Strategic and Business Leadership for Public Safety Operations
Are you a senior leader who excels at building the plans, systems, and infrastructure that enable teams to deliver under pressure? Do you bring strong strategic and financial leadership to complex portfolios supporting public safety and emergency response?
The Ministry of Natural Resources is seeking a strategic, enterprise minded leader to join the Aviation, Forest Fire and Emergency Services Branch as the Assistant Director, Program & Branch Support .This role provides senior level leadership across a broad portfolio of business, capital, and integrated services that enable provincewide wildland fire management. The position also plays a key role in supporting the branch's modernization.
You will lead strategic planning, business management, and integrated services that highlight wildfire and emergency operations. You will oversee significant budgets, contracts, and capital initiatives, and provide leadership across functions including information technology, policy, program development, research, and Indigenous relations.
This role offers an opportunity to provide strategic leadership behind the scenes of Ontario's wildland fire management program, directly enabling frontline operations and supporting public safety outcomes for communities across the province.
If you are interested in enabling effective wildfire management through strong strategic leadership, sound business management, and collaboration, this Assistant Director opportunity may be the next step in your leadership career.
The Ontario Public Service: Strengthening Ontario, together.
A career in the Ontario Public Service (OPS) is driven by purpose. We're building a stronger Ontario by delivering programs and services that make a real difference in people's lives. If you share this ambition, you'll find a workplace that reflects the diversity of the people we serve and empowers you to lead with confidence.
Why Your Leadership Belongs Here
- Purpose that drives you: Lead work that matters. Your leadership will shape policies, programs, and services that improve lives across the province—every day.
- A culture that supports you: Thrive in a flexible, inclusive, and respectful workplace that values your well-being and empowers you to bring your whole self to work.
- A career that grows with you: Explore leadership opportunities across ministries and sectors. With access to mentorship, learning, and mobility, your career can evolve here.
- Recognition that reflects your impact: We value the difference you make. You'll receive competitive pay, a defined-benefit pension, and benefits that support your well-being—plus meaningful recognition for your contributions.
About the job
We believe great leadership starts with high standards and strong support. In the OPS, that means showing up with authenticity, acting with integrity, and having the courage to do what's right, even when it's hard.
As a leader, you'll shape a team culture that sparks innovation, supports collaboration, and champions inclusion. You'll help build a workplace that is diverse, anti-racist, and accessible, where everyone feels safe, respected, and able to thrive.
You won't be doing it alone. We invest in our leaders through mentorship, learning opportunities, and cross-ministry networks that help you grow your impact and connect with peers across the organization.
Leadership is about impact, and in this role, you'll have the opportunity to make a meaningful one.
You will:
- Provide senior leadership for strategic planning and business management across the branch
- Oversee significant budgets, contracts, and procurement activities supporting wildland fire management
- Lead capital planning and infrastructure initiatives across multiple operational sites
- Provide strategic oversight of integrated services, including IT, policy, program development, research, and Indigenous relations
- Oversee prevention, mitigation, and agreement teams that strengthen risk reduction and partnerships
- Lead a communication team that supports public information, stakeholder engagement, and operational messaging.
- Lead and support senior managers across diverse functional areas
- Oversee an Emergency Management team that enhances provincial readiness and coordination by supporting emergency planning, preparedness, and integration with broader emergency management partners
- Support branch wide modernization, prioritization, and execution of key initiatives
- Provide executive level advice to inform planning, governance, and long term sustainability
Meet Your New Team
The Aviation, Forest Fire and Emergency Services Branch (AFFES) is part of Ontario's Ministry of Natural Resources and provides leadership and service delivery for the Ministry's wildland fire management, emergency management and aviation services.
AFFES leads the province's wildfire management program, including prevention, detection, and suppression of forest fires. It also operates Ontario's fleet of specialized aircraft for firefighting and emergency response, supports all-hazards emergency management (such as floods and natural disasters), and provides expertise, personnel, and coordination in complex, multi-agency emergency situations across the province.
The Program & Branch Support team enables effective wildland fire management through strategic planning, business management, capital planning, and integrated services. In addition to core financial, infrastructure, policy, and program supports, the team includes prevention, mitigation, and agreement units that strengthen proactive risk reduction, partnerships, and interagency coordination, as well as a communications team that supports public information, stakeholder engagement, and operational messaging. Together, these functions sustain emergency operations across multiple sites and regions in Ontario, while strong governance and forward-looking planning position the branch to adapt to evolving operational and environmental demands.
What you bring to the team
Mandatory requirements
• This role requires mandatory travel.
Leadership and People Management
- Leadership Experience: You bring established experience leading people and teams, with clear accountability for results, team development, and performance. You lead by setting direction, coaching others, and building a culture of trust, inclusion, and high performance.
- Setting Direction and Priorities: You provide clear priorities, performance expectations, and strategic focus in complex and evolving environments.
- Judgement and Accountability: You demonstrate strong judgment, integrity, and accountability in executive level decision making.
- Dispersed Operations Leadership: You support and lead teams and response systems operating across diverse, geographically dispersed regions.
- Change and Modernization Leadership: You lead organizational change, navigate ambiguity, and help teams adapt during periods of modernization.
Communication & Relationship Management
- Clear and Executive Level Communication: You communicate complex information clearly and confidently to staff, executives, and stakeholders.
- Trust and Credibility Building: You are known for building trust and credibility quickly through transparent and respectful communication.
- Stakeholder and Partner Engagement: You maintain strong, constructive relationships across internal teams, external partners, and intergovernmental stakeholders.
- Representation at Senior Tables: You represent the organization effectively at executive, intergovernmental, and external forums.
- Communication Under Pressure: You exercise sound judgment and composure when communicating in high pressure, sensitive, or time critical situations.
Strategic Thinking & Decision Making
- Enterprise Level Strategic Advisory Capability: You bring strong enterprise level strategic thinking and are able to translate complex business, financial, and operational information into clear, actionable advice that supports executive level decision making
- Complex Issue Analysis: You assess complex issues, risks, and tradeoffs to support well reasoned, defensible decisions.
- Balancing Short and Long Term Objectives: You balance immediate operational needs with long term strategic goals and public service outcomes.
- Judgment in Ambiguity: You make timely, thoughtful decisions in ambiguous, rapidly evolving, or high stakes environments.
- Turning Strategy into Action: You translate strategic priorities into clear plans, actions, and measurable results.
Technical Skills & Knowledge
- Strategic and Enterprise Business Leadership: You bring enterprise level experience in strategic and business management, with the ability to provide executive oversight across complex and diverse portfolios.
- Financial, Contract, and Capital Oversight: You have experience overseeing significant budgets, contracts, procurement activities, and capital initiatives, ensuring sound financial stewardship and alignment with organizational priorities.
- Capital Planning and Infrastructure Management: You support capital planning and infrastructure initiatives across multiple operational sites, balancing current operational needs with long term sustainability and modernization requirements.
- Governance, Risk, and Modernization Awareness: You understand governance frameworks, risk management, and accountability requirements, and apply this knowledge to support modernization and continuous improvement in a complex public sector environment.
Remember:
The deadline to apply is Wednesday, June 17, 2026 11:59 pm EDT. Late applications will not be accepted.
We thank you for your interest. Only those selected for further screening or an interview will be contacted.
