Chief Medical Advisor, Specialist

Doctors of BC is a voluntary association of more than 17,000 physicians, residents and medical students in British Columbia. Their vision is to promote a social, economic, and political climate in which members can provide the citizens of BC with the highest standard of health care, while achieving maximum professional satisfaction and fair economic reward.

THE JOB: Chief Medical Advisor, SpecialistStarting

Salary Range: $230,000 - $250,000

Reporting to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO), the Chief Medical Advisor, Specialist will provide expert guidance and clinical insight to elevate the specialist voice and support the execution of Doctors of BC’s strategic plan. This role will partner with the CEO and senior leadership team to leverage clinical experience and provide thought leadership in advancing Doctors of BC’s mission and strategic priorities. The Chief Medical Advisor will also collaborate with the Board of Directors and the President to help identify direction and actions for advocacy, negotiations, and policy development.

In this role, the Chief Medical Advisor, Specialist represents specialists both internally within Doctors of BC and externally to the specialist community, the Ministry of Health, and Health Authorities. This role will share practice-related issues, emerging research trends, and healthcare best practices from local, provincial, federal, and international spheres to influence the BC healthcare landscape.

The Chief Medical Advisor will work collaboratively with internal teams and external partners to explore, understand, and address critical issues across all aspects of specialist care, including Surgery, Medicine, and Diagnostics. This leader will provide strategic advice and guidance on managing specialist issues in collaboration with hospital and health authority medical leaders.

Through this work, they will steward the organization’s brand and build trust within the physician community. This is a 0.6 FTE position with Doctors of BC. The successful candidate must maintain a clinical license and an active clinical practice.

 KEY RESPONSIBLITIES:

  Strategic Advisement

• Provide strategic support and expertise to senior leaders, the Board of Directors, and the President on organizational initiatives supporting specialists and clinical practice-related issues.
• Offer insights on negotiations, advocacy, clinical support, communications, quality improvement, and Joint Collaborative Committees (JCC) programs to inform operational decisions.
• Contribute clinical insight to strategic problem-solving, leveraging a deep understanding of clinical practice and organizational direction to support initiatives that enhance specialist care.

Collaboration and Partner Engagement

• Collaborate effectively with external partners —including government, committees, healthcare organizations, and other partners—to address key issues impacting patient care.
• Serve as the physician lead and liaison with external partners to foster strong, collaborative relationships that support members and align with strategic goals.
• Help navigate the complexities of BC’s healthcare system to align organizational objectives with member needs, elevating the physician and specialist voice.
• Represent Doctors of BC at provincial roundtables, committees, and events, such as the Specialist Services Committee (SSC), Facility & Community Engagement (FCE) Summit, JCC Summits, and advocacy meetings, providing the specialist perspective.
• Engage with physicians and specialist at various events to capture challenges facing the profession.

Contribution to Governance and Internal Policy

• Collaborate with the CEO and senior leaders on strategies and policies affecting specialist and physician members.
• Support senior leaders in understanding the healthcare environment and culture in which specialists and surgeons operate.

WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE

Leading Through People (E):

• Demonstrates and promotes effective conflict resolution practices, helping others to resolve complex or sensitive disagreements and conflicts, fostering cooperation and a collaborative team mentality.
• Supports team members in learning from each other, being self-directed, and being responsible for their own assessment and learning.
• Mentors and develops critical talent for the future. 
• Creates a developmental environment through defining realistic yet challenging work goals with each team member and providing honest performance feedback. 
• Is a role model for how to create a diverse and inclusive environment that brings together different ideas, experiences, skills and knowledge.

Leading With Drive (E):

• Understands and conveys organizational vision in an analytical and forthright manner. 
• Successfully encourages teams to challenge tradition and the status quo to constantly find new ways to raise the level of excellence. 
• Fosters an environment of constant self-improvement by facilitating open discussions about personal and team strengths and weaknesses.
  
  

Leading to Deliver (E):

•  Leads by effectively leveraging clinical experience and expertise, while ensuring alignment with the organizations strategic plan and amplifying the physician voice to drive successful outcomes.
  
