Senior Director, Indigenous Health

Sanya’k̓ula; Vancouver; On-site; CAD 150,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

PHSA in Vancouver, Canada is seeking a senior leader to drive Indigenous cultural safety across programs, align with provincial health strategies, and oversee budget, HR, and policy initiatives. This role emphasizes collaboration with diverse stakeholders and transformation of service delivery.

The candidate will lead cross-functional teams, ensure safety and equity, and guide organizational change to advance Indigenous health outcomes.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in a relevant health care profession.
• 10+ years of progressive leadership experience in health care.
• 5–7 years in organizational change management; 2+ years in a managerial role.
• Current registration/membership with a professional college.

Responsibilities

• Provides strategic leadership for planning, alignment, and evaluation of Indigenous cultural safety initiatives.
• Leads portfolio service development and planning with working groups and projects.
• Develops and evaluates policies, procedures, and standards for cultural safety in patient care.
• Oversees master transformational plan to create culturally safe and equitable services.
• Manages cross-divisional cross-program projects and interdependencies.
• Oversees operating and capital budgets, cost pressures, and resource allocation.
• Leads human resources management within the portfolio and supports Indigenous staff.
• Represents PHSA at national and provincial levels and informs policy changes.

Skills

Strategic leadership

Change management

Cross-cultural competence

Stakeholder collaboration

Analytical skills

Communication skills

Education

Master’s degree in a relevant health care profession

Job description

Job Summary

In accordance with the Mission, Vision and Values, and strategic directions of PHSA, safety, including both patient and employee safety, is a priority and a responsibility shared by everyone at PHSA. As such, the requirement to continuously improve quality and safety is inherent in all aspects of this position.

Vancouver, Canada

Regular, Full-Time

Requisition number: 206213E

Date posted: 11/02/2026

Duties/Accountabilities

• Provides strategic leadership and accountability for the planning, alignment, actions, and evaluation of services within the portfolio to advance Indigenous cultural safety of patients/families and staff. Ensures consistency with PHSA’s overall strategic plan, Truth and Reconciliation recommendations, PHSA Indigenous Health strategy, the First Nations Health Plan, the Tri-partite Health plan, and provincial mandates regarding cultural safety and humility training.
• Leads portfolio service development and planning activities through working groups and projects, and monitors the progress and outcomes achieved. Creates, implements, and evaluates objectives, policies and procedures, and standards of cultural safety practice related to patient care in partnership with key stakeholders across PHSA.
• Establishes strong working relationships and partners internally with PHSA-wide Programs and Services to develop and operationalize strategies and plans in order to improve local and organizational systems and service delivery for Indigenous clients. Takes a leadership role in developing, implementing, and evaluating the strategies such as policy, quality and human resources that support cultural safety by promoting evidence-based best practice.
• Oversees and provides leadership to develop a master transformational plan and timetable to advance the organization’s transformational goal of creating culturally safe and equitable, person and family-centric services for Indigenous clients and staff. Utilizes an organizational Indigenous Cultural Safety framework that includes assessment, best practices, measurement, implementation and evaluation. Establishes partnerships and mechanisms to support Program and Service accountabilities for the plan.
• Assesses the impact of transformational initiatives using a systems approach and manages the impacts and interdependencies of cross-divisional and cross-Program and Service projects.
• Oversees the development of operating and capital budgets and, as required, cost pressure and business case submissions. Responsibilities include identification of service and budget priorities, allocation of resources, program development, planning of goals and objectives, coordination of service delivery systems, and establishing and monitoring of targets and indicators.
• Oversees all aspects of human resource management within the portfolio and looks for opportunities to develop individuals with lived experience. Ensures Indigenous staff receives culturally safe support.
• Represents PHSA at national, provincial, and inter-authority levels in various capacities including participating on committees, providing secretarial support or policy/guideline development and implementation advice. Influences, informs, and contributes to policy for upstream issues affecting Indigenous people through partnerships, facilitating dialogue and consensus, maintaining awareness of emerging issues and ensuring that processes and mechanisms are in place to get the deliverables and outcomes that PHSA, MoH and others have requested.

Qualifications

A level of education, training, and experience equivalent to a Master’s degree in a relevant health care profession and a minimum of ten (10) years of recent related progressive leadership experience, including five to seven (5-7) years of organizational change management experience and at least two (2) years in a managerial/leadership role; and if applicable, current registration / membership with a professional college.

Demonstrated facilitative leadership skills, analytical and problem-solving skills, and a proven ability to foster a collaborative team approach to decision making. Considerable creativity and problem solving to manage direct and indirect opportunities. Ability to prioritize and manage multiple tasks and projects. Exceptional communication, interpersonal and public relations skills. Proven ability to negotiate and mediate resolutions to complex situations. Ability to interact tactfully and effectively with staff at all organizational levels both internally and externally. Ability to establish courses of action for self and others that are results-oriented. Demonstrated ability to relate effectively to a variety of people from diverse backgrounds. Demonstrated knowledge of Canadian colonial impacts on Indigenous people in social and health contexts, supported by significant knowledge of Canadian and Indigenous ideologies. Knowledge and appreciation of the unique history, cultures, and rights of Indigenous Peoples in Canada is required. Lived experience with Indigenous populations and demonstrated extensive knowledge of Indigenous health care needs, services, and issues as well as knowledge of culture, protocols, traditions, and ideology of Indigenous people and organizations in British Columbia is an asset.

• Preference will be given to Indigenous candidates.

PHSA embodies values that reflect a commitment to excellence. PHSA’s values are: Compassion, Respect, Equity, Courage, Innovation. In addition, PHSA accepted six Coast Salish Teachings from Coast Salish Knowledge Keeper Shane Pointe, Siem Te’ta-in.