Senior Executive Director, Skills & Learning

About Us

The Department of Labour, Skills and Immigration is a dynamic and innovative department that is focused on strategies, policies and programs that help people live, learn and work to their highest potential in vibrant businesses and organizations throughout the province.

The mandate of the Skills and Learning Branch within the Department of Labour, Skills and Immigration is to support the growth and strengthening of Nova Scotia’s workforce through the strategic and operational delivery of a continuum of labour market programming. The Branch’s Skills and Learning programs :

• Provide adult learners with the foundational education needed to enable further education or jobs through the Nova Scotia School for Adult Learning, and recognition of skills and credentials;
• Help unemployed Nova Scotians prepare for work, and secure work, through skills training, employment assistance,
• Support career-oriented work experiences for post-secondary students and employment for recent graduates and other youth; and
• Help businesses and industries and their employees become more productive through skills training, strategic HR services, and industry / sector partnerships.

About Our Opportunity

The Senior Executive Director of the Skills and Learning Branch provides executive-level leadership to a 175-person team organized under five divisions that deliver multi-faceted labour market development programs and services for the province of Nova Scotia. The offerings of the Branch include responsibility for adult education, employment services and programs, workplace initiatives, youth initiatives and internal support teams that support branch strategy, innovation, and finance and accountability mechanisms. The Senior Executive Director develops, implements, and directs comprehensive labour market strategies for the province, leads the development of overarching policy objectives informed by government priorities and emerging needs, and oversees the integrated planning and development of public programs and services across the branch. They ensure the branch's responsibilities and activities occur within the mission of the Department and in accordance with government priorities, including those of the Canada-Nova Scotia Labour Market Transfer Agreements.

This work is undertaken within an executive leadership team of the department and in conjunction with significant and regular horizontal collaboration within the provincial government, and with the federal government. The strategies of labour market development policy, programs, and initiatives focus on both individuals and employers through key partners such as industry / sector organizations, training institutions, community-based service providers and multiple government departments and agencies with varying degrees of direct and indirect involvement in the development of labour market in Nova Scotia.

Primary Accountabilities

The Senior Executive Director is responsible for the following key accountabilities :

Qualifications and Experience

As the ideal candidate, you have experience leading and developing complex and diverse teams. You have demonstrated a high level of integrity through progressive leadership experience. Your outstanding leadership abilities are showcased through your commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion. You have demonstrated an ability to shape a positive and collaborative organizational environment that develops people and relationships that affect positive change.

As the senior lead for the Skills and Learning Branch, you are known as a strategic thinker and have demonstrated this skill while effectively deploying available financial, human, and material resources. You are a skilled negotiator who has liaised and negotiated with various levels of government, and have demonstrated an understanding of government processes, policy development and legislation.

Throughout your career, you have handled increasingly strategic, complex, sensitive, and sometimes contentious issues. You have learned the value of strong communication skills and collaborative working relationships in managing challenges and developing responsive solutions in an environment with multiple and competing priorities. You are experienced at public communication with citizens, community partners and media.

We ask that you apply for this position with a cover letter and résumé that demonstrate :

Additional Assets for this role include :

LEADS

The Government of Nova Scotia has adopted the LEADS Leadership Framework. During the interview, candidates will be expected to express how they have demonstrated the key behaviours and capabilities required to effectively lead in a caring and inclusive environment. LEADS Domains includes Leads Self, Engage Others, Achieve Results, Develop Coalitions and Systems Transformation.

For more information, please visit LEADS Framework.

We will assess the above qualifications and competencies using one or more of the following tools : written examination, oral presentations, interview(s), and reference checks.

Equivalency

Applicants relying on education and experience equivalencies must demonstrate such equivalencies in their application.

Benefits

The Government of Nova Scotia offers its employees a wide range of benefits such as a Defined Benefit Pension Plan, Health, Dental, Life Insurance, General illness, Short and Long Term Disability, Vacation and Employee and Family Assistance Programs. For information on all our Benefit program offerings, click here : Benefits for government employees.

Working Conditions

What We Offer

Pay Grade : EC 16 Salary Range : $5,;- $6,;Bi-Weekly