What You Can Expect
As a Licensing Officer, you’ll play an important role in supporting the integrity and accountability of Ontario’s bereavement sector. You'll manage a range of licensing activities for funeral, transfer service, cemetery, crematorium, and alternative disposition businesses, ensuring they meet legislative and regulatory requirements. Drawing on your ability to analyze information, manage complex processes, and navigate regulatory environments, you’ll work closely with applicants, municipalities, and internal teams to keep processes moving efficiently and transparently. Reporting to the Manager, Licensing and Education, your attention to detail, sound judgment, and problem-solving skills will help support consistent oversight and contribute to public confidence in the sector. The ideal candidate will bring strong critical thinking, clear communication, and a commitment to consistent, fair decision-making.
What You’ll Do
Business Licensing and Eligibility Review
- Review and process business license applications (new sites, relocations, and ownership changes) and annual renewals for funeral, transfer service, cemetery, crematorium, and alternative disposition (hydrolysis) operators.
- Ensure compliance with Funeral, Burial and Cremation Services Act, 2002 (FBCSA) and internal policies for eligibility.
- Review Registrar’s Consent applications, zoning by-laws, environmental assessments, and surveys as part of application due diligence.
- Make recommendations to approve, request additional information, or refuse applications based on identified deficiencies.
- Follow up with applicants on incomplete applications and with licensees on delinquent renewals.
- Provide support in responding to License Appeal Tribunal (LAT) matters related to eligibility for licensure.
Cemetery Licensing and Regulatory Support
- Work with landowners of unlicensed cemeteries to educate them on requirements and assist with the licensing process under the FBCSA.
- Coordinate alternative solutions with municipalities for cemeteries that are ineligible for licensing, including transfers or formal abandonment procedures.
- Analyze and approve cemetery, crematorium, and hydrolysis by-laws, ensuring alignment with legislation and BAO sample templates.
- Review and approve cemetery plan filings to verify compliance with legal and regulatory standards.
Cross-Functional Collaboration and Process Oversight
- Maintain accurate and up-to-date records in the CRM and track application progress to ensure timely, consistent processing.
- Provide quarterly licensing activity reports and identify trends or emerging issues for review by the Manager and Registrar.
- Communicate and coordinate with the Inspections, Compliance, and Enforcement team to ensure shared oversight and follow-up on licensing matters.
- On occasion, support the Personal Licensing and Education team with licensing-related functions.
- Collaborative assignments to meet operational priorities
What You Bring to the Role
- Experience interpreting and applying legislation, policies, or procedures in regulatory or compliance environments, particularly in assessing applications or renewals
- Strong analytical skills and attention to detail for reviewing complex documents thoroughly
- Commitment to providing accessible, respectful, and responsive service aligned with customer needs
- Effective communication and diplomacy to engage with individuals and resolve concerns constructively
- Strong organizational skills to manage tasks, meet deadlines, and maintain quality and compliance standards
- Ability to work collaboratively and respectfully within diverse teams
- Sound judgment in decision-making, with the ability to recognize when to escalate issues appropriately
- Possession of a Funeral Director’s license or other relevant licensure an asset
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office tools (Teams, Word, Excel) and comfort using various business technologies and platforms
- Additional assets include familiarity with delegated administrative authorities (DAAs), understanding of the bereavement sector, bilingualism in English and French, and experience supporting regulatory or enforcement functions through administrative roles
About the BAO
The Bereavement Authority of Ontario (BAO) is a government delegated authority and not-for-profit corporation administering provisions of the Funeral, Burial and Cremation Services Act, 2002 (FBCSA). Accountable to the Minister of Public and Business Service Delivery and Procurement and the government, the BAO is responsible for the protection of the public interest. The BAO regulates, ensures compliance with the law, provides resources and services to licensed:
- Funeral establishment operators, directors and preplanners;
- Cemetery, crematorium and alternative disposition operators;
- Transfer service operators; and
- Bereavement sector sales representatives across Ontario.
The BAO is wholly funded by licensee fees (not tax dollars).
Why Choose the BAO?
Hybrid Work: Enjoy our flexible hybrid work schedule, with the ability to work remotely up to 3 days per week.
Comprehensive Personal Time Off: We advocate the importance of down-time and personal well-being, as demonstrated by our generous paid time off policies.
Wellness & Health Support: Take advantage of our extensive range of health benefits designed to prioritize both your physical and mental well-being.
Professional Development: Get assistance for continuous education and professional development to drive your career growth.
RRSP: Help build a secure financial future through our employer matched RRSP contribution plan.
The BAO offers a casual work environment, flexible work hours, and a competitive compensation and benefits package. The BAO is an equal opportunity employer and committed to fostering an accessible and inclusive environment for employees and licensees. If you require any accommodation for the recruitment/interview process (including alternate formats of materials, or accessible meeting rooms or other accommodation), please let our HR department know and we will work with you to meet your needs.