Chief, Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery
The Hospital for Sick Children
Toronto, Ontario, Canada

The Department of Otolaryngology – Head & Neck Surgery (OHNS) – Hospital for Sick Children (SickKids) and the Department of Otolaryngology – Head & Neck Surgery, Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto are seeking to recruit the next SickKids Department Chief who will be a full time academic paediatric Otolaryngologist – Head & Neck surgeon. The successful candidate will have an academic position description of OHNS scientist/investigator or teacher and must be eligible for a full-time clinical academic appointment at the rank of associate or full professor at the University of Toronto. The effective start date of this appointment will be September 2026 but can be negotiated.

The Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery at SickKids is highly specialized, focusing on disease, injury, and congenital disorders – related to the ear, nose, throat and larynx, head, and neck. The Department is comprised of seven full-time academic surgeons and is the largest provincial and national training centre for paediatric OHNS surgeons. The successful candidate will have the opportunity to leverage multidisciplinary, clinical and basic science facilities that are available on the hospital campus, including the 21-story research institute, and the University of Toronto’s Department of Otolaryngology-HNS.

Candidates must be able to function proficiently in English and must hold an MD, MBBS or equivalent, must be board certified, and be eligible for medical licensure with the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario. Candidates must obtain an appropriate Visa, if applicable. The successful candidate must be an established surgeon with an international reputation.

The Department seeks an outstanding academic individual with proven strong administrative and leadership skills. Also required are a record of peer-reviewed research, and leadership in undergraduate, postgraduate, fellowship, continuing medical education or patient education. The Chief will be responsible for clinical and academic matters within the Department and will foster excellence in patient care services.
Responsibilities of the Department Chief role include ensuring the provision of the highest quality paediatric otolaryngology clinical care. The Department Chief should promote the individual research interests of faculty and take the initiative to drive a collective endeavour such as prospective outcomes of research. Ensuring top quality education for clinical fellows and residents together with faculty coordinators is essential. The successful candidate will be expected to continue to build upon a culture of quality and safety. Demonstrated clinical excellence will be critical as is the expectation that the successful candidate will also provide direct clinical care.
We are seeking an individual whose leadership qualifications include management proficiency, dispute resolution, communications expertise, mentoring capabilities, the ability to engender trust, function collaboratively with all manner of clinical teams and administration. Additionally, the successful candidate will have a long-term vision for the Department which integrates with the mission of Peri-Operative Services, the Hospital and the University of Toronto.

An appropriate candidate may choose to focus on a particular pediatric population. Other clinical duties include participation in the emergency on call schedule at SickKids. Clinical and academic time allocation will be negotiated based upon the candidate’s qualifications, scholarly productivity, and academic plan. Demonstration of breadth, depth, and innovation in clinical and operative practice will be a significant asset. Demonstrated academic excellence in basic or clinical research, surgical education, quality and safety, or other academic pursuits is required.

Our Commitment to Diversity   
The children and families we care for are diverse, and so are our employees. All are welcome to join our unique organizational culture and be part of our inclusive team.

The University of Toronto and SickKids are strongly committed to diversity within its community and especially welcomes applications from racialized person, persons of colour, women, Indigenous/Aboriginal People of North America, persons with disability, LGBTQ persons, and others who may contribute to further diversification of ideas. 

SickKids, located at 555 University Avenue in downtown Toronto, is among the largest children’s hospitals in North America and has a long history of excellence in clinical care, research, and education. It was named the number one paediatric hospital in the world in 2025, by Newsweek magazine. SickKids is fully affiliated with the University of Toronto and is located adjacent to the University campus and to numerous specialty hospitals and biomedical research institutes. It is an exciting time at SickKids as we execute our campus redevelopment project, including a new state-of-the-art acute care hospital tower.

Toronto is a vibrant and multicultural city and is recognized by the United Nations as the most diverse city in the world, with over half its residents born outside Canada and representation from more than 250 ethnicities. This diversity is reflected in the city’s neighbourhood food scene along with its seventeen Michelin-star restaurants and talents in key sectors like life science, finance, information, and communications technology. It is currently the fourth largest city in North America and boasts a safe, livable, downtown area with excellent housing, schools, and university access. It is consistently ranked as a top travel spot and internationally ranked as one of the world’s most livable cities. World famous lake and wilderness country and year-round outdoor recreation are easily accessible, as are two hub airports for regional or international travel.   

Commensurate with qualifications and experience, we are offering a compensation package that is competitive within North America. The package combines base compensation funded through the Alternate Funding Plan arrangement with the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care (MoHLTC) with additional partial fee-for-service funds. This arrangement values academic contributions and protected time for research. A per annum stipend, in recognition of the administrative leadership responsibilities associated with the Department Chief role, will be provided. Support for relocation expenses will be offered. The position has the potential duration of two terms of five years each.

Application Process
Applications will be accepted until February 1, 2026. Should you be interested in this opportunity, please forward a one-page statement of interest [which includes the names and contact information for 3 referees] and curriculum vitae, in PDF format, via email to:

Dr. Abhaya Kulkarni
Chief, Peri-Operative Services and Chair of the Search Committee
175 Elizabeth St, Toronto, ON M5G 2G3
otolaryngologydepartmentchief.recruitment@sickkids.ca

For more information about the University of Toronto Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery please visit us at https://otolaryngology.utoronto.ca/. For more information on the Research Institute please visit us at http://www.sickkids.ca/Research/index.html

The Department recognizes and fairly considers the impact of leaves (e.g., family care or health-related) that may contribute to career interruptions or slowdowns. Candidates are encouraged to signal any leave that affected productivity, or that may have influenced their career path. This information will be considered to ensure the equitable assessment of the candidate’s record. The department further supports an employment equity program and encourages members of designated equity groups to self-identify. It further seeks to ensure equitable treatment and full inclusion of persons with disabilities. Persons with disabilities who anticipate needing accommodation for any part of the application process may contact, in confidence, Leslie Jones, Executive Assistant, leslie.jones@sickkids.ca.

All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply; however, in accordance with Canadian immigration requirements, Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority. Only those applicants selected for the interview will be contacted.