Assistant Director, Marketing Communications Project Management

Role Responsibilities

Reporting to the Director, Projects and Planning, the Assistant Director, Communications Project Management leads a team responsible for coordinating and supporting complex communications, marketing, and public engagement initiatives that advance government priorities. This role provides strategic leadership for the planning, oversight, and execution of high-profile, multi-ministry communications projects while ensuring effective resource allocation, risk management, and operational excellence. The successful candidate will bring expertise in communications planning, strategic advising, stakeholder engagement, and the delivery of strategic communications initiatives within complex, fast-paced environments. Working closely with executive leaders, ministry partners, external vendors, and communications professionals, this position plays a key role in supporting how government informs, engages, and connects with Albertans.

Key responsibilities include:

Strategic Project and Communications Leadership

• Provide strategic oversight for complex and high-profile communications initiatives.
• Ensure projects are aligned with organizational priorities and client needs.
• Provide executive-level reporting on project performance and communications planning. 
• Monitor project performance, outcomes, timelines, budgets and deliverables.
• Identify risks, develop mitigation strategies and support successful project execution.

Operational Leadership

• Lead the central communications project intake and triage function, ensuring service requests are assessed, prioritized and coordinated to support government priorities.
• Oversee resource planning and allocation across projects and service requests.
• Drive continuous improvement initiatives to strengthen project management practices and service delivery.
• Develop and refine processes, tools and governance frameworks that enhance efficiency and accountability.

People Leadership

• Lead, mentor, coach and support a team of project management, communications planning and procurement professionals.
• Foster a collaborative, inclusive, and high-performing team environment.
• Support employee development, performance management, recruitment, workforce planning and succession planning activities.

Role Responsibilities (Cont'd)

Procurement and Financial Oversight

• Oversee procurement activities supporting communications projects and campaigns.
• Ensure compliance with applicable government policies, procedures and contracting requirements.
• Support financial planning and management for multi-ministry communications initiatives where required.

Stakeholder and Executive Engagement

• Build strong relationships with executive leaders, ministry stakeholders and service partners.
• Provide strategic advice, recommendations and project status updates to senior leadership.
• Build reporting processes and oversee communications planning and analysis activities.
• Support issues management by identifying emerging risks and coordinating appropriate responses.

This position plays a critical role in helping government communicate effectively with Albertans through the successful delivery of major initiatives and strategic communications projects.

The Job Description is provided for further details on this position. 

APS Competencies

Competencies are behaviors that are essential to reach our goals in serving Albertans. We encourage you to have an in depth understanding of the competencies that are required for this opportunity and to be prepared to demonstrate them during the recruitment process.

Systems Thinking
Sees the broader organizational context and understands how communications projects influence government priorities, stakeholder relationships, and public outcomes.

Creative Problem Solving
Develops innovative solutions to complex challenges while balancing competing priorities and stakeholder interests.

Agility
Leads through change, adapts to shifting priorities, and responds effectively in a fast-paced and evolving environment.

Drive for Results
Achieves outcomes through strong planning, accountability, risk management, and a focus on continuous improvement.

Develop Self and Others
Builds team capability through coaching, mentoring, performance management, and professional development.

Qualifications

University graduation in a related field such as Marketing, Communications, Public Relations, Business, Project Management or related discipline supplemented by a minimum of four years of progressively responsible related experience.
 

Equivalencies will be considered on the basis of:

• One year of education for one year of related experience; or
• One year of related experience for one year of education.

The ideal candidate will demonstrate:

• Experience leading complex marketing, communications or strategic projects from planning through execution, including project governance, resource management, and risk mitigation.
• Experience leading, mentoring and developing professional teams within a fast-paced and complex environment.
• Strong stakeholder engagement, consultation and relationship management skills, including experience providing strategic advice and recommendations to senior leadership.
• Experience managing multiple priorities and delivering results within large, complex organizations.
• Experience working within government, the public sector, or other large organizations; knowledge of Government of Alberta communications processes and government decision-making environments; and experience with procurement and contract management. 
• Experience using project management and collaboration tools such as Microsoft 365, Asana, SharePoint, Jira, and Confluence, as well as a Project Management Professional (PMP) designation, will be considered assets. 

Minimum recruitment standards outline the minimum education and experience required for appointment to a job classification.

Notes

Hours of work are 8:15 AM to 4:30 PM, Monday to Friday.

If a security screening is required:

• Final candidates will be required to undergo a criminal records check (CRC).
• Applicants being considered for this position will be required to complete a Level 2 Enhanced Security screening (including an enhanced criminal record check along with a credit check) as part of the pre-employment checks for this position.

Any costs associated with obtaining the required documents/checks as noted or interview travel expenses, will be the responsibility of the candidate. Out-of-province applicants can obtain the required documents/checks from the province they currently reside in.

Links and information on what we have to offer:

• Working for the Alberta Public Service
• Management Employee Pension Plan (MEPP)
• Alberta Public Service Benefit Information
• Professional learning and development
• Research Alberta Public Service Careers tool
• Professional learning and development
• Research Alberta Public Service Careers tool
• Positive workplace culture and work-life balance