with data and judgment.

Skills

Leadership

Stakeholder management

Healthcare systems knowledge

Communication

French & English bilingual

Education

University degree in health administration or related field

Equivalent combination of education and experience considered

Job description

Accreditation Canada and Health Standards Organization (HSO) will not ask for personal information such as Social Insurance Numbers (SIN) or bank account information during the recruitment process via phone or email. If you receive such a request, it is not from Accreditation Canada or HSO. Applicants should always verify the legitimacy of such communication and contact the organization directly through official channels to confirm.

Terms: Full-time permanent

Salary: $98,000 - $115,300 (Commensurate with experience)

This salary range reflects the expected starting salary based on qualifications and experience. This is not the full salary range for the position. Opportunities for growth within the full salary range are available in alignment with organizational policies and individual / organizational performance. The offer package provided to the successful candidate will be based on experience, qualifications and other relevant factors.

Location: Montreal (preferable) or Ottawa, Hybrid Work Model

About The Role

Note that this job posting is for an existing vacancy.

Reporting to and working closely with the Senior Program Manager, Accreditation & Certification, Québec & Canadian Francophonie, the Program Manager represents the business unit and leads the assigned accreditation program through implementation, evaluation, and continuous improvement.

The incumbent manages a small team and ensures that program manuals, tools, and guidance are practical, relevant to Québec public-sector care settings, aligned with applicable standards, and easy for clinical teams to use.

As a trusted subject-matter resource, the Program Manager builds lasting relationships, advises regional and corporate teams, and uses client feedback, survey reports, and emerging trends and risks to improve program delivery and outcomes.

Main Responsibilities

• Represent the business unit and client perspective, working with the Senior Program Manager and peer Program Managers to align program, operational, and organizational priorities.
• Manage a small team by setting clear priorities, supporting professional growth, and fostering accountability and collaboration.
• Maintain, implement, evaluate, and continuously improve the assigned accreditation program.
• Ensure program manuals, tools, and guidance align with applicable standards, reflect the realities of intended care settings and services, and are easy for clinical teams to use.
• Review survey reports, follow up with clients, and use findings to improve the quality, consistency, and impact of interventions.
• Build authentic, sustainable relationships with staff, clients, partners, and advisory and operational committees, while fostering effective internal and external collaboration.
• Develop expertise in the relevant standards and program and serve as a trusted resource to internal and external stakeholders.
• Contribute to key program deliverables and remain vigilant about their quality, proactively identifying and flagging gaps, risks, or inconsistencies and working with accountable teams to support outputs that meet expected standards.
• Advise regional and enterprise-wide strategy by monitoring complex trends, risks, and issues; evaluating deliverables, processes, and outcomes; and implementing improvements with initiative, creativity, sound analysis, and judgment.

Must Have Qualifications

• University degree in health administration, business administration, public administration, healthcare management, or a related field. An equivalent combination of education and experience will be considered.
• Five (5) or more years of progressive experience in healthcare, health system administration, quality improvement, accreditation, certification, consulting, or a related field, including leadership of people, programs, or complex initiatives.
• Demonstrated ability to lead a small team, establish priorities, coach others, and create an accountable, collaborative work environment.
• Proven ability to build durable stakeholder relationships and influence clients, partners, committees, and senior decision-makers.
• Strong understanding of healthcare systems, standards, quality improvement methods, governance, and performance improvement.
• Ability to analyze complex trends, risks, processes, and outcomes and turn findings into practical recommendations and well-judged change.
• Excellent communication, facilitation, negotiation, and presentation skills in both French and English.

Desired Qualifications

• Experience working with healthcare accreditation, certification, standards development, quality assessment, regulatory, or evaluation programs, including the development or implementation of practical manuals and tools for clinical teams.
• Knowledge of Québec's health and social services system, including its governance, policy environment, care settings, and key stakeholders.

What You Can Expect

In Your First 30-90 Days:

• Learn the assigned standards, program, client portfolio, contractual commitments, and strategic priorities.
• Establish a strong working partnership with the Senior Program Manager and confirm the business unit’s program and operational priorities.
• Build relationships with the team, clients, partners, and surveyors, and establish clear expectations and ways of working.
• Assess priority trends, risks, and improvement opportunities and create an initial action plan with clear measures of success.

What We Can Offer To You

• Hybrid work model.
• A culture that measures and values psychological safety, inclusion and engagement.

Who We Are And What We Do

Health Standards Organization (HSO) and our affiliates Accreditation Canada (AC) and the Institute for Quality Management in Healthcare (IQMH) are global, not-for-profit, revenue generating organizations. Together, we develop standards and deliver assessment programs and quality improvement solutions that have been adopted in over 15,000 locations across five continents. Our people-centred programs and services have been setting the bar for quality across the health ecosystem for 65 years.

Join us toward a future that will lead to safer care and a healthier world. Let’s follow a mission together, where we empower and enable people around the world to continuously improve quality of care.

HSO is committed to fostering a culture of inclusion, diversity, equity and access, where all employees feel respected and valued and have an equal opportunity to achieve success. We encourage applications from Indigenous Peoples, people from diverse races, ethnicities and/or religions, persons with disabilities, people from gender diverse communities and/or people with intersectional identities. Please let us know how we can support you throughout the recruiting process, including through the provision of accommodations on request.

Artificial intelligence (AI) tools are not utilized to screen, assess or select candidates for positions at HSO.

We are also proud to have been named as one of the Top 100 National Capital Region’s Top Employers in 2022, 2023, 2024 and 2025.