Role Responsibilities

Advance your career with this influential Director role at the Child Care Delivery office.

Reporting to the Executive Director, Child Care Delivery, this position is responsible to provide strategic leadership and operational oversight to provincial delivery teams. You will lead the implementation of key initiatives such as space creation grant programs and the Inclusive Childcare Program , while overseeing centralized procurement, contract and grant administration across all Branches within Child Care Delivery.

The Director will also act in the capacity of the Executive Director when required, which includes fulfilling respsponsibilities under the Staturtory Director designation. In this capacity, the Director may support delegated licensing staff in upholding the Early learning and Child Care Act and Regulation, and serve as a consultant on the interpretation and application of relevant legislation.

The Director is responsible for building and maintaining strong partnerships with public and private sector organizations and for developing and maintaining effective, open, and consultative relationships with clients and stakeholders. The position provides strategic input, practice support and advice to stakeholders across Alberta.

The Director also coordinates multiple distinct program areas, ensuring effective and responsive monitoring and compliance of both quality child care programs and grant funded services. This includes oversight of key initiatives such as Space Creation Grant Program, Family Day Home and Inclusive Child Care.

In collaboration with the Executive Director of Child Care Delivery, the Director sets provincial goals aimed at maximizing child development, well being and program capacity. This role oversees the implementation of provincial strategies and programs with a strong outcomes-based focus. The position is directly accountable for a diverse team including administrative staff, contract and grant specialists, finance staff, policy analysts, and management who collectively deliver a range of services.

Responsibilities:

1. Provide strategic management and leadership to Child Care programs by developing and implementing provincial strategies to enhance quality of child care programs and provide information to Albertans on childcare matters.
2. Oversee the development, monitoring, evaluation, and financial reporting of provincial childcare initiatives and innovative programs.
3. Lead the operationalization of initiatives and innovative programs deemed Ministry priorites in child care.
4. Ensure program knowledge and information is integrated across all areas to support other regional programs.
5. Participate in Provincial and Regional senior leadership teams to develop strategic and operational plans.
6. Liaise with other ministry managers and peers throughout Education and Childcare across the province, and participate in cross-ministry initiatives.
7. Accountable for effective stewardship and leadership of the resources allocated to support innovative programs and initiatives.

Please click on this link to view the job description for this position.

APS Competencies

Competencies are behaviors that are essential to reach our goals in serving Albertans. We encourage you to have an in depth understanding of the competencies that are required for this opportunity and to be prepared to demonstrate them during the recruitment process.

This link will assist you with understanding competencies: https://www.alberta.ca/system/files/custom_downloaded_images/psc-alberta-public-service-competency-model.pdf .

• Systems Thinking
  • A big-picture view to craft a long-term vision for Child Care within Alberta, as well as how this is integrated across all program areas.
• Creative Problem Solving
  • Both a business and social work context. Sharp analytical and problem-solving capabilities that go beyond technical expertise.
• Agility
  • Integrates the goals and outcomes of a diverse range of early intervention and child care programs ranging from early brain development of children to intervention methodologies and programs where parenting capacity Is In question.
• Build Collaborative Environments
  • Must be skilled in building collaborative relationships that span functional and organizational lines. Must communicate effectively to a diverse range of stakeholders, including social workers, child care programs, service agency staff, and public audiences (including parents and child care professional groups).
• Drive for Results
  • Required to analyze and resolve the most complex issues around child care licensing and family day homes program areas that are regional in scope, and where the solutions to the program areas' needs are unknown. When faced with complex and ambiguous information, the Director must be able to evaluate It, synthesize it, and develop a coherent plan of action.

Qualifications

University graduation in a field related to the position assignment, supplemented by six years related experience. Strong knowledge of child development, prevention and early intervention, brain development and child care programs is required. Senior leadership and management experience is considered an asset.

Related experience or education may be considered as an equivalency on a one for one basis.

Additionally, the position requires extensive knowledge and competence in:

• Alberta Children's Service legislation (in particular, the Early Learning and Child Care Act and Regulations).
• Regional programs and business objectives.
• Social work principles, theories, and practices.
• Financial management, including cost benefit analysis and pricing (i.e. understanding what the market will bear for reasonable costs for certain types of services).
• Demonstrated ability in managing urgent, politically sensitive and provincially significant child cand youth-related issues.
• Grant/Contract Management.
• Project management principles and practices.
• Communication and people management skills.
• Strong oral and written communication skills must accompany an aptitude for building collaborative relationships across all levels of the business.
• Strong leadership skills to cultivate a high-performing team of staff and elicit cooperation cross­ functionally are required
• Negotiating skills are required to work with diverse stakeholders, and gain their agreement.
• The ability to build consensus among competing interest groups and negotiate the resolution of conflicts is essential.
• Lead joint projects within the the Ministry, other government partners, community-based committees.

Minimum recruitment standards outline the minimum education and experience required for appointment to a job classification. Refer to https://www.alberta.ca/alberta-public-service-minimum-recruitment-standards .