Issues Manager

Role Responsibilities

Do you thrive in a fast-paced environment where every day brings new challenges? Are you energized by building strong relationships, juggling multiple tasks and driving continuous improvement? If you excel at collaboration, navigating ambiguity, taking on projects and working with others, the Issues Manager position, supporting the Assistant Deputy Minister’s Office could be the perfect fit for you!

As the successful candidate, you will report directly to the Assistant Deputy Minister/Senior Financial Officer (ADM/SFO) and work closely with senior division and Ministry representatives to achieve core division and Ministry goals. As a key member of the senior management team, you will anticipate and identify strategically significant issues and ensure the Corporate Finance division is well-positioned to respond effectively.

This role requires:

•    Exceptional organizational skills to manage competing priorities under tight deadlines.
•    Strong problem-solving and strategic thinking abilities to address complex and emerging issues.
•    Outstanding interpersonal skills to build and maintain strong relationships across the Division and Ministry, including the Deputy Minister's Office, Ministry Communications, the Ministerial Correspondence Unit, Legal Services, and other divisions.

You will often act on behalf of the Senior Financial Officer on sensitive and emerging issues, requiring confidence, discretion, and professionalism.

As the ideal candidate, you are expected to:  

•    Proactively identify, monitor, and analyze strategically significant issues affecting the Division, ensuring risks, impacts, and emerging trends are understood and addressed.
•    Develop and coordinate plans, strategies, and approaches to ensure appropriate responses to emerging issues.
•    Keep the ADM/SFO fully informed on emerging issues, recommended solutions, and required actions.
•    Manage urgent requests from the Deputy Minister and Minister’s offices, coordinating divisional input, assigning tasks, and ensuring deadlines and quality standards are met.
•    Oversee divisional issues management processes, including tracking systems, escalation protocols, and communication channels to ensure timely and consistent information flow.
•    Lead the preparation of briefing materials for senior executives, including Question Period notes, Ministerial Reports, Committee of Supply materials, and Public Accounts responses.
•    Establish and maintain strong relationships with divisional branches, ministry partners, and stakeholders to ensure early awareness of emerging issues and provide comprehensive advice.
•    Implement and monitor communication strategies, review and approve action requests and correspondence, and ensure alignment with division and Ministry priorities.
•    Provide guidance and oversight to the Issues Coordinator, ensuring effective execution of issues management activities, workload prioritization, and continuous improvement

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.

• Agility: In our fast-paced environment, you can anticipate, assess, readily adapt to changing priorities and work effectively with shifting priorities.
• Systems Thinking: You anticipate outcomes and potential impacts across inter-related areas and factors this into planning and problem solving.
• Creative Problem Solving: You can assess options and implications in new ways to achieve outcomes and solutions.
• Drive for Results: You know what outcomes are important and maximize resources to achieve results aligned with the organization's goals, while maintaining accountability to each other and external stakeholders.  
• Build Collaborative Environments: Creates opportunities for project teams and stakeholders to share information; respects others' point-of-view, encourages or facilitates conflict resolution, recognizes performance of all groups involved.

Qualifications

University graduation in a related field plus 4 years progressively responsible related experience; or equivalent as described below.

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: 

•    Knowledge of department organizational structures, mandates, programs, and services, including ministerial correspondence guidelines and internal communication procedures.
•    Strong understanding of strategic and operational planning processes and how they support government priorities.
•    Expertise in developing written communication materials for diverse audiences, ensuring clarity, tone, and alignment with government standards.
•    Familiarity with policy development
•    Knowledge of research and evaluation methods, including data collection, analysis, interpretation, and risk management principles.
•    Proficiency in project management and experience managing complex initiatives and timelines. 
•    Understanding of the Government’s financial cycle and its implications for divisional and ministry operations.

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

A cover letter is required. In your cover letter, please provide information that clearly demonstrates how your qualifications meet the advertised requirements for this position.

Hours of Work: 36.25/week

In your resume, please include dates (including months and years) associated with all education and work experience. As well, 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). Please indicate who you provided support for Example ”Director, CEO or other”

Pre-employment checks will be completed to assess the candidate’s suitability for a role. These checks can include (but are not limited to): references, criminal record check, and academic verification. 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
•    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
•    Leadership and mentorship programs