Manager, Program Policy

Important messages

The BRAND NEW department of Prairies Economic Development (formerly Western Economic Diversification) is looking for individuals to join our team and play an important role in establishing this exciting new organization!

If you are looking to directly help businesses and communities thrive and flourish in the Canadian Prairies, our Program Policy branch of Policy and Strategic Direction (PSD) invites you to apply.

Please note: due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we are primarily working remotely for the time being. Interviews and related assessments will be conducted virtually throughout this staffing process. Applicants are responsible to ensure they have a reliable internet connection and access. If you are appointed to a position, PrairiesCan will provide tools and/or equipment to support remote work.

We are committed to providing an inclusive and barrier-free work environment, starting with the hiring process. If you need accommodation during any phase of the process, please contact Allison Higgins by email at . All information received in relation to accommodation remains confidential.

Duties

About the role:
PrairiesCan works to diversify the Canadian Prairies economy and improve the quality of life of Canadians. We aim to be a leader in building a strong and competitive Prairies by focusing on business development, innovation and community economic development.

This role involves implementing economic development initiatives, promoting innovation, guiding change, and building consensus to ensure an effective delivery of programs. The successful individual will provide leadership and be responsible for working with both regional and corporate stakeholders, developing program policies, and advocating for program delivery issues. In addition, the individual will need to tactfully manage complex issues and coordinate responses to information requests from the Minister’s office, parliamentarians, and other government departments. To be successful in this role, you must have strong written and verbal communication skills, project management skills and the ability to handle volume and time pressures.

Work environment

At PrairiesCan we support our employees. We hire top talent and provide an employment experience that brings out the best in people. We are motivated by achieving great results for Canadians.

Why Choose PrairiesCan:
• Work with amazing people who support each other
• Meaningful work that makes a difference to the country
• Excellent compensation package
• Flexible work arrangements
• Modern work tools and technology

PrairiesCan offices are open environments with well-regulated air quality, ergonomic sit- stand workstations, and a combination of natural and fluorescent lighting. The physical demands of this position include spending a significant amount of screen time on a computer or equivalent, as well as reading documents in digital and/or print media. This role will also involve meeting with stakeholders virtually by video or telephone, and in-person as COVID-19 public health measures allow.

Intent of the process

A pool of qualified candidates (fully assessed or partially assessed) may be established and used to staff similar positions at this group and level. This process may be used for various positions and tenures (including but not limited to term and indeterminate appointments, internal assignments, secondments, deployments, acting appointments, casual) as well as various locations, security requirements, language requirements and conditions of employment. The pool of qualified candidates may also be shared and accessed with other federal government departments.

Positions to be filled: 1

Information you must provide

Your résumé.

A covering letter

In order to be considered, your application must clearly explain how you meet the following (essential qualifications)

Education:
• Graduation with a degree from a recognized post-secondary institution with acceptable specialization in commerce, business administration, economics, accounting, finance, or other specialty relevant to the position.

At the manager’s discretion, an acceptable combination of education, training and/or experience, may serve as an alternative to meet the education standard.

Degree equivalency

Experience:
1. Significant* experience in designing, consulting or negotiating economic or business development initiatives involving multiple stakeholders.
2. Significant* Experience in analyzing and evaluating complex economic development and program issues, including preparing briefing materials and providing strategic advice to senior management.
3. Experience in program policy development.
4. Experience in program or project management.
5. Experience in grants and contribution contract management.

*Significant experience is defined as having the depth and breadth of experience that would normally be acquired with the performance of full time duties for a period of three years or more.

**Complex issues are defined as issues that are ambiguous, poorly defined, and require input, expertise, and analysis from multiple sectors, organizations, or disciplines.

Key leadership competencies
• Create vision/strategy
• Mobilize people
• Uphold integrity/respect
• Collaborate with partners/stakeholders
• Promote innovation
• Achieve results
• Excellent (Oral & Written) Communicator

If you possess any of the following, your application must also clearly explain how you meet it (other qualifications)

ASSET QUALIFICATIONS
1. Masters degree from a recognized university in a field relevant to the position.

Degree equivalency

2. Public sector experience delivering economic development funding programs.
3. Experience managing financial and human resources.
4. Experience working with federal regional development policies, priorities and issues with a focus on western Canada.
5. Experience working with Western Canada's economic structure and trends likely to affect its economic development.
6. Depth, breadth and scope in any one or combination of the experience factors.

7. Knowledge of how WD and other federal, provincial and regional/municipal economic programs/policies support economic development and diversification in the prairies;
8. Knowledge of key factors influencing the Canadian economy and of the current economic and business trends, opportunities and/or challenges in the prairies.

Operational Requirements:
• Willingness and ability to work overtime when required.
• Willingness and ability to travel occasionally

The following will be applied / assessed at a later date (essential for the job)

English essential

Information on language requirements

Conditions of employment

Secret security clearance

Other information

The Public Service of Canada is committed to building a skilled and diverse workforce that reflects the Canadians we serve. We promote employment equity and encourage you to indicate if you belong to one of the designated groups when you apply.

Information on employment equity

TIPS FOR APPLICANTS: When answering the screening questions ensure that you provide complete and thorough details of your experience. Do not assume that the screening board has any previous knowledge of your background, qualifications, or work history. You must be specific and provide concrete examples/details for each experience element, as applications will be screened only on the information provided. Failure to provide sufficient information may result in your application being screened out of the competition.

Communication for this process will be sent via email. Applicants MUST check their email accounts frequently as there may be a deadline for responses. It is the responsibility of the candidate to ensure accurate contact information is provided and updated as required. Candidates who apply to this selection process should include an email address that accepts email from unknown users (some email systems block these types of email).

Depending on the number of applicants, the needs and/or Human Resources plans, volume management strategies such as random selection, top-down approach and/or establishing cut-off scores to determine who will continue in the staffing process, MAY BE USED for the purpose of managing applications.

The Public Service of Canada is committed to building a skilled and diverse workforce that reflects the Canadians we serve. We promote employment equity and encourage you to indicate if you belong to one of the designated groups when you apply.

Organizational Needs:
In support of achieving a diversified workforce, consideration may be given to candidates self-identifying as belonging to one of the following Employment Equity groups: Aboriginal peoples, persons with a disability, visible minorities and women.

Preference

Preference will be given to veterans first and then to Canadian citizens and permanent residents, with the exception of a job located in Nunavut, where Nunavut Inuit will be appointed first.

Information on the preference to veterans

We thank all those who apply. Only those selected for further consideration will be contacted.