Senior Policy Analyst

Government of Alberta•Edmonton, AB

11d•Onsite

About The Position

The Sport, Tourism and Recreation (STAR) Division leads programming for the department and collaborates with various Government of Alberta Ministries and a broad range of tourism, sport, physical activity, and recreation stakeholders. The Senior Policy Analyst plays an essential role in collaborating with the SPAR branch and division team, as well as other ministries and stakeholders to achieve organizational goals. This role is for a strategic policy leader who can transform complex issues into clear, evidence-based solutions that create significant impact across Alberta. As a Senior Policy Analyst, you will provide strategic leadership and expert policy advice to advance Alberta’s sport, physical activity, and recreation (SPAR) priorities. You will manage initiatives throughout the entire policy life cycle, from research and development to implementation, evaluation, and performance measurement. Working closely with partners across government and the wider SPAR sector, you will synthesize complex issues, support provincial and pan-Canadian priorities, and deliver high-quality, evidence-based insights to senior leadership.

Requirements

University degree in Kinesiology, Sport, Recreation, Public Policy, Public Administration, Political Science, Business or related, PLUS 4 years related experience or equivalent.
Experience in policy analysis, development, evaluation, and performance measurement.
Strong analytical, research, and critical thinking skills (qualitative and quantitative).
Demonstrated ability to synthesize complex issues into clear briefing materials and public facing documents.
Understanding of legislation and policy frameworks relevant to SPAR (e.g., Societies Act, FOIP, privacy, board/volunteer liability).
Knowledge of public and private funding systems supporting recreation and physical activity.
Strong communication, facilitation, presentation, and interpersonal skills.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, SharePoint).
Experience collaborating with cross functional or multi stakeholder groups.

Nice To Haves

In depth knowledge of community, provincial, national, and international SPAR trends.
Experience with pan Canadian SPAR initiatives or intergovernmental collaboration.
Experience in business, strategic, policy, or project planning.
Proficiency with AI enabled productivity tools (e.g., Microsoft Copilot, Google Gemini) for research, drafting, and analysis.
Experience representing an organization on committees or working groups.
Knowledge of Government of Alberta policy development and approval processes.

Responsibilities

Lead policy development and analysis across the full life cycle, including research, design, implementation, evaluation, and performance measurement.
Provide strategic, evidence based advice to senior leadership on SPAR issues, trends, risks, and opportunities.
Conduct qualitative and quantitative research, environmental scans, and strategic analysis to inform policy options and long term planning.
Develop performance measures, reporting frameworks, and evaluation tools to assess policy effectiveness and support continuous improvement.
Prepare high quality briefing materials, reports, and public facing documents, synthesizing complex information into clear, actionable insights.
Collaborate with internal and external partners, including other ministries, levels of government, and non governmental organizations, to advance shared priorities.
Support provincial and pan Canadian SPAR initiatives, ensuring alignment with legislation, policy frameworks, and sector trends.
Represent the department on committees, working groups, and stakeholder engagements, supporting effective communication and relationship building.
Apply project, business, and strategic planning skills to guide initiatives and ensure successful outcomes.