Reference Specialist

About the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB)

We’re here to help. When an injury or illness happens on the job, we move quickly to provide wage-loss benefits, medical coverage and support to help people get back to work. Funded by businesses, we also provide no-fault collective liability insurance and access to industry-specific health and safety information. We are one of the largest insurance organizations in North America covering over five million people in more than 300,000 workplaces across Ontario. For more information, visit wsib.ca.

At the WSIB, you’ll have the opportunity to:

• explore many career paths and follow your passion
• continuously learn and grow professionally
• be recognized for the great work you do
• participate in programs that support your health and wellbeing

You’ll also receive a competitive salary, along with a comprehensive benefit package and defined benefit pension plan.

We are establishing our new head office in London and looking to grow our team in this region! Candidates located in this region will be given preference.

Our people have different ways of working and lifestyles. We’re committed to a mix of working in the office, in the field and from home. You have some flexibility in terms of where and how work gets done to help you balance your personal life and career goals.

We currently have one permanent vacancy for this position (day shift).

Salary From:  $82,510.73 

Job Summary :

Support organizational decision making through the acquisition, analysis and dissemination of research, information and resources. Maintenance and administration of the WSIB’s Knowledge Centre & Reference Library operations.

Support compliance with copyright, confidentiality, privacy and integrity of content in the information center and corporate portal.

Major Duties & Responsibilities

1. Provide specialized research and reference services to users by:

• Analyzing research questions to develop and execute literature search strategies to find and manage relevant evidence from a variety of sources on wide range workers’ compensation, strategic, and health care topics;
• Utilizing catalogues, databases and other reference works in order to respond to reference questions;
• Developing customized research and information summaries / products (knowledge summaries, literature reviews, and research reports) to support client decision making and planning at the WSIB;
• Liaising with internal and external sources/specialists (libraries, organizations) to obtain information, reference, and research materials; recommending overall information resource solutions for business areas;
• Assessing relevance and evaluating credibility of resources to assist clients with their research needs; providing analysis of literature and or information curation for delivery in various formats to Knowledge Centre and Reference Library clients;

2. Maintain awareness of trends in diverse subject areas that may be of value to Knowledge Centre and Reference Library clients to ensure delivery of suitable information by:

• Monitoring references, information sources and emerging technology and trends;
• Curating content in a manner that lets clients know of new research on a variety of topics to support decision making and planning within the WSIB;
• Conducting evaluation of current awareness services in order to make adjustments as necessary to fulfill customer needs and maintain a high level of relevance to targeted stakeholders.

3. Manage relationships with internal stakeholders and outside vendors responsible for information products by:

• Conducting in person consultation with clients across the business to clarify business objectives/needs, requirements of information requests and communication channel to deliver information;
• Meeting with Knowledge Centre and Reference Library clients to gather their feedback on acquired resources and make recommendations to the Knowledge Centre and Reference Library Manager for future services;
• Monitoring regular performance of outside vendors in meeting terms of contract on a quarterly or annual basis;
• Identifying and resolving any performance issues with vendors;
• Recommending improvements to vendor relations and contracts; participating in and monitoring vendor provisions of all technical and content management support, upgrades, and the Knowledge Centre and Reference Library system.

4. Maintain and administer Knowledge Centre and Reference Library operations and digital services by:

• Gathering, analyzing, and maintaining data on Knowledge Centre and Reference Library e-based services and physical resource usage in order to create and present statistical reports on a quarterly basis; leverage usage statistics to make recommendations on collection management and future services;
• Leading the overall assessment, evaluation and continual improvement of the Knowledge Centre and Reference Library website and digital services; including the restructuring the architecture based on usability studies and standards and in keeping with WSIB approved guidelines; ensures compliance with accessibility standards and security;
• Developing and implementing policies and procedures for Knowledge Centre and Reference Library services; includes collaborating with record management team to ensure document retention and preservation aligns with corporate policy and standards;
• Preparing the annual Knowledge Centre and Reference Library budget for review and approval by tracking expenses, reviewing usage statistics, liaising with business areas, and recommending resources to renew, add or cancel;
• Monitoring and analyzing monthly expenses, providing variance explanations and facilitating payments of invoices;
• Analyzing, classifying and cataloguing Knowledge Centre and Reference Library materials, utilizing original and derivative cataloguing standards.

5. Provide training to WSIB employees on how to conduct basic and specialized search techniques, as well as how to leverage e-services to self-serve their research needs. This includes;

• Leveraging vendor training resources by integrating modules and resources onto the Knowledge Centre and Reference Library website;
• Developing training resources (modules, tip sheets, process guides, etc.) that provide self-help guidelines for Knowledge Centre and Reference Library customers;
• Providing in-person or group based training on specific resources to meet the needs of various Knowledge Centre and Reference Library customers.

6. Interpret and implement systems, tools, standards, strategies and guidelines to support compliance with copyright, confidentiality, privacy and integrity of content in the Knowledge Centre and Reference Library by:

• Ensuring best practices are consistently applied by researching provincial and federal legislation and industry best practices to ensure the corporate portal meets government and other industry standards for accessibility, usability, privacy and services in the public sector.
• Educating WSIB Staff of their rights and responsibilities in the fields of intellectual property and information management.

7. Perform other related duties as assigned or required

Job Requirements

Education

• University completion at the post graduate level with a Masters in Library and Information Science or Information Science.

Experience

• Two years prior experience in a library environment.

Our commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion

We respect and value the diversity of our people. We strive to create an environment where employees can be themselves and where our differences are celebrated.

We value and celebrate diversity and are committed to creating inclusive experiences for both our employees and prospective employees. We invite all interested individuals to apply. If you require accommodations in order to apply to this position please contact talentacquisitioncentre@wsib.on.ca.  If you are invited to participate in the interview or assessment process, you can advise our Recruiter of your accommodation needs at that time.  

Please visit our EDI Vision to learn more about what actions WSIB are taking to advance our commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion and to support all employees participating and contributing to their full potential

Disclosing conflicts of interest

As public servants, employees at the WSIB have a responsibility to act in an ethical way at all times to create a respectful workplace and maintain public trust. Job applicants are required to disclose any circumstance that could result in a real, potential or perceived conflict of interest. A conflict of interest is any situation where your private interests may impair or be perceived to impair the decisions you make in your official capacity. This may include: political activity, directorship, other outside employment and certain personal relationships (e.g. with current WSIB employees, customers and/or stakeholders). If you have any questions about conflict of interest obligations and/or how to make a disclosure, please contact the Talent Acquisition Centre at talentacquisitioncentre@wsib.on.ca.

Privacy information

We collect personal information from your resume, application, cover letter and references under the authority of the Workplace Safety and Insurance Act, 1997. The Talent Acquisition Centre and WSIB hiring parties will used this information to assess/validate your qualifications, determine if you meet the requirements of vacant positions and/or gather information relevant for recruitment purposes. If you have questions or concerns regarding the collection and use of your personal information, please contact the WSIB’s Privacy Office at privacy_office@wsib.on.ca. The Privacy Office cannot provide information about the status of your application.

As a precondition of employment, the WSIB requires that prospective candidates undergo a criminal records name check any time before or after they are hired.

To apply for this position, please submit your application by the closing date.