City of Ottawa named one of the National Capital Region’s Top Employers

Today, Canada's Top 100 Employers named the City of Ottawa one of 2026’s National Capital Region’s Top Employer↗ for the 14th year.

This repeat honour reflects the City’s commitment to supporting employees with their personal and career growth and creating a fulfilling work environment where staff can make a difference in their community.

In honour of this achievement, we spoke to two long-serving employees about their experiences working for the City of Ottawa and the impact of their work.

Rahima Karimzada

As a program manager at Peter D. Clark Long Term Care Home, Rahima feels a deep responsibility to create a workplace where staff feel valued and supported. “By mentoring staff and creating a culture of empathy and professionalism, I make sure that I create an environment where staff are engaged and empowered to provide excellent care for our residents,” she says.

Working in a positive and supportive environment is just one of the reasons why Rahima is passionate about her work at the City of Ottawa. Her passion also comes from knowing that her work coordinating care for residents, based on the person-centered care approach, contributes to their well being and improves their quality of life. “I love working with people, especially older adults,” she says. “And it gives me joy to know that I’m in a position to help make our residents’ lives meaningful.”

That dedication is reflected in her strong belief in person centred care. When discussing this care approach, she emphasizes the importance of enriching residents’ lives and empowering them by allowing them to make their own decisions. “For example, anytime they want to wake up in the morning or have breakfast, that’s their choice,” she explains. By honouring each resident’s choices, preferences and faith, Rahima and her team ensure that the care they provide feels personal and meaningful.

Her commitment to both the home’s residents and her team is clear as she speaks. One of Rahima’s favourite parts of the day is walking through the different neighbourhoods within the home, greeting and connecting with residents, their families and staff as she believes strongly in the importance of forming personal connections with those around her.

It’s this blend of meaningful care and a supportive team environment that continues to drive Rahima in her work.

Carlos Ramos

In his role as a program manager of community recreation programming, Carlos and his team work directly with communities to support equitable access to recreation and sport programming. By responding to community needs, their work helps create meaningful opportunities that have a real impact.

One of the projects Carlos is most proud of is his team’s partnership with the City’s Children’s Services group to make summer camps available to children who may face barriers to participation. Programs like these leave a lasting impact on both the participants and the staff. As he explains, “seeing a child that was afraid to step into the water on the first day, and then jumping in by week two—and knowing that these are survival skills, not just recreational skills—brings joy and makes all the staff feel that we’re making a difference.”

Carlos aims to make a positive impact not only on the community his team serves, but also on the staff he works with. “I've always felt welcome from the start of my career,” he says. “I've always felt encouraged, empowered by my management team and I strive to do the same for my own team."

Carlos highlights this supportive environment as one of the reasons the City is a great place to pursue a career. “I’ve seen part-time staff who started while studying—thinking they might move on—then discovering the opportunities the City offers,” he says. “Many of them end up applying for full-time roles and building careers here.”

Like Rahima, Carlos finds purpose in this combination of meaningful community impact and a workplace culture that supports employees as they grow, learn and build their futures. It’s why he is proud to work for the City.

Watch this outreach and recruitment video to learn more about how work done by City employees makes a difference in our community:

If you are interested in learning more about building your career with the City of Ottawa, visit our Careers website↗.

City recognized as one of Canada’s Best Diversity Employers

In addition to being recognized as one of the National Capital Region’s Top Employers, the City of Ottawa was also named one of Canada’s Best Diversity Employers↗ last week. This award highlights the City’s strong commitment to Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging, reflected in our support for initiatives such as AccessAbility Day, the antiracism workshop series and other employee led initiatives, as well as our ongoing partnerships with community agencies and leaders such as the collaboration with Black History Ottawa to commemorate Black History Month.

“I am honoured that our City has been recognized with this award,” says City Manager Wendy Stephanson. “This recognition reflects the contributions of employees who are dedicated to building a city for everyone. The equity work across the organization is truly inspiring and exemplifies our commitment to attract and retain talented individuals with diverse lived experiences who reflect the community we serve.”

The City continues to lead municipal equity work with dedicated strategies that support women, gender diverse individuals, racialized communities and the broader workforce.