Careers
Director of Care, Hospice Residence
Reports To: Executive Director
Works in Partnership With: Medical Director
Direct Reports: Clinical Team (RNs, RPNs, PSWs, allied health, and clinical support roles)
Status: Full-Time
Location: On site
Position Summary
The Director of Care is the senior operational and clinical leader for the hospice residence, responsible for the day-to-day delivery of safe, high-quality hospice palliative care.Reporting to the Executive Director and working in a shared leadership model with the Medical Director, this role is accountable for clinical operations, including staffing and coverage, admissions, quality, policy development and team leadership. The Director ensures that care is delivered in a manner that is person- and family-centred, evidence-based, and aligned with regulatory, accreditation, and organizational standards.
This is a foundational leadership role responsible for building and sustaining the operational and clinical delivery infrastructure of the hospice residence, ensuring consistent, high-quality care delivery and long-term operational sustainability.
Key Responsibilities
Clinical Operations & Care Delivery
- Oversees the day-to-day delivery of clinical care within the hospice residence, ensuring alignment with hospice palliative care standards and best practices
- Ensures care is safe, consistent, and delivered in a person- and family-centred manner
- Participates in clinical rounds and supports complex care planning and family discussions
- Acts as a clinical resource to staff, supporting decision-making in complex or escalating situations
- Ensures documentation, charting, and clinical processes meet required standards
Staffing, Coverage & Scheduling
- Ensures 24/7 clinical staffing coverage aligned with resident needs
- Develops and manages staff schedules, including vacation, sick time, and overtime approvals
- Participates in a rotational leadership on-call schedule
- Recruits, onboards, coaches, and manages clinical staff performance
- Builds and sustains a high-performing, collaborative interdisciplinary team
Admissions & Resident Flow
- Oversees the client intake and admissions process, ensuring timely, appropriate, and well coordinated access to care
- Aligns admissions with staffing capacity and operational readiness
- Collaborates with external partners to support smooth transitions into care
Clinical Leadership, Quality & Risk Management
- Partners with the Medical Director to support clinical standards, program development, and quality improvement
- Leads the operational aspects of clinical risk management, including incident review, escalation, and mitigation
- Conducts chart reviews, audits, and continuous quality improvement initiatives
- Ensures adherence to professional standards, codes of ethics, and regulatory requirements
Infection Prevention & Control (IPAC)
- Leads the implementation and ongoing management of Infection Prevention and Control (IPAC) practices across the residence
- Develops and maintains IPAC policies and outbreak management protocols
- Ensures staff training, compliance, and monitoring of IPAC practices
Operations & Resource Management
- Oversees clinical supplies, equipment, and inventory management, including ordering and utilization
- Ensures compliance with health and safety, infection control, fire safety, and environmental standards
- Participates in Joint Health & Safety processes and promote a safe care environment
Collaboration with Executive Director
- Works closely with the Executive Director on:
- Operational planning and execution
- Support staffing models and workforce planning
- Budgeting for clinical operations
- Residence priorities and issue escalation
- Provides regular reporting on clinical operations, staffing, quality, and risk
Interdisciplinary Leadership & Culture
- Fosters a strong transdisciplinary care model across all clinical and support roles including volunteers and learners
- Promotes a culture of compassion, dignity, collaboration, and continuous learning
- Facilitates team meetings, debriefs, and effective communication
Education & Professional Development
- Identifies staff learning needs and supports ongoing clinical education
- Supports onboarding, orientation, and professional development
- Promotes evidence-based practice and knowledge exchange
External Collaboration & Vendor Coordination
- Works collaboratively with external partners including:
- Ontario Health at Home and referral partners
- Clinical and community stakeholders
- Vendors supporting clinical and operational systems
- Ensures a coordinated and well-integrated operational environment
Shared Leadership Model
- This role operates within a dyad leadership model:
- Medical Director: Leads medical practice, physician model, and clinical standards
- Director of Care: Leads clinical operations, staffing, and care delivery execution
- Together, these roles ensure clinical excellence, operational reliability, and a seamless care experience for residents and families.
Qualifications
- Registered Nurse (RN) in good standing with the College of Nurses of Ontario
- Minimum 3 years’ experience in healthcare leadership, including staff supervision
- Minimum 3 years’ clinical experience in hospice palliative care or related setting
- Certification in palliative care (e.g., CAPCE) or equivalent preferred
- Health and Safety Certification strongly preferred
- Demonstrated experience managing staffing, scheduling, and clinical operations in a 24/7 environment
- Strong knowledge of IPAC, quality improvement, and risk management
- Experience developing and implementing staff education programs
- Experience leading interdisciplinary teams and collaborate with a wide range of community partners
- Strong technology proficiency, including experience with EMR systems and shift scheduling software
- Strong communication, collaboration, and professional judgment skills appropriate to a senior healthcare leadership role.
- Valid Driver’s License and use of vehicle
- Satisfactory Vulnerable Sector Screening required.
Working Environment
- Combination of clinical and administrative responsibilities
- Standard schedule of 8-hour shifts, 5 days a week with extra hours based on operational needs
- Flexibility required, including evenings/weekends to meet client and organizational needs
- On-call participation required
Inaugural Duties
As this Director of Care role is an inaugural position, commencing in advance of the establishment and opening of the Hospice Residence, it includes significant pre-operational and construction-phase responsibilities. These include contributing to philanthropy and community engagement and leading the development of the clinical and operational infrastructure for the residence, including:- Leading hospice policy development, drafting, and review
- Designing clinical workflows, care models, and documentation standards
- Developing the clinical staffing model and 24/7 coverage framework
- Establishing admissions criteria, processes, and referral pathways
- Leading clinical hiring and training program development
- Supporting electronic medical record (EMR) selection and implementation
- Contributing to equipment selection and clinical space planning in partnership with operations
- Leading IPAC and outbreak management planning
- Ensuring regulatory compliance and supporting future accreditation readiness
- Leading the clinical aspects of vendor implementation, and partnering with operations on vendor selection where required
- Supporting the Medical Director on pharmacy arrangements and contributing to clinical education programs
