Deputy Fire Chief (Administration)

Why Guelph?

When you join the City of Guelph, you join a team of over 2000 employees who deliver services the community relies on every day. Together, we are bringing to life Guelph’s vision of an inclusive, connected, and prosperous city where we look after each other and our environment. As a single tier municipality, we offer a variety of occupations and career specialities within our organization. Guided by the goals and objectives of the Future Guelph: Strategic Plan and committed to the Corporate Values of integrity, service, inclusion, wellness and learning, the candidate will aid in the achievement of the Community Vision for an inclusive, connected, prosperous city.

What we offer

We offer competitive wages and comprehensive benefits to meet the needs of our diverse employees. Many of our positions offer:

• Paid vacation days, increasing with years of service
• Paid personal days
• Defined benefit pension plan with OMERS, including 100-per-cent employer matching
• Extended health and dental benefits, including Health Care Spending Account
• Employee and Family Assistance Program
• Parental leave top up program
• Learning and development opportunities including tuition assistance
• Employee recognition programs

Position overview

We are currently hiring for the position of Deputy Fire Chief. Reporting to the Fire Chief/General Manager of Fire Services, this position will be responsible for the administration and continuity of operations of the Fire Services. As a member of the Fire Services management team, you will be responsible for budget, quality assurance and statistical analysis, long term priorities and strategic orientation, personnel matters, risk management, technology, and providing guidance and oversight assigned divisions.  This incumbent would take lead in business administration, data and record management, and have oversight of Fire Prevention to support Fire Services.

We are seeking a progressive and influential leader, who will motivate a diverse team, foster a culture of collaboration, innovation, and continuous improvements. Supporting the Fire Service management team, you are a change agent, and your insights help guide decision-making and relationships at all stakeholder levels, contribute to strategic planning, and implementation of best practices in the Guelph Fire Department and for our community.

Key duties and responsibilities

• Provide visible and positive leadership for all administration and operations, building a positive culture for the Fire Department that fosters inclusivity, respect, and motivation.
• Support the Fire Chief and leaders, including Deputy Chief and Divisional Chiefs, to develop, communicate, execute, and sustain service area business plans and work plans in alignment with the Strategic Plan.
• Provide comprehensive advice related to service area work and collaborate with departmental leaders on matters that support long term direction and strategic priorities.
• Position the fire department as a proactive, adaptive, and well-resourced organization. capable of effectively addressing the evolving needs of the community.
• Prepare annual operating and capital budgets for the department; monitor, manage and working cooperatively with Finance staff, identify requirements and variances; apply for and manage grant funding opportunities as required.
• Establish policies, operating procedures, work methods and standards for firefighting/protection and emergency response, training and equipment/facilities maintenance, and health and wellness of staff.
• Ensure compliance in Fire Services with applicable federal and provincial regulations/legislation and City by-laws.
• Serve as a resource to coordinate strategic initiatives and enhance communication, collaboration, and consistency across departments, including engagement with corporate functions.
• Oversee leadership development for the fire department.
• Develop and oversee KPOs and metrics for the fire department.
• Lead change management efforts and processes associated with providing continuous quality improvement and framework for enhancing fire safety and community risk mitigation strategies, including oversight of the Community Risk Reduction Plan.
• Manage and oversee Fire Prevention operations including the integration of data analytics and business intelligence into the department’s inspection program and public education initiatives.
• Represent the department as necessary before Council and Committee meetings of the City, act as a spokesperson within the community and with stakeholder organizations.
• Develop and maintain positive working relationships with all stakeholders including customers, the Mayor and members of Council, city staff, the Executive of the Guelph Professional Fire Fighters’ Association, community partners and associations, suppliers, vendors, contractors and municipal, provincial and federal counterparts.
• Available on call for after-hours response (on-call Chief) on a rotating schedule.
• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications and requirements

• Considerable experience related to the duties listed above, normally acquired through a Degree/Diploma in Business Administration, Information Management, Computer Science, Emergency Management or a related field. Progressive responsibility and years of experience in relevant positions associated with management, emergency services.  An equivalent combination of education and experience may be considered.
• Experience in providing strategic advice and direction to leadership teams, preferably in a municipal setting.
• Understanding and application of Collective Agreements, ability to manage in a unionized environment.
• Excellent organization skills and critical thinking with the ability to collaborate on inter-departmental projects.
• Knowledge of applicable legislation and regulatory authorities, such as MFIPPA, PHIPPA, FPPA, OHSA etc. 
• Experience in data management to identify and problem solve client requirements and organizational goals through quantitative methods of data extraction, forecast, analytics, and reporting; ability to create visualizations and articulate complex analysis for a variety of audiences.
• Experience using data analysis tools such as Qlikview, MS Power BI, Google Analytics, and UKG Pro; ability to adapt with technological changes.
• Designations including Data Management Association (DAMA) Certified Data Management Professional (CDMP) or The Data Warehouse Institute (TDWI) Certified Business Intelligence Professional (CBIP) or related are considered an asset.
• Knowledge of systems, such as Salesforce CRM, Mitel IVR, JDE Enterprise, Amanda, and Google Analytics, Visio, SharePoint, is an asset.
• Excellent verbal and written communication and presentation skills.
• Strong team and customer-oriented focus, ability to work independently.
• Advanced computer skills required in Microsoft Office suite of applications and other applicable software.  
• A class “G” Ontario Drivers License, with an acceptable driver’s abstract record in accordance with City of Guelph vehicle policy.
• The successful candidate must provide and maintain a Criminal Reference Check and Vulnerable Sector Screening check.
• The successful candidate must be able to work flexible hours as required; this position will be required to carry a cell phone and will be required to answer and respond as required outside normal business hours.

Hours of work

The regular work week will consist of 40 hours, Monday to Friday. The successful candidate must be available to be on call and provide after-hours response on a rotating schedule.

Pay/Salary

Non-Union Grade 9: $151,307.52 - $189,134.40