Director, Policy Coordination and Agency Governance

Role Responsibilities

Are you a strategic leader who thrives in complex environments and values collaboration, innovation, and accountability? Join us as Director, Policy Coordination and Agency Governance, where you’ll lead critical initiatives that shape policy, strengthen governance, and drive continuous improvement across the Ministry and Government of Alberta.

The Director, Policy Coordination and Agency Governance provides strategic leadership to a multi-disciplinary team responsible for policy development, legislative planning, and agency governance. This role ensures the ministry’s policy direction is clear, integrated, and aligned with government priorities, supporting informed decision-making at senior leadership, Ministerial, and Cabinet levels. The Director oversees governance for agencies, boards, and commissions, legislative processes, and strategic engagement initiatives.

Success in this role requires collaborative leadership and adaptability in a dynamic environment. The Director builds strong relationships across the ministry, other departments, and key stakeholders, fostering trust and inclusion to advance complex initiatives. By championing continuous improvement and mentoring staff, the Director strengthens organizational capacity and ensures processes are efficient, transparent, and responsive to changing priorities.

Responsibilities include:

• Enhancing policy capacity within the Ministry, supporting policy integration within the Ministry, and informed decision making at the senior leadership, Ministerial and cabinet levels.
• Providing strategic advice to senior leadership and ensuring ministry priorities align with government direction.
• Overseeing legislative planning and approval processes, including Ministerial Orders and Orders in Council.
• Building collaborative relationships across ministries, agencies, and external partners to support policy and governance objectives.
• Driving continuous improvement in internal processes and fostering a culture of innovation and accountability within the team.

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.

How Competencies will apply to this role: 

• Build Collaborative Environments: Builds consultative and collaborative working relationships and partnerships in the ministry and across government to develop and advance coordinated policy options.
• Drive for Results: Provides strategic advice to the Minister, DM, Executive Team, and ministry staff and must forecast potential challenges with implementation and negotiates major issues in advance.
• Systems Thinking: Able to see both the big picture and details, understanding the whole system and recognize linkages between the two. Must be able to evaluate broad reaching impacts and use this knowledge to inform progress. In-depth knowledge of the structure, operation and decision-making processes in the department and government. 
• Develop Self and Others: 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.
• Agility: 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 stakeholders.

Qualifications

Requirements:

• A university degree in natural science, business, social science, or other related fields.
• Minimum of 6 years extensive related experience in policy development and government decision making.

Equivalency: Directly related education or experience considered on the basis of:

• 1 year of education for 1 year of experience; or
• 1 year of experience for 1 year of education.

Assets:

• Experience with Environment and Protected Area’s policy and legislation, and other relevant government legislation (e.g., Government Organization Act).
• Experience leading and coordinating complex projects and processes and leading teams.
• Experience in environmental regulatory and non-regulatory approaches, performance measurements and reporting, and systems evaluation related to environmental and human health protection.
• Familiarity with agency governance mandates, related legislation, and guidelines.
• Ability to manage politically sensitive issues with discretion and professionalism.
• Knowledge of performance measurement, business planning, and reporting processes.

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 competition is for 1 permanent position, located in Edmonton.

This position work Monday to Friday, 8:15 AM-4:30 PM, 36.25 hours a week.

In your application, please include a cover page detailing your interest in the position, and role related experience. In your resume, include dates (including months and years) associated with all education and work experience. Also, please indicate whether your work experience is casual, part-time, or full-time. For example, January 15, 2006 - June 25, 2009: Assistant (PT three 8 hrs. shifts/week).

Final candidates will be required 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.
• 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.