About Us

The Court Services Division of the Nova Scotia Department of Justice is dedicated to excellent service and the provision of fair and accessible administration of justice. Court Services administers court operations, delivers services to the public, and provides administrative and clerical support to the judiciary.
 

About Our Opportunity

In this position, you are accountable for policy formulation, development, implementation, compliance monitoring. You are also involved in the development and implementation of strategic and business planning processes. This position reports to the Director, Court Services.
 

Primary Accountabilities

• Provides leadership to Court Services in policy development, implementation and monitoring by proactively identifying policy requirements, formulating and implementing policy change and continuously updating policy and procedure manuals
• Oversees ongoing staff training to ensure that policies and procedures are in accordance with legislation and are consistently applied.
• Oversees the uniform application of policies, procedures and operational standards and provides guidance to members of the Court Services Management Team and other divisional staff.
• Responsible for the strategic and business planning process and takes a leadership roll in developing and implementing strategic and business plans, performance indicators and electronic tracking processes for accountability reporting.
• Ensures compliance with service delivery and program standards through fielding and responding to complaints regarding Court Services operations and by conducting operational audits and making recommendations to the Executive Director and members of the Senior Management Team for remedial action to address deficiencies.
• Contributes to the ongoing relevance and appropriateness of the Court Services Division operations by ensuring that any amendments to relevant provincial and federal legislation are properly reflected in the policies and procedures and are supported by the Court Services Division information technology applications.
• Assists in the effective management of Court Service's Division through ongoing identification of issues and trends in the field of administration of justice on the provincial, national and international level; initiation, development and implementation of resources and special projects to appropriately respond to emerging concerns and issues.
   

Qualifications and Experience

To be considered for this opportunity, you have a University Degree in a related discipline with several years of justice experience.  An acceptable equivalent combination of education, training and experience may be considered.   Demonstrated experience in policy analysis and development is essential.  Previous experience in organizational development, project management and change management in a client-focused organization is required.  The successful candidate will possess the ability to analyze and interpret the rules and statutes that govern justice policies and programs.  Excellent communication skills, particularly in relation to writing policy and procedure, along with proficiency with Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, and Word are essential.  The ability to find consensus among a variety of stakeholders and work well in a team environment is key.  A skill set that includes self-directed behavior, analytical and conceptual thinking and innovative approaches to problem solving is necessary.

In addition, you have strong communication and interpersonal skills which allow you to interact effectively with Department representatives, Court Administrators, supervisors and staff in the Justice centres across the province, as well as the judiciary, the legal community, police, and other enforcement agencies. Your expertise in policy and compliance will assist you in ensuring the applicable policies and standards are correct, and that staff are trained to meet these standards. Your expertise will also assist in resolving concerns over the interpretation of policies and procedures, in an equitable, timely and consistent manner.

Provincial court or criminal law experience would be viewed as an asset.

The Government of Nova Scotia has adopted the LEADS Leadership Framework.  During the interview, candidates will be expected to express how they have demonstrated the key behaviours and capabilities required to effectively lead in a caring and inclusive environment. LEADS Domains includes Leads Self, Engage Others, Achieve Results, Develop Coalitions and Systems Transformation.
Please follow LEADS (novascotia.ca) for more information.

We will assess the above qualifications and competencies using one or more of the following tools: written examination, standardized tests, oral presentations, interview(s), and reference checks.
 

Equivalency

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

Benefits

Based on the employment status, 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

• Normal work week is 35 hours/week, 7 hours/day
• May be required to work overtime on occasion
• Work is completed in a comfortable office environment
   

Additional Information

This is a Permanent full-time employment opportunity, located in Halifax, NS.
 

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
• A dynamic, client-focused office environment where service excellence and teamwork are our focus