Cabinet Advisor (2-year Secondment)

About Us

The Executive Council Office (ECO) provides central leadership to achieve government priorities and support for executive leadership. It supports the Premier, Executive Council (Cabinet) and its committees in decision-making and strategic priority setting by providing policy, legal, communications, and labour relations advice. Key responsibilities of ECO include communicating government priorities and actions, developing and advancing corporate priorities and strategic plans, monitoring progress toward government objectives, facilitating government’s decision-making process through support to the Executive Council, reviewing all regulatory and legislative proposals to guide the development or amendment of government policy and providing centralized support for the appointments and governance of agencies, boards, and commissions.

About Our Opportunity

The Executive Council Office is looking for individuals interested in a development opportunity to grow and advance in a dynamic environment. As a Cabinet Advisor at ECO, you will provide corporate leadership for government’s policy function and support government’s decision-making process. You will work collaboratively with departments to provide strategic advice and recommendations to ensure submissions to Executive Council are clearly articulated and aligned with government priorities and resources are appropriately allocated.

Current government employees that are at the EC 13 to EC 15 level and have extensive policy development experience and strong analytical abilities to assess complex proposals are encouraged to apply. The nature of the position requires a conceptual thinker that is results oriented and has the proven ability to build strong, collaborative relationships.

Primary Accountabilities

While providing guidance and advice to government departments in respect of submissions to Executive Council, you will provide executive analysis and recommendations on complex policy and financial proposals to Executive Council such as corporate administrative policies, organizational and governance structures, new government programming, budget submissions and business plans, business process re-engineering, land transactions, and new or amended legislation and regulations.

You will work to ensure policy alignment with corporate directives; that implications are accurately described and fully understood (e.g., legal, financial, programming); ensure the technical soundness is complete and in order; and determine whether the proposal is consistent with government priorities and/or is in the best interest of the province. You will help to build policy capacity in your assigned department, across the broader public sector, and help develop long term, strategic systems thinking using available tools and resources within government.

You will work with Deputy Ministers and senior executive teams in the early stages of conceptualization and development of corporate frameworks and strategies with a focus on policy alignment with government’s agenda.

Qualifications and Experience

This may be the right opportunity for you if you have a bachelor’s degree in a related area or discipline plus five years related experience, or a master’s degree plus three years’ experience. An acceptable level of equivalent or relevant experience may be considered.

You will have experience in policy analysis and research, project management, preparing briefing materials, and collaborating with and supporting stakeholder committees or working groups, including project planning, tracking and reporting.

You have strong interpersonal communication (both written and verbal), facilitation skills, excellent research support capabilities, and well-developed organizational skills with excellent attention to detail. The nature of the position requires the ability to exercise sound judgement, make reasoned decisions within strict deadlines, and prioritize competing tasks.

The successful candidate will have effective partnering and relationship building skills and display intercultural and diversity proficiency. You have a proven ability to be an influential leader, a conceptual thinker with a strategic orientation and thrive in an environment which requires taking initiative and being outcome focused. Knowledge and experience with the NS government cabinet submission process and procedures is an asset.

Equivalency

Applicant without formal education but with 10 years of relevant experience will be considered. 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.

Additional Information

This is a Term employment opportunity with an anticipated end date of two (2) years from the start date. The successful candidate would be eligible for a secondment should it be approved by their departing department. The appointment status (‘term’, ‘temporary’ or ‘casual’) is dependent on the start date of the successful candidate.

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