Posting Date: Jun 7, 2024
Location: Edmonton, AB
Company: Government of Alberta
Job Information
Job Title: Surface Water Quantity Policy Specialist
Job Requisition ID: 58707
Ministry: Environment and Protected Areas
Location: Edmonton
Full or Part-Time: Full Time
Hours of Work: 36.25 hours per week
Permanent/Temporary: Permanent
Scope: Open Competition
Closing Date: June 21, 2024
Classification: Scientific 3 (025SCA)
Salary: $3,076.28 to $4,053.05 bi-weekly ($80,290 – $105,784/year)
The Government of Alberta is committed to a diverse and inclusive public service that reflects the population we serve to best meet the needs of Albertans. Consider joining a team where diversity, inclusion and innovation are valued and supported. For more information on diversity and inclusion, please visit: https://www.alberta.ca/diversity-inclusion-policy.aspx
We support Albertans in being proud stewards of air, land, water, and biodiversity by leading the work required for the desired environmental outcomes and sustainable development of natural resources.
For more information about the Ministry of Environment and Protected Areas, please visit our website at: https://www.alberta.ca/environment-and-protected-areas.aspx.
The Policy Division is responsible for the overall integration of Environment and Protected Areas’ policy agenda and legislative, cabinet and policy systems coordination. This includes a lead role in air, climate, water and waste policy, and a strategic coordinating role in lands, and fish and wildlife policy. This division is instrumental in advancing efforts to modernize the department’s legislation and associated regulations, reduce red tape and provide the necessary policy framework to achieve operational excellence.
Role Responsibilities
As a Surface Water Quantity Policy Specialist in the Water and Waste Policy Branch, you will be an integral part of a team of water professionals responsible for developing robust and integrated water policy across the Government of Alberta. This position is strongly informed by science and will provide assessments and analysis to support Alberta’s water management objectives. You will support and develop the province’s water quantity and allocation knowledge across the policy cycle – research, design, control, evaluation, and education. Working with a wide range of stakeholders, the Surface Water Quantity Policy Specialist will identify, evaluate, and advance opportunities to manage risks to surface water and analysis of current issues like characterizing available water supplies, hydrologic variability, floods and droughts, allocation and supply, and while incorporating awareness of current issues, stakeholder and public views, and longer-term implications such as climate change adaptation.
Responsibilities include but not limited to:
• Policy and management option analysis of current and emerging issues affecting water quantity, sustainable water management practices, the use and availability of water for Albertans, and water for sustaining aquatic environments.
• Identify actions to improve Alberta’s preparedness, adaptation, and resiliency in planning for extreme events (droughts, floods, climate change).
• Interpreting legislation, policies, and guidelines to identify and address policy or regulatory gaps or implementation issues.
• Compiling, analysing, and presenting water data, management, supply, and demand information relevant to the development or update of regulations and policy.
• Consulting, engaging, or collaborating on water quantity, allocation, and policy issues with a wide range of stakeholders and the public.
• Communicate information to stakeholders, senior leadership and other government agencies regarding strategic advice and recommendations.
• Providing water science and policy support to variety of program areas and initiatives across the department and government.
• Provide advice, outreach, and educational materials to raise awareness, understanding, and advance collective stewardship of Alberta’s water resources.
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.
How Competencies will apply to this role:
Agility: Demonstrate the ability to evolve policy approaches and tools to reflect existing conditions and adapt quickly to shifting government and organizational priorities and commitments.
Creative Problem Solving: Think critically and strategically and engage others in developing original and innovative solutions. Work productively with others to solve problems with minimal guidance or supervision.
Systems Thinking: Identify key factors and interactions influencing outcomes and assess the consequences of potential policy changes.
Qualifications
Required:
• Ph.D. in a scientific field related to hydrological sciences, water resources engineering, earth/environmental/natural resources with a specialty in water sciences.
• Minimum of two (2) years related work experience.
Equivalencies considered:
• Master’s degree in a scientific field related to the position, plus 4 years related experience.
• University graduation in a scientific field related to the position, plus 6 years related experience.
Assets:
Preference will be given to candidates who demonstrate the following:
• Experience developing, administering, or complying with environmental regulations, policies or administrative tools (provincial or federal).
• Knowledge of Alberta’s water management, licensing, and regulatory approaches, and general awareness of Alberta’s priorities and objectives relating to water management.
• Experience preparing terms of reference, reviewing proposals, engaging with stakeholders or multi-disciplinary groups.
• Experience in performance measurement, environmental indicators, or in the analysis of policy or program activities and results.
• Skills in numerical analyses and interpretation including statistical methods of environmental and regulatory data sets.
• Experience with applying or interpreting models and data (e.g., hydrological or water supply/ allocation models; geospatial approaches) to predict or interpret of local, regional, and cumulative impacts on surface water resources.
• Experience working in and applying expertise in interdisciplinary settings (i.e., across various disciplines supporting watershed sciences).
• Experience working with water monitoring and management related datasets (e.g., hydrometric and climatic datasets) or Alberta or Canadian prairie hydroclimatic interpretation and expertise.
• Ability to build and maintain effective and productive working relationships with colleagues, external collaborators, and/or community or Indigenous partners.
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 1 permanent full time position located in downtown, Edmonton. This competition may be used to fill future vacancies within the team.
• Hours of work: Monday – Friday, 7.25 hours per day / 36.25 hours per week.
Applicants are required to include a COVER LETTER with clear and concise specific examples that demonstrate how their qualifications meet the advertised requirements and competencies. The cover letter may be used to assess your communication skills as part of the screening process.
If selected for an interview, candidates will be asked to prepare a written assignment to further assess formal writing skills and written competency.
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)
E.g.: Lifeguard 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
E.g.: Bachelor of Science, 4-year Degree (Graduated 2017)
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 required documents/checks from the province they currently reside in.
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.
How To Apply
Applicants are advised to provide information that clearly and concisely demonstrates how their qualifications meet the advertised requirements, including education, experience, and relevant examples of required competencies.
Candidates are required to apply for a job online. Please visit https://www.alberta.ca/job-application-resources#before for more information. Please visit Recruitment Principles, for more information.
It is recommended applicants who have completed post-secondary studies from outside of Canada obtain an evaluation of their credentials from the International Qualifications Assessment Service (IQAS)(https://www.alberta.ca/international-qualifications-assessment.aspx) or from a recognized Canadian Credential Evaluator; please visit the Alliance of Credential Evaluation Services of Canada for more information (https://canalliance.org/en/default.html).
It is recommended that applicants include the assessment certificate from IQAS or any other educational assessment service as part of their application.
Closing Statement
This competition may be used to fill future vacancies, across the Government of Alberta, at the same or lower classification level.
We thank all applicants for their interest. All applications will be reviewed to determine which candidates’ qualifications most closely match the advertised requirements. Only individuals selected for interviews will be contacted.
If you require any further information on this job posting or require an accommodation during the recruitment process, please contact Jane McEwen, TAS Administrator via email at Jane.Mcewen@gov.ab.ca.
