Assistant Commissioner, Tribunal and Dispute Resolution

Reporting directly to the Commissioner, the Assistant Commissioner, Tribunal and Dispute Resolution (Assistant Commissioner), is a member of the executive management team of the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario (IPC).

The Assistant Commissioner is responsible for the overall strategic direction and performance of the IPC's Tribunal Services Department that receives, screens, mediates, investigates and adjudicates appeals and complaints about access to information and privacy under the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA), the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (MFIPPA), the Personal Health Information Protection Act, 2004 (PHIPA) and Part X of the Child, Youth and Family Services Act (CYFSA).

The Assistant Commissioner ensures that the Tribunal operates in keeping with IPC's mandate under its governing legislation and the IPC's goals and corporate values.

The Assistant Commissioner provides high-level strategic advice to the Commissioner on all matters under the Assistant Commissioner's areas of responsibility.

The Assistant Commissioner may publicly represent the IPC, and the Commissioner at public events, serving as ambassador for the organization.

The Assistant Commissioner mentors and supports four (4) direct reports, and leads and inspires a larger team of approximately seventy-five (75) highly dedicated staff.

What can I expect to do in this role?

Specifically, the Assistant Commissioner provides strategic direction, management and leadership in respect of several areas of responsibility as they relate to the disposition of access to information appeals and privacy complaints brought before the Tribunal, including:

• Leading the establishment of the Tribunal's case processing procedures, and the monitoring of its performance for fairness, efficiency, and quality.
  
• Overseeing the Tribunal's intake, early resolution, mediation, investigation and decision-making processes, ensuring consistent service quality and effective communication of outcomes.
  
• Providing strategic advice and direction to Tribunal Directors on complex and precedent-setting matters.
  
• Overseeing responses to inquiries from stakeholders or the public, including inquiries about Tribunal processes and performance metrics, and complaints about the Tribunal or its staff.
  
• Advising on litigation strategy in support of the Tribunal's functions.
  
• Overseeing the strategic recruitment, mentoring and evaluation of Tribunal staff to maintain high standards in the performance of the Tribunal's functions.
  
• Providing jurisprudential leadership by providing strategic advice and direction to Tribunal Directors on cases that are complex or high profile, create new precedents, raise novel considerations of law or policy, or involve matters of significant public interest.
  
• Occasionally assuming lead responsibility, personally serving as adjudicator and rendering decisions in significant precedent-setting cases.
  
• Regularly briefing the Commissioner on cases and issues arising in the Tribunal, which are of high sensitivity and major significance, including matters of significant public interest, or having significant impact on Tribunal jurisprudence or administrative processes.
  
• Maintaining positive and productive relationships with, and proactively reaching out to, the many stakeholders who engage with the Tribunal's processes.

How do I qualify?

Mandatory

As the ideal candidate for this Assistant Commissioner position, you are an experienced leader with ability to set strategic direction, articulate, work towards a vision, and oversee the implementation of plans and operational strategies to deliver efficient, effective and high-quality services.
Specifically:

• You have practiced law for at least seven (7) years in a combination of privacy, access to information, public and administrative law.
  
• You have a strong background and experience in adjudication and alternative dispute resolution.
  
• You have at least five (5) years' experience in a senior management position in a legal, regulatory or adjudicative agency in the federal or provincial public sector, overseeing legal or dispute resolution teams.
  
• You have successfully completed your legal studies at an accredited Canadian University. You are a member in good standing of a bar association of a Canadian province or territory.
  
• You have a thorough understanding of the administrative justice system, including the relevant legal principles of procedural fairness.
  
• You have sound working knowledge of, and practical experience with, Canadian access and privacy laws, policies and legal processes.
  
• You have a deep understanding of the professional, institutional, policy and community context in which the Tribunal operates, or the ability to acquire such understanding.
  
• You are an effective communicator and have highly effective interpersonal skills to positively influence and communicate with staff, stakeholders and the public.
  
• You have highly effective leadership skills as a strategic and creative thinker, capable of inspiring others and able to foster a collaborative and collegial environment in the Tribunal office.
  
• You are comfortable with trying innovative approaches and making decisions based on risk.
  
• You have demonstrated a commitment to public service, continual service improvement, and the advancement of the public interest.
  
• You have demonstrated a commitment to maintaining fair, accountable, and transparent processes that meet high professional standards of ethics and integrity, diversity and inclusion.
  
• You have demonstrated sound management skills and practices, including the ability to manage financial, human and operational resources to deliver results measured against service standards.
  
• You have demonstrated superior analytical, conceptual, problem-solving, decision-making and writing skills.
  
• As an asset, you have the ability to communicate (orally and in writing) in French.

Collection of Information

Your personal information is being collected and will be used to determine your qualifications for employment with the Ontario Public Service, and for recruitment modernization initiatives. OPS Careers is an authorized common service in accordance with s. 6 of the Ministry of Government Services Act, R.S.O. 1990, c. M.25 and this collection of personal information is necessary to the proper administration of OPS Careers.

Please do not provide more personal information than what is asked of you. For example, do not include your social insurance number, photograph, or banking information, etc. with your application. We strongly encourage you not to provide us with information beyond that which is requested in the job posting.

If you have any questions about the collection, use, disclosure, or retention of your personal information, please contact us.

All external applicants (including former employees of the Ontario Public Service) applying to a competition in a ministry or Commission public body must disclose (either in the cover letter or resume) previous employment with the Ontario Public Service. Disclosure must include positions held, dates of employment and any active restrictions as applicable from being rehired by the Ontario Public Service. Active restrictions can include time and/or ministry-specific restrictions currently in force, and may preclude a former employee from being offered a position with the Ontario Public Service for a specific time period (e.g. one year), or from being offered a position with a specific ministry (either for a pre-determined time period or indefinitely). The circumstances around an employee's exit will be considered prior to an offer of employment.

Remember: The deadline to apply is Friday, November 5, 2021 11:59 pm EDT. Late applications will not be accepted.

We thank you for your interest. Only those selected for further screening or an interview will be contacted.