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Executive Director
Integrated Environmental and Analytics Prediction
Alberta Environment and Parks
Executive Manager 1
Salary Range: $125,318 - $164,691
($4,801.47 - $6,310.03 bi-weekly)
Open Competition
Job ID: 1039298
Closing Date: January 13, 2017
Alberta Environment and Parks
Overview
Alberta Environment and Parks is committed to establishing Alberta as an environmental leader. As
proud stewards of air, land, water and biodiversity, the ministry leads the achievement of desired
environmental outcomes and sustainable development of natural resources for Albertans.
For further information, visit the ministry website at http://aep.alberta.ca/
Position Summary
The Environmental Monitoring and Science Division (EMSD) is dedicated to providing open and
transparent public access to scientific data on the current and future condition of Alberta’s
environment. The Executive Director, Integrated Environmental and Analytics Prediction Branch
provides scientific oversight of predictive environmental modelling, data management and
geospatially integrated analyses.
Reporting to the Chief Scientist and Assistant Deputy Minister, you will have custody of provincial
ambient environment data covering water, air, land and biodiversity. Your branch team will manage
the life cycle of environmental data, including acquisition, quality assurance of data management
processes, and governance of data systems. A recognized scientific expert and an integrative, crossdisciplinary thinker, you will lead complex evaluation and analytical processes that underpin the
reporting of current cumulative environmental effects, and the prediction of future environmental
conditions in Alberta. Key responsibilities also include delivery of a joint oil sands monitoring program
in cooperation with Environment and Climate Change Canada.
Major Accountabilities
Inspiring a vision that is supported by experts and stakeholders to develop a cohesive data
management and cumulative effects assessment program.
Overseeing the implementation of a cutting edge environmental data management framework that
fulfils the legislated mandate to provide open and transparent access to scientific data and
information on the condition of Alberta’s environment.
Leading multi-year planning for data acquisition and assessments, and ensuring that data addresses
the government’s monitoring, evaluation and reporting priorities as they relate to operations, policy
development and the public’s need for information.
Working in cooperation with Environment and Climate Change Canada in delivery of the Joint Oil
Sands Monitoring program, by:
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providing overall coordination and management of Alberta data acquisition and
assessment activity under the program,
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providing scientific leadership on the multi-year planning and execution of monitoring, and
-
providing program/portfolio management including budget planning and expenditure tracking.
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Directing the establishment of clear, defensible and practical ground rules that set the standards for
how data will be collected throughout the province by contracted and internal staff, and assessing
new data collection methods and technologies for possible application in Alberta.
Ensuring the establishment of integrated, open-source data management systems that are secure,
strategically organized, provide high data integrity and quality, and are based on the cutting edge of
environmental data management.
Collaborating with data providers such as the Alberta Energy Regulator, Environment and Climate
Change Canada, and other government ministries to develop a single federated data system to
enable open and transparent access to searchable, multiple environment datasets by all stakeholders
and the public.
Leading complex processes to ensure that environmental change and cumulative effects are known
and future change and effects are predicted across all environmental media and at spatial and
temporal scales that are relevant to decision-making. Some of the key components include:
-
integrating local and traditional ecological knowledge (TEK) into the assessment, analysis and
reporting of current and anticipated future condition of Alberta’s environment,
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developing and validating integrated environmental prediction models and analytical systems
to assess environmental status and ecosystem condition,
-
using geographic information systems in the analysis of spatial data,
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providing oversight of evaluations and assessments that examine the impacts of single
multiple environmental drivers and stressors, including socio-economic drivers, on populations,
species and ecosystems,
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identifying research and scientific knowledge gaps, interacting with the science community to
fill the gaps, and promoting scientific and technical research for continuous improvement of
models and geographic information systems.
Collaborating and maintaining effective relationships with senior representatives of the ministry, other
departments and levels of government, the scientific community, private sector and stakeholder
groups.
Leading, coaching and mentoring multi-disciplinary scientific and technical teams to support
development and the achievement of branch goals.
Effectively managing financial and human resources to meet business plan objectives.
Authorities
The Executive Director, Integrated Environmental and Analytics Prediction is involved with the
administration of legislation relating to the business of the ministry and other legislation related to
leadership responsibilities and delegated authorities including:
Environmental Protection and Enhancement Act (and S.15 in particular)
Climate Change and Emissions Management Act
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Water Act
Financial Administration Act
Fiscal Planning and Transparency Act
Government Organization Act
Public Service Act
Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act
Organization
Reporting to the Chief Scientist and Assistant Deputy Minister, EMSD, the Executive Director provides
guidance and direction to a Science Program Advisor, and multi-disciplinary teams led by a Chief
Information Officer and a head of Environmental Predication and Integrated Database Management.
Financial and Human Resource Management
The Executive Director, Integrated Environmental and Analytics Prediction is responsible for the
effective management of a staff complement of approximately 15 full-time equivalencies and an
operating budget of approximately $3.3 million.
Contacts
Internal contacts include the Chief Scientist and Assistant Deputy Minister, EDSD; the ministry
executive team; other senior government officials; and staff within the ministry and in other ministries.
