Are you a dynamic, collaborative leader who has what it takes to set strategic direction for a multi-disciplinary corrections inspections and investigations team? Are you passionate about identifying and managing security threats within the correctional environment? Do you want to make a difference in the investigation of significant events such as deaths in custody, hostage situations, smuggling, compromised staff and major policy violations? If yes, apply for this senior leadership opportunity with Ontario's Ministry of the Solicitor General.
Reporting to the Deputy Solicitor General, the Chief of Correction Services Oversight and Investigations will lead a high-performing investigations team that influences a broad network of national correctional systems, law enforcement, intelligence agencies, and more. You will have the opportunity to identify trends while shaping and ensuring ministry compliance with policies and procedures.
As the Chief of Correction Services Oversight and Investigations, you will have the unique opportunity to build linkages and partnerships with critical stakeholders such as Chiefs of Police, Corrections Canada, Criminal Intelligence Services of Ontario, the OPP, the Provincial Security Advisor, and Senior Management Committee to provide advice and represent the province. You will work with federal, provincial and territorial counterparts on intelligence activities that cross provincial boundaries and participate in national committees such as Heads of Corrections and international task forces such as the Intelligence in Prisons Task Force.
About the job
In this role, you will:
• Drive the development, implementation and continuous improvement of strategic frameworks, policies and long-term plans for inspection and investigative programs related to Ontario's correction system.
• Build strong and long-term linkages, partnerships, and consultations processes with stakeholders to discuss issues and provide support regarding trends, outcomes, contentious issues and more.
• Play a critical role in providing strategic leadership to the development and implementation of communication and engagement protocols and approaches with provincial and federal law enforcement agencies.
• Oversee and direct the development of an overall strategy that leverages performance measures to assess the efficiency of programs while ensuring trends are controlled and mitigated to support a range of correctional services.
• Provide leadership in the design, implementation and management of Ontario's Correctional Intelligence Framework which is vital to managing security threats within the correctional environment and the community.
• Provide sound and strategic advice and recommendations to the Deputy Solicitor General, Correctional Services on a broad range of critical issues and outcomes.
• Lead, coach and mentor the management team to maximize capacity and build a positive work environment to ensure staff are empowered to work collaboratively while also leading your team towards the division's objectives.
What you bring to the team
Executive Leadership
• You are an experienced leader and team player who works closely with your counterparts, is sensitive to the political dynamics between organizations, and keeps lines of communication open.
• You have a proven ability to restore workplaces, leading, engaging, empowering, and motivating your team through transformational change while providing clarity and direction through a compelling vision.
• You have the courage to engage in uncomfortable conversations and situations, and the strategic skillset to lead, engage and inspire teams to achieve ministry goals.
• You are an inclusive leader who understands unconscious bias and brings an anti-racist and diversity lens to everything you do. You value and cultivate a culture of diversity, inclusion and equity, and an environment where people can bring their whole selves to work.
• You are resilient and know how to support yourself and your team when investigative work brings you into contact with traumatic, violent and criminal content.
Relationship Management and Negotiation
• You seek common ground between multiple stakeholders and manage conflicts when consensus cannot be found.
• You identify optimal solutions that meet the needs of all key stakeholders along with key internal and external contributors.
• You have demonstrated experience working in a respectful and collaborative manner within the correctional system, law enforcement, workplace complaints and investigations, or field that requires a similar skillset.
• You demonstrate superior stakeholder management and consensus building skills to work effectively with the ministry's many diverse stakeholders.
Knowledge
• You can provide strategic advice and direction, and anticipate and manage major strategic issues, problems and risks.
• You understand systems and operations for adult justice, general institutional/probation and parole/ministry issues and the unique culture within the correctional system to lead the development of strategic frameworks guiding the implementation of inspection and investigative programs and intelligence activities.
• You understand investigation/inspection principles, theories, practices and standards/legislation and can apply the Ministry of Correctional Services Act and relevant ministry policies and processes to ensure investigations/inspections are performed in compliance with legislation.
• Experience in criminal justice would be beneficial, but not essential.
Political Acuity, Integrity, and Ethical Behaviour
• You have proven political acuity to recognize and respond to politically sensitive and contentious issues that may negatively impact the ministry or the government.
• You provide relevant information and maintain appropriate confidentiality when providing sound recommendations, guidance, advice and strategies when working in a highly sensitive environment.
• You exhibit sensitivity to issues being faced at the Deputy Solicitor General, Correctional Services level and can lead with sound leadership through ambiguity and risk.
• You have superior judgement and negotiation skills and have managed complex and contentious issues with tact and discretion.
• You carry out professional activities in an ethical manner with honesty, integrity, credibility, self-confidence, and independence, while coping with ambiguity, conflicts of interest, and the need to protect the public interest.
• You engender a climate of trust and fairness in dealings with stakeholders and peers both within and external to Ontario's correctional system.
Diversity, Inclusion, Accessibility and Anti-Racism
The OPS is an innovative, responsive and accountable public service that works hard to be diverse, anti-racist, inclusive, merit-based, and equitable. Diversifying leadership is a top priority for the OPS. Our goal is to achieve parity with the Ontario labour force by 2025 for the most under-represented groups (Indigenous, racialized and persons with disabilities) on our leadership teams.
The OPS is an accessible employer and we offer accommodation in all aspects of employment, including the recruitment process.
Visit the
OPS Anti-Racism Policy and the
OPS Diversity and Inclusion Blueprint pages to learn more about the OPS commitment to advancing racial equity, diversity and inclusion.