DIRECTOR OF CARE

Southbridge Care Homes; Pickering; On-site; CAD 110,000 - 118,000; Full time

Job summary

Southbridge Care Homes is seeking a Director of Care to lead clinical programs across a long-term care home in Ontario. The role oversees nursing staff, patient care plans, and compliance with the Fixing Long-Term Care Act and regulations, ensuring safe, high-quality resident care.

The position requires RN registration, 5+ years in long-term care with leadership experience, and strong governance, teamwork, and communication skills.

Qualifications

• Current, active registration in good standing with the College of Nurses of Ontario (CNO) as a Registered Nurse (RN).
• Minimum of 5 years’ clinical experience in long-term care, gerontology, or related nursing practice, including at least 2 years in a supervisory/leadership role (or equivalent).
• Demonstrated knowledge of Ontario long-term care legislation and regulations, resident rights and standards of care.
• Current BLS/CPR certification.
• Satisfactory vulnerable sector police reference check.
• Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BScN) or related.
• Experience with electronic resident records (e.g., PointClickCare) and quality-improvement methodologies.
• Strong leadership, communication, performance management and conflict-resolution skills; experience working with family/resident councils.
• Familiarity with dementia care best practices and regulatory requirements for dementia programs.
• Clinical judgment and decision-making in complex cases.
• Ability to lead multidisciplinary teams and to translate regulatory requirements into operational practice.
• Strong organizational skills and attention to documentation, reporting and compliance.
• Ability to coach and develop staff, manage performance issues and lead change.

Responsibilities

• Lead and manage all clinical programs and nursing/personal care services (including registered nursing staff, registered practical nurses and personal support workers).
• Ensure resident care plans are developed, implemented, reviewed and revised in accordance with professional standards and regulatory requirements.
• Ensure the home meets legislative and regulatory obligations under the Fixing Long-Term Care Act, 2021 and applicable regulations (including documentation, reporting and cooperation with inspections).
• Recruit, schedule and supervise nursing staff to meet required staffing levels and skill mix; participate in workforce planning to ensure safe direct care is delivered (including adherence to provincial care-hours targets and allied professional requirements).
• Oversee clinical quality improvement, infection prevention and control activities, medication management, wound care, pain management and other clinical programs.
• Provide clinical leadership during incidents, outbreaks, critical events and internal/external reviews; ensure timely incident reporting and follow-up.
• Act as the clinical representative for resident/family council meetings, when invited, and respond to clinical concerns and complaints in accordance with Ministry Long-Term Care requirements, Southbridge policy and residents’ rights.
• Maintain collaborative relationships with the Medical Director, allied health professionals, primary care providers and community partners.
• Ensure staff are oriented, competent and maintain required professional certifications; participate in performance management and education planning.
• Maintain accurate clinical records and support audits, accreditation and Ministry inquiries.

Job description

Posted Thursday, September 3, 2026 at 4:00 AM

Position: Director of Care

Salary Range: $110,000 - $118,000

Status: Full-Time, Vacancy

Join our Team!

Southbridge Care Homes provides exceptional acquisition, management, and redevelopment services for long-term care homes and retirement communities across Ontario. Our mission is to maintain a best-in-class portfolio that consistently delivers excellence in care and services while ensuring economic sustainability.

The Director of Care (also referred to in legislation as the Director of Nursing and Personal Care) is the regulated-health-professional leader responsible for ensuring safe, high-quality, resident-centred nursing and personal care services in the long-term care home and for ensuring the home operates in compliance with the Fixing Long-Term Care Act, 2021 and its regulations. This position provides clinical leadership, oversees nursing and PSW staffing and standards of care, directs care planning and quality improvement activities, and acts as a primary contact with the Ministry, inspectors and resident/family councils on care-related matters.

Key responsibilities

• Lead and manage all clinical programs and nursing/personal care services (including registered nursing staff, registered practical nurses and personal support workers).
• Ensure resident care plans are developed, implemented, reviewed and revised in accordance with professional standards and regulatory requirements.
• Ensure the home meets legislative and regulatory obligations under the Fixing Long-Term Care Act, 2021 and applicable regulations (including documentation, reporting and cooperation with inspections).
• Recruit, schedule and supervise nursing staff to meet required staffing levels and skill mix; participate in workforce planning to ensure safe direct care is delivered (including adherence to provincial care-hours targets and allied professional requirements).
• Oversee clinical quality improvement, infection prevention and control activities, medication management, wound care, pain management and other clinical programs.
• Provide clinical leadership during incidents, outbreaks, critical events and internal/external reviews; ensure timely incident reporting and follow-up.
• Act as the clinical representative for resident/family council meetings, when invited, and respond to clinical concerns and complaints in accordance with Ministry Long-Term Care requirements, Southbridge policy and residents’ rights.
• Maintain collaborative relationships with the Medical Director, allied health professionals, primary care providers and community partners.
• Ensure staff are oriented, competent and maintain required professional certifications; participate in performance management and education planning.
• Maintain accurate clinical records and support audits, accreditation and Ministry inquiries.

Mandatory qualifications (required)

• Current, active registration in good standing with the College of Nurses of Ontario (CNO) as a Registered Nurse (RN).
• Minimum of 5 years’ clinical experience in long-term care, gerontology, or related nursing practice, including at least 2 years in a supervisory/leadership role (or equivalent).
• Demonstrated knowledge of Ontario long-term care legislation and regulations, residentrightsand standards of care
• Current BLS/CPR certification
• Satisfactory vulnerable sector police reference check

Preferred qualifications

• Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BScN) orrelated .
• Experience with electronic resident records (e.g.,PointClickCare) and quality-improvement methodologies.
• Strong leadership, communication, performancemanagementand conflict-resolution skills; experience working with family/resident councils.
• Familiarity with dementia care best practices and regulatory requirements for dementia programs.
• Clinical judgment and decision-making in complex cases.
• Ability to lead multidisciplinary teams and to translate regulatory requirements into operational practice.
• Strong organizational skills and attention to documentation,reportingand compliance.
• Ability to coach and develop staff, manage performanceissuesand lead change.

Working conditions

• Shift work to provideclinical leadership across the home; on-call responsibility for clinical matters may berequired.
• Fast-paced environment with frequent interaction with residents, families,staffand external stakeholders.
• Must be able to perform duties withappropriate useof personal protective equipment as per IPAC requirements.

Accountability & legislative compliance

This role is accountable for ensuring the home’s nursing and personal care programscomply withthe Fixing Long-Term Care Act, 2021 and the General Regulation (O. Reg. 246/22), including cooperating with inspectors,participatingin mandatoryreportingand supporting resident rights and family council processes. The Director of Care must ensure that staffing, care-planning and clinical programs align with the Act’s requirements.

We would like to thank all applicants for your interest in working as part of our team! Only those applicants selected to move forward in the recruitment process will be contacted.

Southbridge welcomes those applicants with disability related needs and those whom a need for accommodation in the recruitment process. Please provide notice of your need for accommodation to the hiring manager upon scheduling of an interview.

At Southbridge, we care about your privacy and strive to protect Applicant Data throughout the recruitment process. To that end, information that we gather from applicants via job postings, is used solely for the purposes of recruiting and hiring.