Operations Lead

About Us

At the Department of Opportunities and Social Development (OSD), we are a large and diverse department providing a broad portfolio of programs and services including Child and Family Wellbeing (CFW), Employment Support Services (ESS), Income Assistance (IA), Supportive Housing and Homelessness, and the Disability Support Program (DSP).

Through our services, we advocate and help vulnerable Nova Scotians be independent, self-reliant, and secure.  We work collaboratively across the province with a strong dedicated network of supports and staff, to achieve desired and shared outcomes for all.

About Our Opportunity

We are recruiting an Operations Lead to join our operations support team and lead a group of professionals in the Corporate Services Division. Through planning, evaluation, and implementation, this unit is accountable for supporting the delivery of both operational and transactional services. As the Operations Lead, reporting to the Manager of Operations, you will oversee, guide, support, and lead solutions with the team of Analysts and Clerks. You will play a key role in various levels of consultation, evaluation, and recommendations supporting department-wide strategic outcomes and priorities.

Primary Accountabilities

As the Operations Lead, you will provide leadership and operational expertise to support effective, efficient, and responsive service delivery. You will work collaboratively with staff, clients, program areas, and other stakeholders to identify opportunities, resolve operational issues, and continuously improve services.

We count on your leadership and expertise to:

• Lead, mentor, coach, and support your team to ensure priorities, service expectations, and operational objectives are achieved and aligned with departmental and broader government priorities.
• Consult and collaborate with clients and stakeholders to assess current services, identify business needs, recommend practical solutions, and support successful implementation.
• Maintain awareness of emerging technologies, trends, and best practices, and identify opportunities to enhance operational effectiveness and service delivery.
• Oversee the timely and effective resolution of operational requests, issues, and service requirements.
• Identify, recommend, develop, and implement improvements to business processes, systems, procedures, and operational practices.
• Develop, implement, and monitor service standards, performance measures, practices, and evaluation mechanisms that support accountability and continuous improvement.
• Ensure system, user-access, and other operational audits are completed regularly, with identified issues appropriately addressed.
• Effectively manage human and financial resources by establishing clear expectations, monitoring performance, supporting employee development, and promoting accountability.
• Foster a diverse, inclusive, collaborative, and healthy workplace that encourages teamwork, innovation, open communication, and continuous learning.
• Build and maintain effective working relationships with internal and external partners to support operational priorities and successful service delivery.
  
  

Qualifications and Experience

This may be the right opportunity for you if you have a related university degree and several years of progressively responsible experience, including demonstrated experience in a formal supervisory or management role with direct responsibility for supervising employees. Supervisory experience is a required qualification for this position. An equivalent combination of education and experience may be considered; however, candidates must demonstrate experience supervising staff.

Experience and/or education in Information Technology, business process improvement, or Project Management would be considered an asset.

As the successful Operations Lead, you will have:

• A strong technical background with demonstrated experience using a variety of computer applications, systems, and technologies, including experience related to system administration or operational system support.
• Demonstrated experience working in a complex, service-oriented operational environment.
• Demonstrated supervisory experience with direct responsibility for staff, including assigning and monitoring work, establishing priorities, providing direction and coaching, addressing performance and workplace issues, and supporting employee development.
• Experience providing day-to-day leadership and oversight to employees to ensure operational objectives, service standards, and workload priorities are achieved.
• Experience managing competing priorities, deadlines, and high-volume transactional services or application-processing environments.
• Experience identifying operational issues, analyzing business needs, and developing and implementing practical solutions.
• Experience leading or supporting process improvement, system enhancements, operational changes, or service-delivery initiatives.
• Strong computer skills and proficiency with Microsoft 365 applications, including Word, Outlook, Excel, Teams, and SharePoint.
  
  

Qualifications and Experience continued

To be successful in this role, you will demonstrate:

• Strong organizational, planning, and time-management skills, with the ability to manage multiple priorities and changing operational demands.
• Strong people-leadership and supervisory skills, with the ability to provide clear direction, establish expectations, coach employees, address issues, and support individual and team development.
• Effective relationship-building and team collaboration skills.
• The ability to foster a workplace culture that encourages innovation, continuous improvement, employee engagement, and the development of new ideas.
• Strong analytical, critical-thinking, and problem-solving skills, with the ability to evaluate issues, assess options, and implement effective solutions.
• The ability to establish and maintain productive relationships with multiple stakeholders while balancing competing needs and priorities.
• The ability to remain effective and make sound decisions in a fast-paced environment and under pressure.
• Sound judgement, initiative, and demonstrated ability to identify, assess, and manage operational risks.
• A demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility, including incorporating these principles into leadership practices, service delivery, policies, standards, programs, and initiatives.
• Strong conflict-resolution and issue-management skills.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to communicate complex operational or technical information clearly to different audiences.
• The ability to make timely, well-informed decisions and provide clear direction in support of operational priorities.

We will assess the qualifications and competencies outlined above using one or more of the following assessment methods: written examinations, standardized testing, oral presentations, interviews, and reference checks.

Equivalency

We recognize equivalent combinations of training, education, and experience, providing opportunities for individuals with diverse backgrounds to contribute their skills and expertise. Equivalencies include, but are not limited to:

• A completed related master’s degree and several years of experience

Applicants relying on education and experience equivalencies must demonstrate such equivalencies in their application.

Benefits

Based on the employment status and union agreement, the Government of Nova Scotia offers its employees a wide range of benefits such as a Defined Benefit Pension Plan, Health, Dental, Life Insurance, General illness, Short- and Long-Term Disability, Vacation and Employee and Family Assistance Programs.  For information on all our Benefit program offerings, click here: Benefits for government employees.

Working Conditions

This role is based in a comfortable office environment. You will be required to travel, as such a valid drivers license is required.

Your normal work week is 35 hours/week, 7 hours/day. This role does entail a high volume of work and necessitates extremely flexible hours and frequent attention outside regular business hours. Due to the multiple spheres of action and scope of responsibilities that this position requires, there is significant mental pressure, requiring your resilience. Your decisions have a significant impact on the safety and well-being of both clients and staff requiring your ability to balance conflicting views with multiple stakeholders.

What We Offer

• Career Development where you have access to career guidance, tools, resources, and ongoing training for every stage of your career
• Engaging workplace: our Employees feel valued, respected, connected, and tuned in, we have forward-thinking policies and strategies
• Countless career paths