Disability Management Appeals & Development Partner

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The Disability Management Appeals & Development Partner provides leadership and training to the Disability Management team with various aspects of Workers’ Compensation appeals; namely initial appeals training, process oversight, tracking, trending, monitoring and continuous improvement activities. This role includes active collaboration with internal partners to evaluate processes, implement improvements and identify opportunities that support operational needs, mitigate cost exposure and strengthen consistency across jurisdictions.

Responsibilities:

Workers' Compensation Appeals (Quebec – CNESST)

• Oversight and custodian of Air Canada's Québec Workers' Compensation Appeal Process, including all levels of dispute resolution through the CNESST administrative review (Demande de révision) process and appeals before the Tribunal administratif du travail (TAT).
• Function as Air Canada's principal administrator and subject matter expert for all CNESST appeals investigations, litigation support, and appeal management activities.
• Maintain expert knowledge of Québec workers' compensation legislation, CNESST policies, TAT procedures, applicable deadlines, evidentiary requirements, and appeal-related documentation, including requests for review, contestation forms, written representations, employer submissions, imputation disputes, rehabilitation decisions, and hearing preparation requirements.
• Conduct comprehensive reviews of claim files, medical evidence, vocational information, cost-relief opportunities, and appeal merits to determine appropriate objection and litigation strategies.
• Accountable for quality assurance and oversight of all written submissions to CNESST and TAT, ensuring arguments are evidence-based, legally sound, operationally accurate, and support favourable cost-management outcomes.
• Provide expert direction and guidance to Disability Management Advisors and Workers' Compensation Advisors in the assessment of complex claims, medical evidence, work capacity determinations, permanent impairment decisions, and rehabilitation matters under CNESST jurisdiction.
• Identify and pursue opportunities for cost mitigation through objections and appeals involving claim entitlement, causation, pre-existing conditions, cost transfer/imputation relief, employment suitability determinations, and policy interpretation concerns.
• Accountable for the integrity and quality of hearing preparation materials, witness preparation, opening and closing submissions, rebuttal arguments, and employer advocacy presented before TAT and other adjudicative bodies.
• Lead the resolution of contested claims and appeals while ensuring comprehensive review of decisions, lessons learned, and stakeholder debriefs.
• Partner with Legal Services on high-risk, precedent-setting, reputational, complex medical, or significant financial exposure cases requiring enhanced legal strategy.
• Direct the tracking, trending, analysis, and communication of CNESST and TAT decisions, identifying emerging risks, appeal success rates, cost-containment opportunities, and systemic issues.
• Provide branch and stakeholder education on significant decisions, legislative changes, and emerging case law trends impacting occupational injury and illness management in Québec.
• Lead continuous improvement initiatives resulting from appeal outcomes, ensuring procedural updates, policy revisions, risk assessments, and implementation plans are communicated and operationalized.
• Collaborate with DM Process Improvement, HRIT and business stakeholders to enhance appeal tracking systems, automation, reporting capabilities, document management, and workflow efficiencies.
• Participate in CNESST, employer, legal, and industry forums; monitor legislative and policy changes and communicate operational impacts, risks, and required process adjustments.

Disability Management Team Development

• Lead the design, modernization, implementation, and ongoing maintenance of Disability Management training and capability-building programs, including onboarding, instructor-led training, eLearning, job shadowing, refresher programs, and advanced specialty training.
• Establish training standards, curricula, learning pathways, competency frameworks, and certification requirements to support consistent practice across the Disability Management function.
  Serve as the primary learning partner and mentor for new hires throughout onboarding, training, and their initial development period.
• Conduct structured case audits, coaching sessions, and quality reviews for newly trained employees during their first 6–12 months following training sign-off.
• Identify skill gaps, emerging trends, legislative changes, and operational needs to develop targeted learning solutions and continuing education programs.
• Partner with Disability Management, Legal, Occupational Health Services, Labour Relations, HR, and operational stakeholders to ensure training content reflects current legislation, policies, procedures, and best practices.
• Develop and maintain learning metrics, effectiveness measures, quality indicators, and reporting mechanisms to evaluate training outcomes and operational readiness.
• Ensure all training programs promote consistency, fairness, procedural compliance, employee experience, and best-practice disability management principles.
• Act as co-custodian of DM knowledge management systems, SharePoint governance, training records, procedures, templates, and documentation controls.
• Support the implementation of new programs, policy changes, system enhancements, and transformation initiatives through training, communications, and change management activities.
• Facilitate communities of practice, case reviews, knowledge-sharing sessions, and continuous improvement initiatives to strengthen organizational capability.
• Perform other related duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree (Paralegal preferred)
• 5-years Workers’ Compensation and Disability Management expertise required
• Subject Matter Expertise on applied Workers’ Compensation appeals Quebec  
• Strong planning, organizational and critical thinking skills
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Ability to think strategically and prioritize in a fast-paced environment
• Ability to travel for business where necessary
• Impressive knowledge of Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, Project, Visio)  
• Experience developing, executing, and maintaining business process improvements

Conditions of Employment:

Candidates must be eligible to work in the country of interest at the time any offer of employment is made and are responsible for obtaining any required work permits, visas, or other authorizations necessary for employment. Prior to their start date, candidates will also need to provide proof of their eligibility to work in the country of interest.

Linguistic Requirements

Based on equal qualifications, preference will be given to bilingual candidates.

Diversity and Inclusion

Air Canada is strongly committed to Diversity and Inclusion and aims to create a healthy, accessible and rewarding work environment which highlights employees’ unique contributions to our company’s success.

As an equal opportunity employer, we welcome applications from all to help us build a diverse workforce which reflects the diversity of our customers, and communities, in which we live and serve.

Air Canada thanks all candidates for their interest; however only those selected to continue in the process will be contacted.