Program Manager, Housing Services (Eastern Region)
Competition # : 48772
Department: Growth and Development
Location: SYDNEY
Type of Employment: Permanent
Union Status: Exclusion - Non Union - NSPG
Closing Date: 22-Jul-26 (Applications are accepted until 11:59 PM Atlantic Time)
About Us
The Department of Growth and Development promotes safe and secure communities by working with partners across the province to build safe, affordable, and suitable homes for Nova Scotians with low and moderate incomes. The Department also manages federal infrastructure programs to facilitate the delivery of eligible cost shared projects throughout Nova Scotia.
Housing matters to every community. Our work supports people, families, non-profit and cooperative housing providers, municipalities, and community partners as they respond to housing needs across the province. We deliver programs, provide funding and lending supports, strengthen partnerships, and help advance practical housing solutions for Nova Scotians.
About Our Opportunity
Housing Services is hiring two permanent Program Managers: one with responsibility for the Eastern Region and one with responsibility for the Central Region.
These roles are part of a changing service environment. Housing Services has moved from a primarily region-based program delivery model to a Provincial Delivery Model, and the work to strengthen, stabilize, and improve that model is ongoing. The Program Managers will play an important role in supporting provincial alignment, consistent service delivery, operational improvement, and staff engagement through this transition.
As Program Manager, you will lead a team, support consistent program delivery, and help staff and partners navigate change. You will bring structure, sound judgment, and a strong client-service lens to complex housing programs, financial decisions, policy interpretation, and operational priorities.
Reporting to the Director, Housing Services, you will help ensure programs are delivered fairly, consistently, and in keeping with legislation, policy, regulations, and the government’s housing strategy. You will also contribute to program modernization, improved client experience, and practical solutions for housing service delivery.
This is a role for a leader who can support people through change, make thoughtful decisions under pressure, and build trust across teams, regions, and partners.
Primary Accountabilities
Program delivery and client service
Oversee housing program delivery within a provincial service model, with accountability for assigned regional operations. This includes grants, loans, mortgages, home repair and adaptation programs, waitlist management, prioritization, and decision-making. The role ensures programs are delivered fairly, consistently, and in keeping with legislation, policy, procedures, sound lending practices, and a strong client-service lens.
People and change leadership
Lead, coach, and support a team responsible for housing program delivery. This includes setting priorities, managing workloads, supporting performance, mentoring staff, resolving issues, and helping sustain a healthy, inclusive, and accountable workplace. The role also supports staff through ongoing changes to the Provincial Delivery Model by helping teams adapt to new processes, expectations, and ways of working.
Financial, lending, and agreement oversight
Provide oversight for budgets, revenues, expenditures, procurement, forecasting, financial controls, mortgages, loans, and operating agreements with non-profit and cooperative housing providers. This includes agreement compliance, subsidy calculations, financial statement review, project solvency, renewals, collections, subsidy and income reviews, and related risks.
Modernization, risk, and service improvement
Provide advice on housing programs, policies, procedures, client experience, and service delivery improvements. The role interprets legislation, policy, and program requirements, identifies service gaps and operational risks, and contributes to modernization in areas such as home repair and adaptation, community housing capacity building, homeownership, and other related programs.
Provincial alignment and partnerships
Work across teams, regions, departments, and external partners to support consistent provincial approaches to service delivery. This includes building relationships with municipalities, housing providers, contractors, consultants, private lenders, community organizations, and provincial and federal partners. The role may also represent the department on committees and contribute to responses for complex issues, briefings, correspondence, Ministerial requests, and FOIPOP inquiries.
Qualifications and Experience
This may be the right opportunity for candidates with a bachelor’s degree in commerce, business administration, public administration, social sciences, community development, planning, or another related discipline, along with several years of progressive experience leading teams, managing programs, and working through complex operational, financial, policy, or service delivery issues.
The successful candidate brings sound judgment, strong communication skills, and the ability to make practical, fair, and well-supported decisions.
Leading teams through change
Experience leading, coaching, mentoring, and supporting staff is essential. This includes setting direction, managing workloads, supporting performance, resolving issues, and helping teams stay focused through competing priorities and operational pressure.
The role also requires experience supporting teams through change, service improvement, operational modernization, or new ways of working while maintaining service quality and consistency. Experience with standardized processes, operational frameworks, governance approaches, or best practices across multiple teams or locations would be considered an asset.
Program delivery and operational management
Experience managing programs, projects, services, or operations where policy, client service, timelines, risk, and accountability matter.
Financial and analytical skills
Experience working with budgets, forecasts, financial information, financial statements, or related documentation, with the ability to analyze information, identify risks, and make practical recommendations.
Policy, judgment, and decision-making
Experience interpreting and applying legislation, policy, procedures, or program requirements, with the ability to make consistent decisions and explain them clearly.
Relationship-building and communication
Strong communication and relationship-building skills, including experience working with clients, communities, service providers, municipalities, non-profit organizations, private sector partners, or other levels of government.
Equivalency
We welcome candidates with diverse and transferable experience. Equivalent combinations of training, education, and experience will be considered, including backgrounds in program delivery, people leadership, change leadership, service improvement, housing, community development, financial administration, public administration, or other related fields.
If your experience has prepared you to lead teams through change, manage complex programs, work with partners, and support fair, client-focused service delivery, we encourage you to clearly show that connection in your application.
Applicants relying on education and experience equivalencies must demonstrate such equivalencies in their application.
Security Screening Requirement
This position requires employment screening consistent with the Canada Revenue Agency’s security requirements for roles that access CRA data under a data-sharing agreement. Candidates progressing to an offer must complete both a Criminal Record Check and a Financial Credit Check.
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
This role is based in a comfortable office environment, and you may be working at your computer for extended periods of time.
Your normal work week is 35 hours/week, 7 hours/day. This role does entail a high volume of work which may require longer than normal working hours and overtime. Due to the multiple spheres of action and scope of responsibilities that this position requires, there is significant mental pressure, requiring your resilience.
Off-site work travel is required from time to time.
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.
Pay Grade: EC 12
Salary Range: $3,929.22 - $4,911.52 Bi-Weekly
Employment Equity Statement: Our goal is to be a diverse workforce that is representative, at all job levels, of the citizens we serve. The Government of Nova Scotia has an Employment Equity Policy, and we welcome applications from Indigenous People, African Nova Scotians and Other Racially Visible Persons, Persons with Disabilities and Women in occupations or positions where they are under-represented. If you are a member of one of these equity groups, you are encouraged to self-identify on your electronic application.
Accommodation Statement: We are committed to providing an inclusive and accessible recruitment process. Candidates may request accommodations based on any grounds protected by the Human Rights Act. If you require an accommodation throughout the recruitment process, please contact us at competitions@novascotia.ca.
Current government employees may access this posting through the link below:
PLEASE NOTE: Candidates will not be considered for an interview if applications are incomplete or are missing information.
If you are receiving a pension from the Nova Scotia Public Service Superannuation Plan (PSSP) or any related plans, you cannot receive pension payments while contributing to the same plan. If you accept a position that requires PSSP contributions, your pension payments must be stopped. Please contact the Nova Scotia Pension Services Corporation for more information.
Offer of employment is conditional upon the completion of all applicable background checks and confirmation of credentials, the results of which must be satisfactory to the employer. We thank all applicants for the interest, however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted. All questions and concerns may be directed to Competitions@novascotia.ca.
