Senior Public Engagement Advisor

Role Responsibilities

Where people and policy meet

Public engagement is the day‑to‑day work of designing ways for people to shape decisions that affect their lives. If you’re an engagement or policy professional who believes government decisions improve when people are meaningfully involved, this is your role.

As a Senior Public Engagement Advisor, you will provide trusted expertise and guidance to ministries, so Albertans have meaningful opportunities to strengthen the quality of government policy, programs and services.

You will advise teams across the Government of Alberta, providing thoughtful, professional advice that brings a whole-of-government lens and sound judgement to complex and sensitive contexts.

You will also cultivate professional relationships and develop learning resources that support engagement best practices in the Alberta Public Service.

This is not a communications or facilitation role.

Responsibilities:

1.    Strategic advice 

• Apply systems thinking and a whole-of-government lens when supporting and advising on department-led engagement programs and projects.
• Recommend effective ways to involve the public and stakeholders so engagement strengthens policy development and supports decisions on complex issues.
• Assess impacts on stakeholders and provide advice that supports meaningful participation by people and communities affected by government decisions.
• Conduct horizon/foresight/environmental scanning and jurisdictional analysis to establish context and identify strategic opportunities/risks.

2.    Central oversight and coordination

• Collaborate with the Policy Coordination Office to review and approve department-led engagement plans, engagement design and policy context.
• Advise senior leadership on strategic considerations and risks associated with proposed engagement activity, including sensitivities, public interest, and system-level impacts that may not be visible from within a single ministry.
• Prepare executive reports on the status of engagement projects.
• Support Communications and Public Engagement teams to plan and deliver telephone town halls. 

3.    Strengthen engagement practice across the Alberta Public Service

• Grow professional networks that strengthen engagement capability, encourage knowledge exchange, and support continuous improvement.
• Develop learning opportunities, resources and tools. Lead presentations, facilitate learning sessions and workshops, and translate engagement practice into practical guidance and tools (e.g., templates, information materials).

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 - You anticipate obstacles, are flexible when encountering unexpected challenges, and easily adapt to changes. Your advice helps others do the same.
  
  
• Creative Problem Solving - Your advice enables departments to navigate uncertainty and complex policy development challenges to design effective ways to engage Albertans.
  
  
• Drive for Results – You rise to the challenge and deliver high quality advice and information in a timely way, supporting department engagement projects to succeed.
  
  
• Building Collaborative Environments – Your strong interpersonal skills enable your team to succeed. You create conditions that support working together within the team and across the public service.
  
  
• Developing Networks – You create and maintain positive relationships that support coordination of engagement activities and energizes a community of professionals to strengthen public engagement practice.
  
  
• System Thinking - You see connections and consider context, ensuring your advice considers a whole-of-government perspective and the perspectives of communities that may be affected by changes to policy systems. 

Qualifications

Minimum Recruitment Standards 

• A related university degree (e.g., Business, Economics, etc.)  supplemented by eight years progressively responsible experience; or equivalent as described below.
  
  

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.

For application consideration, you must attach a cover letter outlining your qualification and suitability for this role. Please clearly demonstrate how your experience aligns with this position.

Assets:

Experience with public, stakeholder or community engagement in a public sector context. Experience developing public engagement plans and strategies would be an asset.
Strong understanding of public engagement theory and practice including:

• Participation frameworks such as the IAP2 spectrum
• Engaging Indigenous communities
• Stakeholder mapping methods
• Participation methods and innovations
• Facilitation techniques
• Survey design and analysis
• Advisory committee governance
• Evaluation of engagement projects

IAP2 training or related certification would be an asset. 

Experience managing issues and providing strategic advice in a public sector context.

Excellent analytical, problem solving and communications skills.

Skills and experience in developing collaborative relationships.

Skills and experience in developing and delivering learning resources to professional audiences.

Technical skills related to use of artificial intelligence in the public sector or public engagement practice (e.g., supporting analysis and synthesis of results).

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 posting is for one (1) permanent full-time position.
Hour of Work: 36.25 hours/week, Monday – Friday in office
Location: Edmonton, Alberta
Flexibility to support unit operations may include occasional evenings and weekends.  

A cover letter that demonstrates how your education and work experience makes you the ideal candidate for the job is required.

Applicants are advised to provide information that clearly and concisely demonstrates how their qualifications meet the advertised requirements, including education, experience and relevant examples of required competencies.

In your resume, please include dates (including months and years) associated with all education and work experience. Please also indicate whether your work experience was part-time or full-time. For example: January 15, 2006 - June 25, 2009: Executive Director of Job Title (Full time)

Final candidates may be required to undergo a security screening.

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 has 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.