Senior Waste Resource Officer

About Us

Nova Scotia Department of Environment and Climate Change’s role is to protect the environment and human health through regulatory excellence, conservation, partnership, and promotion. To achieve this, we strive to develop legislation, regulations and policies, and develop programs for regulated activities based on sound scientific knowledge and expertise.

Department of Environment and Climate Change (novascotia.ca)

About Our Opportunity

As a Senior Waste Resource Officer, you will play a critical role in advancing the province’s solid waste resource management strategies and commitments to reducing the provincial solid waste disposal rate. Your expertise will help shape regulatory frameworks, policies, and programs that foster environmental stewardship and public engagement. You will oversee the development, evaluation, and implementation of regulations, policies, standards, guidelines and programs that prioritize waste reduction and diversion, resource recovery, value-added business development and extended producer responsibility, ensuring that Nova Scotia remains a leader in environmental sustainability.

Primary Accountabilities

Lead the development and implementation of solid waste resource strategies and regulations.

• Conduct and coordinate comprehensive research, review and assessments, identifying best practices, trends, threats, and opportunities from other jurisdictions nationally and internationally.
• Develop and deliver correspondence and briefing materials, including training, to internal and external audiences
• Build and maintain productive relationships with government bodies, NGOs, private sector stakeholders, associations, and academia.
• Evaluate and continuously improve waste resource management programs. Identify problems and barriers in current regulations, policies and identify strategic solutions that balance the spectrum of priorities in the government’s mandate.
• Oversee the solid waste resource management program, provide direction and support to program staff and advise senior management on strategic waste reduction initiatives.
• Represent Nova Scotia regionally, nationally and internationally to negotiate and promote our province’s interest and opportunities.

Participate and lead on Atlantic province committees to advance common areas of interest and to work towards harmonization of regulatory/policy approaches.

Qualifications and Experience

The successful candidate would have a bachelor’s degree in environmental science, sustainability, or a related field with six years of relevant experience focused on solid waste resource management and/or regulation. An equivalent combination of training and experience will also be considered.

As the successful candidate, you will have expert level knowledge of local, national and international waste reduction strategies, standards, legislation, regulations and policies, experience and ability to lead our solid waste resource management team,

You will be adept at complex problem solving, balancing multiple priorities and incorporating multiple viewpoints into your issue analysis (e.g. environmental, value-added business

development, social, economic, political, etc.) with an ability to demonstrate creativity and systematic analysis in solution formulation. You are able to identify risks and benefits and can articulate them with respect to any proposals.

You have strong interactive communication skills (speaking, managing partner relationships, listening, writing, presenting). You are self-motivated, able to work independently, and have strong leadership skills, able to work effectively in a team environment.

In addition to having the experience above, you are detail oriented, accurate, and organized within your work and have the ability to make timely, independent judgement calls, when necessary, acting with transparency and integrity.

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.

May be required to work overtime on occasion.

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