Strategic Policy Lead (Program Admin Officer 4)

Competition # : 44584

Department: Environment and Climate Change

Location: HALIFAX

Type of Employment: Permanent

Union Status: NSGEU - NSPG

Closing Date: ​26-Nov-24 ​ (Applications are accepted until 11:59 PM Atlantic Time)

About Us

The Department of Environment and Climate Change (ECC) has a mandate to support a clean and healthy environment, protect land, advance a clean economy, address the climate crisis, and guide the province towards a sustainable and clean future where all Nova Scotians can thrive. We do this through our programs, legislation, regulation, enforcement, with a focus on client service, regulatory excellence, diversity, equity, inclusion, and partnership. To accomplish this mandate, we need leaders at all levels of the organization who embrace a challenge, are solution-oriented, and believe in their ability to make a difference.

About Our Opportunity

Are you ready to take on a dynamic and impactful policy leadership role? As the Strategic Policy Lead, you will report to the Director of Policy and Regulatory Excellence and provide strategic policy capacity across the department. Your leadership and problem-solving skills will be crucial in leading top priority files, addressing emerging issues, and ensuring government priorities are actioned.

What You Will Do

• Lead and Inspire: You will work with teams of technical experts, applying agile project management approaches to efficiently move large and complex files to completion.
• Strategic Planning: Use your systems-thinking skills to ensure an effective and strategic approach to priority work, identifying and addressing regulatory and non-regulatory barriers.
• Collaborate and Build Relationships: Work closely with other departments on files with intersecting mandates, advancing solutions for efficient regulation of traditional and new/emerging industries (clean renewables, regulatory modernization).
• Quality Assurance: Create and ensure the quality of priority deliverables that support decision makers, fulfill corporate reporting obligations, and support federal/provincial/territorial initiatives. This includes preparing plain language deliverables, briefing notes, House Book materials, and support for ECC appearances at standing legislative committees.

What Are We Looking For

• Leadership and Initiative: Demonstrate strong leadership, professional judgment, and initiative as you advance key departmental priorities related to our mandate as a responsive regulator and leader on climate action.
• Independent and Collaborative Work: Thrive both independently and as part of a connected, collaborative, diverse, and responsive team.

Join us in advancing department and government priorities related to climate action and ECC’s mandate as a responsible regulator. Apply now to make a meaningful impact!

Your Key Responsibilities

• Project Champion: You will act as a project champion, ensuring projects move from inception to execution. You will report on project progress and milestones, identify and elevate challenges for resolution with colleagues and leadership, and work to remove barriers and advance work forward.
• Leadership in Multidisciplinary Teams: You will provide project leadership for multidisciplinary, interdepartmental teams addressing a broad range of priorities. You will represent the department on various cross-disciplinary initiatives.
• Strategic Alignment: You will play a leadership role in ensuring that teams working on key priorities are aligned with government’s strategic priorities.
• Quality Deliverables: You will lead the development of quality, clear, and concise briefing materials for legislative committees, submissions to Executive Council, federal/provincial/territorial initiatives, and other priority work.

In this role, your leadership and strategic planning skills will be crucial in advancing departmental priorities and supporting decision-makers.

Qualifications and Experience

Bachelor’s Degree in a related area is required, plus six years of progressive policy experience. Demonstrated experience leading or managing projects or project teams is required. An acceptable combination of training and experience may be considered.

You have a strong understanding of government and a demonstrated ability to work cooperatively and build support with diverse groups and individuals to complete projects. You are experienced in leading policy development and strategic planning processes. You have excellent communication, problem-solving, negotiation, and facilitation skills. You have strong leadership skills and experience in providing leadership to cross-functional teams that span divisions and departments. Excellent skills in writing and briefing materials are required.

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

An equivalent combination of training, education and experience will be considered. Applicants relying on education and experience equivalencies must demonstrate such equivalencies in their application.

Benefits

Based on the employment status and union agreement, 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.

Additional Information

This competition will be used to fill two (2) permanent positions.

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
• Department specific flexible working schedules

Pay Grade: PR 17

Salary Range: $3,107.16 - $3,649.33 Bi-Weekly

Employment Equity Statement:

Our goal is to be a diverse workforce that is representative, at all job levels, of the citizens we serve. The Government of Nova Scotia has an Employment Equity Policy, and we welcome applications from Indigenous People, African Nova Scotians and Other Racially Visible Persons, Persons with Disabilities and Women in occupations or positions where they are under-represented. If you are a member of one of these equity groups, you are encouraged to self-identify on your electronic application.

This is a bargaining unit position initially restricted to current civil service employees represented by the Nova Scotia Government Employees Union (NSGEU). If applying from outside a government office, employees must apply correctly via this link:

Failure to apply correctly means that your application will not be given first consideration as a bargaining unit applicant, and will only be included if external applications are pursued.

External applicants and current casual employees will only be considered if there are no qualified civil service bargaining unit candidates. PLEASE NOTE: Candidates will not be considered for an interview if applications are incomplete or are missing information.

Offer of employment is conditional upon the completion of all applicable background checks and confirmation of credentials, the results of which must be satisfactory to the employer. We thank all applicants for the interest, however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted. All questions and concerns may be directed to [email protected].