Team Lead, Contracts and Grants

Role Responsibilities

Reporting to the Director of Financial Operations, the Team Lead of the Contracts and Procurement Unit will manage, lead, and mentor a dedicated team, ensuring alignment with the Ministry’s contracting and grant policies and processes. This role is crucial in supporting the Ministry’s vast program areas and service delivery regions, overseeing an annual procurement portfolio of approximately $600 million in contracted services and more than $100 million in community program funding through grants.

Operating with a high degree of independence, the Team Lead provides strategic expertise, guiding the adaptation, implementation, and integration of corporate contract and grant policies, procedures, and best practices within both the Ministry and the Government of Alberta (GoA). Additionally, this role maintains clear communication channels with government contracting and grant staff, ensuring consistent updates on policies and processes and facilitating informed decision-making.

Key Responsibilities

• Strategic Leadership and Advisory: Offer high-level expertise, guidance, and direction in developing Ministry contract, procurement, and grant strategies and policies.
• Compliance Review: Oversee procurements, contracts and grants, ensuring alignment with Ministry and GoA policies, legislation, and trade agreements at the regional, national, and international levels.
• Operational Support: Act as a central operational support, coordinating and reporting contracting activities to the Contract Review and Grant Selection Committee (CRGSC).
• Project Management: Coordinate cross-divisional or GoA procurement, contract and grant initiatives, providing direction and ensuring best practices.
• Process Improvement: Recommend improvements to procurement, contract and grant processes, reinforcing best practices across the Ministry.
• Stakeholder Education: Deliver ongoing training and support to Ministry stakeholders on procurement, contract and grant processes, building awareness of business requirements.

This role upholds consistency, accountability, and integrity across all Ministry divisions, promoting the core objective of achieving the best value for money. Operating within the Government of Alberta Procurement Accountability Framework, the Team Lead ensures full compliance with all relevant trade agreements, legislation, and policies.

Additional Responsibilities

• Clear Documentation: Prepare timely, coherent materials (letters, briefing notes, reports, presentations, etc.) for senior officials and the executive team, even under short timelines.
• Collaboration: Liaise with other Ministries, decision-makers, and stakeholders to ensure alignment and shared understanding on key issues.
• Policy Development: Identify and resolve policy issues, developing well-founded recommendations for actions and solutions.

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.

Position Specific Competencies:

• Agility: You have the ability to anticipate, assess and readily adapt to changing priorities when overseeing day-to-day operations.
• Creative Problem Solving: You will have the ability to assess, evaluate and make recommendations to enhance operations and programming.
• Develop Self and Others: You have the desire and drive to mentor and assist staff  to understand their roles in the bigger picture of Alberta Environment and Protected Areas as well as provide training so that they have the tools for effective program delivery.
• Build Collaborative Environments: You will lead and support staff to meet the Ministry’s Contract, Procurement and Grant outcomes.

Qualifications

Required:

• A completed university degree in a related field, preferably in Business Administration, Management, Economics, Finance, Accounting, or Commerce.
• A minimum of four (4) years of directly related experience in procurement, contract, and grant management.

Equivalency:

• Related experience or education may be considered as an equivalency on a one for one basis.

Assets:

• Experience in a supervisory or leadership role within procurement or contract management.
• Certification in CPPB (Certified Public Procurement Buyer), SCMP (Supply Chain Management Professional), Project Management, or CPA/CA/CMA/CGA.
• Knowledge of government-wide and departmental policies, best practices, and financial implications related to procurement and grant management.
• Familiarity with grant management software, data analysis, and reporting tools, including the ability to effectively conduct year-end and quarterly reporting activities.

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 full-time, permanent position based in Edmonton. The standard work schedule is Monday to Friday, from 8:15 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., totaling 36.25 hours per week.

This competition may also be used to fill positions at a lower classification level.

Please submit your cover letter and updated resume. In your resume, clearly indicate the duration of each role by providing the month and year, and specify the employment status (e.g., casual, part-time, or full-time). For example: Customer Service Representative, July 2015 - December 2017, Part-time (20 hours/week).

For your post-secondary education, specify your major, the length of the program, and your year of graduation. For example: Diploma in Water Resources Technology, 2-year program, Sept 2014 - June 2016.

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.