Senior Advisor, Advisory Councils

Government of Alberta•Red Deer, AB

3d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Alberta government is building a more resilient and sustainable health care system that can support Albertans getting care when and where they need it, while responding to system-wide health challenges, improving health outcomes, and maintaining fiscal responsibility. Primary and Preventative Health Services is overseeing work with Hospital and Surgical Health Services, Assisted Living and Social Services, and Mental Health and Addiction to finish restructuring the provincial health care system into the four new health delivery agencies: Primary Care Alberta, Acute Care Alberta, Assisted Living Alberta and Recovery Alberta. By working cooperatively, the four ministries are reducing fragmentation across the health system to ensure a more coordinated streamlined approach to service delivery. At the same time, Primary and Preventative Health Services is continuing to implement the Health Workforce Strategy, the Rural Health Action Plan and the Modernizing Alberta’s Primary Health Care System. The Alberta government’s plan for health system refocusing included establishing 14 regional advisory councils to engage with communities across the province. The council members represent the unique needs and perspectives in their region. They listen to feedback on the health system and amplify local voices by bringing forward regional priorities. Each council is tasked with identifying challenges and opportunities to make health care better in their region. By providing the government and provincial health agencies with advice and recommendations, the councils will help shape health care in Alberta. The Advisory Councils Secretariat Branch in Primary and Preventative Health Services provides support for the councils’ operations and administrative tasks. We connect the regional advisory councils to the health system, support their engagement activities and handle administrative tasks like meeting management and logistics. Our branch also oversees member recruitment, orientation and onboarding.

Requirements

A university degree in business, community engagement, public relations, communications, public administration, a relevant health-related field, or a related field plus 4 years’ progressively responsible related experience.
Strong verbal and written communication and interpersonal skills
Strong judgement, political awareness, and ability to handle sensitive information
Advanced skills in MS Office including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint
Ability to travel independently throughout the province and work evenings and weekends as required

Nice To Haves

Experience providing secretariat support for a board, council or committee and/or experience serving on a board, council or committee
Skills to collaboratively develop strategic plans that guide an organization in establishing goals, objectives and activities to achieve targeted outcomes
Planning, leading and managing multiple projects
Experience working with and/or advising a diverse range of stakeholders including rural and remote communities
Stakeholder or public engagement certification (e.g. IAP2) or experience planning, implementing and facilitating engagement activities
Experience in research methodologies, data analysis, and preparing recommendations
Knowledge of the Alberta government’s structures, procedures, decision-making processes and practices
Understanding of the healthcare system in Alberta
Valid Class 5 Driver’s licence

Responsibilities

Establish and maintain effective relationships with council members.
Collaborate with the chair and vice-chair to develop agendas, plan council meetings and draft minutes.
Handle logistics for in-person and hybrid meetings including booking venues, sourcing catering, managing Zoom delivery, and note-taking.
Support council meetings at various times, as they can take place during the day, in the evening, or on a weekend to accommodate members’ schedules.
Assist the chair in facilitating meetings and guiding strategic discussions.
Work with the council to identify information and research that is needed for annual planning, engagement activities and developing recommendations to government and the provincial health agencies.
Consult with experts and compile research findings to support the council’s work.
Develop communications materials such as presentations, correspondence to stakeholders, annual reports and web content.
Identify and manage emerging issues.
Assist council members with submitting expense claims.
Support recruitment activities to help ensure council members represent a wide and diverse range of expertise and perspectives.
Plan and implement engagement activities with a diverse range of internal and external stakeholders to enable the councils to identify, elevate, and address community issues and opportunities.
Develop engagement strategies and tactics such as focus groups, surveys, virtual town halls and information sessions.
Create engagement resources like presentations, survey questions, discussion guides and What We Heard reports.
Facilitate discussions to gather meaningful feedback, manage information flow and consider multiple perspectives.
Establish and maintain effective relationships with stakeholders and communities.
Identify, analyze and assess information to develop accurate, strategic and comprehensive advice for department management, government officials and/or provincial health agencies to make policy decisions.
Prepare briefing materials to request or share information with government departments and provincial health agencies, or to make recommendations or obtain decisions from government officials.
Manage projects within tight deadlines to meet business objectives.
Develop and implement plans, processes and documentation approaches to support branch operations.