Role Responsibilities

Reporting to the Director, International and Industry Collaboration, the Senior Analyst contributes to development and evaluation of policy and initiatives related to international education and industry collaboration within the post-secondary education system--from initial issue identification and research to analysis and option development. This position is accountable for the following key areas:

1. International education and industry collaboration policy development.
2. Stakeholder engagement and consultation.
3. Issues management, research and analysis.
4. Evaluation and reporting.

The position is responsible for issue identification and management, including providing specialized advice with regard to emerging concerns, trends and opportunities in international education and industry collaboration.  The Senior Analyst delivers environmental scans, literature reviews, and research reports for evidence-based recommendations and strategic direction on a broad array of matters that span the department and other government ministries. An important aspect of this job will be the ability to understand and interpret complex information and data and synthesize often conflicting viewpoints and communicate this to senior management in support of policy, programs and regulatory initiatives.

Role Responsibilities (Cont'd)

The responsibilities of the role include tasks as below:

• Establishes and leads internal advisory committees as necessary to ensure a department wide perspective is considered when addressing new policy initiatives (e.g. amendment to Alberta's Designation Requirements), while ensuring that efforts align with broader government objectives.
• Provides project management support for branch-led policy work, such as drafting of documents (e.g. Terms of Reference, work plans, status updates, etc.) to accomplish expected outcomes.
• Participates on working groups made up of representatives of the Ministry, other government departments, student groups, post-secondary institutions and industry stakeholders to ensure international and industry perspectives are reflected in broader deliberations regarding the post-secondary education system.
• Identifies issues and risks to engagement initiatives, assesses their impacts on project scope, time and cost and establishes systems and mitigation plans to resolve conflicts or problems.
• Develops and produces communication materials, including key messages, background materials, submissions and discussion papers for stakeholder engagement, liaising with Communications as necessary.
• Ensures best practices related to stakeholder engagement are incorporated into initiatives, strategies and frameworks being led by the branch.
• Develops and implements research mechanisms to analyze and report on emerging trends, issues, and opportunities related to international education, collaboration with industry, and some intergovernmental relations.
• Builds and maintains a baseline of key data through primary and secondary sources to better understand and respond to day to-day inquiries in a timely manner.
• Research assigned issues, provides content and strategic analysis for the preparation of briefing papers, reports and discussion papers assigned by the Director.
• Works with the department's policy area in the identification and evaluation  of complex  and  sensitive  issues that impact the post-secondary education sector.
• Contributes performance advice and data in support of the Ministry's annual reports and business plans.
• Gathers information and updates on various initiatives to inform reporting functions within the division.

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.

Systems Thinking - Considers the impact of strategies and changes on the work of clients, stakeholders, and team members and support organization vision and goals through strategic planning of tasks and considering relationships between different work approaches and their impact on different programs, divisions and ministries.

Creative Problem Solving - Facilitates the creation of a work environment for generating and finding newer ideas to solve existing and potential problems.

Agility - Possesses an ability to create an adaptable environment and overcome barriers through proactive and flexible approach to work.

Build Collaborative Environments - Leads cross functional collaboration and initiate strategic communication systems to anticipate and address potential conflict and builds and atmosphere of genuine trust and teamwork.

Qualifications

University graduation in a related field plus 4 years progressively responsible related experience in a related field such as political science, public policy, public administration or Education or Equivalent as described below.

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 

Assets: 

• Knowledge and an understanding of applicable acts and related legislation and regulations, including Post-Secondary Learning Act, Protection of Privacy Act, Access to Information Act, etc.
• Knowledge and experience in drafting various correspondences like memos, briefing notes, ministerial correspondences.
• Political acumen to navigate government structures and understand the implications of decisions on various stakeholders.
• The ability to think strategically and anticipate future developments and trends is crucial for addressing emergent issues.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills are essential for effectively coordinating and conveying complex information.
• Distilling and summarizing large documents into briefing notes, policy papers, and power points.
• Being able to respond to challenges on policy and acts and regulations through the interpretation and summary of existing parameters.
• Interpersonal, consultation, presentation and facilitation skills, including ability to interact effectively with diverse stakeholders, clients, and partners
• Research and analytical skills.
• Project Management Professional Certification (PMP) is an asset.
• Leadership skills, including ability to coach and mentor.
• Experience working with Alberta post-secondary schools or Alberta Student Aid programs.
• Proficient in automated systems and software tools used to carry out responsibilities (i.e. Microsoft Outlook, Work, Excel, Power Point, ARTS, the Internet and web-based programs).

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 (1) temporary position for 2 years.

Position is located in Edmonton and works 36.25 hours per week, 8:15am – 4:30pm, Monday through Friday.

Applicants are advised to provide a cover letter summarizing information that clearly and concisely demonstrates how their qualifications meet the advertised requirements, including education, experience and relevant examples of required competencies.

Links and information on what the GoA has 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.
• Leadership and mentorship programs.