Senior Advisor, Privacy and Access to Information

Role Responsibilities

Are you ready to play a key role in strengthening privacy, transparency, and responsible information‑sharing across Alberta’s mental health and addiction system? The Ministry of Mental Health and Addiction is seeking a knowledgeable, analytical, and collaborative Senior Advisor, Privacy and Access to Information to provide expert guidance on access to information, support access‑to‑information requests, and enhance privacy practices that directly impact services for Albertans.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide expert privacy advisory services by interpreting legislation, regulations, policies, and best practices to support the ministry’s obligations under privacy legislation.
• Develop, communicate, and maintain privacy policies, procedures, and training, ensuring staff across all levels understand privacy and security expectations.
• Research and analyze Commissioner’s Orders, judicial interpretations, and sector‑specific privacy decisions to support informed recommendations for the ministry.
• Assess alleged privacy breaches, analyze seriousness and potential harm, and guide the ministry’s coordinated response in compliance with legislation.
• Coordinate and process access to information requests under Alberta’s Access to Information Act, Protection of Privacy Act and the Health Information Act, including clarifying requests, consulting with program areas, applying exemptions and exceptions, and recommending disclosure decisions.
• Provide consultative services and guidance to internal and external partners, including Alberta Health’s Access to Information team, and support effective records management practices.
• Lead and support Privacy Impact Assessments and internal privacy compliance reviews, ensuring high‑quality submissions and adherence to legislative requirements.
• Monitor and evaluate emerging privacy and information security risks within the public and health information sectors to inform mitigation strategies across the ministry.

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.

• Build Collaborative Environments: Ability to collaborate across functional areas by encouraging broad thinking, facilitating communication, recognizing others’ contributions, and promoting shared commitment.
• Creative Problem Solving: Ability to drive continuous improvement by asking questions, exploring different methods, sharing insights, and using diverse perspectives to inform decisions.
• Drive for Results: Ability to demonstrate accountability, monitoring own’s performance, acknowledging all obligations, and achieving goals that support Albertans and align with APS direction.
• Systems Thinking: Ability to take a long‑term, holistic view of organizational goals by anticipating impacts, seeking stakeholder perspectives, aligning actions with APS values, and collaborating across teams

Qualifications

University degree in Public Administration or related field with a minimum of four (4) years of progressively responsible experience related to the role; or equivalent as described below.

Equivalency: Directly related education or experience may be considered on the basis of 1 year of education for 1 year of experience; or 1 year of experience for 1 year of education.

Required Experience:

• Experience researching, analyzing, interpreting, and applying legislation.
• Ability to effectively facilitate and coordinate work groups.
• Experience presenting information to groups and monitoring progress or outcomes.
• Strong proficiency with Microsoft 365, including SharePoint and Enterprise Content Management systems.

Assets:

• Certification in information access and protection of privacy.
• Knowledge of the provincial mental health and addiction sector.
• In‑depth knowledge of Alberta privacy legislation (POPA, ATIA and HIA) and records management systems.

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

Hours of Work:

• 8:15am to 4:30pm
• 36.25 hours per week (full-time) Monday to Friday

Location: Commerce Place Building, 10155 - 102 Street, Edmonton, AB T5J 4G8

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.
• 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.