Occupational Health & Safety Manager

City of Kelowna; Kelowna; On-site; CAD 112,000 - 132,000; Full time

Job summary

A municipal organization is seeking an Occupational Health & Safety Manager to deliver comprehensive safety services across its departments. The role involves leading a team of safety professionals, ensuring compliance with safety regulations, and developing strategic plans for improving workplace safety. Candidates should have post-secondary education in occupational health and safety and at least 7 years of relevant experience. The position offers a competitive salary range of $112,260 to $131,700 with comprehensive benefits and a supportive work environment.

Benefits

Competitive salary

Comprehensive benefits package

Pension plan

Earned day off program

Paid vacation

Qualifications

• Minimum of 7 years of progressive experience in organizational health and safety.
• Experience in a unionized environment is preferred.
• Good understanding of City’s diverse business requirements.

Responsibilities

• Lead safety program delivery across all City departments.
• Provide leadership on corporate safety matters, ensuring regulatory compliance.
• Manage OH&S Department and develop strategic safety initiatives.
• Ensure adequate controls are in place to protect staff and visitors.
• Provide guidance for various emergency situations.

Skills

Administrative and organizational skills

Excellent written and oral communication skills

Sound budgeting and financial management skills

Ability to manage multiple priorities

Ability to build and maintain effective relationships

Education

Post-secondary education in occupational health and safety

Canadian Registered Safety Professional Designation

Job description

Please see Special Instructions for more details.

Please Note: with the holiday season approaching, applicants may not be contacted until the New Year.

Position Title: Occupational Health & Safety Manager

No. of Staff Required: 1

Position Type: FT

Position Groups: Management and Exempt

Division: People & Protective Services (DV139)

Department: Occupational Health & Safety (DP282)

Department Name: Human Resources

Branch: Occupational Health & Safety (BR282)

Purpose of your Position - Non Union: Reporting to the Human Resources Director, the Safety Manager leads a team of safety professionals, delivering comprehensive safety services across all City of Kelowna Departments. They are accountable for providing strategic leadership, direction, and management of the City’s safety program that aligns with the corporate vision and values. The overall objective is to create and maintain a framework that empowers employees at all levels to take necessary action to create and sustain a safe workplace.

Responsibilities

1. Provide advice and leadership on corporate safety matters:

• Provides advice and leadership to all levels of the organization on a wide range of occupational health and topics including, but not limited to, confined space entry, ground disturbance, ergonomics, excavations and motor vehicle incidents.
• Anticipates and analyzes statistical trends and needs, adjusting safety priorities and programs to respond to Council, corporate, and regulatory priorities.
• Reports to the Senior Leadership Team and People Leaders on key performance indicators, trends, and initiatives.

2. Manages the OH&S Department

• Supervises the OH&S Department, ensuring program elements meet regulatory requirements and industry‑best practices.
• Provides leadership on safety systems infrastructure matters including assisting with the establishment and monitoring of safety performance measures, information system components, and oversight of departmental budget.
• Develop strategic plans and initiatives to inspire a culture of continuous improvement; seeks to include team members in decisions that will impact them.
• Liaises with WorkSafeBC, Technical Safety BC, the BC Municipal Safety Association (BCMSA) and other regulatory associations and agencies, as required.

3. Ensures adequate controls in place for the protection of City staff, contractors, and visitors:

• Coaches management staff on developing effective strategies to minimize operational and strategic safety risks.
• Ensures coordination of internal and external resources to identify, assess, and mitigate workplace hazards, as appropriate, in a progressive and reasonable manner, including monitoring trends to direct resources to priority areas.
• Manages and supports professional consultants for projects and safety initiatives, including the annual Certificate of Recognition (CoR) audit.

4. Emergency Operations:

• Provide guidance and regulatory safety support for various emergencies, including wildfires, floods, and pandemic responses.
• Provide support to fire prevention and evacuation programs (ammonia and chlorine emergencies, etc.).
• Responsibility: Primary X – Contributory Shared.
• Who has final spending authority: Human Resources Director.
• 3 direct reports.
• Develop, inspire, hire, assess, discipline, and reward employees.

Knowledge and Experience

Post‑secondary education in occupational health and safety or other related field, Canadian Registered Safety Professional Designation is required. Minimum of 7 years of progressive experience in organizational health and safety, preferably in the public sector. Experience in a unionized environment is preferred. Has a good understanding of the diverse business requirements of the City’s divisions and departments.

Skills & Abilities

Administrative and organizational skills. Ability to manage multiple priorities, projects, and tasks. Excellent written and oral communication skills including sound report writing and presentation skills. Sound budgeting and financial management skills. Ability to build and maintain effective working relationships and skill in dealing openly and tactfully in a variety of situations. Ability to resolve disagreements constructively to prevent conflict escalation.

Salary & Benefits

The annual salary for this position ranges from $112,260 to $131,700, depending on qualifications and experience. Most candidates can expect to start in the lower to mid‑range of this scale, with opportunities for salary growth based on performance and tenure. We offer progressive employment practices and a great work environment. This is an exempt position that offers a competitive salary, employer‑paid comprehensive benefits package, an earned day off program, paid vacation and one of Canada’s top pension plans.

The City of Kelowna is committed to being an organization that values and reflects its community’s diverse population, and to fostering an equitable, inclusive and progressive work environment where everyone can be their authentic self and feels a sense of belonging.

Work Location: CITY HALL

Hours of Work: 8am to 4pm, Monday to Friday (7 hours per day).

Posting Date: 12/08/2025

Closing Date: 12/19/2025

Documents Needed to Apply

Required Documents

• Resume
• Driver's Abstract

Optional Documents

• Cover Letter
• Other Document 1
• Other Document 2
• Other Document 3
• Other Document 4

Supplemental Questions

Required fields are indicated with an asterisk (*).

• * What level of post-secondary education have you completed in OH&S or a related discipline?
  • None
  • Some related post‑secondary courses
  • Certificate (1 year full‑time studies)
  • Diploma (2 years full‑time studies)
  • Bachelor's degree (3 to 4 years full‑time studies)
  • Occupational Therapy degree
  • Occupational Hygiene degree
  • Master's Degree or other higher level post‑graduate program
• * Do you hold a Canadian Registered Safety Professional (CRSP) designation?
  • Yes
  • No
  • In progress
• * How many years of experience do you have working in a dedicated health & safety role?
  • None
  • Less than 1 year
  • 1 to 3 years
  • 3 to 5 years
  • 5 to 10 years
  • More than 10 years
• * How many years of experience do you have leading people or teams?
  • None
  • Less than 1 year
  • 1 to 3 years
  • 3 to 5 years
  • 5 to 10 years
  • More than 10 years