Parks Information Officers and Lead Information Officer

Role Responsibilities

The Slave Lake District is looking for motivated, friendly, and dedicated individuals with excellent customer service skills to fill the positions of Information Officer and Lead Information Officer.

Information Officers (IOs) are the first point of contact for visitors in provincial parks. Stationed at the campground booths, their main responsibility is to create a welcoming atmosphere by providing helpful and timely information, registering campers, as well as providing information about park activities, rules and regulations, campground reservations, and local services. This role focuses on delivering exceptional customer service, whether in person, over the phone, or via email. Additional duties include acting as a liaison to report any campground issues to relevant personnel, cash handling, managing concessions and retail, and performing administrative tasks.

These are full-time positions located at the campground registration booth.

The Lead Information Officer role involves more advanced administrative and leadership duties, assisting the three Information Officers in the district, staff scheduling, training, managing visitor concerns, resolving on-site issues, overseeing retail inventory, revenue reconciliation, and reporting.

We are currently looking to hire:  
•    1 Lead Information Officers (Lead IOs) 
•    3 Information Officers (IOs)

As an Information Officer (AS2), duties and responsibilities include but are not limited to:

Visitor Services Operations:
•    Understand shop.albertaparks.ca functions to educate the public on the Parks Reservation System, as well as the Parks Aspira software system to register campers, update visitor information, and process payments or refunds using the system
•    Participate in all required visitor services operations, which may include: camper compliance, shower coin collection, retail services, group unit counts, and public information sharing
•    Operate computer based point-of-sale terminals to perform retail of gift store products and services which include: firewood, concession items, and rentals

Administrative Duties:
•    Review and reconcile revenue for daily cash-outs and complete daily reconciliation forms
•    Record and organize statistics for public visitation and demographics when required
•    Respond to in-person and telephone/email requests for information on area amenities and recreational activities

Information Services:
•    Advise the public of the various rules, policies, and regulations that apply within a Provincial Park
•    Stay up-to-date on relevant activities, special events, opportunities, and conditions (trails, water, fishing, etc.) to provide to the public
•    Provide on-site visitor concern management, troubleshooting, and reporting and follow up with customer complaints

Please click on this link to view the job description for Information Officer (AS2).

Role Responsibilities Continued

As the Lead Information Officer (AS3), primary duties include assisting with and performing AS2 duties in addition to some front-line administrative and supervisory tasks such as:

•    Review and reconcile revenue for all campgrounds and provincial recreation areas, draft deposits and accurately enter data into Excel workbooks
•    Coordinate day-to-day tasks of the team and ensure daily procedures are followed
•    Provide ongoing support to IOs through regular check-ins on progress, one-on-one training, and seasonal performance reviews - empower IOs to be independent in their roles by setting clear expectations and processes for decision-making
•    Work with Supervisor to coordinate IO work schedules
•    Communicate effectively when working with visitors, staff and coworkers in a friendly, informative, diplomatic, adaptable and professional manner
•    Place orders for booth and store inventory (where applicable) to ensure the proper supplies are available prior to busy campground times
•    Maintain and improve knowledge of relevant recreational and tourist opportunities to respond to in-person and telephone/email requests for information on recreational activities, facilities, public safety issues, tourism and travel opportunities and provide area orientation
•    Support the distribution of information-based communications such as posters, brochures, program advertisements, throughout the park

Please click on this link to view the job description for Lead Information Officer (AS3)

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 must be agile in order to anticipate and quickly adapt to changing priorities and situations to effectively meet diverse visitor needs.

•    Drive for Results – This position requires staff to have the ability to champion innovation and display high standards in programs, initiatives and services and pay attention to detail, be proactive, and demonstrate good work ethics.

•    Develop Self and Others – You must be able to proactively learn about the needs of park visitors, reflect on public interactions to identify areas of improvement and create a shared learning environment to lead the delivery of top level customer service; have the willingness to cross-train for other areas or duties such as occasionally assisting the maintenance staff.

•    Build Collaborative Environments – You have the ability to promote collaboration and commitment, encourage broad thinking on projects, work together to eliminate barriers to progress, and facilitate open and respectful dialogue using excellent interpersonal and communication skills with a positive and inclusive attitude.

•    Systems Thinking – This position is one component of a larger work environment that includes other program areas. It is important to understand how the position contributes to achieving broader Alberta Forestry and Parks goals and outcomes.

•    Creative Problem Solving –  Occasionally challenges arise and staff must assess options, understand implications and determine appropriate actions to achieve the necessary solutions and need to be able to use a wide range of communication, problem-solving skills to promptly and professionally address issues.

Qualifications

Education and Experience required: 

Information Officer (Administrative Support 2)
•    High school diploma

Lead Information Officer (Administrative Support 3)
•    High school diploma and one year of related experience

Equivalency: 
•    Directly related experience or education considered on the basis of one year of experience for one year of education or one year of education for one year of experience

Additional requirements: 
•    Class 5 Driver’s License or equivalent and Driver’s Abstract
•    Criminal Record Check 
•    Current Standard First Aid and CPR Level "C"/AED Certificate

Assets:
•    Previous supervisory or leadership experience for Lead Information Officers
•    Post-secondary education
•    Experience with Shop.AlbertaParks.ca
•    Recognized Current Standard First Aid and CPR Level "C"/AED Certificate
•    Familiarity with campground operations, park regulations, campground etiquette and surrounding Park amenities
•    Ability to work both in a team and independently with little to no supervision

To succeed in this role, you should also possess:
•    Strong written and verbal communications skills to clearly communicate with the public
•    Available to work weekend and evening shifts during the season
•    Strong computer skills, including Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, Outlook, and Publisher)
•    Customer service, retail and cash-handling experience and/or administration experience

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

Terms of Employment:
•    Fulfill seasonal contract (anticipated May 2025 – September 2025).
•    This is position is based on a 40 hour work week, dependent on operational needs.
•    Evening and weekend work will be required; a premium is paid for these shifts.
•    Access to reliable transportation to and from place of work.
•    Adherence to Alberta Parks Uniform Policy.
•    These positions may require some outdoor work in a variety of weather conditions.


Notes:
•    Those selected for an interview will need to supply three work related references.
•    Training will be provided to successful candidates.

Shared rental accommodations may be available, dependent on Park location