Policy Analysts (PS2, PS3, PS4)

Role Responsibilities

The Policy Analysts report to the Manager of OHS Policy, and provide key support to the OHS Policy team. 

Senior Policy Analyst  - Program Services 4

Works with other staff on the team, as well as staff in OHS Delivery, to ensure that OHS policy, standards, procedures and legislation are current and technically correct, and consistent with Jobs, Economy, Trade and Immigration (JETI) business plans and government/departmental mandates and policies. The position plays an essential role in policy development and supports strategic initiatives undertaken by the team, such as legislative and regulatory review activities. This work includes preparing background and cross jurisdictional research, consultation planning, analyzing stakeholder feedback regarding policy changes, and working with the team to identify policy options and recommendations.

Key responsibilities:

• Research, develop and  maintain/monitor legislation, policies and procedures to align with government/department mandates and policies and the JETI business plan.
• Establish and foster collaborative relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
• Provide high quality policy and technical advice, internally and externally, based on legislation and policy.
• Lead projects associated with the periodic review of OHS legislation.
• Represent the department's and Alberta's interests and priorities in all initiatives.
• Lead project work and supervise project staff and/or consultants to ensure timely project completion, as required for OHS initiatives.
  
  

Please click on this link to view the full job description for this Program Services 4 position.

Policy Analyst – Program Services 3

Is responsible for supporting policy and project management work associated with regular review and update of OHS policy and legislation to ensure it achieves the department’s goals and is responsive to the needs of stakeholders. The Policy Analyst provides expertise on OHS legislation to support the development of strategic advice to decision makers with respect to OHS trends and issues.

Key responsibilities:

• Identify and manage issues, trends and developments related to OHS and conduct research to support policy work.
• Establish and foster collaborative relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
• Provide policy advice on OHS issues and support changes to OHS policy or legislation.
• Participate in the periodic review of OHS legislation, including the OHS Act, Regulation and Code.
• Plan and support engagement with external stakeholders, and other project work, that informs OHS policy and legislation.
  
  

Please click on this link to view the full job description for this Program Services 3 position.

Role Responsibilities cont'd...

Policy Analyst – Program Services 2

Is responsible for supporting policy and project management work associated with regular review and update of OHS policy and legislation to ensure it achieves the department’s goals and is responsive to the needs of stakeholders. This work includes assisting with background research, supporting consultation planning, analyzing stakeholder feedback, and working with the team to identify policy options and recommendations.

Key responsibilities:

• Identify issues, trends and development related to OHS through research and scanning.  
• Support issues management and coordination, action requests and correspondence.
• Support projects associated with the periodic review of health and safety legislation including the OHS Act, Regulation and Code.  
• Support coordination of plans, processes and procedures to support operational and organizational capacity within the OHS Policy team.

Please click on this link to view the full job description for this Program Services 2 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.

• Drive for results - Achieve measurable results in managing larger projects to completion and when developing various briefings, correspondence, and other identified products, within prescribed (and often tight) timelines.
  
  
• Systems thinking - Consider a wide variety of factors in their work, including how wider societal factors such as the economy, technological change, and workplace environments which may cause OHS issues to arise, as well as how OHS issues align with other workplace legislation, and how the programs and policies of other departments can impact OHS  legislation.  The position must also understand the broader government priorities and the pre-existing relationships between stakeholders to ensure that context is incorporated into advice provided to decision makers.
  
  
• Build Collaborative Environments - Contribute to the building of a high functioning and collaborative team through forming connections with individual staff members as well as supporting strong team connections, both within the team, branch, and among internal and external stakeholders, as necessary.
  
  
• Agility - Demonstrate resiliency in an often-dynamic environment, where priorities and direction may shift without advance notice. The position is expected to anticipate and be responsive to change by taking appropriate actions, such as adjusting behaviors, and identifying alternate approaches and solutions.
  
  
• Develop Networks – Provide direct support to the OHS Policy leadership and team as well as with other branch staff on cross-branch initiatives. The Policy Analyst undertakes work and supports the team by developing knowledge in OHS policy and legislation as well as builds knowledge in other areas of the branch including labour relations and employment standards.  Relationships with the branch staff as well as Safe, Fair and Healthy Workplace Division will be essential for the Policy Analyst to be successful in their role.
  
  
• Creative Problem Solving - Develop processes to work through policy projects by asking questions, collecting data, understanding the audience and combining different approaches and perspectives to their work. Will involve engagement with the branch leaderships and program staff to collect timely and accurate input. The Policy Analyst will also be a champion for continuous improvement in all of the branch processes and procedures.

