Assistant Director, Planning

Job Information
Job Title: Assistant Director, Planning
Job Requisition ID: 64542
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: December 3, 2024
Classification: Manager Zone 2
Salary: ​$3,241.74 - $4,362.44 bi-weekly ($84,609.41 - $113,859.68/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

If you have significant communications planning expertise and have a keen eye for the big picture, the Assistant Director, Planning role at CPE may be for you.

In this role, you will oversee a team of communications advisors specializing in communications planning, evaluation and reporting. Your responsibilities include:

• Managing the development, implementation and evaluation of a GOA corporate communications plan and plans for cross-ministry communications initiatives.
  
• Managing a team of communications advisors and the creation and support of external communications materials.
  
• Using your industry-leading communications measurement knowledge to development a consistent corporate communications measurement system.
  
• Issues identification and communications opportunities.
  
• Overseeing the development and operation of a system to better meet communications resourcing required for priority government initiatives and advise on training to better meet organizational needs.

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 - Anticipates outcomes and potential impacts across inter- related areas and factors this into planning. Seeks to understand a range of stakeholder perspectives and how they interrelate.
  
• Creative Problem Solving - Continuously engages others to scope and solve issues and find the best solutions. Encourages debate and idea generation from across the organization. Assesses and addresses risks while providing guidance to move new ideas forward.
  
• Agility - Anticipates obstacles to change and thinks ahead about next steps. Stays focused on goals despite pressure and stress. Proposes a clear rationale for change, offers alternative solution(s) and identifies the benefits.
  
• Drive for Results - Clarifies objectives and taps into a variety of available resources within the organization; ensuring that roles and contributions are clear.
  
• Develop Self and Others - Communicates regularly with stakeholders, setting up opportunities for mutual sharing of information. Maintains relationships even when no specific project/initiative is underway.

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 communications, public relations, English or a related field and at least 4 years related experience.

Equivalencies (to be 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:

• Strong strategic communications planning and proactive/reactive issues management skills.
• Considerable knowledge of writing styles, including plain language principles and Canadian Press Style Guides.
• Strong knowledge of different communication tools and products such as media relations, social media, print and graphic design.
• Experience in leadership, management/supervisory for cross-functional teams and strong team building skills.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to interact effectively with executives and other senior stakeholders.
• Strong client consultation, planning and project management skills, including project and budget administration for procurement of services and solutions.

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/advantages-working-for-alberta-public-service.aspx
• 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].