Sr Economist

Role Responsibilities

The Senior Economist provides strategic and analytical leadership in the application of economic principles, forecasting methodologies and advanced analytics to support evidence-based decision making across Alberta’s health system. Reporting to the Manager, Health Economics, the position plays an important role in evaluating health policies, programs and expenditures to strengthen system performance, inform fiscal planning and support the long-term sustainability of healthcare delivery in Alberta.

The Senior Economist leads complex economic research, analysis and evaluation initiatives that support healthcare planning, policy development and investment decisions. The position develops and applies economic models, forecasting tools and analytical frameworks to assess healthcare utilization, expenditure trends, system performance and emerging pressures. The role evaluates the effectiveness of programs and initiatives, identifies opportunities for improvement and provides advice that supports quality care, positive health outcomes and responsible stewardship of public resources.

Primary responsibilities include:

• Conducting economic analysis to assess the impact of healthcare policies, programs and investments.
• Developing economic models and forecasts to support healthcare planning and resource allocation.
• Evaluating program effectiveness through cost-benefit and cost-effectiveness analyses.
• Providing strategic advice on healthcare expenditures, fiscal sustainability and system value.
• Performing jurisdictional comparisons and policy analysis to inform decision making.
• Identifying healthcare cost drivers and emerging trends to support long-term planning.
• Collaborating with various stakeholders, both internal and external, to inform decision-making and policy development.

The Job Description is provided for Further details on 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.

Systems Thinking

• Takes a long-term view towards organization’s objectives and how to achieve them; This position works with a wide variety of inputs, some of which may be contradictory, and must also integrate leading practice and emerging trends to develop recommendations that are relevant for Alberta.

Creative Problem Solving

• Engages the community and resources at hand to address issues; The senior Economist must be able to analyze complex problems, generate ideas, and evaluate those ideas to find the most effective solutions to the problems.

Agility

• Works in a changing environment and takes initiative to change; The Senior Economist must be agile and be able to think on their feet.

Drive for Results

• Takes and delegates responsibility for outcomes; The complex nature of the work of the Unit requires that the Senior Economist must be motivated, passionate, and determined to achieve the set goals. 

Qualifications

Minimum Recruitment Standards 
Program Services 4 Requirements: 

• University degree in a related field (i.e., Economics, Health Economics, Public Health Administration, Statistics, or Mathematics) plus four (4) years of postgraduate, progressively responsible related experience; 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.

Minimum recruitment standards outline the minimum education and experience required for appointment to a job classification.

Assets:

• Experience in economic and econometric analysis using statistical programming software (R, SAS, SQL, Python, Oracle)
• Experience in preparing and delivering narrative or statistical reports
• Experience developing dashboards using SAS Visual Analytics, or Power BI
• Existing understanding of health data and Alberta health databases

Notes

This competition is for two separate, full-time temporary positions working 36.25 hours per week, Monday to Friday in-office from downtown Edmonton, Alberta.

The temporary positions are expected to expire on or before August 2027.

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.

The final candidates may be required to undergo pre-employment checks (Reference check/Criminal record and/or academic).

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 we have to offer:

• Working for the Alberta Public Service
• Public Service Pension Plan (PSPP)  
• Alberta Public Service Benefit Information
• Professional learning and development
• Research Alberta Public Service Careers tool
• Positive workplace culture and work-life balance.