Role Responsibilities

The Strategic Projects & Engagement Coordination (SPEC) unit, part of the Employment & Financial Services Portfolio, was established to enhance the Common Service Delivery (CSD) branch's capacity to plan, develop, and implement priority on-boarding and strategic initiatives. It strengthens project development and management within CSD, improving efficiency, innovation, and service delivery.

This position provides project management leadership, mentoring, coaching, and oversight for CSD strategic projects and initiatives. The Supervisor leads Project Coordinators, assigning projects that require various levels of coordination, knowledge, and skills. This position consistently collaborates with SCSS, CSD, and cross-ministry partners to achieve project objectives. The ability to influence partners to complete project objectives is essential as project results may impact a large number of Albertans. The Supervisor may act on behalf of the CSD Manager when necessary.

Reporting directly to the CSD Manager, this position has the following key responsibilities:

• Direct project management activities that result in organizational change, ensuring alignment with strategic and policy environments.
• Lead and supervise a team of Project Coordinators.
• Build and maintain effective relationships with key stakeholders, using the trust established to assess the capability and capacity of the organization to implement projects.
• Support CSD Supervisors, Managers, Directors, and the Executive Director in managing project reporting requirements.

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

System Thinking 

• Works with program business areas to clarify and define their role and any given priority project for the most effective approach to meeting branch outcomes.
• Quantifies and qualifies impacts of potential projects to the branch’s short, medium, and long- term outcomes and recommends the most effective course for achievement. 
• Identifies risks and issues that may affect the successful execution of projects to the attention of the program areas, and management and participates in the mitigation and solution building for these risks and issues. 
• Ability to operate effectively within a complex organization and continually changing business environment. 

Building Collaborative Environments

• Leads the sharing of expertise between the corporate services areas and the program areas throughout the project life cycle to ensure the best project and ministry outcomes.
• Ensures ongoing communication is maintained between the unit and management by facilitating regular decision-making meetings regarding projects.
• Leads the unit to achieve the desired outcomes and participates as an effective team member.
• Effectively resolves issues and influence actions of others that are direct reports.
• Collaborates with branch management team to develop recruitment, retention and succession planning strategies as key tools to ensure the availability of appropriate knowledge and skills.

Creative Problem Solving

• Leads meetings with stakeholders to solve complex problems and provide recommendations relating to the implementation and continuous improvement of project best practices in CSD. 
• Stays abreast of the current project best practices and change literature and brings forward innovations to leadership.
• Able to work with ambiguity in a complex and changing strategic environment, under pressure and using sound judgement, tact and diplomacy. 
• Comfortable with immediately responding to emerging issues and resolving crises that affect projects and stakeholders with little precedent or guidelines.

Qualifications

University degree in business administration, social sciences, public administration or related post-secondary education, supplemented by 4 years progressively responsible related experience; 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.
   

This position requires an extensive knowledge and understanding of: 

• Industry best practices and methodologies related to project management, including knowledge of business planning and strategic alignment processes, outcomes management, financial management, capacity management, performance management, risk management and stakeholder management. 
• Government strategic goals and policy directions, particularly as they relate to SCSS mandated business plans, priorities, organization, and decision-making structures of lead, partner, and support ministries. 
• Strategic role of the Common Service Delivery and Employment & Financial Services Portfolio, including linkages and relationships to other divisions in SCSS. 
• Political environment within which the ministry operates and of government decision-making processes.

Examples of related work experience:

• Project management experience in a complex environment implementing large scale multi-faceted projects.
• Experience managing direct reports, providing direction and mentorship. Demonstrated ability to influence others that are not direct reports.
• Demonstrated ability to strategize and create effective solutions and see them through to implementation.
• Expertise in handling confidential and sensitive communication.
• Demonstrated ability to make key decisions and have direct leadership responsibility.
• Experience with human resource management, particularly the management of staff and contracted resources with diverse and specialized knowledge and abilities.

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 competition will be used to fill 1 full-time permanent position, location- anywhere in the province as this is a remote position.  
 

In your resume, please include dates (including months and years) associated with all education and work experience. Also, please indicate whether your work experience is casual, part time or full time. Your cover letter and resume will be used as a screening tool to assess your written communication.
 

Your cover letter and resume will be used as a screening tool to assess your written communication.
 

Final candidates will be required to undergo a security screening.
 

Any costs associated with obtaining the required documents/checks as noted will be the responsibility of the candidate. 
 

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.
• 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 and modified work schedule agreement.
• Leadership and mentorship programs.