The Organization

Consistently recognized as one of Alberta’s Top Employers and employing a diverse workforce of over 2,200 individuals, Workers’ Compensation Board – Alberta (WCB) is the independent operator and administrator of the province’s Workers’ Compensation Act. WCB-Alberta provides protection for more than two million workers and over 159,000 employers, delivering benefits and services that support recovery and return to work.

 

The Director

Reporting to the Vice President, Client Services & Disability Management this role is expected to drive operational excellence by ensuring that the Claims portfolio consistently delivers on its commitments—corporate KPIs, strategic plan priorities, and service-level expectations of injured workers and employers. Through effective leadership of managers, the director ensures alignment across their portfolio and in collaboration with other directors – promoting a high-performance culture, employee engagement, and operational stability.

 

Key Accountabilities

Work alongside the Vice President to manage all aspects of physical claims operations.

As part of the broader, executive-led strategy, provide strategic and tactical guidance to managers and their teams to ensure the successful delivery of portfolio objectives.

Evolve the strategic direction of the Claims portfolio to ensure its long-term sustainability and effectiveness.

Lead the division through transformational change in response to emerging client needs, workforce trends, and system pressures. Lead change visibly and authentically by listening deeply, communicating transparently, and supporting leaders and teams through complexity, ambiguity, and sustained transformation.

Steward a high performing, engaged culture grounded in purpose, service, and continuous improvement. Actively model and reinforce leadership behaviors that promote psychological safety, respectful challenge, and clear, kind communication.

Oversee annual financial planning, approved management of capital, operating income and expenditures.

Develop an environment conducive to team growth and development.

Maximize performance and productivity while simultaneously building a strong customer service ethic across the department.

Coach and develop managers as leaders—building their capability to inspire teams, navigate complexity, and align people, purpose, and performance.

Demonstrated ability to network across the organization, the national WCB system (other jurisdictions) and more broadly with other leaders in different industries to gain perspective.

Implementing or adapting to legislative and/or policy changes – spectrum of participating in consultation where possible, implementing the change with sound change management to ensure adequate training/ sustainment of the change.

Represent the Claims portfolio at the Planning & Priorities (P&P) Committee and actively contribute to enterprise decision-making.

Builds credibility and influence through authentic relationships, visible leadership presence, and the ability to connect people across functions around shared purpose and outcomes.

Maintains effective contacts with pertinent external associations and peers in other Workers’ Compensation Boards.

Requirements

Undergraduate Degree/Diploma in Social Sciences, Rehabilitation, Business or a related field. Master of Business Administration an asset.

Five or more years of progressive leadership experience in environments of comparable size and scope, with related claims management experience.

Demonstrated ability to inspire, engage, and align leaders and teams through purpose-driven leadership and emotional intelligence.

Strong business acumen together with knowledge of disability management, insurance practices, advanced planning, policy interpretation and application, organizing and negotiating skills.

Ability to adapt in a rapidly changing environment by initiating and implementing change.

To Apply

To fill this position, WCB-Alberta has partnered with leadership advisory firm Odgers. Applications are encouraged immediately and should be submitted online. For more information, please contact caleb.herrick@odgers.com

We thank all those who express an interest, however only those chosen for further development will be contacted.

 

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

WCB is an equal opportunity employer. In accordance with the Accessible Canada Act, 2019 and all applicable provincial accessibility standards, upon request, accommodation will be provided by both Odgers and   throughout the recruitment, selection and/or assessment process to applicants with disabilities.

 

Odgers is deeply committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion in all the work that we do. As part of our efforts to better understand our ability to reach as broad a pool of candidates as possible for our searches, our DEI team would like to encourage you to take a moment and access our Self-Declaration Form.