Program Director - Quality

Your Opportunity

Make a difference to the people who rely on long term care - now and in the future. When people entrust their loved one to care, they need to know that a certain standard of attention will be given, whether in continuing care homes, home care, community care, or through social services. Assisted Living Alberta (ALA) is now seeking a dynamic and influential problem-solver for the role of Director, Quality.

As Director, Quality, you will make a difference as you provide executive leadership, subject matter expertise, and oversee quality improvement across the province in Alberta's continuing care sector. As this role is provincial in scope, the physical work location for this position is negotiable. This role may be eligible for a remote/hybrid work arrangement.

Travel within the assigned portfolio may be required to support leaders, teams, and service delivery. Assisted Living Alberta (ALA) provides Albertans with the support they need through a comprehensive assisted living system that offers a full range of services, including medical and non-medical supports, continuing care homes, home care, community care, and social services. ALA is focused on delivering care more effectively and consistently across the province by enhancing home and community services, expediting access to supportive living environments and continuing care homes, and ensuring Albertans and their caregivers are well-informed.

The Program Director, Quality (PD) provides provincial leadership for quality improvement across Alberta's continuing care sector, including ALA-operated and contracted services. A key leadership role, the PD advises senior leadership on quality priorities, emerging issues, improvement opportunities, and strategies that strengthen a culture of continuous improvement. The role also supports new initiatives and forecasts costs for grant proposals and funding requests.

Reporting to the Senior Program Officer, Quality, Client Experience and Accreditation, the PD leads a coordinated provincial approach and builds organizational capacity for quality improvement, using frameworks, methodologies, tools, resources, and supports that enable evidence-informed improvement across diverse care settings and providers. Working with continuing care operators, system partners, and internal teams, this position identifies, designs, implements, evaluates, and spreads improvement initiatives that enhance quality, safety, client and resident outcomes, experience, consistency, and service effectiveness.

The role translates quality, performance, client experience, safety, accreditation, and evaluation information into actionable priorities and supports the adoption and sustainability of leading practices across the sector.

Required Qualifications

A minimum of an undergraduate education and professional preparation in a clinical health discipline such as health administration, health sciences, nursing, allied health, education, business administration or a related health care discipline. An equivalent combination of clinical education and relevant experience may be considered. Minimum of 7 years of progressively responsible leadership experience in a complex healthcare environment, including significant leadership experience in quality improvement, healthcare quality, system improvement or a related provincial or organizational function.

Formal or advanced training in quality improvement, improvement science, implementation science, patient safety, health system leadership or related disciplines preferred. Certification or recognized professional development in quality improvement methodologies or healthcare quality is considered an asset.

Additional Required Qualifications

Demonstrated experience leading complex quality improvement initiatives across multiple programs, care settings, organizations, and stakeholder groups, including implementation, measurement, spread, and sustainability. Strong knowledge of quality improvement methodologies, improvement science, performance measurement, and evidence-informed healthcare practices is required. The role requires the ability to analyze quality, safety, performance, and client experience information, then identify improvement opportunities and develop practical strategies.

The successful candidate will have experience building quality improvement capability through frameworks, tools, coaching, or communities of practice, and working within publicly funded healthcare systems with government, healthcare organizations, contracted providers, and external partners. Strong leadership, communication, strategic thinking, and relationship-management skills are essential, including the ability to influence leaders, providers, and partners without direct authority.

Experience in continuing care or related health services, and leading provincial, system-wide, or sector-wide quality improvement initiatives involving multiple providers, is required.

Preferred Qualifications

Healthcare experience, particularly experience within continuing care, including Continuing Care Homes, Home and Community Care, palliative care or related health services preferred. Master's degree in a health profession, health administration, education, business administration, organizational development, or related field.