Director, Planning and Projects

Job Information

Job Title: Director, Planning and Projects

Job Requisition ID: 64692

Ministry: Communications and Public Engagement

Location: Edmonton

Full or Part-Time: Full Time

Hours of Work: 36.25 hours per week

Permanent/Temporary: Permanent

Scope: Open Competition

Closing Date: November 18, 2024

Classification: Senior Manager Zone 2

Salary: $4,274.26 - $5,427.68 bi-weekly ( $111,558 - $141,662 /year)

The Government of Alberta is committed to a diverse and inclusive public service that reflects the population we serve to best meet the needs of Albertans. Consider joining a team where diversity, inclusion and innovation are valued and supported. For more information on diversity and inclusion, please visit: https://www.alberta.ca/diversity-inclusion-policy.aspx .

Communications and Public Engagement (CPE) is the Government of Alberta’s full-service communications, public relations and marketing department. Its mandate is to enhance communications between Albertans and the Government of Alberta.

CPE’s expert staff provide specialized services across the spectrum of communications including writing, social media, media relations, event coordination, issues management, crisis communications, digital communications, advertising, marketing, graphic design, public engagement and translation services.

The department staffs communications branches in all government ministries of government, along with a central operations department. For information about CPE, visit our website at https://www.alberta.ca/cpe .

Role Responsibilities

Your strong client consulting and leadership skills will guide the communications planning and project management oversight you bring to the Director, Planning and Projects role at Communications and Public Engagement (CPE).

As the director, you’ll anchor strong alignment across marketing-communications projects managed at CPE and communications activity across departments. Collaborative relationship building skills will be required to oversee the development of government-wide and multi-ministry communications plans and initiatives.

The role consults with field department communications directors and works with branch heads to facilitate project oversight, while also overseeing the coordination of internal and external resources to ensure successful government communications projects that are on time, on budget and evaluated.

This position will also oversee CPE business continuity process and planning.

Responsibilities

Using your strong relationship-building and problem-solving abilities, you will navigate competing demands and serve as a key resource in addressing multiple priorities. Your responsibilities will include:

• Providing strategic advice on project management efficiencies and how best to allocate agency-wide resources to support major government priorities and initiatives.
• Establishing effective systems and processes for CPE, particularly around communications planning, reporting and evaluation, project management, resource management, procurement (including external and pre-qualified vendors, multi-ministry cost-shared initiatives), and business continuity.
• Providing expert advice, training, and support on tools to better support functions of the strategic communication services branch.
• Working with the executive director, overseeing resource management, ensuring staffing processes meet organizational needs and that training is in place to develop and support communications staff in applying and maintaining industry best practices.
• Developing and overseeing an intake system and centralized communications and marketing project management for key government initiatives.
• Collaborating with ministry communications staff to oversee the creation of strategic communications plans that support major government legislative and mandate priorities as well as a government-wide corporate communications plan.
  
  

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.

The successful candidate for this role will have the following competencies:

• Systems Thinking - Considers and plans for how current policies, processes and methods might be affected in the short, medium, and long-term by broader trends.
• Creative Problem Solving - Identifies several analytical techniques and sources of knowledge to break apart complex problems.
• Agility - Maintains awareness of changing organizational priorities and proactively shifts strategic focus and activities as appropriate.
• Drive For Results - Removes barriers to collaboration and achievement of outcomes.
• Develop Networks - Gives service beyond stakeholders’ expectations by seeking information about underlying needs, providing insights and recommending actions to address these needs.
• Build Collaborative Environments - Promotes positive conflict resolution by identifying issues and facilitating discussion and/or coaching others to constructively resolve conflict.
• Develop Self And Others - Finds ways to leverage strengths through on the job assignments, career moves or further developing strengths through formal training, volunteers for “stretch” assignments and taking on increase responsibilities.
  
  

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

Qualifications

University graduation in a related field to the position, ideally with project management, or systems/business analysis focus, supplemented by 7 years progressively responsible management experience.

Equivalencies: 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

• Certification in Project Management Professional (PMP)
• Extensive and expert knowledge and experience in project management and evaluation, with a proven track record of successfully delivering large-scale projects.
• Extensive and expert knowledge of communications planning, implementation, and measurement
• Strong understanding of communications and marketing practices, both within government and industry best practices
• Strong understanding of organizational business continuity/ emergency management
• Excellent political acumen
  
  

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

The successful candidates will be evaluated on a combination of experience and education.

Please ensure your resume highlights how your previous work experience is related to the qualifications and requirements for this position. Please clearly state the employment dates on your resume with the month and the year.

For employment: Please indicate whether your work experience is casual, part-time or full-time. Example: Receptionist, Jan 2018 - June 2021, Part-time (three 8 hour shifts/week).

Other Information

This competition may be used to fill current and future vacancies at equal or lesser classifications across the Government of Alberta. Final candidates for this position will be required to undergo a security screening.

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.

Links and information on what the GoA has to offer to prospective employees:

• Working for the Alberta Public Service – https://www.alberta.ca/about-the-alberta-public-service
• Pension plans: 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
• Leadership and mentorship programs
• Professional learning and development - https://www.alberta.ca/alberta-public-service-human-resource-directives
• 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 agreements.
• Research Alberta Public Service Careers tool – https://researchapscareers.alberta.ca
  
  

How To Apply

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

Candidates are required to apply for a job online. Please visit https://www.alberta.ca/job-application-resources#before for more information. Please visit Recruitment Principles , for more information.

It is recommended applicants who have completed post-secondary studies from outside of Canada obtain an evaluation of their credentials from the International Qualifications Assessment Service (IQAS)( https://www.alberta.ca/international-qualifications-assessment.aspx ) or from a recognized Canadian Credential Evaluator; please visit the Alliance of Credential Evaluation Services of Canada for more information ( https://canalliance.org/en/default.html ).

It is recommended that applicants include the assessment certificate from IQAS or any other educational assessment service as part of their application.

Closing Statement

This competition may be used to fill future vacancies, across the Government of Alberta, at the same or lower classification level.

We thank all applicants for their interest. All applications will be reviewed to determine which candidates' qualifications most closely match the advertised requirements. Only individuals selected for interviews will be contacted.

If you require any further information on this job posting or require an accommodation during the recruitment process, please contact Annie Oa at [email protected] .