Senior Advocate Representative

Role Responsibilities

This position is meant for a person who finds reward in connecting with a broad range of people, enjoys creative problem solving and wants to make a positive difference in the lives of others.

The Senior Advocate Representative is a frontline role in the office that connects to Albertans and stakeholders over the phone, by email and in person to hear the concerns of the disability community. The Senior Advocate Representative:
•    Listens and responds to Albertans issues and concerns and conducts concern resolution processes with a range of Albertans with disabilities and their support networks
•    Provides a leadership role within the office in reviewing and overseeing responses to concerns 
•    Leads the completion of systemic issue reviews, research and analysis of issues 
•    Prepares and reviews written correspondence and reports 
•    Takes lead for the development and delivery of education and public engagement resources for individuals with disabilities, families, clients, professionals and the general public
•    Participates in a number of activities to support the administration of the Office of the Advocate for Persons with Disabilities (OAPD) in alignment with business goals and strategic priorities

The Senior Advocate Representative ensures all inquiries (call, e-mail, in person) received by the Office of the Advocate are responded to as per the legislated mandate identified under the Advocate for Persons with Disability Act. The Senior Advocate Representative follows up on inquiries by identifying issues, researching multiple pieces of data regarding the issue, developing a plan, completing action items and conducting following up. This position has a strong emphasis on review, research and analysis of issues, communication with Albertans and stakeholders throughout these processes, and the development of evidence-based recommendations.

The Senior Advocate Representative prepares and reviews written correspondence and reports (quarterly, annual and ad hoc) of the Office of the Advocate for Persons with Disabilities (OAPD) of varying degrees of complexity to prepare for review and sign-off by the Manager and the Advocate.

The Senior Advocate Representative also designs, delivers and evaluates a variety of public education materials and training to a diverse range of stakeholders. Education/training informs Albertans of supports and services provided to individuals with disabilities and promotes self-advocacy.

Please click 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 - to anticipate new issues, trends and barriers emerging in the disability community that may influence the direction, design, and implementation of priorities or goals and OAPD reporting.

Agility - to anticipate, assess and readily adapt to changing priorities, maintain resilience in times of uncertainty, and effectively work in a changing environment. 

Build Collaborative Environments - ability to lead and contribute to the conditions and environments that allow people to work collaboratively and productively achieve outcomes.

Creative Problem Solving - to develop new approaches, strategies, solutions and recommendations to address issues heard from the disability community. 

Drive for Results -  ability to track initiatives to ensure timely progress and identify potential problems including creating mitigation measures, making recommendations and understanding the implications.

Please ensure you provide concrete examples in your cover letter of how you have demonstrated these competencies in previous work experience.

Qualifications

Minimum requirements for this role include: Post-secondary degree or diploma in a related field, such as Social Work, Social Sciences, or Disability Studies, plus 4 years of related experience.

Equivalency include: 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

Related experience includes:

•    Experience in disability related service delivery in a complaint handling role
•    Direct work experience with vulnerable populations 
•    Experience in conflict management to effectively resolve complaints
•    Well-developed skills in MS Office, Internet, email and data entry systems
•    Experience making recommendations based on information analysis
•    Delivery of education, presentations or training

Assets for this role include:

•    Strong written and verbal communication skills
•    Management of complex cases, that may be media or politically sensitive
•    Previous supervisory experience
•    Strong knowledge and experience of research principles and techniques to analyze systemic issues
•    Knowledge of ministry programs, policies, legislation and business plan goals

A valid class 5 operator’s license and access to a reliable vehicle or access to alternate transportation, as some travel is a requirement of this role.

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 role working 36.25 hours a week.

This competition may be used to fill vacancies at the Office of the Advocate for Persons with Disabilities (OAPD) office in both Calgary and Edmonton at the same or lower classification level.

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

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.
•    Opportunity to participate in flexible work arrangements such as working from home up to two days per week and modified work schedule agreement.
•    Leadership and mentorship programs.