Practice Leader, Genetic Counselling - BC Women’s Hospital & Health Centre

Practice Leader, Genetic Counselling

BC Women’s Hospital & Health Centre

Vancouver, BC

The Practice Leader, Genetic Counselling is responsible for the delivery of genetic counselling clinical and academic services consistent with the mission, vision, values and strategic directions of the PHSA. The Practice Leader directly provides practice leadership, participates in the planning, delivery, and evaluation of services, and provides input into human resource and financial resource management. Additionally the Practice Leader supports program leaders in decision-making processes surrounding care delivery, clinical competencies, clinical practice, and standards of care.

What you’ll do

• Ensures professional association standards, certification requirements, practice guidelines, and the code of ethics for genetic counselling are understood, monitored and maintained.
• Identifies profession specific performance evaluation standards and processes. In collaboration with Program Leaders provides input to professional competency development and evaluation of staff performance appraisal. Develops strategies to address and remediate performance issues if required.
• In consultation with PMGP, and in collaboration with Program Leaders, participates in the planning and coordination of service delivery, including the development of practice guidelines, goals, objectives and interprofessional clinical pathways using evidence-based practice.
• Ensures that clinical supervision to staff is provided as required and to meet collective agreement requirements and acts a mentor, along with others, to Genetic Counsellors. Ensures that a process and mechanisms are in place for ongoing clinical and peer consultation (i.e. practice councils, mentors, etc).
• Maintains and updates knowledge by methods such as reviewing relevant literature, evaluating clinical practice and together with education resources, develops processes for defining and implementing practice skills for Genetic Counselling and supports the utilization of their full scope of practice.

What you bring

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Genetic Counselling or Medical Genetics.
• Six (6) years of recent, related experience including two (2) years leadership experience or an equivalent combination of education, training and experience.
• Board certified or eligibility for certification with the Canadian Association of Genetic Counsellors and/or American Board of Genetic Counsellors.
• Demonstrate comprehensive knowledge of the historic and ongoing impacts of settler colonialism and systemic racism on Indigenous Peoples within social and health contexts. This includes understanding how these factors contribute to current health disparities and barriers to care. Show a clear commitment to identifying, challenging, and eradicating Indigenous-specific racism and all forms of discrimination impacting equity-deserving groups within healthcare settings. This involves recognizing personal biases, institutional barriers, engaging in anti-racism education and training and advocating for systemic change.
• Demonstrated knowledge and understanding of legislative obligations and provincial commitments within BCW contexts found in the foundational documents including Truth & Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action (2015), In Plain Sight (2020), BC's Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (2019), United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), Reclaiming Power and Place Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women & Girls Calls for Justice (2019), the Declaration Act Action Plan and Remembering Keegan: A First Nations Case Study, BC Human Rights Code, Anti-racism Data Act and how they intersect across the health care system.

Core Competencies

• Brings an understanding of the Indigenous specific racism and the broader systemic racism that exists in the colonial health care structure, and has demonstrated leadership in breaking down barriers and ensuring an environment of belonging. Embed Indigenous Cultural Safety and Humility into all aspects of work. This means creating an environment where Indigenous patients feel respected, valued, and understood. Foster trust through respectful communication, active listening, and honoring equity-deserving people's perspectives on health and wellness. Commit to ongoing education and training on Indigenous health issues, cultural safety, and DEI principles. Participate in workshops, cultural immersion experiences, and continuous professional development to stay informed and responsive to equity-deserving groups. Provide patient-centred care that respects Indigenous ways of knowing and healing, respects BIPOC experiences and world views ensuring that care plans are culturally relevant and holistic.
• Knowledge of social, economic, political and historical realities of settler colonialism on Indigenous Peoples and familiarity with addressing Indigenous-specific anti-racism, anti-racism and Indigenous Cultural Safety and foundational documents and legislative commitments (The Declaration Act, the Declaration Action Plan, TRC, IPS, Remembering Keegan, etc.).

