Job Description

Competition # : 41220

Department: Health and Wellness

Location: HALIFAX

Type of Employment: Permanent

Union Status: NSGEU - NSPG

Closing Date: \xe2\x80\x8b25-Dec-23 \xe2\x80\x8b (Applications are accepted until 11:59 PM Atlantic Time)

About Us

The Department of Health and Wellness offers opportunities to grow and advance in a dynamic sector that touches the lives of all Nova Scotians. Along with our partners, including the Nova Scotia Health Authority and the IWK Health Centre, we\xe2\x80\x99re committed to continually improving our health care system. With a focus on collaborative primary health care, acute care, improved supports for mental health and addictions, digital health, capital infrastructure, and more, the department is thinking differently about how to plan, fund, legislate and monitor to improve access and service delivery. To do this, we\xe2\x80\x99re recruiting leaders at all levels of the organization who embrace a challenge and believe in their ability to make a difference.

We are recruiting for a Senior Policy Analyst within the Policy and Legislation division of the Strategy, Performance and Partnerships Branch. This is your opportunity to have an impact on development and implementation of the Department\xe2\x80\x99s health profession regulatory and oversight policy. This includes implementation of the 2023 Regulated Health Professions Act.

About Our Opportunity

The Senior Policy Analyst works within the Policy and Legislation Division\xe2\x80\x99s as part of the team providing legislative, policy and best practice oversight of the regulated health professions. This key position helps ensure public protection by monitoring health profession regulator performance and developing new tools and methods for regulator oversight, including providing project support to modernize the provincial model for self-regulation of health professions in line with national and international best practices.

Your workplan will include project management of new regulations under the 2023 Regulated Health Professions Act required to migrate 21 health profession regulators from existing separate legislation to the new unified Act. Migration projects will include extensive external stakeholder relations, strategic analysis and development of policy options for the regulations in support of the government\xe2\x80\x99s health system transformation priorities related to health profession scopes of practice, licensing and oversight.

In this role, you play a critical role in supporting senior leaders through process-driven and evidence-informed decision-making. At times you will work closely with government colleagues on intersecting health profession initiatives, and may be required to join departmental, interdepartmental and/or federal-provincial-territorial working groups.

Primary Accountabilities

Within a typical day you will be responsible for:

• Researching best practices in health profession regulation, scopes of practice and licensing.
• Liaising with the 21 provincial health profession regulators on regulatory projects, as well as emerging issues and government priorities.
• Preparing information notes and correspondence for senior staff on a wide range of matters related to health profession regulation.
• Working with internal and external partners to develop and evaluate policy options in order to make strategic recommendations with respect to health profession regulations, including, but not limited to, developing reports, briefing materials and submissions to Executive Council.
• Providing advice to colleagues with respect to health profession regulation and stakeholder relations.
• Leading and/or participating in working groups on specific health profession policy issues, supporting consultative work as required.

Qualifications and Experience

As our next Senior Policy Analyst, Health Profession Regulation, you will hold a bachelor\'s degree in public policy, political science, law or a health-related field plus six (6) years of experience in the design, development, review and/or implementation of policies or programs (see acceptable Equivalencies below).

You will demonstrate experience with the following:

• Progressive position responsibility.
• Superior writing skills with proven experience in report writing and preparation of briefing materials.
• Strong leadership skills with proven ability to build collaborative working relationships.
• Experience working with multiple internal and/or external stakeholders and advancing related priorities
• Project management or coordination experience (policy or program related)
• Knowledge of and/or experience within public policy development, analysis and/or implementation
• Computer skills and proficiency using Microsoft Office programs (Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint).

In addition to the above, you will have strong leadership skills, independent judgement, and initiative as well as the ability to manage and conduct complex and specialized research and policy analysis. You will be well-organized, capable of managing change and competing priorities. You can undertake a high-level of work under tight deadlines, and exercise sound judgement under pressure. Lastly, you will be able to work cohesively in a team environment and be able to take on complex assignments with minimal supervision.

The following will be considered assets:

• Knowledge of structure, processes, and key players in Government.
• Knowledge/experience in the field of professional regulation or other government regulatory oversight
• Experience with complex consultations
• Experience in the health care system
• Business/strategic plan development and monitoring

We will assess the above qualifications 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. Equivalencies may include, but are not limited to:

• A completed Masters degree and 4 years of related experience

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 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 offering and eligibility criteria.

Working Conditions

Most of your time is spent in a comfortable office setting. Your normal work week is 35 hours/week, 7 hours/day.

What We Offer

• Career Development where you have access to career guidance, tools, resources, and ongoing training for every stage of your career.
• An engaged workplace where we foster respect and recognition.
• Forward-thinking policies and strategies.
• Countless Career Paths.
• Department Specific Flexible working schedules.

Pay Grade: PR 17

Salary Range: $3,091.70 - $3,631.17 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 Competitions@novascotia.ca.

Government of Nova Scotia