Junior Director of Care

111000 Extendicare (Canada) Inc.; Toronto; On-site; CAD 95,000 - 125,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Continuous mentorship

Career growth opportunities

Employee Family Assistance Program

Job summary

Extendicare is seeking a Director of Care in Canada to lead a high-performing nursing team, ensuring residents receive the care they need with a focus on safety, quality and compliance. You will guide care planning, foster a positive work environment, and partner with leadership to drive continuous improvement.

You will oversee staffing, budgets, and regulatory requirements, while promoting a culture of empathy and excellence in resident care across our long-term care homes.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Nursing with current registration in applicable provincial body.
• Master’s degree is preferred for leadership roles in long-term care.
• Demonstrated expertise in leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills.

Responsibilities

• Cultivate the resident care team, providing day-to-day guidance and fostering a positive work environment.
• Train care staff with required education for performance and professional development.
• Financial stewardship: oversee budgeting and variance analysis of the nursing department.
• Ensure compliance with healthcare regulations, licensing, accreditation, and labour standards.
• Identify and manage resident issues, mitigate clinical risks, and respond to incidents per regulatory requirements.
• Drive customer service mindset with feedback from residents, families, vendors and staff.
• Oversee resident assessment and care planning, ensuring personalized plans.
• Collaborate with leadership, residents and families to optimize care.
• Lead quality improvement initiatives to enhance safety, wellness and satisfaction.
• Develop clinical operations and staffing plans aligned with home priorities.

Skills

Leadership

Nursing leadership

Regulatory compliance

Interpersonal skills

EHR proficiency

Quality improvement

Education

Bachelor's degree in Nursing

Master's degree preferred

Tools

EHR systems

Job description

Mission

As the Director of Care, you will contribute to the Extendicare purpose of Helping People Live Better, by leading a high performing team that is dedicated to ensuring all residents receive the care they need.

Key Outcomes:

• Serve as a strong advocate for resident safety and the ongoing improvement of quality care.
• Attain high resident and family engagement as measured through Experience Survey Results, by caring for each person as we would our own family
• Consistently meet or exceed all quality and clinical indicators for residents through the effective execution of required clinical programs.
• Foster a positive culture and employee experience, driving an increase in overall employee engagement compared to the previous year.
• Ensure adherence to regulatory compliance regarding resident plan of care, as well as organizational standards, policies, and procedures.

Key Responsibilities

• Cultivate - lead the resident care team, providing day-to-day guidance and fostering a positive work environment that encourages collaboration, accountability, drives high performance and ensures retention by delivering an exceptional employee experience.
• Train - Ensure that all care staff receive the education required for the effective performance of their roles and promoting professional development.
• Financial stewardship - Manage the care staff complement consistent with the Extendicare model of care that meets the provincial/legislated hours of care. Oversee the financial management, including assisting with budget preparation and variance analysis of the nursing department
• Comply - Monitor and ensure compliance with all healthcare regulations, licensing requirements, accreditation standards and labour and employment standards, including timely investigations and consistent action planning.
• Risk Management - Identify and manage resident issues as they arise, and ensure clinical risks are mitigated and immediate action taken on critical incidents in keeping with regulatory requirements.
• Customer Service - By employing the customer service mindset, accept and respond to feedback (complaints, recognition or suggestions) from residents, families, vendors and team members with acknowledgement and empathy.
• Resident Care - Oversee resident assessment and care planning processes, ensuring personalized care plans are developed and implemented based on resident preferences.
• Collaborate - Participate actively and collaborate with the leadership team and liaise with care staff, residents and families to deliver and optimize resident care.
• Improve - Implement quality improvement initiatives to enhance resident safety, wellness and satisfaction, because we are relentless in our efforts to improve.
• Strategic planning – in support of the home level strategic priorities, develop the operational plans with respect to clinical operations and staffing, which support and enhance resident care.
• Community partnership - engage with vendors on quality initiatives and training requirements, collaborate with community health partners for the betterment of resident care
• Values Alignment - Uphold and promote the organization’s Mission, Vision and Values and philosophy regarding ethics, morality, and integrity

