Senior Policy Advisor/Senior Consultant

Does creating human-centered policy and disrupting current systems in favour of more equitable and innovative ones excite you? Do you want to work on the Ontario Public Service’s (OPS) most ambitious projects that help our organization be more strategic, future-oriented, and impactful in the lives of Ontarians?

If so, join the Policy Innovation Hub in Cabinet Office’s Strategy and Innovation Branch and make a meaningful difference. Current team members bring a range of skillsets and experience from the private, public, and not-for-profit sectors to improve outcomes for Ontarians.

About Us:

Cabinet Office: Learn, Experience & Cultivate your Career in the Centre for Excellence

Cabinet Office is the Premier’s ministry. It provides the Premier and his Cabinet with advice and analysis to help the government achieve its priorities.

The Branch
The Policy Innovation Hub is an in-house consultancy that partners with ministries to deliver on government priorities by providing hands-on support, training, and flexible resources. We help ministries develop, modernize, or transform government strategies, policies, programs, and services. The Hub combines traditional and innovation consulting into practice areas and services focused on public sector innovation: strategy and strategic foresight, systemic design, and service design. Our mission is to provide the greatest value for government and the people, communities, and organizations of Ontario.

We are looking for two Senior Policy Advisors/Consultants to join our multi-disciplinary, passionate team of public servants. You will provide hands-on consulting services to ministries from strategy to frontline delivery and accelerate public sector innovation and whole-of-government transformation. If you are someone who understands the importance of utilizing a holistic approach to service design in order to provide exceptional service experience to the people of Ontario, we want to hear from you!

To learn more about the role, join Senior Manager Darcy Drury on March 20th from 12:30pm-1:30pm for thePolicy Innovation Hub’s Ask Me Anything Zoom Meeting

Meeting ID: 863 9730 9165
Passcode: 4QZGQn

About the Ontario Public Service (OPS):

We are one of the largest employers in the province, employing more than 60,000 people. Every day we are modernizing government operations and improving public services. We have a wide range of meaningful and rewarding career opportunities in communities across Ontario. We welcome new ideas and new people, encourage learning and development, and reward achievement. No matter the position, we live the core values of trust, fairness, diversity, excellence, creativity, collaboration, efficiency, and responsiveness.

What a career in the OPS can offer:

We are committed to be an employer of first choice, creating a positive and inclusive work environment. In addition to flexible work arrangements, collegial and professional work culture, career growth and development and on-the-job training to help you succeed, we offer a competitive total compensation package, which includes an attractive salary, defined benefit pension plan, comprehensive health, and dental plan and much more.

OPS Commitment to Diversity, Inclusion, Accessibility, and Anti-Racism:

We are committed to build a workforce that reflects the communities we serve and to promote a diverse, anti-racist, inclusive, accessible, merit-based, respectful and equitable workplace.

We invite all interested individuals to apply and encourage applications from people with disabilities, Indigenous, Black, and racialized individuals, as well as people from a diversity of ethnic and cultural origins, sexual orientations, gender identities and expressions.

Visit the OPS Anti-Racism Policy and the OPS Diversity and Inclusion Blueprint pages to learn more about the OPS commitment to advance racial equity, accessibility, diversity, and inclusion in the public service.

We offer employment accommodation across the recruitment process and all aspects of employment consistent with the requirements of Ontario’s Human Rights Code. Refer to the “How to apply” section if you require a disability-related accommodation.

What can I expect to do in this role?

• You have passion for and significant experience with public sector innovation, consulting, and/or driving organizational change.
• You have extensive experience developing, implementing, and leading strategic initiatives.
• You have experience leading cross-functional teams.
• You can see and interpret the world through systems, strategy, services, and stories.
• You can navigate ambiguity and have a passion for solving complex and challenging issues.
• You have strong project management skills and a demonstrated ability to lead projects and deliver results.

How do I qualify?

Technical Knowledge and Analytical Skills

• You have demonstrated knowledge of one or more Policy Innovation Hub practice areas: strategy and strategic foresight, systemic design, and/or service design.
• You have demonstrated knowledge of government priorities and knowledge of policy development process.
• You have demonstrated the ability to develop and implement performance measurement framework and conduct an evaluation
• You have demonstrated knowledge of qualitative research methods such as ethnography, interviewing, focus groups, coding qualitative data.
• You have demonstrated knowledge of quantitative research methods such as sampling, descriptive design, correlational design, statistical analysis.
• You have demonstrated knowledge to design, execute, and evaluate an experimental policy, program, or service intervention.
• You have knowledge and experience leveraging behavioural science, design anthropology, change management, and/or organizational design to solve complex problems is considered an asset.
• Knowledge and experience implementing digital, data and analytics solutions is considered an asset.
• Ability to use WordPress and maintaining and enhancing websites and online platforms is considered an asset.

Communication Skills

• You possess superior written communication skills to lead the development of a range of materials including briefing decks, consultation plans, and training documents.
• You have compelling written and spoken communication skills with the ability to cater and convey complex information in consumable ways for a wide range of audiences – from interns to senior executives and small boardrooms to large auditoriums.
• You have strong visual design skills on typical computer software and a whiteboard sketch.
• You have a strong ability to facilitate small and large groups to work through challenging and complex issues.
• You have awareness of when to use plain language and when to use insider terminology that demonstrates the unique skills you possess.
• You have excellent inter-personal skills and are easily able to develop relationships with a wide range of internal and external partners.
• You have exceptional verbal communication skills and can explain complex concepts to anyone, including briefing senior management, liaising with internal/external partners, and providing instruction and guidance to team members.

Stakeholder Management Skills and Political Acuity

• You can build strong relationships with partners from across the organization, in other levels of government (municipal, provincial/territorial, federal and international), the broader public sector, and the non-profit and private sectors.
• You have a high degree of tact, discretion and political acuity to handle confidential material and provide strategic support and excellent client service in response to inquiries.
• You have the ability to explore tension and build consensus, influence key partners, and facilitate agreement on direction.
• You can proactively seek out opportunities for Hub engagement and work collaboratively with team members to achieve Hub goals.

Project Management Skills

• You have superior project management skills and can lead multiple, concurrent projects and work with senior officials to effectively resolve issues.
• You have the ability to prioritize to ensure timely responses to a high volume of requests from various stakeholders.
• You have the ability to tie project management to overall strategy and the future of our team.
• You can work iteratively and with persistence to deliver, particularly in situations where direction is unclear or in situations where the approach has not previously been tested.