Employer: Metrolinx

Position: Director and Head of Operational Safety

Terms of Employment: Full-time / Permanent

Location: Toronto, Ontario

Employment Address - Primary Location: 91 Judson Street, Etobicoke, ON M8Z 1A8

Hours of Work: 36.25 hours/week

Language: English

Benefits: Eligible for discretionary bonuses and/or salary increases in accordance with company policy. Eligible for 4 weeks’ vacation – Full health, dental, vision, pension and sick benefits.

Salary: $ 147,720 - $209,920 CAD / year

Contact: Please send resumes to milica.mitrovic@metrolinx.com and include “ Director and Head of Operational Safety ” in the email subject line.

Metrolinx is connecting communities across the Greater Golden Horseshoe. Metrolinx operates GO Transit and UP Express, as well as the PRESTO fare payment system. We are also building new and improved rapid transit, including GO Expansion, Light Rail Transit routes, and major expansions to Toronto’s subway system, to get people where they need to go, better, faster and easier. Metrolinx is an agency of the Government of Ontario.

At Metrolinx, equity, diversity and inclusion are essential to living our values of serving with passion, thinking forward and playing as a team.

Our GO & UP Operations Division is seeking a Director and Head of Operational Safety. This position is responsible to exercise final decision-making authority with respect to the safety of daily operations proposed changes which impact Operational Safety on the GO and UP network, in consultation with Vice President, Rail Transit Services and Customer Service Delivery and/or their delegates.

The role is accountable for implementing and monitoring the effectiveness of and compliance with Operational Safety processes, policies, and procedures. This will include the impact on operational safety associated with the delivery of service by contracted Service Delivery Partner staff.

In this role, you will ensure that operational safety risks (including those associated with the unique attributes of the GO Expansion Program – fleet, signaling, technology and electrification) are identified, and plans implemented to mitigate those risks to the lowest level practicable. More specifically, you will be point of contact for other departments seeking guidance and expert opinion on “operational impacts” caused by their own area of work responsibility and changes.

What will I be doing?

• Responsible for leading and directing a team of Rail Operational Safety professionals responsible for checking, writing, updating, and implementing safety processes and procedures under the Vice President, Rail Transit Services and Customer Service Delivery (GO/UP) area of responsibility.
• Leading the production of regular reports including monitoring of trend data and KPI’s through regular checks and monitoring, ensuring compliance with systems, processes and procedures are achieved and maintained. You will be leading the department in implementing a modern digital based system(s) and processes.
• Leading the development of a management system to ensure that all operational competencies and risks are assessed, monitored, and managed to ensure compliance with the required Metrolinx/Federal/Provincial legislation and regulations and other National Rail standards
• Leading the development and maintenance of a system that records and confirms all Operating staff including managers are regularly monitored and assessed on their vocational skills competency and underpinning knowledge for the post they hold.
• Leading the development of Operational safety standards and practices which meet the full requirements of Metrolinx safety management systems and legislation. Ensuring Metrolinx operate to high level industry standards and Codes of Practice by means of professional experience and expertise.
• Ensuring the monitoring of data trends and KPI’s for operating incidents, and dangerous occurrences to establish causes, determine trends and transferable lessons that are relevant to Metrolinx operations and other industry partners where necessary. Advise remedial action ensuring this is followed up to completion and any recommendations implemented.
• Leading the preparation as required for the electrification of the Railway in its imported safety risk impacts on both operating rules, practices, competencies operating documents and publications including staff training.
• Ensuring that Urgent Operational Advice and recommendations that can have implications to industry are communicated to the Network Operations Control Center (NOCC) for dissemination to all interested parties.
• Leading the “root cause” including “human factor issues” investigation process for most operating incidents, unless otherwise directed by the Vice President, Rail Transit Services and Customer Service Delivery ’s team. Leading the development of countermeasure and action planning with other Metrolinx departments and Industry Partners /Contractors as required.
• In preparation for the GO Expansion program, ensuring that sufficient staff are qualified in signal sighting and sighting of other train operating equipment with Metrolinx departments and other Industry Partners.
• Develop operational expertise and practices for new signaling such as Train Control Systems.
• Approval / Verification of Operational Safety Training and Briefing material, while leading the development of best-in-class safety standards through modern safety techniques, rules and regulations and instructions and ensure that staff are fully trained and briefed.
• Ensuring that each level crossing traversed by Metrolinx rail equipment has been assessed for risk, and that full risk mitigation strategies and plans have been developed, implemented, and routinely checked for effectiveness.
• Leading the design, development and introduction “digital” solutions for safety documentation and competence management systems.
• Exercising financial control in planning, negotiating, and maintaining within budget their payroll and capital projects.
• Leading the development and implementation of strategies and action plans to limit occupational health and safety risks to Metrolinx employees and, in partnership with Service Delivery Partners, to ensure that similar strategies and plans have been implemented for those sub-contracted staff engaged to deliver Rail Operations and Fleet Maintenance services.