External contacts include a wide variety of natural and agricultural resource industries; First Nation
and Metis communities and other traditional ecological knowledge stakeholders; other jurisdictions
and levels of government including Environment and Climate Change Canada; provincial, national
and international monitoring and research organizations such as the Alberta Energy Regulator, the
Alberta Biodiversity Monitoring Institute, and the Canadian Rivers Institute; academia and
universities; consultants, contractors; stakeholder consortiums, alliances and advisory groups; and
the general public.
Challenges and Opportunities
Using creativity, persuasion, and extensive thinking in interactions with Environment and Climate
Change Canada to address sensitive, high profile and often emotionally charged issues concerning
the environment, which is a shared responsibility between the federal and provincial governments.
Conceptualizing a broad understanding of environmental data available and possible, and ensuring
that it is available in multiple forms through various pathways to meet the needs and interests of the
public and multiple other clients and stakeholders.
Prioritizing resource deployment to achieve maximum benefit, in a field where there are numerous
high profile environmental issues that need to be addressed.
Integrating traditional ecological knowledge and citizen science into the scientific interpretation,
analysis and reporting of data and information on Alberta’s environmental condition.
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The Person
(1) Knowledge/Skills/Experience
Scientific expertise and extensive related leadership experience in large scale data management and
governance, environmental modelling and approaches, and the implementation of corporate
geospatial information systems.
Expert level knowledge and experience in managing and integrating very large, high performance,
real time data acquisition and processing data systems, and the ability to lead active collaborative
research.
Extensive knowledge of monitoring program design and implementation methods; environmental data
types (across air, water, land and biodiversity); data collection methods and procedures; analytical
laboratory operational procedures; and internationally accepted data QA/QC standards/protocols and
modern data decoding techniques.
Extensive knowledge of integrated environmental and cumulative effects numerical modelling and
various tools across media, as well as demonstrated strategic thinking around integrated predictive
modelling.
Experience in land use change projections and climate change scenario modelling, ideally with an
understanding of Alberta’s Climate Change Leadership Plan.
Experience operating in an interjurisdictional context in relation to environmental monitoring.
Advanced knowledge of spatial data and analysis including geospatial information systems.
Demonstrated strategic and systems thinking with strong analytical and synthesizing skills.
Understanding of the integration of socioeconomic, natural and engineering sciences for policy,
systems and decision-making.
Strong communication and interpersonal skills to build collaborative relationships with diverse
stakeholders, and to deliver key messages to senior executives.
Proven track record in creating effective partnerships and leading initiatives involving multiple
partners to achieve results.
Demonstrated ability as a team leader with a commitment to create, support and sustain an
environment to enhance engagement, enable staff to develop, and build organizational capacity.
Strong organizational skills, including the ability to manage a number of complex issues, projects and
priorities while achieving outcomes.
(2) Academic Background

A doctorate degree in a related discipline (e.g., water science, environmental science or
engineering) is required.
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(3) Alberta Public Service (APS) Competencies
Competencies are behaviours that are essential to reach our goals in serving Albertans. The following
competencies are drawn from the Alberta Public Service Competency Model to reflect government’s
focus on planning, strategizing and leadership to accomplish goals.
See link for more information on the competencies, http://www.chr.alberta.ca/apscompetencies.
Relationship
Thinking
Achievement
DEVELOP NETWORKS
CREATIVE PROBLEM SOLVING
AGILITY
Proactively building networks,
connecting and building trust in
relationships with different
stakeholders.
Ability to assess options and
implications in new ways to
achieve outcomes and solutions.
Ability to anticipate, assess and
readily adapt to changing
priorities, maintain resilience in
times of uncertainty and
effectively work in a changing
environment.
Behaviours:
 Identifies stakeholders
 Builds relationships
 Focuses on client
 Communicates purposefully
Behaviours:
 Seeks clarity
 Challenges the process
 Integrates perspectives
 Identifies alternative solutions
SYSTEMS THINKING
BUILD COLLABORATIVE
ENVIRONMENTS
Leads and contributes to the
conditions and environments
that allow people to work
collaboratively and productively
to achieve outcomes.
Behaviours:
 Brings people together
 Facilitates communication
 Addresses conflict
 Empowers others
 Encourages diversity
DEVELOP SELF AND OTHERS
The work done in the APS is part
of a larger integrated and interrelated environment. It is
important to know that work
done in one part of the APS
impacts a variety of other
groups/projects inside and
outside the APS. Systems
Thinking allows us to keep
broader impacts and
connections in mind.
Behaviours:
 Looks beyond the immediate
 Considers impacts
 Understands connections
 Provides clarity
Behaviours:
 Seeks out new opportunities
 Anticipates change
 Emotional resilience
 Supports change
 Adapts
DRIVE FOR RESULTS
Knowing what outcomes are
important and maximizing
resources to achieve results that
are aligned with the goals of the
organization, while maintaining
accountability to each other and
external stakeholders.
Behaviours:
 Plans for results
 Takes accountability
 Takes risks
 Focuses on outcomes
A commitment to lifelong
learning and the desire to invest
in the development of the longterm capability of yourself and
others.
Behaviours:
 Plans for development
 Actions development
 Supports others’ development
 Develops staff
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