Senior Program Officer in Edmonton

Are you a visionary, collaborative leader who sees opportunities where others see complexity? Do you thrive on challenging the status quo, connecting people across disciplines and turning innovative ideas into meaningful improvements in patient care? Covenant Health is seeking a Senior Program Officer to help shape the future of our Surgery Program across urban, rural and remote acute care sites.

Working at the intersection of strategy, clinical practice and operations, you will partner with physicians, clinical and operational leaders, and external stakeholders to advance high-impact initiatives across the system. You will bring people together around a shared direction, navigate competing priorities and turn organizational goals into practical, measurable results. This is an opportunity to influence how care is delivered, strengthen collaboration across sites and lead improvements that respond to the evolving needs of patients, teams and communities.

If you bring strategic insight, a spirit of innovation and the ability to inspire progress through relationships and shared accountability, we invite you to make a difference with Covenant Health. With a 160-year history of delivering quality, innovative health services to Albertans, Covenant Health is proud to be recognized as one of Alberta’s Top Employers.

As Senior Program Officer, you will provide strategic leadership for the Surgery Program, guiding complex initiatives from concept through implementation and evaluation. You will partner with clinical and operational leaders to set priorities, define outcomes and translate strategy into clear plans, timelines and resource requirements. You will identify opportunities to innovate, improve quality and optimize care across urban, rural and remote sites.

You will lead a portfolio of cross-functional projects, developing charters, work plans, risk assessments and communication strategies; monitoring progress; resolving barriers; and reporting outcomes through executive-level briefings, dashboards and presentations. You will build trusted relationships with physicians, nurses, allied health professionals, administrators and external partners, bringing diverse perspectives together to create alignment and shared ownership.

You will also lead committees and working groups, analyze performance and resource use, support business cases and staffing or technology proposals, and help develop policies and standardized practices. Through data-informed decision-making, change leadership and continuous improvement, you will support patient safety, regulatory and accreditation requirements, business continuity and sustainable improvements in care and operations.

This role offers the opportunity to influence system-level priorities and turn promising ideas into practical results. This position is non-unionized.

Required Qualifications:

• A bachelor’s degree in a regulated health profession, health administration, business, public health or a related field is required, with a master’s degree preferred.
• A minimum of seven years of progressive experience in healthcare is required, including at least five years in a leadership or management role.
• An equivalent combination of education and experience may be considered.

Additional Required Qualifications:

• You are an influential, collaborative leader who builds trust, fosters psychological safety and helps diverse teams navigate change.
• You bring strong strategic thinking, stakeholder engagement and relationship-building skills, with the ability to communicate clearly, listen actively and influence without relying on formal authority.
• You are skilled at analyzing complex information, solving problems, balancing competing priorities and translating insights into actionable plans.
• You can lead productive meetings, facilitate decisions and deliver engaging presentations to executive, clinical and operational audiences, including in response to emerging issues.
• You bring experience with project management, change management and continuous improvement methodologies, and are proficient in Microsoft Office.
• Demonstrated strengths in leadership, strategic stakeholder engagement, collaboration, communication, business acumen and resilience are essential.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience leading complex, multi-site healthcare programs or system-level initiatives.
• Experience working with medical leaders and interdisciplinary clinical teams, developing business cases, using performance data to inform decisions and leading organizational change.
• Experience in surgery, acute care operations, quality improvement or healthcare service redesign.

Hiring Requirements:

• The following must be provided prior to your first day of work: Security Screening: As a condition of employment, all employees are required to provide a satisfactory Criminal Record Check and to disclose previous convictions, record suspensions or pardons received for charges of sexual assault or other sexual offences to Covenant Health prior to commencement of any work, including training or orientation shifts.

Covenant Health invites you to be the difference in people's lives, your career, and your community. Guided by faith-based values, integrity, and compassion, every role contributes to person-centered care and a deeper purpose. Employees are supported through mentorship, education, and growth opportunities, working with inclusive teams that value collaboration and belonging. Together, Covenant Health advances healthcare innovation and shapes a healthier, more compassionate future for Alberta and beyond.