Manager, Risk Management (Environment)

University of Ottawa; Ottawa; On-site; CAD 108,000 - 134,000; Full time

Job summary

University of Ottawa is seeking a senior risk management leader to oversee strategic and operational risk initiatives across the university. The role ensures compliance with laws, standards, and guidelines and protects facilities, programs, and operations through robust risk management and governance structures.

The incumbent will direct programs, manage cross-functional teams, liaise with regulatory agencies, and drive continuous improvement in safety, environmental stewardship, and business

Qualifications

• Degree with acceptable specialization relevant to the position.
• Minimum of 8 years’ experience in a relatable field/environment.
• Experience managing and supervising cross functional teams.
• Advanced degree relevant to the position.
• Professional designation relevant to their field of expertise (e.g., EP, P.Eng, CRSP, ROH).
• Extensive knowledge of management systems, risk assessment, due diligence, institutional reporting.

Responsibilities

• Planning and strategic orientation: develops and updates strategic plans, budgets, and programs.
• Operations management: directs risk mitigation programs ensuring compliance and business continuity.
• Expertise: provides subject-matter guidance to management chairs and leaders.
• Liaison: interfaces with regulatory agencies and reviews statutes and guidelines.
• Capital projects: participates in planning, design, and construction processes.
• Team management: builds and guides teams to address institutional priorities.
• Emergency intervention: participates in hazardous materials and emergency programs.
• Procurement and structure: develops scopes of work and contracts as needed.

Skills

Risk management

Leadership

Regulatory compliance

Project management

Communication

Bilingual FR/EN

Education

Bachelor's degree in a relevant field

Advanced degree

Professional designation

Tools

Microsoft Office

AutoCAD

Databases

Job description

Job Type:

Employee

Posting Reason: Replacement of a regular position

Anticipated Duration in Months (for contracts and temporary assignments): N/A

Job Family: Risk Management

# of Open Positions: 1

Faculty/Service - Department: Occupational Health and Safety

Campus: Main Campus

Union Affiliation: N/A

Date Posted (YYYY/MM/DD): 2026/10/29

Applications must be received BEFORE (YYYY/MM/DD): 2026/11/23

Hours per week: 35

Salary Grade: Non-Union Grade NM1

Salary Range: $107,503.00 - $134,379.00

About the Office of the Chief Risk Officer:

The Office of the Chief Risk Officer offers a rewarding journey where your skills and passion for risk management will play a key role in shaping the future of the University of Ottawa. Our Office oversees Operational and Enterprise Risk Management, Insurance, Internal Audit, Protection Services, Emergency Management, and Health, Safety and Environmental Management. Our team is dedicated to ensuring the resilience and continuity of our operations. With a commitment to excellence, you’ll have the opportunity to contribute significantly to promoting risk culture within our institution. We strive to be a valued partner and key player in advising and supporting University leadership, faculties, and staff, helping to foster a culture of informed decision-making.

Join us in building a resilient future for the University of Ottawa and become part of our collaborative and forward-thinking team.

Position Purpose:

Reporting to the Director, provides leadership for the development, management, and implementation of strategic and operational risk management initiatives in alignment with the strategic objectives of the Office of the Chief Risk Officer and University. The position oversees the institutional management system and related programs in their area of responsibility to support and facilitate the appropriate risk management of the University’s facilities, properties, academic programs, research enterprise, and daily operations. The incumbent monitors and assures institutional compliance with federal, provincial, and municipal legislation, national / international standards and guidelines by faculty, staff and students through proactive and reactive programs. The incumbent assists in resolving institutional matters in their area of responsibility and is the primary person responsible and accountable for the development of institutional programs and procedures to ensure an appropriate level of compliance at the University and its related institutions.

