Senior Water Policy Advisor

Role Responsibilities

Are you a strategic thinker with a passion for sustainable water management?

As the Senior Water Policy Advisor, you will lead the development and implementation of high-impact water policies that align with government priorities. In this influential role, you’ll manage a small team of policy professionals, guide cross-ministry initiatives, and collaborate with diverse stakeholders to advance coordinated, evidence-based approaches to water stewardship across Alberta.

As a Senior Water Policy Advisor, you will:

• Lead the development, integration, and evaluation of sustainable water policies aligned with cumulative effects management and government priorities.
• Oversee coordination of frameworks, strategies, and plans to ensure cohesive policy design and implementation.
• Represent ministry and government perspectives on internal and external committees, working groups, and stakeholder forums.
• Gather stakeholder input to support policy development on complex water management issues.
• Lead communications and education efforts to enhance water literacy and understanding of Alberta’s water policy and proposed directions.
• Plan, lead, and monitor cross-functional water policy projects, ensuring clear deliverables, governance, resourcing, and risk mitigation.
• Define project success criteria, evaluate outcomes, and align initiatives with broader environmental and social priorities.
• Supervise staff, assign work, provide mentorship, and build policy capacity within teams.
• Monitor emerging trends, issues, and jurisdictional approaches to inform strategic direction and support evidence-based policy decisions.
• Provide high-level policy advice, analysis, and briefings to senior leadership, elected officials, and external partners.
• Support cross-ministry and cross-jurisdictional alignment with legislative and strategic water policy frameworks.
• Ensure compliance with contract, grant, and records management practices.
• Promote transparency and continuity through ongoing evaluation and documentation of policy processes.
• Support other strategic and operational initiatives that advance departmental and government priorities.

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.

The specific competencies required of the successful candidate are:

• Systems Thinking: Understands the linkages between various policy frameworks and emerging trends to influence the design and implementation of Alberta's water policy framework and mitigate unintended consequences.
• Build Collaborative Environments: Works collaboratively and build trust with a diverse group of stakeholders with competing perspectives to achieve provincial
  water policy outcomes.
• Agility: This position requires a solutions-oriented mindset and the ability to anticipate and adapt to change and uncertainty, while advancing government objectives and maintaining long-term policy outcomes.
• Creative Problem Solving: This program area is tasked with developing policy for highly complex issues. Solutions require technical and policy expertise from within and outside of the
  department. In many cases the policy issue may not be well defined or easily isolated from
  other issues.

Qualifications

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.

Required:

• University degree in a related field such as public administration/policy; earth/environmental/natural resources; social sciences.
• Minimum of six (6) years related work experience.

Additional education equivalencies:

• Master’s degree in a field related to the position, plus five (5) years related experience.
• Ph.D. in a field related to the position, plus four (4) years related experience.

Equivalency: Directly related completed education or experience considered based on 1 year of education for 1 year of experience; or 1 year of experience for 1 year of education.

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:

• Broad knowledge of water policy issues across Alberta and Canada.
• Extensive experience in policy analysis, research, development, implementation, and evaluation.
• Experience developing, administering, or complying with environmental regulations, policies, or administrative tools (provincial and federal).
• Strong communication skills—verbal, written, and non-verbal—with the ability to convey complex information to decision-makers.
• Ability to build and maintain effective and productive working relationships with colleagues, external collaborators, and stakeholders.
• Proven project management and organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities and deliver outcomes.
• Demonstrated strengths in systems thinking, strategic planning, problem solving, risk management, and decision-making.
• An understanding of Alberta’s water policies and regulatory framework.
• Expertise in preparing terms of reference, reviewing proposals, and managing projects.
• Experience leading or working within multi-disciplinary teams to coordinate or implement environmental policies.

Notes

This permanent position is based in Edmonton, AB, working Monday to Friday (36.25 hours per week).

Applicants must provide a cover letter and resume outlining how your experience relates to the qualifications of this role. If selected for an interview, a writing assignment may be required to assess your writing skills and abilities.

For any Post-Secondary Education:

• Please specify your major and length of program.
• Please specify the year you graduated.
• Ex: Bachelor of Political Science, 4-year Degree (Graduated 2019).

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.
• 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.