Issues Advisor

Role Responsibilities

Are you a highly organized professional with exceptional communication, coordination, and issues-management skills? Do you thrive in a fast-paced environment where priorities shift quickly, and the work directly supports senior decision-makers?

Reporting to a Director in Childcare Licensing, the Issues Advisor plays a critical role in supporting the Executive Director's Office (EDO) and ensuring effective coordination of correspondence, briefing materials, and emerging issues across the division. This position works closely with program areas, branch leadership, and executive offices to ensure timely, accurate, and coordinated information reaches senior leadership.

The position provides strategic and operational leadership to ensure high quality, consistent licensing services that protect the health, safety, and well being of children and support positive outcomes for families across Alberta.

This role works closely with license holders, community stakeholders, and internal ministry partners. Child Care Licensing operates within the Canada–Alberta Canada Wide Early Learning and Child Care Agreement.

As the Issues Advisor, you will:

•    Coordinate and manage divisional correspondence and action requests.
•    Support day-to-day operations of the Executive Director's Office.
•    Monitor and track emerging issues affecting Child Care Delivery programs.
•    Prepare and coordinate briefing materials, correspondence, and issues notes for senior leadership.
•    Collaborate with program areas to gather information and ensure responses are accurate, complete, and aligned.
•    Ensure the Executive Director, Assistant Deputy Minister, Deputy Minister, and Minister receive timely and accurate briefings on current and emerging issues.
•    Facilitate communication among affected program areas to support coordinated responses and decision-making.
•    Monitor timelines and ensure deliverables are completed within established deadlines.
•    Supervision and Leadership of staff supporting Issues management within the Childcare Licensing Branch.
•    Provide advice and support regarding issues management processes and executive correspondence requirements.

Role Cont'd

The position supports staff and senior leadership through consultation and decision making on complex situations, such as program closures, investigations involving harm to children, and Ministry reportable incidents. The Issues Advisor also oversees responses to public concerns, stakeholder issues, and inquiries from community agencies or other legislative bodies, ensuring decisions are defensible, transparent, and aligned with ministerial expectations and public interest.

Strong analytical skills are required to identify organizational risks and opportunities, support effective planning, and ensure efficient use of resources. The role requires the ability to respond quickly and effectively to requests from senior leadership, the broader Ministry, and the public.

The role also involves providing timely and accurate advice, analysis, and recommendations to the Director, Executive Director, and Assistant Deputy Minister on complex and politically sensitive matters, including the preparation and coordination of Action Requests such as briefing notes, reports, and formal correspondence.

As a successful candidate, you will have excellent leadership and supervisory skills. Your strong communication, consultation and organizational skills will be the key to success, as well as your engagement, assessment, and collaboration skills. In addition, knowledge of the Signs of Safety Model will be an asset in this role.

If this position interests you, do not hesitate to apply!

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.

This link will assist you with understanding competencies.

Competencies for this position include:

Agility 

• Adapts quickly to changing priorities and emerging issues.
• Maintains an open and adaptable perspective to changing priorities, timelines, and unplanned or ad hoc requests from internal and external partners.
• Demonstrates mindfulness and self-reflection by remaining focused and present, intentionally assessing emotions and actions to guide thinking and behaviour

Systems Thinking 

• Understands the broader impact of issues across programs and stakeholders.
• Maintains awareness of current events, government priorities, and system-wide impacts that present challenges or opportunities.
• Applies legislative and policy knowledge, including the Early Learning and Child Care Act and Regulations, relevant policies and procedures, and related legislation.
• Leads collaborative efforts to reduce duplication and improve efficiency across the unit

Creative Problem Solving 

• Analyzes complex information and develops practical solutions.
• Applies strong critical thinking, communication, interpersonal, conflict resolution, and decision-making skills to address complex and diverse issues.
• Identifies data quality or process issues that may impact reporting or outcomes.
• Uses innovative and solution-focused approaches aligned with Child Care Delivery (CCD) outcomes and priorities.

APS Competencies Cont'd

Build Collaborative Environments 

• Works effectively with diverse teams and partners.
• Uses strong interpersonal and facilitation skills to build capacity and effective working relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
• Builds trust and respect to engage staff, encourage collaboration, and foster a positive and inclusive working environment

Develop Networks 

• Establishes productive relationships across program areas and executive offices.
• Proactively builds and sustains strong networks with diverse stakeholders.
• Builds trust-based relationships to support collaboration and effective service delivery.
• Seeks to understand the perspectives and needs of colleagues, clients, and partners.

