Consequence Manager

Role Responsibilities

Are you interested in using your management  knowledge and experience to make a difference for Albertans and protect the environment during emergency events?  This might be the job for you!

The Environmental Emergency Management Program is the GoA's ongoing commitment to prevent/mitigate, prepare for, and respond to emergencies that affect the environment. The program plays an essential role in protecting both the health of Albertans and the environment and is critical in advancing environmental emergency management throughout the province. The Environmental Emergency Management Program is delivered through the Environmental Emergency Management Branch.

The Consequence Manager is directly responsible for strategic leadership of the Environmental Emergency Management Program including the establishment and implementation of: policies and procedures, response plans, crisis management, and training.  Under extremely stressful and emergency conditions, and with or without direction from EPA executives, the position must quickly absorb and analyze a vast amount of information, some of it unclear or conflicting, and make critical decisions potentially affecting the safety and security of large populations. The same is true when the decisions are not necessarily life critical but do adversely affect property, infrastructure, the Alberta economy and the environment. One of the key challenges for the position is to enhance the capacity for readiness across the environmental emergency management system. The position is required to understand the complexity surrounding the delivery of integrated and collaborative environmental emergency management hazard-specific plans/initiatives, and organizing and aligning efforts and resources.  

Role Responsibilities (cont'd)

Principal responsibilities include:  
•    Responsible to lead the ongoing maintenance of EPA's Emergency Management Plan, development of hazard-specific plans (e.g. Flood Plan, Drought and Water Shortage Plan, Aquatic Invasive Species plans, Foreign Animal Disease Eradication (carcass disposal)), and coordinate department programs during emergencies that meet the legislated/regulatory mandate of the ministry (wildlife management, air monitoring, water quality/quantity monitoring etc.).
•    Ensure Ministry environmental emergency response plans are kept updated, posted, exercised and submitted to AEMA to ensure they are reflected in the Alberta Emergency Plan.
•    EPA operates a decentralized system for emergency management, utilizing the Department Coordination Center (DCC) for a one-window approach during environmental emergencies. During a level 2-3 event the director is accountable to operationalize environmental emergency plans and activate the DCC for a prompt and orderly response by the department. This includes coordinating EPA staff, resources and information during a large scale/complex event.
•    Leads and oversees environmental emergency management and response training needs analysis, risk analysis and ensures staff are always trained to the required standards (e.g. the Training Standard), and that training records are tracked using a learning management system.
•    Information and knowledge systems are required so that environmental emergency management related decisions, strategies, plans, policies, practices, operations, communication and learning programs are well-informed, proactive and adaptive. The director is responsible to ensure that information knowledge systems, and technology that impact or support environmental emergency management, are developed and in place, and other systems developed elsewhere in EPA include EM feedback.
•    Develop and implement a robust EEMB OHS plan which is compliant with legislation and addresses all elements of the GoA OHS program, including branch staff and staff that support environmental emergency events (regional responders and DCC augmentees.).
•    Responsible to bring together diverse, distributed and dynamic teams to cooperate efficiently and effectively in delivering Alberta's environmental emergency management system. This includes developing and maintaining effective and productive relationships within the Ministry, across ministries, with different levels of government and agencies, industry and partners, to encourage and support the integration, collaboration and coordination of resources and knowledge relative to environmental emergency response.
•    Alberta's environmental emergency management system has a consistent supply of skilled, competent, motivated and future-ready individuals throughout all environmental emergency involved organizations. As a member of EEMB, the Director is responsible for providing advice and recommendations on issues, trends and challenges, and working as part of a leadership team to support the Executive Director and contribute to achievement of the branch's and Ministry's goals.

This position is required to understand the complexity surrounding the delivery of integrated and collaborative environmental emergency management hazard-specific plans/initiatives, and organizing and aligning efforts and resources. 

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: https://www.alberta.ca/system/files/custom_downloaded_images/psc-alberta-public-service-competency-model.pdf.

