Director, Executive Operations

Role Responsibilities

Are you a strategic thinker who thrives at the intersection of politics, policy, and public service? If you're ready to lead with influence, coordination, and clarity in a high-impact executive role, the Ministry invites you to consider this unique opportunity to serve as the Director of Executive Operations (DEO). This role positions you at the heart of decision-making in government, supporting and advising the Associate Deputy Minister while facilitating province-wide initiatives and relationships that shape Alberta’s future.

The Director of Executive Operations is the primary liaison and strategic advisor to the Associate Deputy Minister’s Office (Assoc DMO). Reporting directly to the Associate Deputy Minister (Assoc DM), you will play a pivotal leadership role that connects political vision with operational execution. This is not just a behind-the-scenes position, it is a role that requires forward-looking insight, high-level coordination, and adaptive leadership. You will work alongside executive leaders across the Ministry and with key government stakeholders to ensure that initiatives, projects, and policies remain aligned with provincial priorities.

The DEO supports the Associate Deputy Minister by providing high-level advice, insight, and coordination on complex policy, legislative, and operational matters. You'll lead the development of strategies that manage political sensitivities and enable agile, proactive ministry responses to evolving issues. You will act as a connector across all divisions of the ministry, ensuring clear communication between the Assoc DMO, DMO, Minister’s Office, ADM offices, and external stakeholders. In this role, your strategic judgment will guide the ministry through both opportunity and risk, leading responses to province-wide initiatives, facilitating collaboration, and ensuring the smooth operation of the Assoc DMO.

This opportunity places you in a central role within Alberta’s public service, with direct exposure to high-level decision-making and executive operations. You will join a dynamic executive team and contribute meaningfully to policy direction, organizational transformation, and the success of strategic government priorities. The role offers unmatched access to critical files and influence over their development. For a driven, diplomatic, and visionary leader, this is a platform to shape the future while fostering innovation, integration, and improved outcomes for all Albertans.

Success in this role will come from your ability to lead under pressure, build strong relationships across ministries, and synthesize complex issues into actionable strategies. Your strength in navigating political landscapes with discretion and clarity will distinguish you. You should be comfortable juggling multiple priorities in a fast-paced environment and demonstrating resilience, diplomacy, and initiative. The ideal candidate is a systems thinker, a strategic communicator, and a trusted advisor who remains composed in high-stakes scenarios and fosters organizational agility.

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.

• Systems Thinking: The Director provides strategic advice to the Assoc DM, Eecutive Team, ministry staff and external stakeholders. The position forecasts potential challenges with implementation and negotiates major issues in advance. Must hold true to principles and confront problems directly, taking steps to rectify problem situations. The Director uses knowledge of the overall organization to improve performance and initiates actions to optimize resources for the achievement of improved results.
• Develop Networks: It is critical that the Director quickly establish credibility and initiate relationships with a broad range of people in unfamiliar environments, nurturing these relationships to build trust. The Director must invest effort in ensuring colleagues, client, and stakeholder needs are heard and that there is a shared understanding of context and space for information sharing.
• Creative Problem Solving: The Director must be able to combine different approaches and perspectives across the ministry and from other ministries, creating a safe space for people to think creatively. The Director must be able identify barriers to creativity and propose viable solutions.
• Agility: The Director must be able to adapt quickly to the changing landscape and priorities, foster agility in others, create processes and opportunities that encourage proactive and flexible practices across the ministry, inter-ministry and with external stakeholder. The Director must be able to anticipate, evaluate and proactively address organizational barriers to agility.
• Develop Self and Others: The Director must stay ahead of the curve and apply emerging approaches and or technologies. Must have an ability to create, support, and sustain a work environment that enables staff to achieve results and build skill capacities for the future.

Qualifications

University degree in a related field (e.g., political science, public administration, business, law, or communications) plus a minimum of seven years of progressively responsible experience in issues management in the public sector.

The following are considered assets:

• Demonstrated experience in a political or public service environment, including knowledge of government decision-making processes and legislative procedures.
• Proven ability to identify and assess legal implications, risks, and mitigation strategies.
• Strong record of providing robust advice, supported by thorough analysis and strategic thinking.
• Experience communicating with senior leaders and influencing executive-level decision-making.
• Expertise in managing multiple complex files in a dynamic and politically sensitive environment.
• Experience representing public sector leadership in external or cross-ministry forums.

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 a permanent, full-time position working 36.25 hours per week, Monday to Friday.

Location
Terrace Building located at 9515  - 107 Avenue NW, Edmonton.

Candidates with lesser qualifications may be considered at a lower classification and salary. This competition may be used to fill future roles at the same or lower classifications.

Candidates may be asked to participate in a written assessment. Final candidates for this position will be asked to undergo a 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 have to offer to prospective employees.

• Working for the Alberta Public Service - https://www.alberta.ca/advantages-working-for-alberta-public-service.aspx.
• Public Service Pension Plan (PSPP) - https://www.pspp.ca.
• 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.