Manager, System Review

Role Responsibilities

Reporting to the Executive Director, you will provide strategic leadership for ministry-wide reviews, executive issue management, environmental scanning, and organizational improvement initiatives. You will guide the identification and assessment of emerging risks, opportunities, and cross-ministry issues, while establishing governance processes, performance expectations, and quality standards that support effective decision-making and continuous improvement. This opportunity is ideal for a strategic thinker and people leader who thrives in a fast-paced environment, excels at navigating complexity, and is passionate about driving organizational excellence through evidence-based analysis and collaboration. This role offers the opportunity to shape enterprise approaches to policy alignment and system integration, while supporting high-stakes decision-making at the Executive and Cabinet level.

The job responsibilities include:

• Plans strategic priorities, methodologies, and quality standards for system reviews, and strategic analysis activities.
• Serve as the liaison for forward planning activities, leading integrated project planning processes, coordinating dependencies, and maintaining enterprise schedules to ensure initiatives are aligned, prioritized and delivered effectively.
• Directs the identification, assessment, and analysis of emerging issues affecting ministry and government priorities.
• Provides recommendations regarding strategic priorities, policy options, operational approaches, and implementation considerations for senior leadership consideration.
• Partner with Technology and Innovation and business partners to manage project interdependencies, coordinate planning activities and maintain integrated project schedules.
• Establishes quality assurance standards for briefing materials, issue analyses, executive recommendations, and decision-support products.
• Directs environmental scanning, jurisdictional analysis, and strategic assessments to identify risks, opportunities, and emerging trends affecting ministry objectives.

Direct the Ministry System Review Function

• Establishes governance, intake, prioritization, escalation, and accountability processes for ministry-wide system review activities.
• Determines priorities, resource allocation strategies, and work plans required to achieve branch and ministry objectives.
• Oversees development of system review methodologies, program measures, and performance indicators.
• Ensures system review activities align with government priorities, ministry strategic objectives, and executive direction.
• Provides leadership on implementation of recommendations arising from ministry reviews and executive decisions.
• Directs cross-functional teams responsible for system review initiatives and organizational improvement activities.

Strategic Executive Integration and Issues Management

• Maintains standardized templates, guidance, and briefing materials to support consistent output quality without direct oversight
• Ensure the Executive Director remains equipped with timely, relevant, and strategic information for decision-making.
• Coordinate information flow on behalf of the Executive Director, ensuring alignment of messaging and actions across branches and resolving information gaps or inconsistencies.
• Represent the Executive Director in meetings, working groups, or project discussions as assigned, ensuring commitments are tracked, followed up, and communicated appropriately.

The Job Description is provided for further details on 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.

Systems Thinking

• Integrate broader social, political, and economic trends into planning.
• Strategically align initiatives with organizational vision and long-term goals.
• Anticipate and address barriers to progress, including behavioral and structural challenges.

Develop Networks

• Build and sustain diverse stakeholder relationships.
• Actively seek input and perspectives to shape programs and change efforts.
• Engage collaborators across departments and sectors to support long-term outcomes.

Creative Problem Solving

• Investigate root causes and leverage community insight.
• Innovate across complex systems to create practical, sustainable improvements.
• Facilitate inclusive idea generation and open dialogue to address risk and impact.

Agility

• Anticipate change and lead proactive adjustments to plans and practices.
• Remain composed under pressure and support team resilience.
• Clearly communicate the impact of changes and ensure smooth integration into operations.

Develop Self and Others

• Set stretch goals aligned with personal and professional growth.
• Support the development of others through feedback and inclusive leadership.
• Value team diversity and cultivate a culture of continuous learning.

Qualifications

University graduation in a field related to public administration, business, or a related discipline, supplemented by four years of progressively responsible related experience.

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.

As the Manager, you are a strategic, results-oriented leader who thrives in complex, high-pressure environments and brings a strong understanding of public sector systems and decision-making.

You bring:

• Leadership experience (4 years) in a large, complex organization, preferably within the public sector, municipal, provincial, or highly regulated environment.
• Strong experience leading business analysis, data analytics, systems reviews, program planning, organizational improvement, innovation, transformation initiatives, or issues management functions within a complex organization.
• Exceptional ability to analyze complex and often ambiguous information, identify risks and opportunities, and develop practical recommendations for senior decision-makers.
• Strong understanding of governance, accountability, performance measurement, risk management, and continuous improvement principles.
• Excellent relationship-building and influence skills, with the ability to build consensus across branches and partner organizations.
• Expert-level written and verbal communication skills, including the preparation of briefing notes, issue analyses, executive correspondence, presentations, and recommendations.
• Demonstrate political acuity, sound judgment, and discretion when managing sensitive, high-profile, or emerging issues involving competing stakeholder interests.
• Experience leading project planning, portfolio management and integrated scheduling within a complex organizational environment.
• Experience using technology tools and data analytics to support project oversight, performance measurement, forecasting and decision-making.

Minimum recruitment standards outline the minimum education and experience required for appointment to a job classification.

Notes

Hours of work are 8:15 AM to 4:30 PM, Monday to Friday. This is a temporary full-time position working 36.25 hours per week.

A cover letter outlining how your experience relates to the qualifications of this role is recommended to assess your writing skills.

In your resume, please include dates (including months and years) associated with all education and work experience. For example, January 2006 – June 2009 (part-time). This example is provided for illustrative purposes only. Applicants are encouraged to present their information clearly and thoroughly, using a format that best conveys their experience.

If a security screening is required;

• Final candidates will be required to undergo a criminal records check (CRC).
• Applicants being considered for this position will be required to complete a Level 2 Enhanced Security screening (including an enhanced criminal record check along with a credit check) as part of the pre-employment checks for this position.

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 we have to offer:

• Working for the Alberta Public Service.
• Management Employee Pension Plan (MEPP).
• Alberta Public Service Benefit Information.
• Professional learning and development.
• Research Alberta Public Service Careers tool.
• Positive workplace culture and work-life balance.
• Leadership and mentorship programs.