Manager, Strategic Initiatives

Role Responsibilities

Reporting to the Director, as the Manager, Strategic Initiatives, you will be responsible for leading and delivering complex, high‑profile strategic initiatives that advance ministry and government priorities. This role provides strategic advice, project management expertise, and policy leadership to support executive decision‑making and ensure a coordinated, enterprise‑wide approach to implementation.

• Key responsibilities include:
• Leading the development, coordination, and completion of strategic initiatives in alignment with government and ministry priorities and accordance with legislation, government policies, and project planning guidelines.
• Providing policy leadership by developing, reviewing, and revising briefing materials, Cabinet documents, policy papers, presentations, correspondence, and other executive-level deliverables in response to feedback or direction.
• Identifying linkages, gaps, duplication, and both intended and unintended consequences of strategic initiatives, and proactively advising senior leaders on mitigation strategies and opportunities to strengthen outcomes.
• Identifying ministry-wide policy gaps and opportunities, including analyzing costs, benefits, risks, and implementation and delivery implications of recommendations.
• Overseeing timely responses to Action Requests while ensuring alignment with ministry policy direction, public messaging, established processes, and legal review.
• Monitoring emerging trends, issues, and current events affecting ministry priorities, and providing informed advice and analysis to the Director and senior leadership.
• Providing regular status updates and reporting on progress toward milestones, performance indicators, or outcomes, escalating issues that may impact branch or divisional work.
• Leading and managing multiple strategic initiatives concurrently, balancing shifting priorities and workloads in collaboration with the Director and unit team members.
• Building and maintaining strong, collaborative relationships across branches, divisions, ministries, and external partners to support alignment, integration, and systems‑based policy development and implementation.
• Supporting the Director in cross‑ministry initiatives and partnerships and leading the ministry’s contributions to enterprise-wide initiatives in alignment with the ministry’s mandate.
• Acting in the capacity of Director, Strategic Initiatives, as required.
  
  

Your leadership skills will enable you to support and coach your team through complex and evolving work, providing clear guidance, timely feedback, and advice. Working closely with the Director, you will mentor staff, apply collaborative and enterprise wide approaches, and contribute to high profile strategic initiatives that advance ministry priorities. This role is well suited to someone who thinks critically, manages change effectively, and enjoys leading a team that consistently delivers high quality results in a fast paced environment.

If this sounds like a role where you would thrive, we encourage you to apply.

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: Considers the broader landscape when implementing strategic initiatives and/or developing recommendations.
  
  
• Creative Problem Solving: Regularly works in situations which are unstructured and complex requiring analytical work in reaching strategies
  
  
• Agility: Adjusts strategies based on current events, political priorities, and unanticipated shifts in desired policy directions and outcome.
  
  
• Develops Networks: Builds trust with and collaboration between partners and stakeholders to ensure implementation is reflective of all required perspectives, and that risks and mitigations are in place and are well understood by decision makers. 

Qualifications

Minimum Requirement

• University degree in a related discipline (such as humanities, social sciences, public or business administration or law).
• 4 years minimum related public administration, public policy or strategic initiatives experience.
  
  

Assets: 

• Experience developing briefing materials and strategic advice for executive-level decision makers.
• Experience leading, coaching, or mentoring staff and/or teams.
• Project management experience.
• Experience in policy development and implementation.
• Understanding of Justice systems and issues.
  
  

The following equivalencies may be considered:

• A related Masters plus a minimum of 2 years related experience.
• A related two-year diploma plus a minimum of 6 years related experience.
• A related one-year certificate plus a minimum of 7 years related experience.
• No post-secondary education plus a minimum of 8 years related experience.
  
  

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

• Full-time permanent position located in Edmonton (Baker Centre). 
• Hours of work: 7.25 hours per day / 36.25 hours per week (Monday – Friday).
• The successful candidate 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.