Manager, Animal Health Program

Role Responsibilities

Are you passionate about promoting animal health and supporting Alberta's livestock industry? The Ministry of Agriculture & Irrigation (AGI) is seeking a dedicated and experienced professional to lead its Animal Health Programs Unit. 

Reporting to the Director of Animal Health, this role is essential for developing, implementing, and continuously improving livestock health programs that contribute to the safety, biosecurity, and economic stability of Alberta’s agricultural sector.

As the Manager, you will lead a team dedicated to advancing biosecurity, supporting disease control efforts, and managing key animal health programs, including Transmissible Spongiform Encephalopathy surveillance programs like the Canada and Alberta Bovine Spongiform Encephalopathy Surveillance Program and Chronic Wasting Disease surveillance. This role requires strong leadership skills, program management expertise, experience in managing a facility or handling responsibilities within a post-mortem examination room and a collaborative approach to working with stakeholders across government, industry, and academic institutions.

The position is also accountable for satisfying auditor expectations for FOIP and financial program delivery to clients for animal health surveillance and relevant Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership programs. The position is responsible for evaluating the Unit’s performance, and deliverables, and implementing changes to ensure continuous improvement.

In this role, your primary responsibilities will include:

• Program Leadership and Development: Direct and oversee the implementation of national and provincial livestock disease surveillance programs, ensuring they align with provincial and federal standards.
• Strategic Stakeholder Engagement: Collaborate with key partners, including industry stakeholders and academic institutions, to enhance awareness and support for surveillance programs.
• Resource and Budget Management: Administer budgets and financial resources to ensure efficient program delivery within Alberta Government standards.
• Contribution to Federal-Provincial-Territorial grant programs in Agriculture, by setting goals, defining terms of reference and criteria, evaluation of requests and their ability to meet defined outcomes, oversight of administration, assessing program routinely.
• Continuous Improvement: Evaluate program outcomes, identify areas for improvement, and drive enhancements to optimize disease control efforts.
• Operational Oversight: Ensure compliance with GOA health and safety regulations, AGI policies, and manage human resources within the Animal Health Programs Unit.

Role Responsibilities (Continued)

This position also manages the Edmonton postmortem room staff and oversees the services outlined below:

• Livestock Pathology and Toxicology Diagnostic Service:
  • Manage and administer pathology and toxicology diagnostic service of AGI to support disease surveillance, meat inspection activities and disease response.
  • Provide diagnostic support services to other departments.
  • Maintain post-mortem room facility and subsequent equipment at a Containment Level 2 (CL2) standard.
  • Effectively manage staff and provide oversight to ensure biosecurity and biocontainment standards.
• Support disease investigation and response activities of the Chief Provincial Veterinarian related to Animal Health Act:
  • Oversee and guide employees with field assignments.
  • Support the Incident Command infrastructure in the event of an animal health emergency, providing guidance and expertise as part of a rapid response team.
• Administrative Responsibilities:
  • Manage and supervise procurement of supplies to maintain services.
  • Ensure compliance with occupational health and safety policies and regulations during field operations.
  • Maintain and organize all documentation and records related to the role.

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.

Competencies specific to this role are:

• Systems Thinking: You consider the broader impacts of disease control and surveillance programs on Alberta’s livestock sector.
• Drive for Results: You are committed to achieving operational and financial standards that meet APS objectives and benefit the agricultural community.
• Creative Problem Solving: You approach challenges with innovative solutions, partnering with stakeholders to enhance program outcomes.
• Build Collaborative Environments: You engage with a wide network, leveraging resources to build shared solutions across government and industry.
• Develop Self and Others: You support continuous learning within your team, promoting growth and skill development.

Qualifications

Required:

• University graduation in Agriculture or a related field.
• A minimum of six (6) years of related experience in food animal agriculture, program management, and animal health.
• Proven track record in overseeing personnel, processes, programs and facility operations.
• Experience in program and policy management preferably in a public sector/government structure.
• In-depth understanding of Alberta’s livestock industry and animal health regulations.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills to effectively engage with a variety of stakeholders.
• Management/leadership experience.

Equivalencies may be considered - directly related education and 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 in veterinary care, animal health, and/or working with livestock is considered an asset.
• Experience in resource and budget management. 
• Experience in program evaluation and compliance to meet regulatory requirements. 
• Solid understanding of disease surveillance methods.
• Experience in stakeholder engagement, collaborating with key partners across government, industry, and academic institutions.

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

Term of Employment: Permanent full-time position.

Hours of Work: 36.25 hours per week, with occasional overtime as needed for emergency response.

Location: Edmonton  

Cover Letter: Please provide a cover letter outlining your suitability for this role.

Final candidates may be required to undergo a security screening.

This competition may be used to fill future vacancies, across the Government of Alberta, at the same or lower classification level. 

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.