GEM Health Care Group is seeking an experienced long-term-care nursing leader to provide clinical and professional-practice leadership across 10 Nova Scotia long-term-care facilities.
Reporting to senior executive leadership, the Senior Director, Clinical Operations & Professional Practice will lead facility clinical leaders, establish consistent clinical standards, monitor performance, and strengthen the delivery of safe, compliant and resident-centred care.
This is a redefined and expanded role with the opportunity to build a consistent clinical operating system, develop strong facility leaders, and improve clinical and operational performance across the organization.
Key Responsibilities
Lead and hold accountable the designated senior clinical leader at each long-term-care facility.
Establish consistent clinical standards, policies, procedures and performance expectations.
Translate legislation, licensing requirements, professional standards and organizational policies into effective daily practice.
Monitor clinical performance, identify material risks and ensure corrective actions are completed and sustained.
Support facility readiness for licensing inspections and other regulatory reviews.
Strengthen professional practice, clinical documentation, care planning, assignment, delegation and supervision.
Provide enterprise oversight of medication management, infection prevention and control, falls, wounds, restraints, incidents, complaints and other significant clinical areas.
Ensure serious resident-safety, regulatory and professional-practice concerns are promptly addressed and escalated.
Respond to independent quality-assurance findings and hold facility leaders accountable for implementing required improvements.
Establish effective systems for clinical orientation, mandatory education, competency assessment and leadership development.
Monitor clinical staffing sufficiency, skill mix and workforce deployment in partnership with facility leadership and Human Resources.
Partner with facility management and corporate functions on operational issues affecting resident care, clinical performance and service continuity.
Advise senior executive leadership on clinical risks, operational requirements, performance trends and improvement priorities.
Operational Performance
Lead the operational performance of clinical services across all 10 facilities.
Monitor clinical expenditures, staffing utilization, overtime, agency use, supply consumption and other material operating drivers.
Develop reliable forecasts based on resident needs, staffing requirements, workforce availability, service demand, historical results and emerging risks.
Analyze financial and operational variances to identify root causes, distinguish temporary fluctuations from structural issues, and assess likely future impacts.
Develop and implement corrective plans within the role’s authority.
Hold facility clinical leaders accountable for controllable performance, scheduling discipline, workforce utilization and responsible resource use.
Provide senior executive leadership with timely reporting, clear projections and practical recommendations.
Reporting Relationships
The Senior Director leads the designated senior clinical leader at each of GEM’s 10 Nova Scotia long-term-care facilities.
Site structures vary and may include Directors of Care and leaders holding combined clinical and administrative responsibilities. Where a leader holds a combined position, the clinical accountabilities of the role report through the Senior Director.
Assistant Directors of Care, nurse managers, RNs, LPNs, CCAs and other members of the clinical team continue to report through their site clinical leadership.
Required Qualifications
Current registration in good standing as a Registered Nurse with the Nova Scotia College of Nursing, or eligibility to obtain registration before starting.
Significant progressive nursing leadership experience in long-term care.
Demonstrated experience leading clinical operations across multiple facilities, sites or programs.
Experience leading or formally holding accountable Directors of Care, nursing managers or equivalent senior clinical leaders.
Strong knowledge of resident safety, professional nursing practice, clinical risk and regulatory compliance.
Demonstrated success implementing consistent clinical standards and improving performance across multiple locations.
Experience with operational forecasting, workforce and financial variance analysis, performance reporting and corrective-action planning.
Ability to interpret clinical, workforce, operational and financial information and translate it into practical action.
Strong leadership, judgment, communication and relationship-management skills.
Ability and willingness to travel regularly throughout Nova Scotia.
Legal entitlement to work in Canada.
Preferred Qualifications
Bachelor’s degree in nursing.
Graduate education in nursing, health administration, leadership, business administration or a related discipline.
Senior clinical leadership experience in Nova Scotia long-term care.
Experience in a multi-site or private-sector healthcare organization.
Experience working in a unionized environment.
Experience responding to licensing findings, serious incidents or independent quality reviews.
Experience implementing enterprise clinical policies, performance dashboards and standardized operating systems.
Experience using multi-site clinical, workforce and financial data to identify performance drivers and improve results.
Equivalent combinations of education and directly relevant experience may be considered where the essential registration and professional-practice requirements are met.
Leadership Profile
The successful candidate will be:
A credible and decisive nursing leader.
Skilled at setting expectations and holding senior facility leaders accountable.
Comfortable leading across geographically dispersed locations and varied facility structures.
Able to balance enterprise consistency with sound clinical judgment.
Prepared to intervene and escalate when resident safety, professional practice or regulatory compliance is at risk.
Commercially aware and disciplined in the use of staffing and clinical resources.
Collaborative across clinical, operational, human resources and corporate functions.
An effective developer of clinical leaders and high-performing teams.
Clear, evidence-based and practical when advising senior executive leadership.
Compensation and Benefits
Starting salary of $150,000 annually.
Extended health and dental benefits
RRSP Match
Vacation entitlement
Performance incentive
Company Vehicle
Professional registration and development support.
About GEM
GEM Health Care Group is a Nova Scotian, family-run seniors’ care organization that has operated since 1979. The organization provides long-term-care and other seniors’ accommodations and services in Nova Scotia.
This position is focused on clinical operations and professional practice across GEM’s 10 Nova Scotia long-term-care facilities.
Work Requirements
Full-time, permanent employment.
Regular travel to facilities throughout Nova Scotia.
Primary work location: 15 Shoreham Lane, Halifax, NS
Work arrangement: in office and regular travel to LTC sites
Availability outside regular business hours for significant clinical, regulatory or service-continuity escalations.
Valid driver’s licence and reliable transportation, subject to accommodation requirements.
Successful completion of required pre-employment checks.
Equity and Accommodation
GEM Health Care Group welcomes applications from qualified candidates with diverse backgrounds, identities, experiences and perspectives.
Accommodation is available throughout the recruitment and selection process. Applicants requiring accommodation may contact [email protected]
How to Apply
Apply through Indeed by submitting:
A current résumé.
A cover letter outlining your long-term-care and multi-site clinical leadership experience.
Application deadline: August 01 2026
Any offer of employment will be conditional upon satisfactory verification of professional registration, employment eligibility, references and applicable background checks.
Pay: From $150,000.00 per year
Benefits:
- Company car
- Dental care
- Disability insurance
- Extended health care
- Life insurance
- Mileage reimbursement
- On-site parking
- Paid time off
- RRSP match
- Tuition reimbursement
- Vision care
Work Location: Hybrid remote in Halifax, NS B3P 2R3
