Dir, Diploma Programs

Role Responsibilities

Lead the Future of Student Assessment in Alberta
Provincial Assessment is seeking a Director for the Diploma Programs Branch to guide the development, administration, and reporting of Alberta’s diploma examinations.

The Director oversees all stages of developing, administering, marking, analyzing, and reporting Grade 12 Mathematics, Science, and Humanities diploma examinations across Alberta.. The Director ensures all diploma exams meet rigorous technical, psychometric, curriculum, security, and operational standards so results are valid, reliable, and reflective of provincial learning expectations. The role also oversees the preparation of field tests, support materials, and all related quality control processes.
The position leads communication strategies to ensure school authorities, teachers, and parents understand the Diploma Examination Program and the use of results. The Director also guides change management as the division transitions to a new online assessment platform.

The role collaborates across the branch, sector, ministry, and with partners at provincial, national, and international levels to support departmental Business Plan goals. The Director leads a team of psychometricians and analysts who provide expert guidance on the design, scoring, and reporting of provincial assessments throughout the school year.

Responsibilities include:

• Ensure diploma exams and field tests meet psychometric, curriculum, and security standards.
• Oversee development, validation, marking, and reporting processes to ensure fairness and reliability.
• Lead communication with school authorities, educators, and parents to support understanding of provincial results.
• Provide expert assessment guidance to school authorities to support student learning.
• Lead teams responsible for scoring/reporting for literacy and numeracy screeners, PATs, Diploma Exams, and CAEC.
• Manage staff, resources, and operational plans, and collaborate provincially, nationally, and internationally on assessment initiatives.

If this opportunity interests you, please do not hesitate to apply!

Please click on the link to view the job description.

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.

Systems Thinking: The Director must be aware of current trends in assessment, instruction and curriculum and how they impact learners to communicate how this knowledge is applied in the development and construction of assessment instruments.

Creative Problem Solving: The Director collaborates with branch, sector, division and department management to develop guidelines, policies, and procedures related to the development of valid diploma examinations and reliable marking procedures that are valid and fair for all students.

Agility: The Director supports and collaborates  with clients, stakeholders, and partners through timely and effective responses to issues and concerns related to the development and reliable marking of provincial assessments.

Qualifications

Education

University degree in a related field supplemented by six years progressively responsible experience. Demonstrated leadership or supervisory experience mentoring and coaching individuals is an asset. 

Other Requirements:

• A cover letter must be provided that clearly and concisely outlines how the candidate meets the requirements outlined in the job ad in paragraphs. The candidate’s resume and cover letter will be used to evaluate writing ability and could disqualify them from the competition. 

The position requires the following knowledge, skills and abilities:

• Knowledge of the relevant program and courses of study. 
• Awareness of trends in assessment and instruction and how they impact learners to address issues in test design and development. 
• Thorough knowledge of Alberta school authorities, schools, government policies and procedures related to construction, instruction and assessment. This knowledge enables the incumbent to respond appropriately to Ministerial action requests regarding diploma examinations and other assessment related issues, direct the development of valid and reliable assessment instruments, and effectively chair committees consisting of school and school authority administrators.
• Knowledge and skill in  psychometrics, test design, and curriculum to provide leadership in the development and marking of all provincial assessments, including diploma exams and to provide leadership for school authorities in the development, administration, scoring and reporting of alternative forms of assessment.
• Extensive knowledge of theories and principles related to the development and use of assessment materials for learners based on extensive knowledge or programs and programs of study.
• Knowledge of the goals of schooling and educational policy and issues that relate to student learning and assessment. 
• Knowledge of administrative structures of school authorities, post-secondary institutions, non-government agencies and government departments in Alberta to identify appropriate representatives for collaboration and consultation.
• The job requires a high level of coordination to ensure that different diploma exams and field tests meet all aspects of sector standards. In addition, this job requires a level of organization in and coordination to facilitate the reliable marking of thousands of diploma exams annually, all within preset deadlines.

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

There is one permanent full-time position working for 36.25 hours per week located in Edmonton.

Final candidates will be required to undergo a security screening.

Please attach a cover letter to your application clearly explaining your suitability for the role. Applications without a cover letter may not be reviewed.

In your resume, please include tenure of each employment (in months and years) associated with all education and work experience. Also, please indicate whether your work experience is casual, part time or full time.

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.
•    Leadership and mentorship programs.