Senior Policy Advisor

Role Responsibilities

The Senior Policy Advisor position will support the Partnerships and Grants team to lead grant administration (including reviewing applications, engaging with prospective and approved applicants, ensuring compliance with deliverable timelines and reporting requirements, and grant closures), undertake research, represent IWI on interdepartmental committees and working groups related to division priorities, and support program evaluation, reporting, and redesign. This position is accountable for leading grant program delivery, strengthening Indigenous community and stakeholder relationships, advancing cross-government collaboration, and driving research, evaluation, and program redesign to support initiatives that address violence and improve the safety and economic security of Indigenous women, girls, and 2S+ people, guided by the Alberta Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls (MMIWG) Roadmap.

Key responsibilities for this position include

1) Lead Grant Program Delivery

Provide leadership across the full grant program cycle to ensure strategic funding, integrity in project delivery, and improved safety and economic security for Indigenous women, girls, and 2S+ people.

Corresponding activities are as follows:

a) Evaluate and recommend grant applications by assessing alignment with strategic priorities, community needs, and other division considerations.

b) Guide and support prospective and approved applicants to strengthen project design, resolve delivery challenges, and ensure culturally grounded approaches.

c) Oversee compliance and performance, monitoring deliverables, timelines, and reporting requirements to maintain accountability and program integrity.

d) Lead grant closure and analysis, synthesizing results and lessons learned to inform future funding cycles and program improvements.

2) Strengthen Indigenous Community and Stakeholder Relationships

Build and sustain relationships with Indigenous communities, organizations, and partners to ensure programs remain community-driven, culturally grounded, and responsive to the lived realities of Indigenous women, girls, and 2S+ people. Corresponding activities are as follows:

a) Cultivate strategic relationships with Indigenous communities and organizations to support long-term collaboration.

b) Liaise with cross-jurisdictional partners to share knowledge, align initiatives, and support community path-finding across government systems.

c) Respond to inquiries from communities, provide advice on project status, capacity supports, and available resources.

d) Identify opportunities for collaboration, leveraging networks to enhance supports and reduce barriers for Indigenous communities.

Role Responsibilities continued

3)  Advance Interdepartmental Collaboration

Represent IWI on interdepartmental committees and working groups related to gender-based violence and other related issues to ensure that division priorities, Indigenous perspectives, and MMIWG2S+ commitments are integrated into cross-government strategies and decisions, in alignment with the Alberta MMIWG Roadmap. Corresponding activities are as follows:

a) Lead or represent the ministry on cross-government working groups addressing violence prevention, MMIWG2S+ priorities, Indigenous community safety, and other matters impacting Indigenous women, girls and 2S+ people.

b) Share strategic insights to strengthen alignment, reduce the duplication of efforts, and advance coordinated approaches.

c) Develop and deliver presentations to increase awareness of IWI initiatives and support informed dialogue among community partners.

d) Identify opportunities for collaboration, recommending ways ministries can coordinate efforts and strengthen supports for Indigenous communities.

4) Lead Research, Evaluation, and Program Redesign

Conduct advanced research, evaluation, and strategic analysis to inform program evolution and ensure that programs are informed by community priorities and aligned with government commitments, including the Alberta MMIWG Roadmap. Corresponding activities are as follows:

a) Lead the design, review, and implementation of program evaluation approaches, including performance indicators and outcome analysis, to assess the effectiveness of grant programs and guide continuous improvement.

b) Conduct targeted research to understand impacts on Indigenous communities and advance division priorities related to MMIWG2S+.

c) Synthesize complex information from multiple sources and produce briefing material that supports senior leadership decisions.

d) Design and recommend program enhancements, using evaluation results and insights from grantees to strengthen future initiatives.

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.

Agility: Proactively integrates change by creating improvement opportunities, adapting to shifting priorities, staying objective under pressure, supporting others, communicating impacts clearly, and adjusting plans with ease.

Build Collaborative Environments: Engages a broad range of stakeholders by sharing resources, resolving conflict constructively, motivating others, and incorporating diverse perspectives to achieve strong outcomes.

Drive for Results: Removes barriers to outcomes by anticipating challenges, addressing obstacles to collaboration, upholding core principles, and aligning solutions with complex factors and the organization’s broader mission.

Systems Thinking: Integrates broader context into planning by considering trends, political and organizational factors, supporting strategic goals, and addressing behaviours that hinder progress.

Qualifications

4 years University graduation in a related field (e.g., Native Studies, Social Sciences, Women and Gender studies, or related field) plus 4 years 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.

Required Experience:

• Policy implementation and/or program delivery

Assets:

• Experience and/or knowledge with Indigenous histories, cultures, and the government-Indigenous relationship.
• Experience and/or knowledge with Alberta’s political environment, including decision-making within the Legislative Assembly and other government bodies.
• Experience and/or knowledge with addressing violence and enhancing the safety and economic security of Indigenous women, girls, and 2S+ people.

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:

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

Term of Employment:

• Permanent

Location:

•  Edmonton

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.

Cover letter is not required. 

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