Director, Child Intervention

Role Responsibilities

The Director is a versatile role and can provide strategic leadership for a broad range of program areas such as child intervention, caregiver, contracts, workforce operations and other services at the regional, divisional, and cross-government levels. Reporting within the North Region, this position is responsible for the leadership and supervision of multiple Managers within a large rural service delivery area.

Service delivery offices are responsible for planning and delivering a continuum of services for children, youth, and families, including intake, assessment, investigation, case management, permanency planning, transition services, and post-intervention supports. Staff work collaboratively with families, communities, Indigenous partners, and service providers to support the safety, well-being, and long-term outcomes of children and youth.

As Director, you will:

• Provide operational leadership and oversight for child intervention and regional programs such as caregiver, contracts and workforce operations and services, ensuring safe, effective, and responsive service delivery.
• Lead the implementation of performance measures, quality improvement initiatives, and operational goals that support ministry priorities and community needs.
• Make and support high-risk decisions involving complex child intervention matters and emergent situations impacting the safety and well-being of children, youth, and families.
• Contribute to regional strategic planning and operational priorities, ensuring alignment with legislation, policy, and ministry direction.
• Provide leadership and input into provincial initiatives, governance structures, and cross-regional practices to support consistency and excellence in service delivery.
• Ensure Indigenous perspectives, cultural responsiveness, and reconciliation commitments are reflected in planning, decision-making, and service delivery.
• Oversee human and financial resources, ensuring effective workforce planning, fiscal stewardship, and operational accountability.

This position provides leadership and supervision to approximately 50-60 staff, including Managers, Supervisors, Child Intervention Practitioners, and Administrative Professionals. The Director is responsible for fostering a positive workplace culture that promotes employee engagement, psychological safety, accountability, collaboration, and continuous learning.

The successful candidate will:

• Lead through others by supporting and developing Managers and leadership teams.
• Balance strategic priorities with day-to-day operational realities.
• Build strong partnerships with Indigenous communities, stakeholders, and service providers.
• Use evidence, data, and performance metrics to drive continuous improvement.
• Demonstrate sound judgment and confidence in complex, high-risk situations.
• Champion a culture of safety, inclusion, respect, and service excellence.

This is an exceptional opportunity for a seasoned leader who is passionate about improving outcomes for children, youth, and families while leading large, multidisciplinary teams in a complex and dynamic environment.

The Job Description is provided for further details on 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.

• Systems Thinking – Understands the broader impact of decisions, strategies, and change initiatives on clients, stakeholders, staff, and service delivery. Uses a strategic lens to align operational priorities with organizational goals while recognizing connections across programs, divisions, and ministries.
• Drive for Results – Leads and manages initiatives that achieve intended outcomes, ensuring priorities, projects, and deliverables are completed effectively and within established timelines.
• Agility – Promotes adaptability and resilience in a dynamic environment. Anticipates challenges, responds effectively to changing priorities, and removes barriers through proactive and flexible leadership.
• Develop Self and Others – Builds high-performing teams by fostering a culture of trust, respect, learning, and accountability. Supports employee growth, leadership development, and continuous improvement.
• Build Collaborative Environments – Creates and sustains positive working relationships that enable individuals and teams to work together effectively, share knowledge, and achieve common goals.
• Creative Problem Solving – Encourages innovation and continuous improvement by creating an environment where new ideas are explored and complex challenges are addressed with thoughtful, practical solutions.
• Develop Networks – Establishes and maintains strong partnerships within the ministry, across government, and with external stakeholders. Leverages relationships and communication channels to achieve shared outcomes and enhance service delivery.

Qualifications

Minimum Recruitment Standards: University graduation in a field related to the position assignment, ideally in Social Work, supplemented by six years progressively responsible experience.

Equivalency: Related experience or education may be considered as an equivalency on a one-for-one basis.

Consideration will also be given to candidates with post-secondary education in fields such as Human Services, Public Administration, Child and Youth Care, Sociology, Psychology, or other related disciplines.

Assets:

• Demonstrated senior leadership experience leading large, diverse and multidisciplinary teams, aligning staff around a common vision, building accountability, and coaching and developing high-performing teams.
• Extensive knowledge of child intervention practice, legislation, policy, service delivery frameworks and quality assurance systems, including the social, cultural and environmental factors affecting children, youth and families.
• Strong understanding of government structures, public-sector decision-making, legislation and policy development, with the ability to translate strategic direction into effective operational delivery.
• Proven experience leading complex operations and managing human, financial and organizational resources to achieve strategic priorities, operational objectives and measurable outcomes.
• Demonstrated success in strategic and business planning, project leadership and organizational improvement, including implementation, evaluation, performance monitoring and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Strong experience building collaborative relationships and leading through influence with internal and external stakeholders, including Indigenous communities, organizations and partners, to support culturally responsive and inclusive service delivery.
• Exceptional communication, consultation, negotiation and conflict-resolution skills, with the ability to navigate sensitive, complex and high-profile issues and build alignment among diverse stakeholder groups.
• Highly developed systems thinking, critical thinking and creative problem-solving skills, combined with the agility to anticipate emerging issues, respond to changing priorities and make sound decisions in complex and fast-paced environments.

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

Notes

We are currently recruiting for 1 Permanent position.

This competition may be used to fill future vacancies, across the Government of Alberta, at the same or lower classification level.

Hours of Work: Monday to Friday, 36.25 hours per week. Additional hours may be required, including evenings, weekends, travel, and participation in an after-hours on-call rotation.

Travel: Regular travel is required as part of this role. The successful candidate must be able to travel frequently to the designated service delivery office(s) they support and throughout the North Region as operational needs require.

Preference will be given to candidates who reside within the North Region. Relocation assistance may be considered. Candidates residing outside the region may also be considered if they can meet the travel requirements of the position.

Location: Northern Alberta

Additional Role & Application Requirements:

• Travel will be required in this role; therefore, final candidates for this position will be asked to provide a current 5-year commercial driver’s abstract. Candidates may also be required to use their own vehicle when government fleet vehicles are not available. Appropriate insurance is required.
• Alberta College of Social Workers (ACSW) registration, as required under the Health Professions Act for candidates with a Social Work diploma, degree, or masters. For more information, visit www.acsw.ab.ca.
• Other considerations:
  • They have a degree 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
• Must hold current or previous Category 7 delegation under the Child, Youth and Family Enhancement Act (CYFEA) 
  Internal Candidates must have completed or be in the process of completing the Foundations, and Relationship and Culture pathways in the Ministry’s ICUF to be considered for the role.
• You may be asked to confirm training completion as part of your application.
• A cover letter outlining why you are applying to this role and how your experience relates to the qualifications is required.

Notes cont'd

Pre-Employment Requirements:

• The final candidate for this position will undergo appropriate pre-employment checks and provide suitable security screening.
• Candidates will require a clear Criminal Record Check with Vulnerable Sector Check and Intervention Record Check (if applicable) to be considered for the role (if not currently in the Child Intervention Delivery Services Branch).
• Academic credentials check.
• Please be advised that your current supervisor and manager will be contacted as references. Please include your current Supervisor/Manager as part of your references.
   

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. 

Perks of living in the North:

• Northern Allowance
• Attraction bonus for employees located in Fort McMurray and north of the 57th parallel
• 55th to 57th parallels retention allowance

Links and information on what we have to offer:

• Working for the Alberta Public Service
• Management Employee Pension Plan (MEPP)
• Alberta Public Service Benefit Information
• Professional learning and development
• Research Alberta Public Service Careers tool
• Positive workplace culture and work-life balance.