Job Description

Competition # : 40071

Department: Labour, Skills and Immigration

Location: HALIFAX

Type of Employment: Permanent

Union Status: Exclusion - Non Union - NSPG

Closing Date: 01-Sep-23 (Applications are accepted until 11:59 PM Atlantic Time)

Designation Status

This opportunity is designated to applicants that identify as Indigenous Person, African/Black Nova Scotian and other Racialized Persons, Person with a Disability, Women in Occupations or Positions where they are Under-represented.

See the Nova Scotia Government\'s for more information, including additional details on the designated groups.

About Us

The Department of Labour, Skills and Immigration works as a trusted partner to grow the population, develop our current and future workforce, and foster inclusive, safe, and fair workplaces. This includes welcoming people from across Canada and the world, helping people prepare for job opportunities and build the skills they need, promoting safe work environments and helping employers and employees know their rights and responsibilities. We work together to create a future where everyone has an opportunity to thrive.

The Skills and Learning Branch provides a continuum of programs and services for individuals and employers that support learning achievement; inclusive engagement; labour market readiness, attachment, and participation; and workplace performance, all contributing to an inclusive, responsive, and productive workforce for the province. We achieve results by working respectfully with our staff and partners to develop new ideas, remove barriers and increase access for underrepresented groups and support innovative approaches to labour market development.

The Skills and Learning Branch delivers integrated, quality services centred around the needs and experiences of the individuals and employers we serve, with a focus on ensuring equity, diversity, and inclusion. The design and delivery of the Branch\'s programs and services are based on adult education and universal design principles, current trends and labour market information, research findings, exemplary practices, and participant and program outcome data. We strive to make strategic investments, optimize resources, maximize our impact, and ultimately enhance the performance of Nova Scotia\'s labour market.

About Our Opportunity

The Executive Director is a new position within the Skills and Learning Branch and is designated to be filled by an individual from one of the designated groups - Indigenous People, African Nova Scotians and/or Other Racially Visible Persons, and Persons with Disabilities.

You will work in a diverse and inclusive environment made up of 178 staff located in HRM and regional offices across the province, with multiple programs and services delivered under the auspices of six key areas: Youth Engagement, Student and Graduate Employment, Adult Learning and Recognition for Prior Learning, Employment Nova Scotia, Workplace Initiatives, and Strategy, Innovation and Performance.
Working closely with the Senior Executive Director and the divisional Directors, you are responsible to advance inclusive workforce development strategies and interventions and strengthen the strategic coordination of labour market programs and services across the province. You will also lead the coordination of inclusive workplace culture initiatives aimed at improving the attraction, recruitment and retention of youth and equity deserving individuals by employers.

These efforts will involve relationship building and collaboration with federal and provincial government entities, third party service providers, and external partners, including business and industry, training and educational institutions, equity seeking groups, and community-based organizations.

In addition, the Branch delivers many of its programs and services via contracts with independent, third party entities. The Executive Director will lead the development and implementation of a leading-edge contracts management system, including a contract performance management framework, to guide the articulation of service delivery and other performance expectations in federal/provincial funding agreements and service provider contracts.

The Executive Director reports to the Senior Executive Director.

Primary Accountabilities

Leads and mobilizes a sustained, cross-government, comprehensive approach to inclusive workforce development resulting in the availability of effective programs, services and supports across the employment continuum for Nova Scotians and their communities while advancing government priorities and maximizing its investment across departments, eliminating duplication, and incorporating innovation and exemplary practice.

Establishes and leads the Labour Market Partnership Framework which will bring together government partners in workforce development to provide oversight to investments made through the Canada-Nova Scotia Labour Market Development Agreement and Workforce Development Agreement to ensure a continuum of programs and services that contributes to a balanced labour market.

Determines avenues to support organizational effectiveness and board governance of third parties and ensure internal agreement management standards are established and met.

Qualifications and Experience

A university degree or equivalent plus five years of experience serving in progressively responsible leadership roles is required. An equivalent combination of training and experience may be accepted.

The Executive Director will be committed to their personal learning journey, well positioned to support branch leaders in their intercultural competency development, actively promote diversity, equity, accessibility, and inclusion (IDEA), and contribute to a safe and healthy workplace for branch staff through their leadership.

The Candidate will have experience in program administration and familiarity with labour market trends, excellent research, analytical and organizational skills, and be systems thinker. They will also communicate and interact effectively with a broad range of interested parties and function with minimal supervision in a team environment.

Ideally, the candidate will demonstrate the ability to offer creative and innovative solutions to complex challenges and have the flexibility to adapt and thrive in a continuously changing and demanding environment.

Equivalency

Applicants relying on education and experience equivalencies must demonstrate such equivalencies in their application.

Benefits

The Government of Nova Scotia offers its employees a wide range of benefits such as Health, Dental, Life Insurance, Pension, General Illness (Short and Long Term), Vacation and Employee and Family Assistance Programs. Click to learn more about our various benefits offerings and eligibility criteria.

Additional Information

The Government of Nova Scotia has adopted the LEADS Leadership Framework. During the interview, candidates will be expected to express how they have demonstrated the key behaviours and capabilities required to effectively lead in a caring and inclusive environment. LEADS Domains include Lead Self, Engage Others, Achieve Results, Develop Coalitions, and Systems Transformation.

For details visit: .

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.

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: EC 15

Salary Range: $4,740.95 - $5,926.16 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.

Current government employees may access this posting through the link below:

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 Competitions@novascotia.ca.

Government of Nova Scotia