Role: Performance Assurance Specialist
Work Location: Pinawa, MB - Monday - Thursday 40 hours per week
Rate: Up to $90/INC per hour + per diem

Job Summary

The Performance Assurance Specialist oversees the Performance Assurance (PA) processes of Whiteshell

Laboratories Restoration Laboratories (WLRP) and leads the implementation of improvement initiatives of these processes and systems including: Corrective Action Program, Operating Experience, Contractor Assurance System, and ImpAct. The Performance Assurance Specialist conducts incident investigations using tools such as Apparent Cause Analyses and TapRooT. Analyzes data and provides inputs into reports such as the Nuclear Performance Assurance Review Board and the Annual Compliance and Monitoring Report, and uses this data to improve Human Performance (HU) and ImpAct performance of WLRP. Teaches, promotes, and oversees HU initiatives at WL.

Education

Bachelor’s degree plus four to seven years’ experience, or equivalent combination of education and experience

Experience:

• Knowledge of operations systems, equipment, and processes, preferably in a nuclear environment.
• Expert understanding of Performance Assurance and Human Performance concepts.
• Experience and training in the use of Performance Improvement and Continuous Improvement tools.
• Demonstrated experience effectively promoting PA programs across an organization.
• Experience with Corrective Action ImpAct systems.
• Experience using corrective action processes and causal analysis techniques such as TapRooT, apparent cause, and/or root cause.
• Experience delivering training in a classroom, one-on-one, and virtual environments.
• Understanding of scorecards utilizing statistical process control and other statistical methodologies.
• Understanding of Contractor Assurance System scorecards is an asset.

Qualifications

• Excellent interpersonal communication skills and proven ability to interact, collaborate, communicate, and maintain successful working relations at all levels within the organization and with external stakeholders.
• Very good knowledge of continuous improvement and quality service principles and methodologies.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills and presentation skills.
• Good project management skills (planning, organizing, leading, and directing).
• Good computer operating skills, familiarity with databases and MS Office software.
• Demonstrated leadership skills and ability to inspire and influence others.
• Experience in effectively leading small work groups.
• Cross-functional leadership skills and ability to develop, manage, and implement improvement initiatives.
• Extremely well organized and able to ensure deadlines are met.
• Excellent attention to detail and accuracy.
• Ability to handle sensitive information and confidential matters with discretion, integrity, and ethics.
• Strong administrative and organizational skills and the ability to plan; prepare own work plans; prepare work plans for others; develop, measure and assess goals; and adapt to multiple priorities.
• Able to lead change, share skills, and proactively learn new skills.
• Ability to adapt to a changing environment and respond with appropriate initiative.
• Awareness of corporate policy and procedures, and political sensitivities.

Responsibilities 

• Conduct activities with public and employee safety foremost in mind.
• Support and facilitate when required, the Rapid Learning Morning Call and associated tasks.
• Facilitate the Management Review Meeting (MRM), attend and provide input to the Dedicated Screening
• Team (DST) meetings, and monitor performance.
• Participate in or lead fact finding investigations. Assist or lead unplanned event investigations using appropriate causal analysis techniques, including: Root Cause, Apparent Cause Analysis, TapRoot, etc., as determined by the nature and significance level of the unplanned event.
• Review unplanned event reports. Track outstanding unplanned event investigations, promote progress, and assist users to complete actions and meet schedule compliance.
• Research, develop, and coordinate improvements to and monitor and promote the Management
• Observation Program.
• Monitor quality of apparent cause determinations.
• Analyse trends and examine events and cause and take or recommend appropriate action. Use trends from the ImpAct process to perform self-assessments and condition evaluations.
• Maintain the Contractor Assurance System report and act as a conduit to the Corporate CAS report.
• Ensure that applicable external events are screened for relevant information and shared internally.
• Perform internal audits for administrative tasks that affect information requested by the Regulator.
• Promote and conduct training on PA and HU programs and concepts.
• Provide timely communication to workgroups on HU and equipment failure events.
• Develop, implement, measure, and adjust thorough and comprehensive methodologies to continuously improve safety-related and HU behaviours.
• Oversee the WL HU program and manage specific projects or initiatives, such as HU Advocate, to support safety objectives.
• • Research, coordinate improvement, monitor, and promote the Management Observation Program.
• Author appropriate inputs into the NPARB, ACMR, and any other reports that require HU submission.
• Assess and report on organizational climate within departments (behaviours, culture, survey results, etc.), conduct meetings and workshops to assess and identify opportunities to improve, and influence key stakeholders to produce desired change.
• Maintain stakeholder and customer satisfaction by planning and implementing day-to-day activities.
• Support improvement initiatives through HU activities.
• Identify areas of deficiency and effectiveness within departments and provide advice, guidance and consulting as required to promote leadership culture change, including recommendations for corrective action when necessary.
• Conduct research to identify and track safety culture issues that may impact operations.
• Influence management teams to adopt improvement initiatives.
• Develop and produce a wide range of documents and materials, including communications packages, reports, training presentations, lesson plans and manuals, educational handouts, safety meeting information packages, company procedures, brochures, handbooks, posters, cards, newsletters, bulletins, electronic messages and other materials.
• Perform evaluations and validation studies to measure and report on the effectiveness of program activities.
• Provide communications and staff presentation support.
• Work closely with other safety related program teams to promote different aspects of safety culture.