Lead Psychological Health and Safety for Ontario Workplaces Are you a registered Psychologist looking to shape the future of workplace mental health and safety in Ontario? Do you enjoy setting strategy, building programs, and solving complex challenges? If so, this role offers a unique opportunity to drive meaningful change across the province.
Join the
Ministry of Labour, Immigration, Training and Skills Development(MLITSD) as the
Manager of the Provincial Psychology Program, a rare opportunity to lead Ontario's approach to psychological health and safety.
In this role, you will have a leadership role in the Ministry's approach to psychological health and safety, develop policies, and provide expert guidance on workplace mental health, violence, and harassment. You will help set strategic direction, support key initiatives and advise on emerging trends that shape Ministry programs and policies.
You will also lead consultations and build strong relationships with internal teams, cross government partners, and external stakeholders to advance psychological health and safety initiatives across the organization.
The Ontario Public Service: Strengthening Ontario, together.A career in the Ontario Public Service (OPS) is driven by purpose. We're building a stronger Ontario by delivering programs and services that make a real difference in people's lives. If you share this ambition, you'll find a workplace that reflects the diversity of the people we serve and empowers you to lead with confidence.
Why Your Leadership Belongs Here- Make a real impact: Help shape how psychological health and safety is understood and supported across Ontario, improving outcomes for staff, workplaces, and workers.
- Shape a growing field: Contribute to system level improvements and help guide work in an area that is evolving and gaining importance across the province.
- Work with experts: Collaborate with leaders, internal and external partners, and teams involved in policy writing, training, awareness programs, and research.
- Grow your career: Access leadership development, mentorship, and learning opportunities across government.
- Thrive in a supportive workplace: Join an inclusive, flexible environment that values your wellbeing and empowers you to do meaningful work.
- Be recognized for your impact: Benefit from competitive compensation, a defined benefit pension, comprehensive benefits, and meaningful recognition for your contributions.
About the job
Great leadership thrives on clear expectations and strong support. In the OPS, this means leading with authenticity, integrity, and courage. You will foster a team culture that encourages innovation, collaboration, and inclusion, and help build a diverse, antiracist, and accessible workplace where everyone can succeed.
You will be supported through mentorship, learning opportunities, and cross ministry networks that help you grow and broaden your impact.
Leadership is about impact—and in this role, you will have the opportunity to make a meaningful one.
As the Manager, Provincial Psychology Program, you will: - Provide program and policy guidance on psychological health and safety, workplace mental health, violence, and harassment, acting as the ministry's key content expert.
- Expand the psychology function into a more strategic, forward looking program that strengthens the ministry's overall approach to psychological Occupational Health and Safety (OHS).
- Support priority initiatives such as the peer support program and corporate psychological health and safety policies.
- Help the ministry address complex issues related to violence, harassment, and workplace mental health responsibilities under the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA).
- Develop guidance and technical expertise in areas where clearer direction is needed across the ministry.
- Lead consultations and collaboration with internal ministry partners, cross government partners, and external stakeholders on psychological OHS.
- Participate in committees and projects by providing expert advice, supporting decision making, and contributing to planning across the Occupational Health and Safety Branch.
Your ability to align your team's efforts with broader organizational goals will be key to your success, and to the success of the people we serve.
Meet Your New TeamThe Occupational Medicine Unit is a stand-alone unit within OHSB led by the Provincial Physician and encompasses Medical Consultants and Psychologist positions. Unit responsibilities include investigative capacity for any health or medically-related events, providing expert advice on emerging health issues, liaising and engaging with external partners and providing guidance and supporting the MLITSD in preventing occupational disease, workplace violence and harassment.
In this role you will report to and be supported by
Dr. Nikhil Rajaram, Provincial Physician and Manager of the Occupational Medicine Unit. Nik has over 10 years of experience working in the Ontario Public Service and is a specialist in both Occupational Medicine and Public Health and Preventive Medicine. He values and tries to champion the importance of inclusivity and equity and aims to be people-centered in his work first and foremost. The OMU is a team of highly skilled and dedicated professionals who tackle challenges through collaborative work and mutual support and encouragement.