You will also bring

• Comprehensive knowledge of Genetic Counselling theory and practice.
• Comprehensive knowledge of organization policies, procedures, and standards of care.
• Working knowledge of other health care disciplines and their role in client care.
• Working knowledge of research process and methodology.
• Demonstrated ability to provide leadership, supervision, work direction and training.
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively as a member of an interdisciplinary team.
• Demonstrated ability to communicate both verbally and in writing.
• Demonstrates a commitment to beginning and continuing their personal learning journey related to Indigenous-specific racism and dismantling systems of oppression, as well as addressing racism more broadly. Shows willingness to articulate and share their learning experiences to contribute to a culture of motivation and inspiration among peers.
• Demonstrates foundational knowledge of the social, economic, and political realities of settler-colonialism and its impacts on Indigenous peoples and equity-deserving groups within social and health contexts. Understands the impact of social determinants of health-on-health outcomes. Shows a commitment to learning about and upholding legislative obligations and provincial commitments outlined in foundational documents such as the Truth & Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action (2015), In Plain Sight (2020), BC's Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (2019), United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), Reclaiming Power and Place: Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women & Girls Calls for Justice (2019), the Declaration Act Action Plan, Remembering Keegan: A First Nations Case Study, the BC Human Rights Code, Anti-Racism Data Act, and the Distinctions Based Approach.

What we bring

Every PHSA employee enables the best possible patient care for our patients and their families. Whether you are providing direct care, conducting research, or making it possible for others to do their work, you impact the lives of British Columbians today and in the future. That’s why we’re focused on your care too – offering health, wellness, development programs to support you – at work and at home.

• Join one of BC’s largest employers with province-wide programs, services and operations – offering vast opportunities for growth, development, and recognition programs that honour the commitment and contribution of all employees.
• Access to professional development opportunities through our in-house training programs, including +2,000 courses, such as our San’yas Indigenous Cultural Safety Training course, or Core Linx for Leadership roles.
• Enjoy a comprehensive benefits package, including municipal pension plan, and psychological health & safety programs and holistic wellness resources.
• Annual statutory holidays (13) with generous vacation entitlement and accruement.
• PHSA is a remote work friendly employer, welcoming flexible work options to support our people (eligibility may vary, depending on position).
• Access to WorkPerks, a premium discount program offering a wide range of local and national discounts on electronics, entertainment, dining, travel, wellness, apparel, and more.

Job Type: Regular, Full-Time
Wage: $49.25 - $61.52 hourly

Location: 4500 Oak Street, Vancouver BC, V6H 2N9
Applications will be accepted until position is filled.

Hours of Work: Monday – Friday; 0800-1600

Requisition # 188913E

What we do

BC Women's Hospital & Health Centre (BCW) is dedicated to improving the health of women, newborns and families through a comprehensive range of services, research and education. 

BCW are part of the Provincial Health Services Authority (PHSA).

PHSA plans, manages and evaluates specialized health services with the BC health authorities to provide equitable and cost-effective health care for people throughout the province. Our values reflect our commitment to excellence and include: Respect people – Be compassionate – Dare to innovate – Cultivate partnerships – Serve with purpose.

Learn more about PHSA and our programs: jobs.phsa.ca/programs-and-services

PHSA and BCW are committed to employment equity, encouraging all qualified individuals to apply. We recognize that our ability to provide the best care for our diverse patient populations relies on a rich diversity of skills, knowledge, background and experience, and value a safe, inclusive and welcoming environment.

One of PHSA’s North Star priorities is to eradicate Indigenous-specific racism, which includes ongoing commitments to Indigenous recruitment and employee experience as well as dismantling barriers to health care employment at every level. We welcome Indigenous individuals to apply and/or contact the Sanya’k̓ula Team (Indigenous Recruitment & Employee Experience) for support at indigenous.employment@phsa.ca.

Indigenous-specific anti-racism initiatives are rooted in addressing the unique forms of discrimination, historical and ongoing injustices, and exclusion faced by Indigenous peoples. These initiatives align with an Indigenous rights-based approach, recognizing the inherent rights and title of BC First Nations and self-determination of all First Nations, Inuit and Métis communities. PHSA is mandated to uphold legislative obligations and provincial commitments found in the foundational documents including the Truth & Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action (2015), In Plain Sight (2020), BC's Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (2019), United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP), Reclaiming Power and Place Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women & Girls Calls for Justice (2019), the Declaration Act Action Plan and Remembering Keegan: A First Nations Case Study.

Attention current employees of PHSA: 

You must apply via your internal profile at http://internaljobs.phsa.ca.

The internal job posting expires on September 21, 2025 and will no longer be accessible. If the internal job posting has expired, please e-mail internaljobshelpu@phsa.ca with the six-digit job requisition number and your PHSA employee ID number to be considered as a late internal applicant. Please do not apply for the external job posting.

If you have not yet set up an internal profile, please e-mail internaljobshelpu@phsa.ca with your PHSA employee ID number to obtain your temporary password. Our business hours are Monday-Friday 8:30am-4:30pm, excluding Statutory Holidays and a Help Desk Representative will respond to you with 1-2 business days.  

If you are not a current employee of PHSA and require assistance with your application, please contact the External Careers team at careers@phsa.ca.