Role Responsibilities

Reporting to the Executive Director, Field Services, the Director leads a team that supports the department, Minister of Education, and numerous K–12 school authorities across a large region. The role ensures compliance with legislation, policies, and reporting requirements, while fostering innovation and system effectiveness.

The Director builds strategic relationships with school leaders and stakeholders, offering expert advice to senior officials and the Minister. They manage policy files, oversee human and financial resources, and ensure operational goals are met.

Key responsibilities include resolving complex issues such as non-compliance, crises (e.g., lockdowns, misconduct, disasters), and aligning school authority practices with provincial legislation. The Director leads performance improvement initiatives, mediates conflicts, and collaborates across departments to solve problems.

Success in this role depends on strong relationships, strategic thinking, and proactive leadership to guide school authorities and support ministry priorities.

Responsibilities:

1. Lead and oversee services to school authorities, stakeholders, and the public.

• Guide a team in implementing education legislation, policies, and ministry initiatives.
• Strengthen alignment between ministry priorities and school authority operations.
• Travel within Alberta (~10%) to engage with school leaders and stakeholders.

2. Direct oversight and monitoring of school authorities across a broad region.

• Lead collaboration on annual planning and reporting requirements.
• Oversee evaluation of 3-Year Education Plans and Annual Results Reports.
• Guide charter school expansions/renewals and private school plans.
• Ensure consistent interpretation of legislation and policies across teams.

3. Drive strategic improvements and ensure compliance.

• Support Field Services Managers and superintendents in addressing issues.
• Recommend and lead escalating consequences for non-compliance.
• May temporarily assume superintendent duties if needed.

4. Gather and share system intelligence to inform ministry decisions.

• Monitor trends and assess feasibility of initiatives.
• Guide Field Services Managers in.
  • Preparing briefings and Action Requests.
  • Recommending policy and funding changes.
  • Supporting communication with stakeholders.

Role Responsibilities Continued

5. Ensure branch meets business goals through effective leadership.

• Align work with business plans and government priorities.
• Mentor Field Services Managers and manage stakeholder relations.
• Oversee human and financial resource planning and reporting.

6. Build system capacity and promote innovation.

• Support school authorities in aligning local policies with legislation.
• Lead collaboration to enhance communication and coherence in the K–12 system.

7. Lead branch management and influence continuous improvement.

• Recruit, develop, and supervise staff.
• Provide meaningful work opportunities and succession planning.
• Evaluate program implementation and advise on improvements.

8. Support the Executive Director in advancing sector and ministry goals.

• Provide strategic advice on emerging issues and opportunities.
• Prepare briefing materials and correspondence for executive decision-making.
• Deliver high-level analysis and business cases to support ministry operations.
• Guide development of policy documents for Field Services programs.

9. Contribute to system improvement as part of the Sector Leadership Team.

• Collaborate across branches and with school leaders to enhance compliance and innovation.
• Ensure policy advice reflects reliable data and diverse school authority contexts.
• Provide strategic input and materials to inform provincial education policy.

Please click on this link to view the job description for 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.

This link will assist you with understanding competencies: https://www.alberta.ca/system/files/custom_downloaded_images/psc-alberta-public-service-competency-model.pdf.

• Drive for Results - The individual in this role must have the skills and knowledge to lead a team in assessing, monitoring, and evaluating a large number of school authorities. The individual must identify issues and actively work to resolve them within a complex and highly regulated environment.
• Systems Thinking - Director must be able to determine if policy and practices align with government direction while considering feedback from stakeholders to determine where operational changes are required.
• Creative Problem Solving - This position requires creative problem solving skills to work with school authorities on complex matters, often involving legislation, regulations and the application of policies. The Director must be thoughtful and strategic in providing advice and support to stakeholders.
• Develop Networks - The Director also is responsible for developing, maintaining, and enhancing relationships with key stakeholder organizations. This position also requires a strong connection to colleagues across the department in order to successfully operate in this role.

Qualifications

University graduation in a related field (Education, Business Administration, Public Administration, Law, etc.), plus a minimum of 6 years of related experience. Related experience or education may be considered as an equivalency on a one for on basis.

The director Requires a valid Alberta Teaching Certificate.

Equivalency: 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.

Essential Skills

• Government priorities and strategic direction, including alignment with ministry business plans and goals.
• Kindergarten to Grade 12 education system operations, with a deep understanding of the governance and management of diverse school authorities and schools.
• Relevant provincial legislation and regulations, such as the Education Act, Public Inquiries Act, Teaching Profession Act, FOIP Act, Municipal Government Act, Government Accountability Act, and Local Authorities Act.
• Key regulatory and policy frameworks, including the Home Education Regulation, Charter Schools Regulation, Special Needs Tribunals, Reviews by the Minister, Teacher Supervision and Growth Policy, Alberta Program of Studies, Guide to Education, Inclusive Education Policy Framework, and the Funding Manual for School Authorities.

Assets

The following qualifications and assets will be considered an advantage:

• A Master’s Degree in an Education related filed.
• A strategic, innovative, and proactive approach to problem-solving, with the ability to navigate complex and evolving challenges.
• Strong interpersonal and relationship-building skills, with the capacity to influence, collaborate, and achieve consensus across diverse stakeholder groups.
• Proven facilitation and mediation abilities, particularly in high-stakes or conflict-sensitive environments involving multiple parties.
• The ability to lead across a broad spectrum of topics, including supports for refugee students, home education, and anti-racism strategies.
• Expertise in applying research methodologies and enterprise-level performance measurement and evaluation frameworks.
• Exceptional communication skills, including verbal, written, and presentation abilities tailored to varied audiences.
• The capacity to write clearly and efficiently under tight timelines for both technical and executive-level audiences.
• Strong political acumen, with an understanding of the broader public service context and the ability to navigate sensitive or high-profile issues with discretion.

Minimum recruitment standards outline the minimum education and experience required for appointment to a job classification. Refer to https://www.alberta.ca/alberta-public-service-minimum-recruitment-standards.

Notes

This is a full-time permanent position, working 36.25 hours per week, Monday to Friday based out of Edmonton.

• Final candidates will be required to undergo a security screening.
• Employee annual professional fees/dues are not covered for this position.

Any costs associated with obtaining the required documents/checks as noted or interview travel expenses, will be the responsibility of the candidate. Out-of-province applicants can obtain the required documents/checks from the province they currently reside in.

Applicants are required to provide a cover letter that outlines in detail their experiences and how that experience relates specifically to the requirements for this position. Applications without an appropriate cover letter or appropriate resume will not be considered.

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

• Working for the Alberta Public Service - https://www.alberta.ca/advantages-working-for-alberta-public-service.aspx.
• Public Service Pension Plan (PSPP) - https://www.pspp.ca.
• Management Employees Pension Plan (MEPP) - https://www.mepp.ca.
• Alberta Public Service Benefit Information - https://www.alberta.ca/alberta-public-service-benefits.
• Professional learning and development - https://www.alberta.ca/professional-development-support-directive.
• Research Alberta Public Service Careers tool – https://researchapscareers.alberta.ca.
• Positive workplace culture and work-life balance.
• Opportunity to participate in flexible work arrangements such as working from home up to two days per week and modified work schedule agreement.
• Leadership and mentorship programs.