Manager, Federal Agreements & Financial Strategy

The Government of Nova Scotia•Halifax, NS

6d•CA$101,733 - CA$127,547•Onsite

About The Position

The Early Years branch is looking for a strategic financial leader to support one of Nova Scotia’s most significant public service transformations. As the Manager, Federal Agreements and Financial Strategy, you will lead work at the intersection of federal-provincial agreement management, financial strategy, funding model development, reporting, audit readiness, and sector sustainability. You will help ensure early learning and child care investments are well planned, responsibly managed, clearly reported, and aligned with provincial and federal commitments. This includes managing financial and reporting requirements under federal agreements, supporting action plans and audits, developing funding models, ensuring alignment between funding approaches, policy direction and system outcomes, and providing senior leaders with clear advice on financial risks, funding pressures, and implementation options. This role works closely with federal partners, senior leaders, finance colleagues, policy and program teams, service providers, not-for-profit organizations, and community-based partners. You will help translate complex funding and accountability requirements into practical approaches that support a growing and evolving child care sector, while maintaining alignment with policy intent and system performance expectations. This is a strong opportunity for someone who brings financial discipline, sound judgement, relationship skills, and a practical understanding of how public funding decisions affect providers, families, communities, and long-term system sustainability.

Requirements

A relevant university degree in accounting, finance, business administration, public administration, economics, social policy, or a related field
Progressive experience in financial strategy, funding model development, budgeting, forecasting, reporting, audit coordination, agreement management, or public sector accountability.
Experience developing, implementing, managing, or evaluating funding models, ideally in a public sector, not-for-profit, community service, education, early years, or human services environment.
Understanding of how funding decisions affect service providers, families, communities, workforce stability, service access, and long-term system sustainability.
Experience managing complex funding agreements, contribution agreements, transfer payment arrangements, or intergovernmental agreements.
Understanding of clear reporting, financial controls, performance measures, audit readiness, documentation, and compliance with agreement requirements.
Comfort working with financial data, budgets, forecasts, expenditure plans, briefing materials, and decision documents.
Ability to translate complex financial and policy information into clear advice for senior leaders and practical guidance for program teams and partners.
Sound judgement, strong communication skills, relationship-building ability, and the capacity to work in a fast-moving environment with high public accountability and multiple partners.

Nice To Haves

A professional accounting designation, such as CPA, is preferred.
Experience working with federal government partners on reporting, financial planning, audits, action plans, compliance, issue resolution, or agreement implementation.
Experience managing federal-provincial agreements, contribution agreements, transfer payment programs, or major public funding agreements.
Experience developing, costing, implementing, or evaluating funding models.
Experience working with not-for-profit organizations, service providers, boards, operators, or community-based delivery partners.
Experience supporting a newly developing, growing, or transforming sector through funding policy, operational guidance, stakeholder engagement, or change management.
Experience with financial modelling, scenario planning, expenditure forecasting, cost analysis, risk analysis, or program costing.
Knowledge of early learning and child care, education, community services, human services, or another publicly funded service delivery system.

Responsibilities

Lead financial strategy, planning and analysis, forecasting, expenditure tracking, and analysis for early learning and child care initiatives supported through federal-provincial agreements, in close collaboration with Financial Advisory Services
Coordinate, and oversee federal agreement requirements, including financial reporting, progress reporting, action plan support, audit coordination, carry-forward planning, compliance tracking, and issue resolution.
Build and maintain effective working relationships with federal government partners to support agreement implementation, information sharing, reporting, and timely resolution of financial or accountability matters.
Lead the development, costing, implementation, and refinement of funding models that support affordability, access, inclusion, quality, workforce stability, provider sustainability, and responsible stewardship of public funds.
Provide expert advice to senior leaders on financial risks, funding pressures, agreement obligations, policy options, operational impacts, and decisions with sector-wide implications, including ensuring alignment between federal agreements, policy direction, and system level outcomes.
Work with program, policy, finance, and data teams to align funding approaches with government commitments, sector needs, operational realities, and measurable outcomes, ensuring alignment across policy, funding, performance, and operational considerations
Support the preparation of briefing notes, reports, Treasury Board submissions, Memorandums to Executive Council, presentations, correspondence, and other decision-making materials.
Strengthen financial controls, business processes, reporting tools, documentation, data quality, and accountability practices related to federal funding and sector investments.
Work with not-for-profit, community-based, and sector partners to understand provider realities and support practical funding approaches, reporting processes, and implementation supports.
Identify financial, operational, reporting, and sector risks, and develop mitigation strategies that support public trust, sustainability, and effective service delivery.
Support structured financial decision-making, including documentation of assumptions, risk, and funding model decisions to ensure consistency and traceability.

Benefits

Defined Benefit Pension Plan
Health
Dental
Life Insurance
General illness
Short and Long Term Disability
Vacation
Employee and Family Assistance Programs
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.