Director, Planning and Accountability

Competition # : 49608

Department: Seniors and Long-Term Care

Location: HALIFAX

Type of Employment: Permanent

Union Status: Exclusion - Non Union - NSPG

Closing Date: 31-Aug-26 (Applications are accepted until 11:59 PM Atlantic Time)

About Us

The Department of Seniors and Long-Term Care offers opportunities to grow and advance in a dynamic sector that touches the lives of many Nova Scotians. Along with our partners, including Nova Scotia Health and the various continuing care partners, we’re committed to continually improving our continuing care system. The department is thinking differently about how to plan, fund, legislate and monitor to improve access and service delivery. To do this, we need leaders at all levels of the organization who embrace a challenge and believe in their ability to make a difference.

About Our Opportunity

As the Director, Planning and Accountability, you will provide strategic leadership for planning, performance measurement, accountability, data and analytics, research, and clinical assessment functions within the Workforce, Innovation and Partnerships Branch. This role is central to helping Seniors and Long-Term Care strengthen oversight of major investments, service agreements, modernization initiatives, and sector performance across home care and long-term care. This is a strategic accountability leadership role. It requires a leader who is comfortable with numbers, evidence and analytical detail, but who can also step back to see the broader system story. The director will help senior leaders ask the right questions about performance, outcomes, risks, investments, provider obligations and improvement opportunities, and will help turn information into clear choices, practical advice and timely action.

You will lead a multidisciplinary team that includes research and statistical resources, the interRAI and clinical assessment team, and related data and platform expertise. Building on the team's strong foundation, you will help strengthen how information is collected, connected, interpreted and translated into strategic advice for senior leadership.

Primary Accountabilities

As Director, Planning and Accountability, you are accountable for providing senior leadership and oversight for planning, performance monitoring, reporting, evaluation research, analytics, and clinical assessment functions that support departmental priorities and system transformation. Strategic leadership

• Provide senior leadership for planning, performance, accountability, research, analytics, and clinical assessment functions that support departmental priorities, executive decision-making, and system transformation.
• Lead and support a high-performing multidisciplinary team by setting clear priorities, building capacity, supporting collaboration, and creating a culture of accountability, curiosity, service excellence, and continuous learning.
• Work collaboratively with program areas, senior leaders, Nova Scotia Health, sector partners, service providers, and external consultants to support system planning, implementation, modernization, and accountability.
• Support oversight of service provider performance, contractual expectations, and public stewardship in a diverse continuing care sector delivered by many partners and service providers.
• Identify emerging system risks, trends, performance issues, and opportunities for continuous improvement, and support timely action by senior leadership.

Technical and accountability functions

• Lead departmental planning, performance measurement, monitoring, reporting, and evaluation activities that support evidence-informed decision-making across Seniors and Long-Term Care.
• Provide strategic direction to the department’s research and statistical resources, including the Research and Statistical Officer team, to strengthen analysis, reporting, forecasting, and policy support.
• Provide leadership to the interRAI and clinical assessment team responsible for clinical assessment systems, assessment information, performance indicators, and related reporting across home care and long-term care.
• Develop and strengthen accountability frameworks, performance indicators, reporting approaches, and monitoring tools for major investments, service agreements, and modernization initiatives.
• Translate data, research, clinical assessment information, and sector intelligence into practical advice, briefing materials, dashboards, recommendations, and improvement opportunities.
• Provide leadership for measurement and reporting related to major initiatives such as home care modernization, AlayaCare implementation, workforce planning, long-term care new builds, service agreements, and quality improvement efforts.

Qualifications and Experience

To be considered for this opportunity, you hold a bachelor’s degree in a related field such as public administration, health administration, business administration, social sciences, statistics, research, health information, or another relevant discipline, along with several years of progressive leadership experience in planning, performance measurement, accountability, evaluation, research, analytics, health system planning, or a related field.

An equivalent combination of training, education, and experience will be considered.

• Experience leading strategic planning, performance measurement, reporting, evaluation, accountability, or quality improvement functions in a complex public sector, health, continuing care, or human services environment.
• Experience using data, research, indicators, Tableau dashboards, or analytical products to support executive decision-making, policy development, program planning, and operational oversight.
• Experience leading teams, setting priorities, managing workloads, and supporting staff through change, ambiguity, and competing demands.
• Strong understanding of accountability, governance, service agreements, funding arrangements, performance monitoring, and public stewardship.
• The ability to work with clinical, operational, policy, financial, digital, and research information and translate complex issues into clear advice for senior leaders.
• Strong relationship-building skills and experience working with internal teams, senior leaders, service providers, health system partners, and external stakeholders.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to prepare executive-ready briefing notes, presentations, reports, recommendations, and plain-language materials.
• Sound judgment, political acuity, analytical thinking, and the ability to identify risks, options, trade-offs, and practical solutions.
• Knowledge of continuing care, home care, long-term care, clinical assessment systems, interRAI, health information, or health system modernization would be considered an asset.
  

We will assess the above qualifications and competencies using one or more of the following tools: written examination, standardized tests, oral presentations, interview(s), and reference checks. For example, but not limited to, we will consider a Masters or PhD in a related field.

Equivalency

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

Benefits

Based on the employment status and union agreement, 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

• Normal work week is 35 hours/week, 7 hours/day
• Most of the time is spent sitting in a comfortable position with frequent opportunity to move about
• Typically located in a comfortable office environment with regular opportunity to move around

What We Offer

• Career Development where you have access to career guidance, tools, resources, and ongoing training for every stage of your career
• Engaging workplace: our Employees feel valued, respected, connected, and tuned in, we have forward-thinking policies and strategies
• Countless career paths
• Department specific flexible working schedules

Pay Grade: EC 13

Salary Range: $4,322.15 - $5,402.66 Bi-Weekly

Employment Equity Statement: Our goal is to be a diverse workforce that is representative, at all job levels, of the citizens we serve. The Government of Nova Scotia has an Employment Equity Policy, and we welcome applications from Indigenous People, African Nova Scotians and Other Racially Visible Persons, Persons with Disabilities and Women in occupations or positions where they are under-represented. If you are a member of one of these equity groups, you are encouraged to self-identify on your electronic application.

Accommodation Statement: We are committed to providing an inclusive and accessible recruitment process. Candidates may request accommodations based on any grounds protected by the Human Rights Act. If you require an accommodation throughout the recruitment process, please contact us at competitions@novascotia.ca.

Current government employees may access this posting through the link below:

PLEASE NOTE: Candidates will not be considered for an interview if applications are incomplete or are missing information.

If you are receiving a pension from the Nova Scotia Public Service Superannuation Plan (PSSP) or any related plans, you cannot receive pension payments while contributing to the same plan. If you accept a position that requires PSSP contributions, your pension payments must be stopped. Please contact the Nova Scotia Pension Services Corporation for more information.

Offer of employment is conditional upon the completion of all applicable background checks and confirmation of credentials, the results of which must be satisfactory to the employer. We thank all applicants for the interest, however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted. All questions and concerns may be directed to Competitions@novascotia.ca.