Job Description

Competition # : 41594

Department: Advanced Education

Location: HALIFAX

Type of Employment: Permanent

Union Status: NSGEU - NSPG

Closing Date: \xe2\x80\x8b21-Feb-24 \xe2\x80\x8b (Applications are accepted until 11:59 PM Atlantic Time)

About Us

The Department of Advanced Education (AE) was created August 31, 2021. AE has about 70 employees and includes responsibility for universities, the Nova Scotia Community College, private career colleges, student assistance, post-secondary accessibility services, as well as Research Nova Scotia. The Strategy, Policy and Partnerships Branch oversees policy and strategic direction for the post-secondary education system including partnership engagement and funding for research and innovation. Strategy, Policy, and Partnership Branch also provides corporate services for the Department.

About Our Opportunity

Reporting to the Manager of Policy, the Senior Policy Analyst is responsible for providing strategic advice to the Minister, Deputy Minister and senior management. The Senior Policy Analyst conducts comprehensive research, analysis, measurement and evaluation of complex policy issues to provide strategic advice to senior leadership. This involves expert knowledge of research methods, coordination of multi-disciplinary teams to develop and/or review a wide range of deliverables, including reports, presentations, briefing notes, submissions, and other materials.

The Senior Policy Analyst will be responsible for leading complex policy projects, usually involving all phases of work from strategic planning and policy development through to successful implementation. The position provides expertise and advisory services to department staff with respect to research and policy development and works with senior department staff on major policy, research, and procedural matters.

The Senior Policy Analyst works directly with provincial and intergovernmental education partners and represents the department on interdepartmental and intergovernmental initiatives.

Primary Accountabilities

Responsibilities include:

• Providing strategic advice to senior department staff, by conducting comprehensive research and analysis on complex policy issues;
• Developing and evaluating policy options;
• Preparing submissions to Executive Council and Treasury and Policy Board, including Memoranda to Executive Council, Report and Recommendations to Executive Council, Requests for Legislation and presentations to Executive Council and their committees;
• Project management for research, policy development, and preparation of briefing packages for the Minister and Deputy Minister.
• Preparing briefing materials, presentations and correspondence for senior departmental staff on a wide range of matters related to the department\'s mandate;
• Leading and/or participating in interdepartmental and intergovernmental committees and working groups;
• Working within a team to lead and/or coordinate partner consultations and other meetings;
• May perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications and Experience

Bachelor\'s Degree plus 6 years related experience, a Master\'s Degree plus 3 years related experience, or an equivalent combination of training and experience.

You have knowledge of and/or experience within the provincial legislative environment. You have strong interpersonal, communication (written and verbal), research and organizational skills with attention to detail and accuracy, while balancing priorities. You have experience in public policy development and progressive experience leading teams in research and analysis. You apply an equity, diversity and inclusion lens to your work, and encourage colleagues to do the same. You have previous experience leading and/or coordinating partner consultations, and you can gather and summarize information with strategic alignment to department and government priorities.

As the ideal candidate, you also have superior writing skills with proven experience in report writing, preparing briefing materials and submissions to cabinet, developing and delivering presentations. You have strong leadership skills with a proven ability to build collaborative working relationships with colleagues, internal and external partners, other government departments and other levels of government.

You are proficient using Microsoft Office programs (Microsoft Outlook, Word, Excel, Sharepoint, Teams).

The following are considered assets:

• Knowledge of structure, processes, and key players in government;
• Familiarity with legislation which falls under the Advanced Education mandate;
• Experience leading/contributing to projects that have utilized a design thinking process (ideation, prototyping, testing, and scaling) and/or knowledge of principles of human centred/person centered design;
• Understanding of the provincial post-secondary education system including knowledge of the role of government and the post-secondary education system in innovation globally, nationally and within Nova Scotia;
• Experience using root-cause analysis and/or similar techniques;
• Experience participating in developmental evaluations.

Candidates should clearly illustrate in their cover letter and resume how they meet the above qualifications.

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

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 offerings and eligibility criteria.

Working Conditions

• Normal work week is 35 hours/week, 7 hours/day
• May be required to work overtime on occasion

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: $3,091.70 - $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