Qualifications

Requirements:

Program Services 4

• Bachelor’s degree in Public Administration, Political Science, Labour Studies or Social Sciences, plus 4 years progressively responsible related experience in policy analysis and development or similar; or equivalent as described below.
• Knowledge of government decision-making and policy development processes and procedures, including processes for amending and enacting legislation, public engagement processes, and stakeholder management.
• Strong knowledge of research methodologies, and policy analysis processes necessary for the development of policy recommendations, action plans, implementation strategies, etc.
• Ability to effectively communicate, including the ability to summarize large amounts of complex information (e.g., research, data, analysis), succinctly and in plain language, both in writing and verbally.
• Demonstrate good judgement, political acumen, and a strong understanding of the environment by knowing when issues need to be brought to the attention of leadership in addition to making sound recommendations and establishing and/or understanding the direction of strategic projects and initiatives.  
• Ability to work independently with minimal direction and can leverage colleagues to drive for results under pressure and tight timelines.
• Excellent time management skills, including the ability to set goals, organize and prioritize work effectively, and communicate to leadership when resources are constrained or lacking.
  
  

Program Services 3

• Bachelor’s degree in Public Administration, Political Science, Labour Studies or Social Sciences, plus 2 years progressively responsible related experience in policy analysis and development or similar; or equivalent as described below.
• Familiarity of government decision-making and policy development process and procedures, including processes for amending and enacting legislation, public engagement processes, and stakeholder management.
• Knowledge of research methodologies, and policy analysis processes necessary for the development of policy recommendations, action plans, implementation strategies, etc.  
• Ability to effectively communicate, including the ability to summarize information (e.g., research, data, analysis) from a variety of different sources succinctly and in plain language, both in writing and verbally.  
• Ability to work independently with minimal direction and can leverage colleagues to drive for results under pressure and tight timelines.
• Excellent time management skills, including the ability to set goals, organize and prioritize work effectively, and communicate to leadership when resources are constrained or lacking.

Qualifications cont'd...

Program Services 2

• Bachelor’s degree in Public Administration, Political Science, Labour Studies or Social Sciences; no experience required.
• Knowledge of environmental scanning principles, research techniques, data analysis and project management principles. Ability to research and analyze information from different sources/jurisdictions in order to make cross-jurisdictional comparisons.
• Ability to think critically and provide effective feedback and well-reasoned options and recommendations.
• Good time management skills with the ability to coordinate multiple projects.
• Well-developed skills in the following areas: written and verbal communication; interpersonal; creative problem solving; organization; facilitation and team building.
  
  

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:

Program Services 4

• Knowledge of OHS issues and relevant legislation, policies, programs, business and strategic planning processes.
• Knowledge and familiarity with the Alberta economy; and key industries and trends in OHS and government priorities.
• Capacity to conduct strategic analysis of OHS issues, trends and events, including the ability to develop innovative and realistic solutions to complex problems and provide recommendations to senior leadership.
• Ability to make sense of large amounts of complex information to identify the key factors impacting an issue, often under tight deadlines and determine the path forward on a project.

Qualifications cont'd....

Program Services 3

• Knowledge of OHS issues and relevant legislation, policies, programs, business and strategic planning processes.
• Knowledge and familiarity with the Alberta economy; and key industries and trends in OHS and government priorities.  
• Capacity to conduct strategic analysis of OHS trends and events, including the ability to develop innovative and realistic solutions to complex problems and provide recommendations to senior leadership.  
• Ability to make sense of information from a variety of sources to identify the key factors impacting an issue, often under tight deadlines and determine the path forward on a project.  
• Demonstrate good judgement, political acumen, and a strong understanding of the environment by knowing when issues need to be brought to the attention of leadership in addition to making sound recommendations and establishing and/or understanding the direction of strategic projects and initiatives.
• Ability to support a wide variety of projects and processes simultaneously in achieving the unit’s goals.
  
  

Program Services 2

• Knowledge of public policy development process including knowledge of legislation affecting OHS in Alberta.
• Ability to understand OHS policy, procedures and guidelines for application to the workplace, along with the ability to identify policy concerns and initiate review/change of policy.
• Ability to work well and contribute effectively in a small team environment, including the ability to build and maintain effective working relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
• Proficient in the use of Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook), Teams, SharePoint.

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

These are three (3) permanent full-time positions working 36.25 hours per week, Monday to Friday.

This position is located in Edmonton and Calgary.

The final candidate for this position will undergo academic checks, reference checks and provide a suitable security screening. A written assessment/exercise will be used to form part of the interview process. 

Please ensure your resume highlights how your previous work experience is related to the qualifications and requirements for this position. Please clearly state the employment dates on your resume with the month and the year.  

A cover letter is required. Applications without a cover letter will not be considered. 

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.
• Public Service Pension Plan (PSPP) - https://www.pspp.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.