Fire and Paramedic Chief

Department: Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service
Designated Work Location: 185 King Street; On site 
Position Type: Permanent, Full-time

Hours of Work: 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday to Friday 
Salary: $175,895.159-$256,801.605 annually, SM3
Employee Group: Senior Management

Posting No: 126945
Closing Date: May 4, 2026

Providing a wide range of services to over half of all Manitobans, The City of Winnipeg is one of the largest employers in Manitoba. We provide a comprehensive range of benefits and career opportunities to our employees. These include competitive salaries, employer-paid benefits, dental and vision care, pension plans, and maternity/parental leave programs. Additionally, we offer education, training, and staff development opportunities to ensure that our employees are equipped with the necessary skills to advance in their careers.

Our Benefits web page provides detailed information about the benefits we offer, and we encourage you to visit it for further information at City of Winnipeg Benefits. We take pride in fostering a respectful, diverse, safe, and healthy workplace where our employees can thrive and achieve their full potential.

The City is committed to attracting and retaining a diverse, skilled workforce that is representative and reflective of the community we serve. Applications are encouraged from equity groups that have been and continue to be underrepresented at the City; Indigenous Peoples, Women, Racialized Peoples, Persons with Disabilities, 2SLGBTQQIA+ Peoples and Newcomers are encouraged to self-declare. 

For the purpose of this recruitment, Equity may be a factor in selection. Consideration will be given to Women, Racialized Peoples, Persons with Disabilities, 2SLGBTQQIA+ Peoples and Newcomers. 

Requests for Reasonable Accommodation will be accepted during the hiring process.

Preference to internal applicants may be applied.

The City of Winnipeg is seeking an accomplished leader to serve as Chief of the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service (WFPS), who will continue to transition the Department into a healthy workplace that fosters a culture of equity, diversity, and inclusion while maintaining the importance on providing life-saving services to Winnipeg residents, visitors, and businesses.

Winnipeg is a thriving, growing city located at the centre of Canada, with approximately 850,000 residents and a variety of neighbourhoods to call home. Our four-season city is surrounded by a mixture of open prairie, dense forests, and hundreds of lakes. Winnipeg is a culturally diverse city, where more than 100 languages are spoken. Over 26 per cent of the population are immigrants, and over 12 percent of Winnipeg’s population identify as Indigenous. The city also has a robust French population.

The WFPS delivers an integrated emergency response services, with more than 1,400 employees, including a team of dedicated front-line emergency staff plus personnel in 911 communications, training, public education, and fire prevention. The Department has an annual operating budget of $267 million, with a large multi-year capital budget. The Chief is responsible for the operations of fire, rescue, paramedic, emergency management, and related services, and, through study and consultation with City officials, for developing recommendations for the protection of life and property within Winnipeg. The Chief will interact and collaborate with multiple stakeholders within the City and Province, including, but not limited to elected officials, other senior civic administrators, civic unions, media, the public, interest and community groups, health authorities, emergency measures and law enforcement agencies, and members of the business sector. The Chief commands and coordinates emergency resources and operations at major incidents. On a scheduled rotational basis, the Chief is required to attend emergency incidents as necessary on a 24/7 basis.

The Chief will have a strong background providing strategic vision, leading high level change initiatives, motivating others, and building relationships. You will have experience delivering services that are consistently striving to be more efficient, effective, and customer oriented, as the Department needs to continuously improve, innovate, and respond to the increasingly complex social, health, environmental, and economic challenges facing our City.

As the Fire and Paramedic Chief, you will:

1. Assume the role as a key member of our senior leadership team and will have overall accountability for a department responsible for providing fire and rescue response, medical response, fire and injury prevention, and disaster preparedness and response.
2. Lead, direct, and manage the day-to-day operations of the department through senior managers and staff. This includes direction of a large, complex and diverse scope of services.
3. Attend major fire and other emergency scenes, providing support and direction for incident commanders. Take actions necessary to ensure a high degree of safety for the public and department personnel, within the scope of existing legislation and ensures the initiation of effective Paramedic, Fire/Rescue operations and other mitigation efforts.
4. Direct the recruitment, deployment, development, and performance management of departmental personnel.
5. Provides oversight on the Departmental process of handling requests for information received under the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA) and Personal Health Information Act (PHIA); reviews and makes determination on both of these public requests.
6. Direct the preparation and submission of annual budget estimates for current and capital expenditures and revenues. Ensure systems and processes are in place to provide the control of costs and recording of revenues consistent with effective budget management.
7. Ensure departmental policies affecting staff are consistent with general City policies, and that the provisions of applicable collective agreements are consistently applied. Lead the development of departmental strategic plans and initiatives to achieve the current and anticipate the future requirements of the Department.  Ensure optimal departmental performance and safe operation through the development and application of an integrated and continually updated set of systems, policies, methods, procedures, facilities, and equipment through which the department discharges its service mandates.
8. Establish and maintain positive working relationships with the community, unions, media, and other agencies. In addition, maintain close liaison with Federal, Provincial, and other Municipal authorities on matters related to the operations of the Department. Participate as a member of the City’s Senior Management Team in developing and setting strategies to deliver the mandates provided to the City Administration by Council.
9. Promote and facilitates public relations, public education, and media relations activities by providing assistance, making presentations, and participating in special activities.

