Water Supply Specialist

Role Responsibilities

Reporting to the Water Supply Data Supervisor, the Water Supply Specialist is a key member of a critical services team responsible for stewardship of water quantity data, as well as delivering operational support and maintenance services for the real-time data collection systems that gather, manage, maintain data quality and distribute hydrometric data, reservoir data, water quality data, and groundwater well data necessary for informing flood forecasting, river ice monitoring, water supply forecasting, irrigation and reservoir operations in Alberta. These near real-time data systems also include historical hydrometric and meteorological data from various sources required for research, planning, monitoring, reporting, and related water resource management activities.

Because these real-time data acquisition components and operating systems help raise public awareness and inform multi-stakeholder responses to environmental emergencies, the Water Supply Specialist position is formally recognized as part of the ministry's critical services team who offer 24/7 on-call services during river flooding, ice break-up, heavy rainfall events and natural disasters.

The incumbent within this position collaborates with ministry staff, partners and stakeholders to develop, maintain or enhance water supply data systems in order to improve performance, reliability, accessibility and overall stewardship of the data. The incumbent also provides training and support to staff, stakeholders and citizens who rely on the data.

The incumbent will help ensure high quality near real-time and historical data is available to inform actions and decisions that promote better water resource management and environmental health, while protecting public property, health and safety. 

In this position, you will: 
•    Maintain data assets and operate data systems and tools necessary for the stewardship of real-time and historical water data required to inform primary users, such as flood forecasters, dam operators, river engineers, hydrologists, water managers, stakeholders and Albertans.
•    Perform quality assurance and quality control (QA/QC) reviews of water supply data.
•    Work with ministry and Service Alberta staff to maintain and enhance existing applications and to continually improve the quality, quantity and accessibility of data.
•    Collaborate with stakeholders and contracted resources in planning, building new data systems and new tools to gather, validate, store and distribute water supply  data, such as hydrometric, snow, water quality and groundwater data sets. 
•    Provide training and support to stakeholders, staff, consultants and Albertans to encourage access to and responsible use of data and data systems.
•    Perform administrative and other duties required of the unit within the Environmental Knowledge and Prediction Branch.

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.

How Competencies will apply to this role:

Creative Problem Solving: The incumbent within this position stewards data and resolves issues related to data acquisition, validation, loading, storage, distribution and disposition based on a network of systems and processes that are continually evolving. 

Systems Thinking: This position requires the  integration of multiple operating systems and information portals. Understanding how these systems interact and how they provide value to the ministry is essential.

Agility: Changes to business, technology and environments are constant. It is important the incumbent within this position be able to anticipate, assess and adapt to changing priorities, and make effective data-related decisions.

Develop Networks: This position requires a lot of interaction with internal and external stakeholders who are submitting or consuming data. Developing networks to work collaboratively, anticipate concerns and solve data problems is vital in meeting the needs of the organization.

Qualifications

Required: 
•    Two-year technical diploma with relevance to Civil Engineering, Water Resources Technology, Environmental Science or Hydrology. 
•    Minimum four years related experience.

Equivalences will be considered: Additional related education considered in lieu of experience on a one-for-one basis. 
•    For example: Related University degree plus two years of related work experience OR related Master’s degree plus one year of related work experience.

Other requirements:
•    Valid class 5 driver's license or equivalent.

Assets: 
•    A thorough understanding of natural hydrological and meteorological concepts, processes and conditions present in Alberta;
•    In-depth knowledge of flood, drought, and ice jam potential in Alberta;
•    An extensive knowledge of Alberta's water resources and methodologies with respect to the collection of hydrological, meteorological, groundwater, and water quality near real-time data;
•    Extensive knowledge of Electronic data acquisition systems using data loggers and transmitters, as well as the configuration, calibration, and maintenance of electronic field equipment;
•    In-depth knowledge of the OpenDCS software and scripting languages applied by the ministry to capture and decode raw hydrological and meteorological data;
•    Familiarity with UNIX/LINUX operating systems;
•    Computer programming skills (such as SQL, Python, R, C#, and .NET);
•    Familiarity with computer network systems fundamentals;
•    Working knowledge of federal and provincial water supply monitoring standards;
•    Knowledge of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act, Water Act, Emergency Management Act and associated statutes, regulations, policies, standards and guidelines.

The goal of this recruitment is to fill this position at a Technologies 5 level. However, candidates with lesser qualifications may be considered at a lower classification and salary. 

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 competition is for 2 positions in Edmonton.
•    Monday – Friday, 7.25 hours per day / 36.25 hours per week.

Positions available: 
•    1 Full-Time temporary (Two years duration)
•    1 Full-Time temporary (18 months duration)

Any costs associated with obtaining 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.

Applicants are required to include a COVER LETTER with clear, concise, and specific examples that demonstrate how their qualifications meet the advertised requirements and competencies.

Instructions for your Resume:
For Employment Experience:
Please indicate duration of employment (month, year)
Please specify employment status (i.e. casual, part-time or full-time)
Ex: Youth Worker, Jan 2006 - June 2009, Part-time (three, 8 hour shifts/week)

For any Post-Secondary Education:
Please specify your major and length of program
Please specify the year you graduated
Ex: Bachelor of Social Work, 4-year Degree (Graduated 2017)

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.