Director OHS Investigations

WorkSafeBC; Canada; Hybrid; CAD 185,000 - 226,000; Full time

Job summary

A workplace safety organization in Canada is seeking a Director of OHS Investigations to lead strategic initiatives addressing workplace safety. This role involves overseeing high-quality investigations into serious incidents, collaborating with regulatory bodies, and ensuring compliance with safety mandates. The ideal candidate has exceptional leadership skills and extensive experience in regulatory investigations and strategic planning. This position offers a competitive salary and a hybrid work model.

Benefits

Defined benefit pension plan

Four weeks of vacation in the first year

Customizable health care and dental benefits

Development opportunities

Qualifications

• Minimum 10 years of experience in an investigative leadership role.
• Expertise in OHS investigations.
• Experience leading teams in strategic planning and policy development.

Responsibilities

• Lead OHS Investigations initiatives in B.C.
• Ensure compliance with legislative and regulatory requirements.
• Build collaborative relationships with law enforcement and regulatory agencies.

Skills

Leadership

Regulatory investigations

Strategic planning

Policy formulation

Stakeholder relationship management

Communication

Education

Degree in criminology, law or relevant field

Job description

Are you a senior leader passionate about occupational health and safety (OHS)? Are you ready to play a key role in preventing workplace injuries, illnesses, and deaths, and supporting injured workers? If so, consider joining the Prevention Services team as the Director, OHS Investigations.

As the Director, OHS Investigations, you will provide strategic and operational leadership to a high‑performing department responsible for investigating workplace fatalities, serious incidents, and near misses across B.C.

Reporting to the Head of Prevention Services, you'll ensure the effective delivery of WorkSafeBC's legal investigative mandate with a focus on reducing workplace harm, strengthening system integrity, and improving regulatory compliance.

You will lead multidisciplinary teams, including the Worker Rights and System Integrity team, and exercise delegated authority to approve referrals to Crown Counsel for potential prosecutions. The role also includes guiding strategic planning, overseeing operational effectiveness, shaping legislative responses, and driving continuous performance improvement.

This is an opportunity for a collaborative, future‑focused leader with expertise in regulatory investigations and legal processes to influence meaningful change in occupational health and safety in B.C.

How you'll make a difference:

You’ll oversee WorkSafeBC's OHS Investigations initiatives to understand what has caused the most serious incidents and share what you’ve learned to help ensure the safety of B.C. workers.

Where you'll work

At WorkSafeBC, we offer a hybrid work model that combines working remotely and in our offices, based on the operational needs of the position. In this role, you will work primarily from our Richmond, Victoria, or Kelowna office with some flexibility to work from your home in B.C.

• Provide strategic and operational leadership to the OHS Investigations department, ensuring high‑quality investigations into workplace fatalities, serious incidents, and near misses, while maintaining compliance with legislative and regulatory requirements.
• Exercise delegated authority on behalf of WorkSafeBC's President and CEO to approve submissions to Crown Counsel, ensuring legal investigations are ready for prosecution and aligned with WorkSafeBC's mandate.
• Lead and expand the Worker Rights and System Integrity team, overseeing enforcement strategies related to claim suppression, OHS‑related fraud, and prohibited actions to uphold system integrity.
• Drive divisional strategy and policy development, contributing to business planning, setting departmental priorities, and monitoring performance and risk indicators to achieve operational objectives.
• Advise on legislative and regulatory changes, leading the development of strategies to address impacts, ensure compliance, and support the division's investigative mandate.
• Build and sustain collaborative relationships with law enforcement, Crown Counsel, regulatory agencies, and internal departments to strengthen coordination and information sharing across investigative functions.
• Analyze incident trends and Coroner's Inquest findings to inform policy, enhance investigative practices, and implement preventative measures aimed at reducing workplace fatalities and serious injuries.
• Consistently model the appropriate level of organizational behaviours expected of all WorkSafeBC employees: responsive, respectful, fair, collaborative, accountable, and forward‑thinking.

We're looking for someone who has the following:

• Exceptional leadership skills and experience working in a complex organization.
• Expert knowledge in OHS investigations.
• Extensive experience in strategic planning, policy formulation, and high‑level decision making with full accountability for multiple departments.
• Strong background in leading teams to develop operational plans, set priorities, implement initiatives, foster collaboration, and monitor performance indicators.
• Advanced experience in guiding divisions to meet legal mandates, advising on legislative changes, and creating strategies to address regulatory impacts.
• High‑level skills in developing and maintaining stakeholder relationships, ensuring effective communication with health and safety regulators and investigative agencies.
• Advanced ability to analyze findings, develop strategic practices, and implement solutions to reduce workplace fatalities.

In addition, the ideal candidate will be skilled in the following areas:

• Systems thinking: Ability to look at complex situations and create innovative outcomes that support the long‑term health of the organization and drive transformation.
• Risk identification and mitigation: Ability to recognize and proactively manage risks, champion a culture of responsible risk taking, and establish robust frameworks to minimize disruptions.
• Influencing: Ability to align divergent stakeholder views and goals toward a shared outcome without direct reporting relationships.
• Agility: Ability to navigate uncertainty, pivot priorities, and drive innovation to align people and outcomes in evolving conditions.
• Effective communication: Ability to engage and align diverse audiences through adaptive, evidence‑based communication for shared understanding and action.

Your background and experience

• Degree in criminology, law, or other relevant field would be an asset.
• Minimum of 10 years of experience in an investigative leadership role.
• Investigations background and experience would be an asset.

We will consider an equivalent combination of education and experience.

Important to know

• Consent to a criminal record check and meet the legal requirements under the Criminal Records Review Act to work with children and/or vulnerable adults.
• Confirm you are legally entitled to work in Canada.

Who we are

At WorkSafeBC, we promote safe and healthy workplaces across British Columbia. We partner with workers and employers to save lives and prevent injury, disease, and disability. When work‑related injuries or diseases occur, we provide compensation and support injured workers in their recovery, rehabilitation, and safe return to work. We’re honoured to serve the 2.49 million workers and 263,000 registered employers in our province.

Discover who we are.

What's it like to work at WorkSafeBC?

It’s challenging, stimulating, and rewarding. Our positions offer diversity and opportunities for professional growth. Every day, the work we do has an impact on people and changes lives. What we do is important, and so are the people we do it for.

Our ability to make a difference relies on building a team with a rich variety of skills, knowledge, backgrounds, abilities, and experiences that reflects the diversity of the people we serve. We’re committed to fostering a welcoming, inclusive, and supportive work culture where everyone can contribute as their best, authentic self.

Our benefits

As a member of our team, you’ll have access to services and benefits that help you get the most out of work—and life. Along with a competitive salary, your total compensation package includes:

• A defined benefit pension plan that provides you with a lifetime monthly pension when you retire.
• Four weeks of vacation in your first year, with regular increases based on years of service.
• A benefits package that includes customizable options for health care and dental benefits, additional days off, and a health care spending account.
• Optional leave arrangements.
• Development opportunities (tuition reimbursement, leadership development, and more).

Find out what we offer.

Salary

$185,257-$225,087 annually

Want to apply?

• Applications are welcomed immediately; however, they must be received no later than 4:30 p.m. PST on the closing date.
• Please note that we will be starting assessments prior to the closing date.

We encourage all qualified applicants to apply. If you require an accommodation in the assessment process, please email Recruitment Testing Accommodation (SM) when you submit your application.