Senior Engagement Consultant (Program Admin Officer 4)

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

The Senior Engagement Consultant is accountable for multiple projects on a strategic level within the department and horizontal delivery between other government departments. The Senior Engagement Consultant is pivotal to the reengineering of the Nova Scotia Apprenticeship and Trades Qualifications System according to industry demand to ensure that the system is successful in developing an available, skilled and certified trades workforce for Nova Scotia and the region.

The Senior Engagement Consultant supports engagement with the skilled trades industry, employers, and equity-deserving groups and communities from across the province. The consultant will receive input and feedback on relevant issues and topics to enhance the trades training and certification system in Nova Scotia. This work will involve defining and managing overall projects that impact multiple internal and external partners. The Senior Engagement Consultant is responsible for consultation, promotion, project management, communications, and/or development of the overall project and project plans.

As the Consultant, you will support the coordination of trade sprints and meetings with Indigenous and Mi’kmaw communities. You will support growing capacity in the skilled trades and support community projects and initiatives connected to growing the skilled trades in Nova Scotia. 

Primary Accountabilities

Key responsibilities include:

• Develops and/or delivers project plans for significant aspects of internal and external communications with guidance from senior colleagues. This includes ongoing monitoring and reporting of projects, and providing processes and tools to provide the required information for inclusion on reports.

• Engages with employers, community members, industry associations and businesses across the province to ensure input and feedback into the system.

• Manages and delivers required outcomes for one or more projects while reporting to senior colleagues. Provides direction and/or development of the project and project plans, working within an established project management plan. Activities include project scope development, business requirements analysis, advising on procurement, methodology selection, project management strategies, and resource and capacity management of direct and indirect project resources.

• Identifies shortcomings and suggests improvements to existing processes, systems and procedures, then delivers a plan for a small element of a change management program in collaboration with senior colleagues and project team.

• Takes responsibility for delivering a prescribed budget for the project and conducts complex analyses on budget progress while working within established procedures. Allocates resources to appropriate places and develops strategies to ensure project management capacity meets the requirements. Delivers prescribed outcomes for a designated area of financial control. Develops action plans to address budget and/or operational business/project plan deviations as they occur throughout the fiscal year.

• Delivers on the established outcomes by managing day-to-day relationships with clients, contract service providers, and project team while working within an established contract management plan.

• Experience working with First Nation and/or Indigenous communities and community leadership considered an asset. 

• May perform other related duties as assigned.

Qualifications and Experience

You must hold a bachelors degree with 6 years of related experience, or an equivalent combination of training and experience or a Certificate of Qualification in a skilled trade with 6 years of related experience.

You have experience and specialized knowledge that is essential in labour market development and planning, including labour market information analysis, information development, education and training programs, supports and services, employee development, human resource planning, succession planning, recruitment/attraction and retention and workplace culture.

You have knowledge of federal, regional, provincial, and local labour market partners, business climate, labour/management relations, and relevant programs and services is required. You can provide insight on the challenges faced by subject matter experts and their employees, while building partnerships is essential.

You have effective leadership skills, proficiency in project management, planning and implementation, partnership development skills, and expertise in consultative services and practices with clients and stakeholders.

You also demonstrate strong research and analytical skills, with the ability to synthesize information quickly to develop sound advice on a broad range of challenging issues. You provide innovative solutions to problems and have the capability to proactively seek opportunities to add value to your responsibilities. You have superior verbal and written communication skills, including strong presentation and public speaking skills when delivering presentations to employers, business organizations, communities, community groups and other partners and stakeholders both internally and externally.

Equivalency

Applicants relying on education and experience equivalencies must demonstrate such equivalencies in their application.

Working Conditions

• Normal work week is 35 hours/week, 7 hours/day
• May be required to work overtime on occasion
• Travel is a requirement of this position.
• Must have a valid driver’s license and daily use of a dependable, safe vehicle.
  
  

Additional Information

This is a TEMPORARY employment opportunity with anticipated end date of December 31, 2026.  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
• Countless career paths
• A Dynamic, client-focused office environment where service excellence and teamwork are our focus.