Director General, Information Technology

Important messages

Do you enable clients with technology and processes that help them to deliver more effectively and efficiently? Have you always wanted to be a leader in an innovative, diverse, client-centered organization? Well now is your chance? PrairiesCan is looking for a Director General to lead our IT Directorate.

You will excel in this role if you have an in-depth understanding of the Information Management and Technology issues facing small departments, government priorities/directions and their potential impact on IT programs and services, strong leadership skills, proven management success and a network of economic development contacts in the IT world. The successful candidate will also have knowledge of government priorities and directions and what IT solutions can help a department to contribute to them. This role will appeal to someone who has high standards, thrives in a fast-paced environment, and demonstrates a commitment to teamwork and staff development. We encourage all highly motivated and strategic individuals with excellent communication skills to apply!

Please note as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, we are working remotely. If you are appointed to this position, PrairiesCan will provide tools and equipment to support remote work. As public health restrictions ease, the successful candidate will be expected to report to a PrairiesCan National Headquarters office work location in Edmonton, Alberta.

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

About PrairiesCan:
We are driven to be the best at what we do – develop the economy in the Prairies for Canadians today as well as future generations. 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. PrairiesCan leads in building a strong, competitive Canadian economy by supporting business, innovation and community economic development unique to Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba.

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

Duties

Reporting to the Executive Director, Finance and Corporate Management and part of the senior management team, the Director General; Information Technology is an integral part of our senior leadership team. As the Department’s Chief Information Officer (CIO), the Director General; Information Technology is accountable for strategic corporate leadership and operational delivery of Information Technology. This includes:

• Providing strategic direction for the use of information technology in the Department in a way that enhances / enables the Department to meet its strategic objectives and operational goals;
• Directing the Corporate IT Management Division, by managing its financial and human resources;
• Planning, developing, providing, and maintaining cost-effective and secure application systems to the Department;
• Providing authoritative IT strategic and operational advice, guidance, options, and recommendations to senior management, and;
• Contributing to the Department’s short and long term strategic and operational plans.

Intent of the process

The intent is to run an anticipatory selection process. A pool of qualified candidates (fully assessed or partially assessed) will be established and may be used to staff similar positions. 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 candidate 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:
• Successful completion of a degree from a recognized post-secondary institution with an acceptable specialization related to the position or an acceptable combination of education, training and experience.

Degree equivalency

Experience in the following:
1. Significant experience* managing financial and human resources.
2. Significant experience* in providing strategic advice to senior executives on complex issues (such as policies, programs, legislation, issues management).
3. Significant experience* in building and maintaining collaborative relationships with a variety of internal and external partners, including central agencies, to advance business priorities and objectives.
4. Experience leading the delivery of IT projects and cloud-based solutions involving software development/configuration with multiple stakeholders.

Significant Experience* is defined as performing these duties for at least 2 years within the last 5 years.

Key leadership Competencies:
• Create Vision and Strategy
• Mobilize People
• Uphold integrity and respect
• Collaborate with partners/stakeholders
• Promote innovation and guide change
• Achieve results
• Client Service Orientation
• Communication (Oral and Written)

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

Asset Qualifications:
1. Master’s degree in a field related to the duties.

Degree equivalency

2. Experience interacting with and providing strategic advice to executives (defined as EX-01 equivalent or above).
3. Experience working with Federal, Provincial or Municipal governments.
4. Experience managing staff remotely or in a matrix environment.
5. Experiencing advocating for or championing ideas.
6. Experience in establishing and maintaining networks and partnerships with other levels of governments, post-secondary institutions, industry organizations, etc.
7. Experience in developing and implementing a framework and approach to multi-party, collaborative research and assessment projects.
8. Experience in developing Memoranda to Cabinet and Treasury Board Submissions.
9. Experience analyzing enterprise-wide IT issues and resolving them through innovative solutions.
10. Experience establishing and designing an IT directorate and services.

The hiring manager may further consider/assess the depth, breadth, and scope in any one or combination of the experience factors.

Operational Requirements:
• Ability work overtime on short notice as required.
• Ability to travel as required.

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.
• Fully vaccinated for COVID 19 unless being accommodated based on a certified medical contraindication or a prohibited ground for discrimination as defined under the Canadian Human Rights Act.

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.

As a result of 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.

For this selection process, our intention is to communicate with the candidates by email. Candidates who apply to this selection process must include in their application a valid email address and make sure that this address is functional at all times and accepts messages 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.

As per the new Policy on COVID-19 Vaccination for the Core Public Administration Including the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, federal public servants in the Core Public Administration and members of the RCMP must attest to their vaccination status. The requirement for employees to be fully vaccinated applies whether they are teleworking, working remotely or working on-site. This is a condition of employment and it applies to indeterminate (permanent), determinate (term), casual, and student hiring. Should you reach the point in the selection process where it is necessary to verify terms and conditions of employment then the hiring manager or a human resources representative will contact you in order to complete an attestation.

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.