What you bring to the team
Mandatory requirements
• Must be a registered Psychologist in good standing in the Province of Ontario.
Strategic Leadership
• You bring experience leading program or policy work with a focus on long term outcomes and impact, ensuring decisions and priorities align with Ministry goals.
• You demonstrate strength in guiding complex initiatives and aligning partners around shared priorities.
• You offer expert insight that helps shape decisions on high impact psychological health and safety issues.
• You apply sound judgment and political acuity when navigating sensitive or emerging topics in psychological OHS.
Technical Knowledge & Skills
• You possess a thorough understanding of psychological health and safety, workplace mental health, violence, and harassment, including how these matters arise and are addressed in organizational settings.
• You have knowledge of the Occupational Health and Safety Act (OHSA) and related legislation, including privacy, due process, and professional standards that govern practice in the public sector.
• You apply program design, evaluation, and research methods to assess needs, identify gaps, and recommend evidence based improvements to policies and programs.
• You are familiar with government and OPS policies and processes, including accountability, compliance, and issues management requirements that support effective program delivery.
Communication & Stakeholder Management
• You cultivate strong, professional relationships with internal Ministry partners, cross government teams, and external stakeholders to support coordinated psychological health and safety initiatives.
• You communicate complex, technical, and sensitive information with clarity and precision, tailoring messages to diverse audiences.
• You engage effectively with senior leaders, providing expert advice and facilitating informed discussions on emerging issues that influence program and policy direction.
• You foster collaboration and alignment across stakeholder groups, ensuring shared understanding and collective progress on strategic priorities.
Program Management & Research and Analysis
• You bring experience planning, coordinating, and improving programs in complex or evolving environments, supported by effective frameworks, tools, and guidance.
• You ensure disciplined execution by organizing work, monitoring progress, and proactively resolving challenges through structured, long term, strategic approaches.
• You conduct rigorous reviews of trends, evidence, and practices in psychological health and safety, synthesizing complex information into clear, actionable insights and recommendations.
• You identify risks, gaps, and emerging issues, applying analytical and evidence informed methods to support sound policy and program decision making.
Don't meet every qualification?
If you are excited about this position and meet most, but not all, of the listed qualifications, please still consider applying. We recognize that no one person might have every qualification in this job ad, and you just might be the right candidate!
If you are excited about this position and meet most, but not all, of the listed qualifications, please still consider applying. We recognize that no one person might have every qualification in this job ad, and you just might be the right candidate!
Think this role could be right for you? We're here to support you every step of the way. These short videos can help you feel confident and prepared:
- Navigating Our Hiring Process(2 min) – Get a clear overview of each stage in our structured hiring process so you know what to expect and how to prepare.
- Application Preparation Tips(4 min) – Learn how to showcase your leadership experience in ways that align with how we evaluate applications during the screening stage, increasing your chances of being shortlisted.
Take a few minutes to explore these resources. They're designed to set you up for success.
How we support diversity, inclusion and accessibility
We are building an inclusive workforce that reflects the communities we serve. We encourage everyone interested in working with us to apply, including people with disabilities, Indigenous, Black and racialized individuals, as well as people from all ethnicities, cultures, sexual orientations, gender identities and gender expressions.
Our hiring process is accessible, consistent with Ontario's
Human Rights Code and the
Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005. We are working to prevent and remove barriers in our hiring processes and can offer
accommodation to address specific needs related to Code-protected grounds such as disability, family status and religion. For more information about accommodation during the hiring process please
contact us.Learn more about the work the OPS is doing to create an inclusive, anti-racist, accessible and diverse workplace:
To apply, candidates must: • Visit www.ontario.ca/careers
• Enter Job ID 241956 in the search field to locate the posting