Agility: The ability to operate, lead, and make timely decisions in high tempo, stressful situations under tight timelines at extraordinary times and locations. Proven ability and experience in leading staffing under extremely stressful conditions and emergency situations, providing concise and calm direction in highly charged environment. Knowledge of change management approaches and experience guiding staff through change.

Build Collaborative Environments: Develop and maintain effective and productive relationships within the Ministry, across ministries, with different levels of government and agencies, industry and partners to encourage and support the integration, collaboration and coordination of resources and knowledge relative to environmental emergency response.

Creative Problem-Solving: Programs, plans and strategies developed by the director guide the Department, branches, and regions to greater align with overarching strategies and priorities of the division and department executive leadership. Often a precedent does not exist for a complex issue; therefore, the solution/program must be conceptualized, resourced and implemented.

Develop Self and Others: High level of interpersonal skills to gain consensus, facilitate conflict resolution, especially during time sensitive high intensity emergency events. Actively model and champion a culture of emergency management to EEMB and Ministry.

Develop Networks: You will use your excellent interpersonal relations and communication skills to develop excellent working relationships with other ministries and outside agencies such as industrial or municipal stakeholders.

Drive for Results: Ability to analyze complex issues and synthesize findings to identify actions and solutions.

Systems Thinking: Lead development, then maintain and implement a strategic future-focused roadmap for environmental emergency management, including sustaining senior level stakeholder support for the concepts of response readiness across EPA and partners/stakeholders through communication and enhancement of a culture of emergency management.

Qualifications

Required: 
•    University graduation in a related field such environmental science or resource management.
•    Minimum of seven years of progressively responsible related experience in a combination of areas:
o    Extensive project management experience.
o    Experience as a strategic planner working in an environment where complex, multi-jurisdictional problem solving.
o    Management or supervisory experience in positions demonstrating increasing responsibility over time.
o    Experience in dealing with public, news media, emergency responders, and senior officials in the public, private and volunteer sectors.

Equivalencies will be considered - related experience or education may be considered as an equivalency on a one for one basis.

A diploma may be considered if it is combined with 9 years of directly related experience.

The following experience would be considered an asset:
o    Knowledge of the Incident Command System (ICS) and certification is an asset.
o    Knowledge of provincial and federal legislation (e.g. Emergency Management Act, Water Act, EPEA, Regulations and Ministerial Orders and Guidelines made pursuant to the Acts) that govern the operation of EPA, EEMB and DCC.
o    Knowledge of environmental emergency management systems provincially, nationally and internationally with respect to both consequence and crisis management and the four pillars of emergency management  (mitigation, preparation, response and recovery.)
o    Experience in emergency management planning and implementation at the strategic, operational and tactical levels.
o    Experience working with complex IT solutions and systems.
o    Knowledge and understanding of the sectors concerned with emergency management in Alberta: public, non-government and volunteer sectors.

Minimum recruitment standards outline the minimum education and experience required for appointment to a job classification. Refer to https://www.alberta.ca/alberta-public-service-minimum-recruitment-standards.

Notes

•    This requisition is recruiting for a permanent, full-time position, with the standard weekly work hours as 36.25, Monday to Friday. 
•    Please Note: Candidates may be asked to complete a written assignment as a part of the interview process.
•    Final candidates will be required to undergo security screening.

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.

Links and information on what the GoA has to offer to prospective employees.
•    Working for the Alberta Public Service - https://www.alberta.ca/advantages- working-for-alberta-public-service.aspx.
•    Management Employees Pension Plan (MEPP) - https://www.mepp.ca.
•    Alberta Public Service Benefit Information - https://www.alberta.ca/alberta-public-service-benefits.
•    Professional learning and development - https://www.alberta.ca/professional-development-support-directive.
•    Research Alberta Public Service Careers tool – https://researchapscareers.alberta.ca.
•    Positive workplace culture and work-life balance.
•    Leadership and mentorship programs.