Principal Program Manager

Overview

Ontario Health is seeking a Principal Program Manager to help advance a connected, digitally enabled health system across the province. This position is designed for someone who can shape strategy, guide execution, and influence outcomes on a large, province-wide program aligned with organizational priorities and the Digital Excellence in Health (DxH) operating model.

In this role, you will work with senior leaders, government representatives, and health system partners to align efforts, strengthen engagement, and support delivery across complex initiatives. A major part of the job is enabling partners, improving communication across regions, and helping drive adoption and value from digital services so stakeholders stay informed, supported, and prepared to meet program goals.

Ontario Health’s broader mission is to connect the health system to improve health outcomes, experiences, and value for people across Ontario. The organization’s values are integrity, inspiration, tenacity, humility, and care.

What Ontario Health Offers

• Full health coverage beginning on day one, including medical, dental, and vision benefits at no cost to you
• Flexible health-care or wellness spending accounts, along with an inclusive program that supports overall well-being
• A premium defined benefit pension plan for long-term financial security
• Competitive vacation entitlement to support rest and recovery
• Three personal days and two float days each year, in addition to vacation time
• Learning and career development opportunities to help you progress and succeed
• A collaborative workplace shaped by integrity, care, humility, inspiration, and tenacity
• Access to Communities of Inclusion that encourage belonging, equity, and diverse perspectives

Key Responsibilities

• Build and lead program strategy, including business plans, operating models, and funding submissions
• Provide strategic guidance so the program remains aligned with Ontario Health priorities
• Work closely with senior stakeholders across Ontario Health, ministry partners, and the wider health system
• Drive change management activities, including frameworks and practices that support adoption and behaviour change
• Support province-wide delivery by ensuring stakeholders are informed, engaged, and equipped to contribute
• Define performance measurement methods to assess program results and impact
• Deliver strategic advice and client service to internal teams and external partners, including government stakeholders
• Coach and influence executives, program participants, and partners to strengthen execution
• Develop trusted relationships that help align multiple stakeholders and build consensus
• Lead complex decisions with major organizational impact while keeping long-term sustainability in view

Education and Experience

• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Business, Health Studies, Public Administration, or a related area, or equivalent experience
• Project Management or a similar professional designation is considered an asset
• More than 10 years of project and/or program management experience in healthcare, including large-scale, matrixed, high-profile initiatives
• Experience managing broad and complex work at the intersection of health and technology
• Strong understanding of Ontario’s healthcare system, provincial strategy, and the broader healthcare environment
• Background in health system planning and performance evaluation
• Knowledge of Ontario’s digital health landscape is an asset
• Solid understanding of the Project Management Life Cycle and Software Development Life Cycle, including Agile/Scrum methods

Skills and Competencies

• Strong analytical thinking and sound judgment in complex, high-pressure situations
• Clear verbal presentation and communication skills for varied audiences
• Ability to build strategic relationships with government leaders, healthcare executives, and other stakeholders
• Leadership, interpersonal, and change management capability, with the ability to work independently
• Comfort leading meetings and turning discussion into action
• Systems-level thinking and a strategic mindset
• Strong accountability, ownership, and results orientation
• High emotional intelligence and the ability to navigate diverse stakeholder viewpoints
• Ability to explain complex ideas in a simple, accessible way
• Composure and effectiveness under pressure
• Political awareness and the ability to work effectively in government settings
• Advanced computer skills, including project management tools, MS Office, and collaboration platforms

Additional Information

Location: Toronto, Ontario.

Employment type: Permanent full-time.

Contract length: Not applicable.

Salary band: Band 8.

External application deadline: July 2, 2026.

Applicants must be residents of Ontario to be considered for roles at Ontario Health.

Ontario Health welcomes applications from First Nations, Métis, Inuit, and urban Indigenous candidates; Francophone candidates; members of Black and racialized communities; 2SLGBTQIA+ communities; trans and nonbinary individuals; and people living with disabilities.

Ontario Health is an accessible employer and provides accommodation throughout employment, including during recruitment. Candidates who need disability-related accommodation for the hiring process can email [email protected] and will be contacted within 48 hours.

For a French translation of this posting, an email can be sent to [email protected]. Requests will be handled within three business days, and the application window will be extended by three business days.