Senior Policy Advisor

Role Responsibilities

Reporting to the Manager, Research and Policy, the Senior Policy Advisor supports the Ministry’s leadership in developing policies and frameworks that strengthen supports and services being provided to Alberta’s diverse students. This position contributes to complex policy files by identifying emerging issues and opportunities, conducting research and analysis, developing options and recommendations, supporting implementation planning and evaluation, and providing strategic advice to senior leaders.

As the Senior Policy Advisor, your responsibilities will include:

• Strategic Policies and Frameworks: Support and develop policies and frameworks that enhance supports and services being provided to Alberta’s students, and other emerging government priorities.

• Policy Research and Analysis: Conduct and coordinate policy research, jurisdictional scans and analysis of emerging issues that may affect Alberta’s K-12 education system.

• Evidence-Informed Advice and Recommendations: Develop policy options, recommendations, background papers and strategic advice for the Director, Executive Director, Assistant Deputy Minister, Deputy Minister and Minister on education system supports and services.

• Cross-Ministry Coordination: Work with partner ministries and internal divisions to support coordinated delivery of supports and services to Alberta students.

• Stakeholder and Partnership Development: Build and maintain collaborative relationships with education system stakeholders to inform policy development and identify opportunities for collaboration.

• Priority Policy Initiatives: Provide leadership and support for strategic policy initiatives, committees, teams and working groups related to complex student supports and services.

• Briefings and Decision-Making Materials: Prepare discussion papers, decision-making documents, issue briefings, key messages and other materials to advance supporting Alberta students’ complex needs.

• Business and Strategic Planning Support: Support ministry business planning, strategic planning and branch priority work by identifying issues, developing options and ensuring perspectives related to complex student needs, supports and services are integrated into broader policy work.

• Issues Management and Policy Alignment: Monitor emerging trends, assess implications, and help ensure policy directions reflect stakeholder input, government priorities, legislation, fiscal realities, operational feasibility and the broader K-12 education system context.

• Branch Support and Leadership: Support the Manager and Director in achieving branch goals, provide input on issues and opportunities, promote coordination across the branch and department, mentor junior policy analyst staff when required and serve as Acting Manager when needed.

  The Job Description is provided for Further details on this position.

APS Competencies

Competencies are behaviors that are essential to reach our goals in serving Albertans. We encourage you to have an in depth understanding of the competencies that are required for this opportunity and to be prepared to demonstrate them during the recruitment process.

• Agility: Identifies and manages change and associated risks by anticipating obstacles, adjusting approaches, explaining the impact of change, and taking action in uncertain situations to advance complex research and policy priorities.
• Creative Problem Solving: Engages others, considers diverse perspectives and uses available resources to identify root causes, improve complex systems, generate ideas, address risks and develop practical policy options and recommendations.
• Build Collaborative Environments: Facilitates communication and collaboration across functional areas, ministries, divisions and stakeholder groups; encourages broad thinking, reduces barriers and promotes shared commitment to supporting successful educational outcomes for students.
• Develop Networks: Identifies, builds and maintains strategic relationships with department and cross-ministry partners and external stakeholders to support policy development and strategic initiatives.
• Systems Thinking: Takes a long-term, whole-system view of challenges and opportunities by considering stakeholder perspectives, cross-ministry linkages, government priorities and potential impacts across Alberta’s K-12 education system.
• Develop Self and Others: Stays current on emerging research, and policy issues, reflects on development opportunities, shares knowledge with colleagues and supports policy staff through coaching or mentoring when required.

Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree in political science, public policy, public administration or Education plus 4 years progressively responsible related experience in policy analysis and development or similar; or equivalent as described below.

Directly related education or experience considered on the basis of:

• 1 year of education for 1 year of experience; or
• 1 year of experience for 1 year of education.

Required skills and experience:

• Knowledge of Alberta’s K-12 education system.
• Knowledge of government strategic priorities, policy directions, legislation and decision-making environments related to ministry mandates and initiatives.
• Experience conducting policy research, jurisdictional scans and analysis of emerging issues to support policy options, recommendations and decision-making.
• Strong systems thinking, analytical, conceptual and critical thinking skills, including the ability to synthesize information from multiple sources and assess implications for policy and program directions.
• Strong consultation, engagement and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build collaborative working relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
• Strong organizational and project planning skills, including the ability to manage multiple responsibilities, adapt to changing priorities and meet deadlines to support policy development, tracking, reporting or coordination.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills, including preparing briefings, background papers, decision-making documents, key messages and advice for senior officials.
• Political sensitivity, professional judgment, discretion and tact when working on complex and sensitive policy issues.

Assets:

• Experience leading and supporting elements of  stakeholder engagement related to development of policies and frameworks.
• Experience participating in or representing an organization on cross-ministry committees, strategic policy tables, working groups or advisory groups.

Minimum recruitment standards outline the minimum education and experience required for appointment to a job classification.

Notes

This is (1) one temporary full-time position working 36.25 hours per week, Monday to Friday.

This position is located in Edmonton.

The final candidate for this position will undergo preemployment checks.

Please ensure your resume highlights how your previous work experience is related to the qualifications and requirements for this position.

A cover letter is required. Applications without a cover letter will not be considered.

Links and information on what the GoA have to offer to prospective employees.

Links and information on what we have to offer:

• Working for the Alberta Public Service.
• Public Service Pension Plan (PSPP) 
• Alberta Public Service Benefit Information.
• Professional learning and development.
• Research Alberta Public Service Careers tool.
• Positive workplace culture and work-life balance.