Are you passionate about public service excellence and interested in helping build the future of education in Ontario? Are you an innovative, strategic, and collaborative professional with demonstrated experience solving complex problems?
If this sounds like you, consider joining the Ministry of Education (EDU) in an exciting opportunity within the Strategic Policy and Planning Division. The Division leads a range of activities, including providing strategic advice to government, and coordinating and overseeing strategic policy, intergovernmental strategy, research, and business intelligence for the ministry.
The Team
The Policy, Strategy and Innovation Unit (PSIU) in the Strategic Policy and Education Workforce Branch is a new team in EDU's Strategic Policy and Planning Division. Alongside other areas of the Division, we help advance EDU's policy agenda by driving high-priority files in collaboration with teams across the ministry. The unit plays a leadership role in policy, legislative, and regulatory development - providing strategic advice, tackling complex and ambiguous policy challenges, and responding to emerging priorities. We are highly collaborative and leverage modern approaches to policy development, while grounding our work in clear outcomes and actionable delivery plans.
We are looking for experienced, skilled, and diverse professionals to lead education policy analysis, work across the ministry and the education sector in a collaborative and dynamic environment, and help build an inclusive, fun, and high-performing team culture. This is a unique opportunity to help shape a new unit, influence key priorities, and make a meaningful impact across the education sector.
Want to learn more? Join our information session.
On June 30 at 2:00pm, the hiring manager will host an Information session.
PLEASE REGISTSER HERE
To find out more about the job, the team and what it is like working at the Ministry of Education. You are welcome to participate anonymously.
**Attendance at the session is optional and will have no impact on hiring decisions.
In this role, you will:
- Lead or participate in matrixed project teams to deliver complex, high-priority policy initiatives
- Lead policy analysis using a range of methodologies, including qualitative and quantitative research, human-centred design approaches, facilitation, and stakeholder engagement
- Develop and present briefing materials to senior management to support effective decision-making
- Build and maintain strong relationships to support cross-ministry and cross-government collaboration
- Lead or support the drafting of Cabinet, Legislative, Regulatory, and/or Treasury Board submissions
- Provide guidance and coaching to junior policy staff
- Work effectively across the organization to maintain information flow and build consensus on complex or sensitive issues
You have:
- A wide toolkit of policy development approaches and can lead the development of strategies, policies, and evaluation designs
- Critical thinking skills to break down complex problems and identify root causes
- The ability to identify policy issues, gaps, and options, and demonstrate political acuity to ensure ministry priorities and objectives are considered in policy development
- An understanding of government, Cabinet, and legislative structures and processes, and can navigate policy files through the government approvals process
- Knowledge of education policy trends, issues, and service needs to ensure ministry and government objectives and directions are reflected in policy and program design
You have:
- Strong collaboration skills and can build and maintain relationships with a wide range of partners
- The ability to effectively influence to gain support for ministry policy initiatives
- Skills to resolve issues and can represent the Division in working groups and other forums
You can:
- Use your verbal communication skills to produce high-quality, easy-to-digest written materials to support decision-making
- Demonstrate sound judgment, tact, and political acuity when advising senior leadership and explaining strategic policy direction
- Respond to issues and provide recommendations, and prepare reports, options papers, socio-economic analyses, briefing materials, and correspondence
- Use presentation, persuasion, and influencing skills to provide policy advice and explain policy and program recommendations
You can:
- Effectively manage multiple projects and deadlines in a high-demand environment
- Work independently while knowing when to engage others for support
- Lead workstreams and small teams to deliver effectively on projects
If you are excited about this position and meet most, but not all, of the listed qualifications, please still consider applying. We recognize that no one person might have every qualification in this job ad, and you just might be the right candidate!
We are building an inclusive workforce that reflects the communities we serve. We encourage everyone interested in working with us to apply, including people with disabilities, Indigenous, Black and racialized individuals, as well as people from all ethnicities, cultures, sexual orientations, gender identities and gender expressions.
Our hiring process is accessible, consistent with Ontario's
Human Rights Code and the
Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005. We are working to prevent and remove barriers in our hiring processes and can offer accommodation to address specific needs related to Code-protected grounds such as disability, family status and religion. For more information about accommodation during the hiring process please contact us.
Learn more about the work the OPS is doing to create an inclusive, anti-racist, accessible and diverse workplace:
- diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives
- accessibility
- Anti-Racism Policy
