Partner - Employee Appeals and Development - Rehabilitation Management

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The person holding the position of Partner – Employee Appeals and Development – Rehabilitation Management ensures leadership and training of the Rehabilitation Management team regarding the various aspects of employee appeals related to workplace accidents, including initial training on appeals, process supervision, monitoring, trend determination, oversight, and continuous improvement activities. This person must also actively collaborate with internal partners to evaluate processes, implement improvements, and identify opportunities that meet operational needs, reduce cost exposure, and strengthen consistency across all territories.

Responsibilities

• Employee Appeals Related to Workplace Accidents (Quebec – CNESST)
• Supervise the process of employee appeals related to workplace accidents for Air Canada in Quebec, including all levels of dispute resolution through the CNESST administrative review process (appeal request) and appeals to the Labour Relations Board (LRB), and ensure its oversight.
• Act as Air Canada's principal administrator and expert on all CNESST appeal investigations, dispute support, and appeal management activities.
• Maintain in-depth knowledge of Quebec legislation on workplace accident compensation, CNESST policies, Labour Relations Board procedures, relevant timelines, evidence requirements, and appeal-related documents, including appeal requests, contestation forms, written statements, employer submissions, cost allocation disputes, rehabilitation decisions, and hearing preparation requirements.
• Conduct thorough reviews of compensation claims, medical evidence, occupational information, cost mitigation possibilities, and appeal reasons to determine appropriate dispute and litigation strategies.
• Assume responsibility for the quality assurance and supervision of all written submissions presented to CNESST and the Labour Relations Board, ensuring that arguments are based on evidence, legally sound, and operationally precise, and support favorable cost management outcomes.
• Provide expert guidance and direction to Rehabilitation Management Advisors and Workplace Accident Advisors in evaluating complex claims, medical evidence, work capacity determinations, permanent disability decisions, and rehabilitation questions within CNESST's jurisdiction.
• Identify and seize cost reduction opportunities through disputes and appeals regarding compensation claims, causality, pre-existing conditions, cost transfer, or cost allocation relief, work capacity determinations, and concerns related to policy interpretation.
• Assume responsibility for the integrity and quality of hearing preparation materials, witness preparation, opening and closing submissions, rebuttal arguments, and employer representation presented before the Labour Relations Board and other decision-making bodies.
• Lead the resolution of contested compensation claims and appeals while ensuring a thorough review of decisions, lessons learned, and reporting to stakeholders.
• Collaborate with Legal Affairs for high-risk cases, those that could set precedent or impact reputation, complex medical cases, and complex financial cases requiring an enhanced legal strategy.
• Lead tracking, trend establishment, analysis, and communication of CNESST and Labour Relations Board decisions, and identify emerging risks, appeal success rates, cost limitation opportunities, and systemic issues.
• Raise awareness among leadership and stakeholders about significant decisions, law changes, and emerging jurisprudence trends that impact the management of workplace injuries and occupational diseases in Quebec.
• Initiate continuous improvement initiatives resulting from appeal decisions, ensuring that procedure updates, policy reviews, risk assessments, and implementation plans are communicated and implemented.
• Collaborate with the Process Improvement – Rehabilitation Management team, Human Resources, IT, and business stakeholders to improve appeal tracking systems, automation, information communication capabilities, document management, and workflow efficiency.
• Participate in CNESST and employer forums, legal and industry forums; monitor policy and law changes, and communicate operational impacts, risks, and required process adjustments.

Team Development for Rehabilitation Management

• Lead the design, modernization, implementation, and ongoing maintenance of Rehabilitation Management training and capability enhancement programs, including onboarding, instructor-led training, online learning, mentoring, backup training programs, and advanced specialized training.
• Establish training standards, programs, learning paths, competency frameworks, and certification requirements to promote uniformity in Rehabilitation Management practices.
• Act as the principal Partner – Learning and mentor to new hires throughout their onboarding, training, and initial development period.
• Conduct structured case audits, coaching sessions, and quality reviews for newly trained employees during the first 6 to 12 months following their training approval.
• Identify skill gaps, emerging trends, law changes, and operational needs to develop targeted learning solutions and continuous training programs.
• Collaborate with Rehabilitation Management, Legal Affairs, Occupational Health Services, Labour Relations, Human Resources, and operational stakeholders to ensure training content addresses current laws, policies, procedures, and best practices.
• Develop and maintain learning and efficiency metrics, quality indicators, and information communication mechanisms to evaluate training outcomes and operational readiness.
• Ensure all training programs promote consistency, fairness, procedural compliance, employee experience, and the adoption of best practices in rehabilitation management.
• Act as co-guardian of knowledge management systems, SharePoint governance, training files, procedures, templates, and documentation controls for Rehabilitation Management.
• Support the implementation of new programs, policy changes, system improvements, and transformation initiatives through training, communication, and change management activities.
• Facilitate practice communities, case reviews, knowledge-sharing sessions, and continuous improvement initiatives to strengthen organizational capabilities.
• Perform other related tasks as assigned.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree (preferably in a paralegal field).
• Five years of required experience in the field of workplace accident compensation and rehabilitation management.
• Expertise in employee appeals related to workplace accidents in Quebec.
• Excellent planning and organizational skills, and critical thinking.