Drive for Results 

• Manages competing priorities while meeting critical deadlines.
• Understands desired outcomes and maximizes resources to achieve results.
• Maintains accountability to colleagues and external stakeholders.
• Leads with a solution-focused mindset, ensuring team efforts align with CCD outcomes and priorities.
• Role models responsibility for decisions and accountability for results.

Develop Self and Others

• Shares knowledge, expertise, and perspectives to increase collective understanding and capability.
• Coaches, mentors, and supports others to strengthen professional skills and confidence.
• Fosters a culture of learning, self-reflection, teamwork, and continuous improvement.

Communication

• Engages in and promotes active listening, respectful dialogue, and constructive problem solving.
• Communicates clearly and consistently, ensuring verbal and non-verbal communication are aligned.
• Demonstrates awareness of the impact of communication in both written and oral contexts.

Qualifications

Education 
University graduation in a related field plus 4 years progressively responsible related experience; or equivalent as described below.

Equivalency: Directly related education or experience considered on the basis of: 

• • 1 year of education for 1 year of experience; or
  • 1 year of experience for 1 year of education.

Position Requirements:
•    Minimum 2 years leadership and/or supervisory experience with proven ability to develop, mentor, and lead in a childcare or human services field.
•    Demonstrated critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
•    Demonstrated ability to work independently within a team focused environment.
•    Demonstrated ability to handle a wide variety of work demands within short time frames.
•    Effective communication written and verbal to respond to concerns, request appropriate information, and participate in court procedures as needed.
•    Effective documentation skills are essential.  
•    Excellent consultation, and organizational skills. 
•    Knowledge of community resources and Indigenous culture is essential. 
•    Proficiency in Microsoft Office, Google Office Suite, and SharePoint (must be comfortable with using multi-media platforms).

Preference will be given to those who have experience in:
•    Advanced strategic and analytical thinking, strong planning skills, issues management and effective consultative practice is required.
•    Developing, evaluating, implementing policy initiatives, programs, and services.
•    Knowledge of Signs of Safety Practice and a strengths based/solution focused approach 
•    Strong supervisory and interpersonal skills, ability to promote teamwork, collaboration, and partnership. 

Minimum recruitment standards outline the minimum education and experience required for appointment to a job classification.

Notes

There is one full-time temporary (ends March 31st, 2027) position working 36.25 hours per week, Monday to Friday.

Working location is in person 5 days a week in any government office anywhere in Alberta. This position does not support hybrid or work from home arrangements.

The successful candidate must have a valid Class 5 Driver's License and have access to a reliable vehicle as employees is required to use their own vehicles and receive compensation when government fleet vehicles are not available. Appropriate business insurance is also required and compensated.  

Flexibility to travel within the province as required. Highway travel is involved and potentially overnight stays away from home.

As per the Health Professions Act, successful applicants must be registered with the Alberta College of Social Workers (ACSW) if:

• They possess a BSW, MSW, or Diploma in Social Work from any university in North America that is accredited by the Canadian Association for Social Work Education (CASWE) or the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE); or
• They have graduated from an approved social work diploma program in Alberta; or 
• They have, within the last five years, been a registered, certified, or licensed social worker in another province or with a member of the Association of Social Work Boards. 

The final candidate for this position will undergo an academic check, reference check and provide a suitable security screening. We will accept Criminal Records Check (CRC) that have been completed within the last six months as per policy.  

ACSW (if applicable) registration details will also be required.  Final candidates may also be required to provide a Standard Driver’s Abstract for the past five years.

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.

Application Requirements
To be considered, your application must be accompanied by a cover letter that demonstrates how your education and required experience make you suitable for the role. Your cover letter and resume will be used to assess your skills and abilities.  

Applications without a cover letter will not be considered for the position. 

Links and information on what we have to offer:
•    Working for the Alberta Public Service 
•    Public Service Pension Plan (PSPP)  
•    Alberta Public Service Benefit Information 
•    Professional learning and development
•    Research Alberta Public Service Careers tool 
•    Positive workplace culture and work-life balance.