In this role, your responsibilities will include:

• Planning and strategic orientation: Develops, manages, implements, and updates strategic plans for their specific area of responsibility, including budgets, procurement processes, programs and project plans to address risk for medium and long term (greater than 5 years) durations in alignment with the business unit’s and University’s strategic plan. Determines and enacts the team objectives based on institutional, service, and regulatory objectives. Often requires integration of new and existing programs and initiatives.
• Operations management: Directs the development, implementation, and monitoring of high-impact and integrated risk mitigation programs which focus on minimizing risk and liabilities, ensuring compliance, enhancing environmental management and compliance, environmental stewardship, emergency response and business continuity with a view to impacts on academic, research, and operational activities to ensure consistency and continuous improvement.
• Expertise: advises, informs, proposes, consults, reports, and provides subject-matter expertise to ensure accountability and assure institutional and faculty/service compliance with respect to regulatory initiatives and their implications (financial, resource, facility infrastructure, etc.) to management committees, senior faculty / service leadership, as appropriate.
• Liaison: serves as the university’s primary interface and signing authority under delegation of the Director with national, provincial, and municipal regulatory agencies, as appropriate. Examples include Environment and Climate Change Canada, the Ministry of Environment, Conservation and Parks, City of Ottawa. Participates in reviewing of statutes, regulations, and government guidelines by providing commentary to regulatory bodies where such laws and modifications may impact the University’s key strategic objectives and regulatory compliance.
• Capital projects : participates in the capital planning, project management, design, and construction processes to ensure that appropriate property, environment, and regulatory requirements are properly identified, considered and addressed. Identifies cost saving and efficiency opportunities by anticipating future regulatory or environmental standards. Assesses the appropriate standards and guidelines to ensure consistency with the overall strategic goals associated with research, academic programming, and construction of new facilities. Defines institutional standards for their area of responsibility.
• Team management: builds teams from resources internal and external to the University to address institutional priorities within their area of responsibility (including program and project development and implementation).
• Emergency intervention: participates in the University’s hazardous materials and regulatory response on-call program which is fully integrated with the University’s Emergency Management and Business Continuity processes.
• Procurement and structure: develops and oversees scopes of work, terms of reference, requests for quotes, requests for proposals, and contracts related to their area of expertise, as required.

What you will bring:

• Degree with acceptable specialization relevant to the position. Examples include Science, Engineering, Environmental Science, Physics, Health and Safety, etc.)
• Minimum of 8 years’ experience in a relatable field and/or environment.
• Experience managing and supervising cross functional teams.
• Advanced degree relevant to the position
• Professional designation relevant to their field of expertise (e.g., EP, P.Eng, CRSP, ROH)
• Extensive knowledge of management systems, risk assessment, due diligence, institutional reporting, architectural and engineering specifications and drawings.
• Extensive knowledge of federal, provincial, and municipal laws, regulations, and best practices (national and international).
• Extensive knowledge of legal principles.
• Proven leader and strategic thinker.
• Ability to work autonomously, meet tight deadlines, manage conflicting priorities, and take unilateral decisions.
• Experience in developing, implementing, and assessing institutional policies, programs, and procedures.
• Experience in project, program, financial. and human resources management.
• Experience in multi-stakeholder consultations and team building.
• Strong interpersonal, communication, and client service skills.
• Knowledge and experience with computer systems and software (e.g., Microsoft suite, including email, databases, AutoCAD, etc.)
• Bilingualism (French and English; oral and written).

Key Competencies at uOttawa:

Here are the required competencies for all or our employees at uOttawa:

Planning: Organize in time a series of actions or events in order to realize an objective or a project. Plan and organize own work and priorities in regular daily activities.
Initiative: Demonstrate creativity and initiative to suggest improvements and encourage positive results. Is proactive and self-starting. Show availability and willingness to go above and beyond whenever it is possible.
Client Service Orientation: Help or serve others to meet their needs. This implies anticipating and identifying the needs of internal and external clients and finding solutions on how to meet them.
Teamwork and Cooperation: Cooperate and work well with other members of the team to reach common goal(s). Accept and give constructive feedback. Able to adjust own behaviour to reach the goals of the team.

Note: if this is a union position:

The hiring process will be governed by the current collective agreement related to the union affiliation noted above; you can click here to find out more.

If this is a front-line position with responsibilities to interact with students, selected candidates must be rated at the Low Advanced proficiency level or higher for both oral comprehension and reading comprehension in their second official language. The rating is determined by a proficiency test designed by the Official Languages and Bilingualism Institute.

Prior to May 1, 2022, the University required all students, faculty, staff, and visitors (including contractors) to be fully vaccinated against Covid-19 as defined in Policy 129 – Covid-19 Vaccination. This policy was suspended effective May 1, 2022 but may be reinstated at any point in the future depending on public health guidelines and the recommendations of experts.