Director, Cloud Centre of Excellence

Job ID 2425388_pl355 Date posted 10/31/2024 Job Summary:

In accordance with the Purpose, Vision, Values and Coast Salish Teachings, 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.
The Provincial Health Services Authority (PHSA) plans, manages and evaluates selected specialty and province-wide health care services across BC, working with the five geographic health authorities to deliver province-wide solutions that improve the health of British Columbians. PHSA embodies values that reflect a commitment to excellence.
The Director, Cloud Centre of Excellence reports to the Executive Director, Cloud Services and is accountable for leading cloud adoption and driving cloud-enabled digital transformation across the health authorities within British Columbia, aligning with our clinical and business operations and supporting other health authorities’ business objectives. This position plays a key lead role in the support of the Provincial Digital Health Cloud Centre of Excellence, ensuring a clear vision, governance and operational processes are established to support the development and use of cloud assets, frameworks, and services. This role works closely with peers, Chief Information Officers and leadership teams across the regional health authorities and First Nation Health Authority.
The Director, Cloud Centre of Excellence is a problem-solving and transformative leader of change and brings technical knowledge of cloud-based services, cloud modernization and cloud governance with proven standards of practice. They are primarily responsible for developing a long-term roadmap through understanding the health authorities’ business objectives and providing a broad range of cloud portfolio management services to PHSA and other health authorities within British Columbia. Additionally, they are responsible for educating and building support across leadership to achieve the operational goals and objectives for the consolidated organization. This position plays a significant role in the establishment and maintenance of strategic alliances, managed services, and partnerships with external technology providers, including communicating internally and externally to facilitate consensus and negotiate for advantages in resources or contractual obligations with vendors. This role oversees financial and resource management of the Cloud Services portfolio to ensure operational deliverables are on time and on budget.

Duties/Accountabilities:

• Provides strategic direction and guidance to drive stabilization the transformation, integration and innovation of cloud technologies and services across the health authorities within British Columbia, including close collaboration with Clinical and Business leaders, finance, HR, and supply chain. Provides support for cloud adoption, as required by the relevant PDHIS or other health authorities.
• Oversees and leads the Provincial Digital Health Cloud Centre of Excellence and aligns with the overall DHIS strategy, including deploying and running modernized cloud-based services. Negotiates and builds strategic alignment with external service providers, and with CIOs at other health organizations to support and sustain investments in people and technology. Provides support for and accelerates the transition of legacy solutions to cloud platforms, as required by the relevant PDHIS or health authority product/project teams.
• Provides strategic contract management to the vendors that fall within the Cloud Services portfolio. Negotiates and builds strategic alignment with external service providers. Demonstrates strong vendor alliance management skills and provides commercial negotiation and management capabilities.
• Provides leadership and direction to adopt cloud technologies and further systems/technologies into PDHIS, as appropriate; to drive consolidation of key systems/technologies as appropriate; and to guide a wide array of technical resources through clarity of direction and intent.
• Provides leadership and guidance in the establishment and adherence of provincial cloud standards of practices, polices, and procedures in alignment with legislative requirements, PHSA mandates, and leading practices. Provides education and mentorship to support adherence to these requirements.
• Works collaboratively and effectively engages leadership across the PDHIS, wider PHSA organization, health authorities, various internal and external partner groups and partner organizations to achieve desired provincial technology services goals.
• Ensures that cloud standards of practices, polices, and procedures are followed and are in alignment with legislative requirements, PHSA mandates, and leading practices. Provides education and mentorship to support adherence to these requirements.
• Works as a leader within PDHIS and a key member of the Cloud Services team to further the purpose, vision and values of the organization and meet operational and strategic goals of PDHIS.
• Provides leadership to staff by fostering an atmosphere, which promotes and encourages employees to realize their maximum potential and encourages growth. Oversees all aspects of human resource management within the Cloud Services portfolio. Conducts employee performance reviews and completes appraisals for assigned staff. Oversees recruitment of staff and supports labor relations issues such as discipline up to and including termination. Ensures that human resource plans within the technology operations portfolio address the recruitment and retention issues for the organization.
• Manages annual operating and capital budgets and monitors overall Cloud Services portfolio expenditures for the effective and efficient utilization of the portfolio budget.
• Reviews analysis of activities, costs, operations and forecast data to determine the portfolio’s progress toward stated financial goals and objectives.
• Effects strategic decisions involving major segments of the organization and health authorities (VCH/PHC, FH, ISLH, IH, NH, and FNH), including operational direction, strategic plans, and outcomes for connected health services across the province. Leads and integrates the activities across each of these operational areas and health authorities in the face of conflicting requirements by boards where various operations and expectations must be balanced and managed.

Qualifications:

A level of education, training, and experience equivalent to a Bachelor’s degree in Computing Science, Information Management, Cybersecurity or a related discipline, plus a minimum of seven (7) to ten (10) years of recent, related leadership experience in progressively more responsible technology management roles and complex infrastructure environments with a minimum of three (3) years leadership experience managing large cross-functional teams or an equivalent combination of education, training and experience.
• Understanding of various reports including Truth & Reconciliation Commission’s 94 Calls to Action (2015), In Plain Sight Report (2020), BC's Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (2019), In Plain Sight, Reclaiming Power and Place Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women & Girls calls for justice, and how they intersect across the health care system.
• Models and supports full team commitment to Indigenous Cultural Safety and anti-racism. Demonstrates humility and heart-led leadership.
• Commitment to upholding the shared responsibility of creating lasting and meaningful reconciliation in Canada as per TRC (2015) and BC's Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (2019).
• As a strong asset for consideration, we are looking for our successful candidate to have knowledge of social, economic, political, and historical realities impacting indigenous communities and familiarity with Indigenous Cultural Safety and anti-racism and accompanying reports (BC DRIPA, TRC, etc.).
• Demonstrated record of effective leadership of large matrixed organizations or other public sector environments.
• Leadership competencies in the areas of self, engaging others, driving change, achieving results, developing coalitions and systems transformation are required.
• Demonstrated excellent communication skills, ability to lead peers and team members within the context of a complex IT and delivery organization.
• Demonstrated track record to interact with senior executives and be a key member of a management team.
• Experience in working in collaboration with large vendors, managing external partnerships and vendor alliances. Establishes credibility and forms strong team and service relationships.
• Ensures effective utilization of financial resources and strives for efficiency and agility. Able to lead in times of fiscal restraint.
• Ability to manage expectations and establish boundaries. Drives innovative solutions.
• Demonstrates a willingness to question the status quo.
• Establishes credibility and forms strong team partnerships.
• Action oriented, able to anticipate the short and long-term consequences of strategies.
• Ability to manage several crises and urgent issues simultaneously.
• Understands the inner workings of a large organization/government, the Ministries of Health, the health authorities, and related organizations in terms of structure, process, and key partners.
• Ability to grasp the conceptual vision of the organization and work towards integrating strategic plans into that vision.
• Ability to work effectively with a broad range of situations, people, and groups.