Your education and qualifications include:

1. University degree or post secondary education in Public Sector Management, Public Administration, Business Administration, Public Safety, Emergency Management or a related field. An equivalent combination of education, training, and experience working at a senior management level in a related role may be considered.
2. Accredited training in Level I & II Fire Fighting, Primary Care Paramedic, Intermediate Care Paramedic, Advanced Care Paramedic, ACPP, Critical Care Paramedic, Fire Service Instructor, Fire Prevention Officer, Public Educator, Emergency Management, with applicable licensure, are considered assets.
3. The candidate will have Fifteen (15) of progressively responsible management experience in Emergency Services in a similar sized complex, unionized operational environment.
4. Combined background experience in two or more of the following areas would be considered an asset: Fire Suppression, Paramedicine, Rescue, Safety, Emergency and Disaster Management, Project Management, Infrastructure or Facilities Management.
5. Experience leading in a highly complex unionized operational environment including various aspects of human resource management, such as recruitment, performance management, labour relations, succession planning and strategic development.
6. Experience in the development, application, and modification of Emergency Service Operational policies, procedures and protocols.
7. Experience in dealing with significant public sector unions, including collective bargaining negotiations.
8. Experience in the preparation, effective management and execution of operational and capital budgets and strategic plans.
9. Experience in dealing with a wide variety of stakeholders, and ability to research and prepare comprehensive written reports while working collaboratively within a multidisciplinary environment.
10. Expert knowledge of firefighting, fire and injury prevention, emergency management, and paramedic service techniques, trends and solutions, including all relevant acts and legislation.
11. Knowledge of fire, emergency service, and City of Winnipeg organization, operating requirements, policies, and procedures.
12. Commitment to employment equity and ability to implement an employment equity program.
13. Ability to develop and maintain effective working relationships with elected officials, staff, managers, outside suppliers, the public, media and other stakeholders.
14. Abilities in planning, strategizing, organizing and investigating matters while having the ability to express ideas clearly and concisely both orally and in writing. 

Conditions of employment:

1. The successful applicant must possess and maintain legal eligibility to work in Canada.
2. A Level 2 Security Check with the Winnipeg Police Service to be acquired prior to hiring. Check will be scheduled by the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service with the Winnipeg Police Service and will be required from the successful candidate.
3. The successful applicant must possess and maintain a valid Manitoba Class 4 Full Driver’s License (or provincial equivalent), satisfactory to the employer.  Documentation must not have any alcohol related charges / convictions.  Provincial equivalents will be accepted, however, out of province applicants must show proof of having transferred their license to Manitoba prior to their first day of employment.  Any infractions, offences or investigations occurring prior or after application submission must be reported to the WFPS.
4. At the discretion of the Department, the successful applicant may be required to obtain a valid Driver Safety Rating Scale Statement (original copy) from the Manitoba Public Insurance (or provincial equivalent), satisfactory to the employer.  Documentation must be no more than minus four (-4) on the Driver Safety Rating scale.  Documentation must be current and have been completed within the previous thirty (30) days prior to date of employment.  This document may be required from the successful candidate, at their expense.  Any infractions, offences or investigations occurring prior or after application submission must be reported to the WFPS.
5. At the discretion of the Department, the successful applicant may be required to obtain a Driver’s Abstract (original copy) from the Manitoba Public Insurance (or provincial equivalent), satisfactory to the employer.  Documentation must be current and have been completed within the previous thirty (30) days prior to date of employment.  This document may be required from the successful candidate, at their expense.  Any infractions, offences or investigations occurring prior or after application submission must be reported to the WFPS.  
6. Ability to respond to emergencies during work and non-working hours.

How to Apply

APPLY ONLINE, including all documentation listed below:

1. Current resume (Required). 
2. Cover Letter 

Applications submitted without REQUIRED documentation will not be considered.