Head, Department of Surgery

HEAD, DEPARTMENT OF SURGERY
Queen’s Health Sciences
Queen’s University, Kingston Health Sciences Centre & Providence Care
Kingston, Ontario, Canada

Queen’s University is situated on traditional Anishinaabe and Haudenosaunee Territory. To acknowledge this traditional territory is to recognize its longer history, one predating the establishment of the earliest European colonies. It is also to acknowledge this territory’s significance for the Indigenous peoples who lived, and continue to live, upon it – people whose practices and spiritualities were tied to the land and continue to develop in relationship to the territory and its other inhabitants today.

Queen’s Health Sciences (QHS) and its affiliated teaching hospitals (Kingston Health Sciences Centre and Providence Care) invite applications for the position of Head of the Department of Surgery. The ideal candidate will bring a track record of success in academic leadership, with the ability to manage teams that will foster excellence in clinical care, education and research within the Department. The preferred candidate will also be a strategic and systems thinker, who can help the Department of Surgery capitalize on its strengths in an integrated fashion, while also solving problems in a creative manner.

We are searching for an individual with a drive to contribute to the advancement of long-term, mutually beneficial partnerships with University, Hospitals, provincial and community constituents. To do so, they will exhibit excellent relationship building, negotiation and conflict resolution skills, with the ability to represent and advance the interests of the Department of Surgery, QHS and the affiliated teaching hospitals. As an innovative and visionary leader, the Department Head of Surgery will support the University and affiliated teaching hospitals’ commitment to Indigeneity, equity, diversity, inclusion, accessibility and anti-racism (I-EDIAA) through the development and implementation of initiatives designed to foster inclusivity within an interdisciplinary and collaborative work environment.

As an academic physician, the successful candidate will participate in shared clinical care service and therefore all qualified applicants must have or be eligible for licensure with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO) and certification from the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada (RCPSC). Preference will be given to applicants with at least 10 years’ experience and proven leadership abilities. However, all applicants with a desire to lead a cohesive and growing clinical and academic department are encouraged to apply. The successful candidate must be eligible for a full-time clinical academic appointment at Queen’s University, funded by the Southeastern Ontario Academic Medical Organization (SEAMO). In addition, the Department Head normally holds the endowed Britton Smith Chair in Surgery, for the concurrent term. 

The Department of Surgery includes seven distinct specialties including: cardiovascular surgery, general surgery, neurosurgery, orthopedic surgery, otolaryngology/head & neck surgery, plastic surgery, and thoracic surgery.  The Department of Surgery contributes to the teaching of undergraduate medical students and graduate students at the Masters, PhD and postdoctoral levels. In addition, the divisions of General Surgery and Orthopedics have accredited residency training programs. The collaborative research efforts of the Department cover a broad range of scholarship initiatives, including clinical trials, educational research and basic and translational research.

Queen’s University is recognized nationally for the quality of its undergraduate and graduate programs, which attract outstanding students. Queen’s University is an integral part of the vibrant Kingston community in the heart of the Thousand Islands region of southeastern Ontario. It has a community spirit and amenities unmatched by any other Canadian university. The University and the region offer an outstanding academic and community environment. For information on employee benefits, see Queen’s Human Resources.

The review of applications will begin on March 21, 2025, and will continue until the position is filled. Applications and nominations (the former to be accompanied by a letter of interest summarizing relevant experience, a curriculum vitae, and the full contact information of three referees), are to be directed to the co-chairs of the Committee, Dr. Diane Lougheed, Vice-Dean, Clinical, QHS and Dr. Michael Fitzpatrick, Chief of Staff & Executive Vice President Medical and Academic Affairs, KHSC, c/o Kristy Lodewyks, Associate Director, QHS Staffing, at kristy.lodewyks@queensu.ca. Prospective applicants are encouraged to contact Kristy Lodewyks to request a detailed copy of the role description.  The University will provide support in its recruitment processes to applicants with disabilities, including accommodation that considers an applicant’s accessibility needs. If you require accommodation during the interview process, please contact Kristy Lodewyks as indicated above.

Applications are invited from all qualified individuals. Queen's and its affiliated teaching hospitals are strongly committed to employment equity, diversity, and inclusion in the workplace and encourage applications from Black, racialized/visible minority and Indigenous people, women, persons with disabilities, and 2SLGBTQ+ persons. In accordance with Canadian immigration requirements, Canadian citizens and permanent residents of Canada will be given priority, including any qualified individuals who have a valid legal work status in Canada. Please indicate in your application if you have a valid legal work status in Canada. Applications from all qualified candidates will be considered in the applicant pool.

Prior to May 1, 2022, the University required all students, faculty, staff, and visitors (including contractors) to declare their COVID-19 vaccination status and provide proof that they were fully vaccinated or had an approved accommodation to engage in in-person University activities. These requirements were suspended May 1, 2022. However, they remain in effect for students, staff, and faculty in workplaces, including hospitals, where patient care is provided and/or where the work duties or educational requirements of the position involve or support patient care.