What Skills and Qualifications Do I Need?

• Completion of a degree in Engineering, Business Administration or a related discipline – or a combination of education, training and experience deemed equivalent; Graduate level degree is an asset.
• Minimum fifteen (15) years’ experience in Transit/Rail Operations roles with a strong Safety Component.
• Significant demonstrated expertise and experience in a leading Operational practices /standards function in a railway environment.
• Detailed knowledge of the route risks and applicable specifications of the equipment/rolling stock.
• Accredited or otherwise qualified to assess rail operations competencies as these affect safe operation of trains.
• Strong knowledge of Occupational Health and Safety Legislation and Regulations.
• Demonstrated expertise in risk assessment and supporting analytics.
• Strong communication skills, both written and verbal, with the ability to influence decision makers and the behavior of front-line employees.
• Ability to lead and motivate a team especially in a “changing priorities environment” that will be generated by the GO Expansion program.
• Self-starter with demonstrated initiative and the ability to set and achieve demanding targets and objectives, and report upon them.

Don’t Meet Every Requirement?

If you’re excited about working with Metrolinx but your past experience doesn’t quite align with every qualification of this posting, we encourage you to apply. You just might be the right candidate for this or other roles. We are always looking for great talent to join our team.

We invite all interested individuals to apply and encourage applications from members of equity-deserving communities, including those who identify as Indigenous, Black, racialized, women, people with disabilities, and people with diverse gender identities, expressions and sexual orientations.

Accommodation:

We value the unique skills and experiences each person brings to Metrolinx and are committed to creating and maintaining an inclusive and accessible environment. We are committed to the requirements of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act so if you require accommodation during the hiring process, please let our Recruitment team know by contacting us at : 416-202-5601 or email hr.recruitment@metrolinx.com .

Application Process:

All applicants must be legally entitled to work in Canada. Metrolinx will be using email to communicate with you for all job competitions. It is your responsibility to include an updated email address that is checked daily and accepts emails from unknown users. As we send time-sensitive correspondence, we recommend that you check your email regularly. If no response is received, we will assume you are no longer interested in pursuing the opportunity. Please be advised that a Criminal Record Check may be required of the successful candidate. Should it be determined that any background information provided is misleading, inaccurate or incorrect, Metrolinx reserves the right to discontinue with the consideration of your application.

Metrolinx employees are required to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 in accordance with Metrolinx’s Mandatory COVID-19 Vaccination Policy as a condition of being eligible for the recruitment process. Proof of COVID-19 vaccination will be required. If you are not able to obtain COVID-19 vaccination for a reason related to a protected ground of discrimination under applicable human rights legislation, you can request accommodation from Metrolinx.

We thank all applicants for their interest, however, only those selected for further consideration will be contacted.

WE ARE AN EQUITABLE AND INCLUSIVE EMPLOYER.

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