Bridging Program Manager Q-WHEP, Moosonee Site

Queen’s Health Sciences (QHS), in partnership with the Weeneebayko Area Health Authority (WAHA) is co-developing a program for training health professionals living along the western James Bay and Hudson Bay coast. The Queen’s-Weeneebayko Health Education Program (Q-WHEP) marks a new approach to educating and supporting Indigenous youth to pursue careers in healthcare and provides a unique model for transforming Indigenous health across Canada. Through this partnership, QHS and WAHA will co-create decolonized, interprofessional curricula. Articulated by Queens’ and WAHA in January 2025, the shared vision is: Healthcare close to home, provided by our peoples — a vision we are working to realize for the people in these communities.

Reporting to the Director, Queen's - Weeneebayko Education Program and working collaboratively with the Q-WHEP Pathways Lead and the Site Manager, Moosonee Campus, the Bridging Program Manager will support high school graduates or near-graduates who lack one or more prerequisite courses for university admission to health sciences. The Bridging Program Manager will be an experienced educational professional to who will lead programming for this new initiative of the Q-WHEP. The incumbent will lead program development, student support, and partnership-building, ensuring students have access to academic upgrading, paid health-care placements, and mentorship.

The Bridging Program Manager will advance Q WHEP’s community engagement goals in the western James Bay and Hudson Bay regions by coordinating and delivering targeted supports that enable Indigenous youth to access post secondary studies in the Health Sciences.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Develop and coordinate prematriculation programming for secondary school students and recent graduates in Moosonee, Ontario, with the objective of reducing barriers to post secondary health professions education and ensuring the inclusion of wraparound academic, cultural, and student support services that are responsive to the local territory and regional context.
• Develop and coordinate student mentorship supports, cultural programming, including study-skills workshops and university application assistance.
• Liaise with online and local secondary school providers (e.g., Keewaytinook Internet High School) to facilitate course enrolments and monitor student progress.
• Liaise with post-secondary education providers in the region to foster continued collaboration and pathway building (e.g., Northern College)
• Organize and supervise summer intensive programming, including four-week credit upgrades and health professions exposure opportunities.
• Track student outcomes and maintain program records, reporting progress and challenges to Q-WHEP leadership.
• Develop and maintain budgets, complete funding applications, and manage resource allocation for program delivery.
• Organize housing supports and childcare providers, as needed.
• Ensure students adhere to academic and professional commitments to the program, and develop individualized intervention plans when they are not.
• Plan and host community information sessions and orientation activities for students and families.
• Support the process of locating and securing temporary learning spaces for programming to take place.
• Builds and maintains relationships with internal and external partners across secondary and postsecondary organizations, WAHA and other partner organizations, and funding agencies.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with local high schools, guidance counsellors, education authorities, and community organizations to identify prospective participants.
• Secure and manage health-care placement opportunities in collaboration with WAHA and other partners. Other duties as required in support of the program and department

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelor’s degree in Science, Health Sciences, Health Administration, Leadership, or other relevant fields.
• Bachelor’s degree in Education .
• At least 5 years of relevant experience.
• Given the community-centred and Indigenous-focused nature of this work, preference will be given to qualified Indigenous candidates.
• Ontario Certified Teacher (OCT) designation is an asset.
• Secondary School teaching qualifications strongly preferred.
• Guidance Counsellor certification considered an asset.
• Grade 12 university science and mathematics teachables considered an asset.
• In-depth knowledge of Ontario secondary school curriculum and university admissions processes.
• Satisfactory Criminal Records Check and Vulnerable Sector Screening required
• Consideration may be given to an equivalent combination of education and experience.

SPECIAL SKILLS:

• Proven ability to manage multiple programs and services at the same time; maintain deadlines and budgets, prioritize work, while simultaneously able to make quick schedule adjustments when unexpected issues arise
• Sound knowledge of financial/budgeting practices, including the ability to understand, prepare and analyze financial information
• Exceptional oral and written communication skills. Capable of communicating with a wide range of audiences on multiple platforms, with an ability to discuss sensitive or controversial information with tact and sensitivity, while maintaining confidentiality as required.
• Champions positive change management and making a difference for underserved populations
• Demonstrates high emotional intelligence, integrity and accountability
• Action-oriented with a track record of achievement
• Leads self by demonstrating self-awareness, self-management and development and supports the development of this in others
• Engages others by fostering their development, contributing to healthy organizations, communicating effectively, and building and leading highly effective teams
• Achieves results by setting direction, strategically aligning decisions with vision, values, and evidence, takes action to implement decisions, and assesses and evaluates
• Develops coalitions by purposefully building partnerships and networks to create results, demonstrate commitment to customer service, mobilizes knowledge to navigate socio-political environments
• Strength in building bridges between Indigenous communities, individuals, agencies, and the University.
• Engages in system transformation by demonstrating system and critical thinking, encouraging and supporting innovation, orienting themselves strategically to the future, and championing and orchestrating change Ability to work in a confidential, high-pressure environment and to independently make decisions and set priorities to juggle many conflicting tasks.
• Understanding of barriers faced by Indigenous learners in the region, including access to prerequisite courses, housing, financial supports, and systemic challenges.
• Ability to work collaboratively with multiple stakeholders in education and health-care sectors.

DECISION MAKING:

• Plan, implement and evaluate program and service objectives, and determine action plans to meet goals and priorities.
• Expected to work independently, be self-directed and able to prioritize work with minimal supervision; able to provide advice and/or recommendations, or make decisions and take action independently.
• Determine recommendations and implementation strategies for bridging programming to meet the Q-WHEP deliverables.
• Determine requirements for quality assurance processes, and other approvals for Q-WHEP bridging programs.
• Analyze, summarize, and make conclusions regarding information in order to determine the appropriate content of reports.
• Determine needs for teaching and learning development and decide how to implement programs and services to address needs of pre-matriculation students.
• Determine the most appropriate strategies to use in addressing teaching and learning related issues and concerns.
• Oversee budget development, determine optimal allocation of resources, and work with the Project Manager to resolve accounting problems and errors.
• Determine appropriate action to handle emergencies in accordance with Q-WHEP, WAHA and university procedures.
• Monitor status of initiatives and determine when and how to alert management on issues.
• Decide on best alternatives or a range of solutions to a given problem, identifying potential risks and benefits.
• Balance competing priorities in reaching decisions.
• Determine priorities and organize time appropriately.