Summer Student (Provincial Tax Commission)

About Us

At Service Nova Scotia, we impact every citizen, business, and municipality in Nova Scotia. Our mandate is to design and deliver programs and services to meet the needs of our clients and the public good through a culture of excellence. Service Nova Scotia’s vision is to be a recognized leader in service and public protection that delivers trusted, accessible, modern programs, and contributes to Nova Scotia as a safe and desirable place to live, work, and do business. To learn more, click here: Department of Service Nova Scotia - Government of Nova Scotia

About Our Opportunity

The Provincial Tax Commission at the Department of Service Nova Scotia has an exciting summer student employment opportunity. Are you someone who would enjoy taking a deep dive into interesting topics that affect Nova Scotians and citizens across Canada? Do you enjoy analyzing data to find and present intriguing correlations? If this sounds like you, we want to hear from you!

Primary Accountabilities

Primary Project: Exploring and Using Microsoft Copilot for Data Analysis

Objective: Investigate and use AI tool Microsoft Copilot to perform data analysis functions on Tax Commission data.

Tasks include: 

• Familiarize yourself with the existing data sets and current data analysis methods used by the Commission.
• Investigate Microsoft Copilot functions (e.g., machine learning algorithms, natural language processing, predictive analytics) that could enhance data analysis functions of Tax Commission data.
• Undertake projects using Microsoft Copilot that could involve, but not be limited to:
• Use Copilot to extract market sales data and integrate it to existing reports on similar goods. Market sale data could be obtained from sources such as online marketplaces or by linking to APIs of market valuation tools.
• Use Copilot to build scripts to analyze tax data and identify trends and exceptions for further review by the Tax Commission.
• Use AI to improve data intelligence; this would involve analyzing patterns in tax data to identify anomalies and flag potential cases for further investigation.
• Use AI to develop a chatbot for the Tax Commission website that can assist with common queries related to Tax Commission program and services.
• Document findings, including potential benefits, limitations, and recommendations for implementation.
• Conduct training sessions for the Tax Commission to instruct on how to use Microsoft Copilot to conduct similar data analysis in the future.
• Present final report and recommendations.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications and Experience

To be considered for this opportunity, you:

• Are currently a student enrolled in a post-secondary institution program such as business or commerce, computer science or engineering, informatics or equivalent, available to work in the summer of 2025 and are returning to school in the fall of 2025.
• Have good organizational skills and are accurate and efficient with the ability to multi-task.
• Work well in individual settings and in team environments.

You also possess the following:

• Strong verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to collaborate effectively and present information clearly.
• Excellent problem-solving and troubleshooting skills.
• Ability to think critically, analyze data, and provide practical solutions.

• Highly adaptable, able to switch tasks yet still maintain a drive towards completion.
• Advanced proficiency with Microsoft Excel and Excel functions such as pivot tables.
• Demonstrated experience using Microsoft Copilot and/or other AI tools and AI script engineering.
• Excellent research and data analysis skills.
• Demonstrated experience in report writing.

We will assess the above qualifications and competencies using one or more of the following tools: interview(s), skills test, and reference checks.

Working Conditions

• Work will be completed onsite in an office setting in downtown Halifax.
• Hours of work may be completed during business hours, approximately 8:30- 4:30.
• Projected start date of May 2025 and a projected end date of August 29, 2025.