Manager, Asset Management

About Us

The Department of Municipal Affairs is dedicated to working with municipalities to build healthy, vibrant, and safe communities throughout Nova Scotia. Municipal Affairs provides programs, grants, and funding opportunities for municipalities and community groups. The Department also provides services and guidance to municipalities in many areas including land use planning, budget planning and finance, infrastructure development, policy and program development.

About Our Opportunity

Are you looking for your next leadership opportunity? Are you committed to advancing sustainable infrastructure and supporting the long-term development of communities across Nova Scotia? Do you understand how municipalities plan, build and maintain infrastructure assets? 

As part of the Municipal Infrastructure Division at DMA, the Manager of Asset Management will provide strategic leadership in advancing the province-wide Asset Management (AM) program.  This role supports municipalities in infrastructure planning and long-term decision-making by developing tools, standards, and guidance.

You’ll collaborate with a broad network of professionals—municipal administrators, elected officials, engineers, accountants, planners, technicians, IT professionals, and others—individually and in groups. Reporting to the Director, you will lead the successful delivery of projects and initiatives that build municipal capacity, improve asset management practices, and help shape the direction of infrastructure funding and policy at the provincial level.

Primary Accountabilities

You will lead an agile team of professionals and oversee the delivery of the Nova Scotia AM program. Key responsibilities include:

• Leading the development of tools, resources, and best practices to support municipalities in asset management.
• Driving program innovation, research, and continuous improvement.
• Collaborating with municipal staff to identify needs, opportunities, and barriers.
• Contributing to the development of provincial infrastructure policies and funding frameworks by providing technical insights and evidence-based recommendations.
• Overseeing technical project teams, including developing terms of reference, managing contracts and consultants, and monitoring budgets, timelines, and deliverables.
• Managing large and complex infrastructure data sets and supporting their analysis and application.
• Integrating engineering principles, IT systems, and GIS technologies to achieve program goals.
• Developing and managing program budgets, workplans, and schedules.
• Providing evidence-based recommendations to senior leadership on municipal infrastructure issues and initiatives.

Qualifications and Experience

You are a Professional Engineer (preferably in Civil, Municipal, or Environmental) and a member in good standing, or eligible for registration, with Engineers Nova Scotia. You bring experience working with municipal infrastructure and understand the roles of local, provincial and federal governments related to infrastructure.
 

You also demonstrate:

• Proven experience in leading teams and fostering collaborative, high-performing work environments.
• Expertise in asset management, infrastructure lifecycle analysis, and capital planning.
• Strong understanding of municipal infrastructure systems—drinking water, wastewater, stormwater, solid waste, transportation, facilities, natural assets, etc.
• Skill in analyzing and communicating large, complex datasets to technical and non-technical audiences.
• A high level of initiative, problem-solving, and organizational skills.
• Proficiency in database management, spreadsheets, and the generation of technical reports.
• Ability to build strong relationships across stakeholder groups and work effectively in multi-stakeholder settings.
• Experience working with municipalities, other levels of government, and professional associations.

Assets include:

• Certification in asset management (e.g. IAM, PEMAC, IPWEA), or willingness to obtain it.
• Experience with Geographic Information Systems (GIS).
• Experience working with both urban and rural municipalities. 

Leadership competencies required at this level of work include Strategic Orientation Decisiveness, Staff Development, Team Leadership, Effective Interactive Communication, Partnering and Relationship Building, Self-Awareness and Personal Impact, and Equity and Inclusion Informed Leadership.
 
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.

Benefits

Based on the employment status, 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

Your normal work week is 35 hours/week, 7 hours/day.  You may be required to work overtime on occasion.

The majority of your work is conducted in a comfortable office environment with moderate travel required within the Province. 

There is pressure to meet deadlines while managing a diverse number of projects that require ongoing planning/revision.  You must be able to manage stressful, complex situations and balance many different issues and considerations.  Work is often subject to extensive scrutiny and criticism by the public and by the diverse communities served.

Additional Information

You must have a valid drivers license, and ability to travel, as required.

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.  Core hours of 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.