Senior Manager, Provincial Watershed Monitoring

Role Responsibilities

As the Senior Manager, you will play a pivotal leadership role in managing Alberta’s Provincial Water Monitoring System, an early warning system for water quantity and quality that directly supports emergency preparedness, policy development, regulatory processes, and environmental stewardship.

Leading a diverse team of approximately 40 highly skilled, multi-disciplinary professionals across Alberta, you will oversee the design, implementation, and continuous improvement of rigorous water monitoring and auditing programs ensuring consistency, transparency, and scientific integrity of vital data that informs decisions at all levels of government and industry.

You will also manage operational and capital budgets, guide asset management for permanent and temporary monitoring infrastructure, and represent Alberta on post-secondary, provincial, and national committees shaping the future of water monitoring standards and practices.

This position is a unique opportunity for a passionate leader who thrives at the intersection of environmental science, program management, stakeholder engagement, and emergency response.

Key Responsibilities:

• Provide strategic leadership and oversight for province-wide water quantity and quality monitoring programs.
• Direct the development of protocols, SOPs, and audit programs to uphold data quality and regulatory compliance.
• Lead operational delivery of long-term and emergency monitoring networks, rivers, streams, lakes, groundwater, and meteorological stations.
• Manage asset planning, infrastructure lifecycle, procurement, and maintenance for monitoring stations and laboratories and expenditure officer duties.
• Lead the Provincial Water Monitoring System’s critical role as an early warning system during environmental emergencies.
• Build and maintain collaborative relationships with diverse stakeholders, government partners, Indigenous communities, watershed stewardship groups, municipalities, industry, and academia.
• Represent Alberta on provincial and national committees to advance monitoring standards, technologies, and best practices.
• Provide trusted advice and recommendations to senior and executive leadership to inform policy, regulatory decisions, and emergency response.

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

Position Specific Competencies:

• Systems Thinking: Integrates a broad strategic perspective, anticipating trends and ensuring watershed monitoring aligns with ministry and government priorities.
• Creative Problem Solving: Uses innovative approaches to tackle complex issues, engages the team for solutions, and proactively addresses risks to maintain program integrity.
• Drive for Results: Removes barriers, aligns resources, and delivers high-quality outcomes with a strong focus on accountability, even under pressure.
• Develop Networks: Builds strong relationships with stakeholders, fostering collaboration across sectors to strengthen Alberta’s water monitoring and early warning systems.
• Develop Self and Others: Promotes continuous learning and professional growth, ensuring the team has the skills, training, and support to work safely and effectively.

Qualifications

Requirements

Education:
A bachelor’s degree in Environmental Science, Hydrology, Water Resource Management, Environmental Engineering, or a related discipline.

Experience:
Minimum of six years of progressive, related experience in environmental monitoring, including:

• Extensive experience with monitoring systems, methods, and technologies for water quantity and quality, effluent monitoring, field instrumentation, data collection, and laboratory analysis.
• Experience developing and implementing audit and quality assurance programs.
• Supervisory experience leading multi-disciplinary technical teams, including coaching and mentoring staff.
• Strong ability to manage budgets, contract management, procurement, and infrastructure assets.
• Strong Occupational Health and Safety knowledge.

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

Assets:

• Experience with advanced data analytics, hydrological modelling, GIS mapping, and remote sensing for watershed monitoring.
• Additional certifications (e.g., PMP for project management, ISO quality management, emergency management/ICS certifications).
• Advanced understanding of occupational health and safety requirements for field operations in remote and hazardous conditions.

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 position is based in Edmonton and/or Calgary, Alberta and is a full-time permanent role working 36.25 hours per week, Monday to Friday. Occasional province-wide travel may be required to support field operations, stakeholder engagement, or emergency response. Some work outside regular business hours may be necessary during environmental emergencies or peak field seasons.

Final candidates will be required to undergo a security screening.

Please submit your cover letter and updated resume. In your resume, clearly indicate the duration of each role by providing the month and year, and specify the employment status (e.g., casual, part-time, or full-time). For example: Customer Service Representative, July 2015 - December 2017, Part-time (20 hours/week).

For your post-secondary education, specify your major, the length of the program, and your year of graduation. For example: Diploma in Water Resources Technology, 2-year program, Sept 2014 - June 2016.

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 have 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.
• Opportunity to participate in flexible work arrangements such as working from home up to two days per week and modified work schedule agreement.
• Leadership and mentorship programs.