Manager, Humanities

Role Responsibilities

Lead high-impact curriculum transformation across Alberta’s K–12 system, guiding multidisciplinary teams to develop inclusive, evidence-informed humanities programming aligned with provincial policy and strategic direction.

Working within the Curriculum and Career Education Division, and reporting to the Director, English Language Arts and Literature/Social Studies/Fine Arts (EFASS), the Manager, Humanities, supports the research, development and stewardship of provincial Kindergarten to Grade 12 (K-12) English Language Arts and Literature (ELAL), French First Language Arts and Literature (FFLL), French Immersion Language Arts and Literature (FILAL) curriculum, and Social Studies (SS).
 

The Manager plays a key leadership role in ensuring curriculum is evidence‑informed, culturally responsive, and aligned to policy documents, including the Ministerial Order on Student Learning (the Ministerial Order) and The Guiding Framework for the Design and Development of Kindergarten to Grade 12 Provincial Curriculum (The Guiding Framework). Understanding the common architecture and design for new curriculum is required in order to effectively coach and mentor teams as they engage in this work.  
 

To achieve branch deliverables, the Manager provides leadership, advises on strategic planning, and directly supervises staff in the branch including recruitment, training, managing workloads, assigning tasks and projects, and conducting performance excellence reviews.

Key Responsibilities would include:

1.    Lead the development, revision, and maintenance of K -12 Humanities curriculum and collaborate and contribute to sector priorities, such as Francsation and EAL, in accordance with 
       ministry policies, standards, guidelines, and approved development processes.

2.    Support system success by collaborating with a range of internal and external partners to support effective development and implementation of K-12 curriculum.

3.    Lead strategic planning and issue management to ensure curriculum projects and policies align with ministry direction and support executive decision-making.

4.    As the manager for humanities curriculum, represents the branch to support implementation of curriculum and development of learning and teaching resources. 

5.    Contribute to Branch and Division operations.

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 

• Uses Insight into economic and political trends to inform and shape K–12 curriculum development, engaging diverse stakeholders with system-wide impact.
• Works with internal and external partners to support humanities policy/ curriculum development and implementation in alignment with departmental priorities and policy documents.

Build Collaborative Environments

• Builds and maintains relationships with internal and external stakeholders, to ensure goals are met and priorities are achieved.
• Communicates and collaborates with divisional, departmental, and external partners to lead development and implementation of K-12 curriculum. 
• Anticipates potential areas of conflict and negotiates collaborative solutions.

Develop Self and Others

• Leads a team within the branch and is required to demonstrate strong leadership and communication to support staff, ensure expectations are clear, and goals (personal and professional) are met.
• Seeks learning opportunities for him/herself and identifies professional learning needs of the team as well as individual team members within the unit.
• Develops competencies and leadership skills of all team members, and provides multiple opportunities for staff to gain experience (formal and informal training, acting assignments, etc.)

Drive for Results

• Leads and manages curriculum renewal across multiple subject areas, as well as stakeholder engagements and operational needs with tight timelines. Identifies potential barriers to collaboration between branches and units of the sector and works to develop efficiencies in work and collaboration processes.

Agility

• Anticipates shifts in work priorities and impacts of decisions.
• Applies strong coordination and implementation skills to manage multiple priorities within demanding timelines.

Creative Problem Solving

• Uses critical thinking and complex problem-solving skills to seek solutions to issues - this requires strong conflict resolution and diplomacy skills to anticipate and mitigate responses (from division staff, leadership, stakeholders, etc.) 

Qualifications

University graduation in Education, French Education, Policy or in a field related to the position assignment, supplemented by four years related experience. Related experience or education may be considered as an equivalency on a one for one basis.

The position also requires the following knowledge, skills, and competencies:

• Strong knowledge of the Alberta K–12 education system. 
• Demonstrated experience leading work in a complex divisional organization, including establishing, coordinating, and leading multidisciplinary teams and committees.
• Experience motivating and managing professional and administrative staff to promote team effectiveness, self-reliance, competence, reliability, and confidence.
• Experience leading collaborative, consensus-driven discussions with diverse stakeholders. 
• Experience managing projects, contractors, schedules, workflows, and quality-assurance processes. 
• Experience in knowledge management and knowledge mobilization to support effective information sharing across the system. 
• Strong knowledge of curriculum development models, processes, and research, including trends in curriculum design and implementation.
• Strong knowledge of Alberta policy documents related to curriculum development and implementation, including Education Act and Guide to Education; Ministerial Order on Student Learning; The Guiding Framework for the Design and Development of Future Kindergarten to Grade 12 Provincial Curriculum; the Access to Information Act and the Protection of Privacy Act.  
• Strong research and analytical skills, including experience with research methods, data interpretation and analysis, and evidence-informed decision-making.
• Understanding of the role, limitations, and ethical considerations of AI in research and writing processes, including critical evaluation of AI-generated content and alignment with privacy, access‑to‑information, and responsible-use requirements. 
• Strong facilitation, stakeholder engagement, and collaborative problem-solving skills.  
• Strong organizational and time-management skills, with the ability to manage competing priorities and tight timelines.  
• Proficiency with information technology and collaboration tools, including SharePoint, Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), and video-conferencing platforms  
• Familiarity with records and information management practices.

Assets

• Progressively responsible experience (typically 5–7 years) in policy development and project leadership, K–12 humanities Instruction. 
• Strong plain-language writing and editing skills in English and French.
• Knowledge of artificial intelligence (AI) and associated tools, including experience using a variety of AI-enabled applications to support research, analysis, writing, and workflow efficiencies; formal or informal training in AI use. 
• System knowledge of bilingual, Francophone, and/or French Immersion contexts; bilingual proficiency in English and French.
• Project management certification.

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

The position is in Edmonton.

Applications without an appropriate cover letter or appropriate resume will not be considered.

The final candidates for this position will be asked to undergo an academic and reference check and provide suitable security screening and will be asked to complete a written exercise and/or assessment.

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.