Project Director

About Us

The Department of Labour, Skills and Immigration works to provide fairness, safety and prosperity for all Nova Scotians by helping them live, learn and work to their highest potential. We have a staff of more than 500 employees working from offices throughout Nova Scotia. Together we are responsible for workplace safety, fire safety, pensions, apprenticeship, adult education, and many other facets of everyday life.

The Nova Scotia Apprenticeship Agency (NSAA) is responsible for stewarding and operating a relevant, accessible and responsive industry-led trades training and certification system and improving access to and participation in the system for Indigenous Peoples, African Nova Scotians, Person with Disabilities, Newcomers, Women and members of other equity-seeking groups.

About Our Opportunity

This is a unique opportunity to lead a high‑profile, national initiative that directly impacts Canada’s skilled trades workforce and labour mobility.

As Project Director, you will provide strategic leadership for a multi‑jurisdictional project led by the Canadian Council of Directors of Apprenticeship (CCDA) and hosted by the Nova Scotia Apprenticeship Agency (NSAA). Your work will strengthen Canada’s capacity to assess and recognize foreign credentials in the skilled trades, helping internationally trained workers (ITWs) successfully integrate into the Canadian labour market.

In this role, you will design and deliver innovative, evidence‑based solutions that support provinces and territories in recognizing comparable international apprenticeship credentials—particularly in Red Seal trades critical to Canada’s construction and skilled trades sectors. Your leadership will contribute to reducing barriers to employment, expanding the pool of qualified skilled workers, and supporting interprovincial labour mobility across the country.

This position offers the opportunity to:

• Lead complex, high‑impact work with national reach
• Collaborate with senior government officials, industry experts, and regulatory partners across Canada
• Shape policy‑informed approaches and frameworks that influence how skilled trade credentials are recognized nationally
• Apply your expertise in project leadership, change management, and stakeholder engagement in a highly visible and meaningful way

Primary Accountabilities

As Project Director, you will be accountable for the strategic planning, leadership, and successful delivery of a complex, cross‑jurisdictional initiative. You will:

• Provide overall direction and leadership for the project, ensuring objectives, timelines, and deliverables are achieved in alignment with CCDA and NSAA priorities
• Lead and mentor a small, specialized project team, fostering collaboration, accountability, and high performance
• Serve as the authoritative project lead, translating complex research, data, and jurisdictional considerations into practical, defensible recommendations
• Build and maintain strong partnerships with provincial and territorial apprenticeship authorities, federal partners, industry stakeholders, and subject matter experts
• Work closely with trade and industry experts to validate trade scope, training activities, and credential equivalencies aligned with Red Seal standards
• Act as a key liaison with the CCDA’s International Credential Recognition Working Group, providing leadership, progress reporting, and informed guidance to support decision‑making
• Champion change management and stakeholder engagement strategies to support adoption of harmonized approaches to foreign credential recognition
• Ensure clear communication, governance, and accountability throughout the life of the project, including reporting on progress, risks, and outcomes

Qualifications and Experience

You are a strategic, results‑driven leader who thrives in complex, multi‑stakeholder environments and brings a strong mix of analytical expertise, relationship‑building skill, and project leadership experience.

To succeed in this role, you will bring:

• A post‑secondary degree in a related discipline, along with significant experience leading complex projects or initiatives; an equivalent combination of education, training, and experience will be considered
• Demonstrated experience providing strategic leadership on initiatives with broad organizational, inter‑jurisdictional, or system‑level impact, including guiding work through ambiguity and change
• Sound knowledge of labour market dynamics, economic considerations, or workforce development issues—particularly as they relate to apprenticeship systems, skilled trades, or credential recognition
• Proven ability to build and sustain effective partnerships with a wide range of stakeholders, including senior government officials, interprovincial or federal colleagues, industry representatives, and subject matter experts
• Experience translating research, analysis, and complex technical information into clear, practical advice and recommendations for senior decision‑makers
• Strong people leadership skills, with experience coaching, mentoring, and supporting teams to achieve shared objectives in a respectful and inclusive workplace
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the confidence to lead discussions, influence outcomes, and represent projects or initiatives at a senior level
  
  

We will assess the above qualifications and experience using tools such as assessments, presentations, interviews, reference checks, etc.

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

• Normal work week is 35 hours/week, 7 hours/day
• May be required to work overtime on occasion

Additional Information

This is a TERM employment opportunity with anticipated end date of March 31, 2029. The appointment status (‘term’, ‘temporary’ or ‘casual’) is dependent on the start date of the successful candidate.

The successful candidate may work from any Labour, Skills and Immigration office across the province, providing flexibility in location while remaining connected to our provincial team.

A Criminal Record Check may be required for this position.

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
• A Dynamic, client-focused office environment where service excellence and teamwork are our focus.