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Nursing; Master's degree preferred.
• Current and unrestricted registration as a Registered Nurse with the applicable Provincial licensing body is required.
• Minimum of 5 years of nursing experience, in addition to at least 2 years in a leadership role in a long-term care facility or other health facility.
• Working knowledge of long-term care regulations, standards, and best practices.
• Demonstrated expertise in leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to work collaboratively with interdisciplinary teams and build positive relationships.
• Proven track record of implementing quality improvement initiatives and achieving positive resident outcomes.
• Proficient in electronic health records (EHR) systems and other relevant technology

Core Competencies (included for posting only)

• Business Knowledge
• Industry/Regulatory Knowledge
• Program Administration
• People Management
• Customer Service
• Priority Management

Attributes of an Effective Leader

• Strategy Development: Understands the organization’s strategy and sets priorities to make it happen
• Self-Motivated and Results Driven: Takes ownership and holds themselves and others responsible for delivering high-quality, timely, and cost-effective results
• Collaboration: Inspires a collaborative team environment and works effectively with others with the ability to influence
• Effective Communication: Actively listens, seeking to understand all perspectives and communicates with respect
• Problem Solving: Recognizes and takes ownership to resolve issues outside of clear role mandate
• Builds High Performing Teams: Builds the capability of individuals and teams through continuous feedback, coaching, and a commitment to learning and development
• Data Analytics & Continuous Improvement: Uses data to identify and measure performance and develop solutions to motivate improvement.

What Extendicare has to offer:

• Continuous mentorship, support for life-long learning and growth opportunities
• Opportunities for advancement and career growth within the organization
• A rewarding and meaningful work experience where you can enrich your life and the lives of others through your work.
• Employee Family Assistance Program.

Time Type: Full time

At Extendicare, we’ve spent more than 50 years dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for residents in our long-term care homes across Canada. When you join Extendicare, you become part of a compassionate, mission-driven team committed to creating a safe, supportive, and enriching environment for every resident we serve. We provide competitive compensation that reflects the value of this role and the unique qualifications each candidate brings. Final salary offers are based on a variety of factors such as your skills, experience, education, and alignment with the responsibilities of this position. Base salary is one component of our broader total rewards package. We offer a comprehensive suite of benefits designed to support your health, financial well‑being, and long‑term career growth.

Your recruiter can provide more details about our total rewards offerings during the hiring process. We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support certain stages of the recruitment process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing candidate responses. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment — every application is reviewed by a member of our team to ensure thoughtful and equitable consideration. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.

Extendicare is an equal opportunity employer committed to respectful and inclusive hiring practices. We welcome all applicants, including those from equity-deserving groups, including Indigenous peoples, women, people with disabilities, and visible minorities. Extendicare is committed to fostering an accessible, inclusive, and equitable hiring process. We will gladly accommodate the needs of applicants throughout all stages of the recruitment process upon request and in accordance with applicable legislation. If you require support during any stage of the process, email us at [e-mail].

We acknowledge that the care we provide across Canada occurs on lands that have been cared for by many Indigenous peoples for generations. We recognize First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Peoples and their enduring connection to this land, and the importance of respect and cultural safety in the work we do.

Extendicare is a leading provider of care and services for seniors throughout Canada. Through our network of 123 owned and operated long-term care homes, as well as our home health care operations serving more than 10,000 patients annually, we provide people with the care they need wherever they call home. Our qualified and highly trained workforce of 22,000 individuals are united by a dedication to quality care and by our vision for a future where everyone in Canada has access to the care and support they need to live their best lives.

We operate a network of 99 long-term care homes (59 owned, 40 under management contracts), deliver approximately 14.0 million hours of home health care services annually, and provide group purchasing services to third parties representing approximately 153,600 beds across Canada.

Extendicare proudly employs approximately 23,000 individuals and manages an additional 5,000 joint venture employees, all of whom are highly qualified, trained and dedicated team members and passionate about providing high-quality care and services to help people live better.

Our Mission To provide people with the care they need, wherever they call home.

Our Vision Everyone in Canada has access to the care and support they need to live their best lives.

Our Values We embrace every person for the individual they are. We care for each person as we would our own family. We collaborate with others because we achieve more together. We are relentless in our efforts to improve. We respect the resources entrusted to us.