  

Leading Through Vision (E):

• Effectively creates the climate of continuous transformation necessary to keep the organization agile and best able to provide excellence in service.
• Develops a team that speaks openly about personal and team strengths and weaknesses, and analyses past successes and failures to better predict and prepare for future obstacles.
• Proficient in analyzing the environment and leveraging strengths appropriately in response to the identified trends.
• Reviews, sponsors, and approves recommendations for organizational-wide change programs that impact cross-functional key processes.
• Recommends changes that impact strategic business direction, leading the planning and spearheading the implementation of change programs that impact critical functions/processes.

Trusted Advisor (E):

• Uses extensive knowledge of the organization and the health care environment to develop successful strategies consistent with organizational vision and objectives, continuously identifying and considering emerging trends, opportunities, and risks to maintain a broad, strategic perspective and recommend proactive measures in the best interest of Members and the overall association’s strategic plan.
• Displays both strategic and technical expertise, engaging in fact-based decision making for long term strategic success, analyzing project inputs from various elements (e.g., budgetary, technical, compliance, policy) and the wider business and political implications of decisions to correctly prioritize issues and solutions to ensure the delivery of results in accordance with the strategic plan, departmental work plan and mandate.
• Has an established reputation both internally and externally as a subject matter expert in the field.
• Successfully advises peer groups and/or the CEO on how to interpret the current environment and assess for likely future scenarios, proactively redirecting the activities of the organization and team in the direction of new goals and/or priorities.
• Able to objectively and confidently advocate for decisions and outcomes that are in the best interest of the members of the association regardless of potentially intimidating or emotionally charged circumstances and provide the best policy options available based upon technical expertise and an impartial review of the best interests of all Members and the declared objectives of the Association.
• Is a credible and technically aware expert that provides the highest quality of advice on all relevant dimensions of any issue, inclusive of economic, social or administrative considerations.
• Advice must challenge, guide and clarify, and generate new possibilities for improving the professional satisfaction of Members.

Doctors of BC Team Member:

Approaches work with a collaborative spirit recognizing we are better together. Embraces change, provides excellence in service and is accountable for their results and helping others achieve theirs. Does the right thing, not the easy thing. Speaks openly and honestly to tackle tough challenges and enrich relationships. Balances hard work with fun and is genuinely friendly and committed to other’s wellbeing.

WHAT YOU BRING

• A minimum of 10+ years’ experience as a practicing Specialist with a valid medical license in British Columbia Canada.
• Previous leadership and/or experience working in a strategic role within a healthcare organization is an asset.
• Extensive experience in clinical practice as a Specialist with a strong understanding of BC’s healthcare system
• Proven ability to provide strategic support and feedback at a senior leadership level.
• Demonstrated ability to collaborate with external stakeholders including but not limited to members of government, committee members, partnering physicians and surgeons.
• Familiarity with the Join Collaborative Committees and their initiatives would be an asset
• Excellent communication, interpersonal, and organizations skills
• Ability to promote, maintain, and build relationships with senior leaders and associated organizations, such as the Board of Directors, physician members, regulatory bodies, professional associations, health organizations, educational institutions, legal representatives, and medical staff organizations.

• Ability to handle highly confidential information in a discreet and professional manner.

Doctors of BC recognize the pervasive and ongoing harms of colonialism faced by Indigenous peoples and that these harms include the widespread systemic racism against Indigenous peoples in BC's health system. Physicians have a significant role to play in addressing the health disparities that exist between Indigenous and non-Indigenous patients, and Doctors of BC is committed to continuing to advance reconciliation and address and eliminate racism in health care.

Doctors of BC celebrates diversity, challenges inequality and is committed to sustaining an inclusive and diverse community. We seek qualified applicants who share our commitments to equity, diversity and inclusion, and truth and reconciliation. We especially welcome applications from persistently and historically oppressed groups, including Indigenous (First Nations, Métis or Inuit) peoples, members of racialized communities, persons with disabilities, women, gender-diverse, and persons who identify as 2SLGBTQ+. 

We acknowledge that the land Doctors of BC operates and supports physicians from is the traditional territories of the Coast Salish peoples including the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh Nations whose historical relationship with the land continues today. For Doctors of BC, acknowledging the land is an expression of cultural humility that involves recognizing our commitment to support the provision of culturally safe care to First Nations, Inuit, and Métis people in BC.