Workforce Optimization Specialist - UHN, Toronto

The opportunity

This newly established Workforce Optimization Specialist role at University Health Network (UHN) offers a unique opportunity to significantly impact healthcare operations in Toronto. As a pivotal member of the People & Culture department at Princess Margaret Cancer Centre, you will drive the development and integration of a standard, organization-wide scheduling methodology. This position is central to optimizing workforce management, ensuring efficient resource utilization, and supporting operational leadership across UHN. If you're looking for University Health Network jobs in Toronto that combine analytical expertise with strategic impact, this is an excellent career step.

What you'll do

As the Workforce Optimization Specialist, you will be instrumental in enhancing UHN's operational efficiency through expert scheduling and resource management. Your responsibilities will include:

• Service Delivery Model Design: proactively supports unit managers and scheduling staff to establish and maintain effective staffing models for delivery of service in their specific units or departments. In addition, this position ensures optimal use of relief staff and offers approaches to the full time, part time and casual mix.
• Analysis and Consultation: analyze rotations to ensure compliance with collective agreements and best practices. Understand the business requirements of various units to support schedule creation and advanced analytics. Prioritize and manage multiple consultations concurrently. Develop solutions based on unique and complex unit requirements, leveraging in-depth knowledge of collective agreements, staffing policies and service delivery models.
• Rotation Review and Planning: analyze current rotations, capture rotation requirements, and work with leaders and scheduling staff to review, plan and build optimized rotation plans. Build rotations considering budget constraints, coverage needs, and collective agreement rules and staffing policies. To ensure schedules are produced in optimal and compliant ways, this role will maintain knowledge of scheduling rule changes, best practices, and technological changes, and will provide consultation and support to managers and scheduling staff in rotation management techniques to optimize resource utilization.
• Analytics and Reporting: supports with scheduling analytics and reporting for their portfolio. The position will be responsible for conducting quantitative analysis to support decision making, identifying opportunities and creating practical recommendations to operational leadership for improvements. Using scheduling data, this position supports managers in addressing staffing model and unit/department-level workforce planning challenges including overtime, sick leave, and leave management planning. Analysis and reporting on strategic and ad hoc metrics is also required to support decision making across UHN.
• Training: responsible for the training and ongoing education of schedulers and super users.
• Change Management: This position facilitates change, advises on best practice and liaises with various stakeholders to achieve optimal results.

You will act as a critical scheduling business partner, using your expertise in strategic scheduling to assess and make decisions collaboratively with operational leadership teams across a defined portfolio. This ensures adherence to appropriate collective agreements, scheduling policies, and models of care, ultimately contributing to UHN's goal of adequately staffed areas in an operationally safe and cost-efficient manner.

Qualifications

To succeed in this administration job in Toronto, candidates should possess a strong blend of academic background and practical experience in workforce management and scheduling practices. Key qualifications include:

• Bachelor's degree in Human Resources, Science, Nursing, Business Administration, Engineering, Computer Science, Mathematics, Information Technology, or field related to the main job duties listed.
• Minimum 3 years scheduling experience in a unionized acute care setting.
• Demonstrated proficiency of analytical skills and knowledge of analytical software (e.g., Microsoft Excel, Power Query, Power BI, etc.).
• Experience building and optimizing schedules and master rotations.
• Advanced knowledge of clinical models of care, hospital operations and health care service delivery models.
• Advanced knowledge of Collective Agreements.
• Knowledge of UKG or other electronic scheduling systems.
• Experience with utilizing Microsoft 365 (SharePoint, Forms, Power Apps).
• Experience developing financial business models to support recommendations.
• Experience in facilitating workshops, seminars, and training sessions for adult learners.
• Self-directed, demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with others.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills both verbal and written.
• Proven decision making, negotiating, conflict resolution and problem-solving skills.
• Demonstrated ability to manage conflicting priorities and confidential data.
• Advanced, demonstrated analytical and problem-solving ability.
• Ability to articulate difficult, complex concepts to parties with limited knowledge of those concepts.
• Experience working with an influencing others and multiple management levels.
• Must demonstrate a strong commitment to customer service.

About the company

University Health Network (UHN) is one of Canada's largest and leading research hospitals, renowned for its commitment to patient care, research, and education. Joining UHN means becoming part of an inspiring community of healthcare professionals dedicated to making a difference. This is an excellent opportunity for those seeking University Health Network careers to contribute to a vital public service.

UHN offers a comprehensive range of benefits, programs, and perks designed to support your well-being and career growth. These include:

• Competitive offer packages.
• Membership in the Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan (HOOPP).
• Close access to Transit and UHN shuttle service.
• A flexible work environment.
• Opportunities for development and promotions within a large organization.
• Additional perks, including multiple corporate discounts (travel, restaurants, parking, phone plans, auto insurance discounts, on-site gyms, etc.).

UHN is an equal opportunity employer committed to an inclusive recruitment process and workplace. They value diversity and encourage applications from all qualified individuals.