Senior Strategist, Planning and Investment

Competition # : 50130

Department: Health and Wellness

Location: HALIFAX

Type of Employment: Permanent

Union Status: Exclusion - Non Union - NSPG

Closing Date: 01-Nov-26 (Applications are accepted until 11:59 PM Atlantic Time)

About Us

The Department of Health and Wellness offers opportunities to grow and advance in a dynamic sector that touches the lives of all Nova Scotians. Along with our partners, including Nova Scotia Health and the IWK Health Centre, we’re committed to continually improving our health care system. With a focus on collaborative primary health care, continuing care, improved supports for mental health and addictions, digital health, capital infrastructure, and more, the department is thinking differently about how to plan, fund, legislate and monitor to improve access and service delivery. To do this, we need leaders at all levels of the organization who embrace a challenge and believe in their ability to make a difference.

The people who benefit from government programs and services come from all walks of life. It is important that the Department of Health and Wellness reflects the people that we serve – so we can deliver better, more accessible, and inclusive public services. We work hard to create an environment where different perspectives and experiences are valued. We are committed to helping diverse talent thrive.

About Our Opportunity

Achieving our strategic vision to provide more care, faster for Nova Scotians requires focused investment in the most important parts of our health system. Nova Scotians expect better healthcare. We’re working together to make it happen right now.

As a Senior Strategist, you will report to the Director of Planning and Investment and help ensure the department’s resources are aligned with system priorities and outcomes. The department must make sustainability a guiding principle in planning, investment and service delivery. Decisions need to be monitored for impact, value, cost, safety, equity and outcomes so they continue to meet evolving needs.

A core function of this role is to design and build health system and sustainability decision-support tools for divisions across the Department of Health and Wellness. Using Power BI, AI, and other data visualization tools, you will turn complex health system level data into clear, actionable insights that inform planning and investment decisions. You will also lead the strategic change needed to embed these tools into how the department works. This means building understanding, confidence and adoption across teams.

Primary Accountabilities

• Designing, building and maintaining cross-functional dashboards and monitoring tools in Power BI and other visualization platforms that track health system service use, demand, cost, value, safety, equity and outcomes of health system investments.
• Working with divisions across DHW to understand their priorities, define meaningful indicators and develop tools tailored to their planning and decision-making needs.
• Leading the strategic change required to embed sustainability monitoring into departmental planning, investment and service delivery processes, including stakeholder engagement, training and ongoing support.
• Monitoring and analyzing health system data and identifying where resources may need to be realigned to priorities and outcomes.
• Establishing and maintaining recommendations, guides and tools that enable evidence-based planning, investment management and outcomes management.
• Compiling and synthesizing evidence from a wide range of sources to identify key themes, trends and risks of significance to the department.
• Contributing to a departmental culture of evidence-informed decision-making, data literacy and continuous learning.
• Providing objective analysis and expert advice to senior government officials on complex, cross-cutting issues, priorities and opportunities affecting the department, government and the public.

Qualifications and Experience

• We recognize that everyone brings different skills and experiences to the table and that not everyone “checks all the boxes.” So, apply anyway! Tell us why you’re the right fit for the job. As a Senior Strategist in Planning and Investment, you possess a degree in a related discipline such as Health Administration, Data Analytics, Mathematics, Economics, Business Administration, Commerce, Finance or Health, as well as recent relevant experience in data analysis, performance measurement and/or financial analysis. An equivalent combination of education and experience may be considered.

Additional skills and experience may include:

• Demonstrated experience designing and building dashboards and data visualizations using Power BI or similar tools.

• Experience developing performance, financial or outcome indicators and monitoring frameworks.

• Knowledge of data modelling, statistical techniques and data interpretation.

• A proven ability to integrate and analyze information from multiple sources and translate it into clear insights for technical and non-technical audiences.

• Experience leading change and supporting the adoption of new tools or processes across teams or organizations.

• Excellent interpersonal, collaboration and communication skills, with the ability to build strong relationships across interdisciplinary and cross-sectoral groups.

• An innovative, self-directed thinker who can identify opportunities for greater integration and champion change.

• You share our values of Respect, Integrity, Diversity, Accountability & The Public Good, have a passion for service excellence and actively promote and encourage the importance of people, teams, diversity, and culture.

• The Government of Nova Scotia has adopted the LEADS Leadership Framework. During the interview, candidates will be expected to express how they have demonstrated the key behaviours and capabilities required to effectively lead in a caring and inclusive environment. LEADS Domains includes Leads Self, Engage Others, Achieve Results, Develop Coalitions and Systems Transformation.

• Please follow LEADS for more information.

• We will assess the above qualifications and competencies using one or more of the following tools: written examination, standardized tests, oral presentations, interview(s), and reference checks.

• Equivalency

• Applicants relying on education and experience equivalencies must demonstrate such equivalencies in their application.

Benefits

• Based on the employment status, the Government of Nova Scotia offers its employees a wide range of benefits such as a Defined Benefit Pension Plan, Health, Dental, Life Insurance, General illness, Short and Long Term Disability, Vacation and Employee and Family Assistance Programs. For information on all our Benefit program offerings, click here: Benefits for government employees.

What We Offer

• Career development where you have access to career guidance, tools, resources, and ongoing training for every stage of your career
• Engaging workplace: our employees feel valued, respected, connected, and tuned in, we have forward-thinking policies and strategies
• Countless career paths
• A dynamic, client-focused office environment where service excellence and teamwork are our focus.

Pay Grade: EC 12

Salary Range: $3,929.22 - $4,911.52 Bi-Weekly

Employment Equity Statement: Our goal is to be a diverse workforce that is representative, at all job levels, of the citizens we serve. The Government of Nova Scotia has an Employment Equity Policy, and we welcome applications from Indigenous People, African Nova Scotians, Persons of African Descent, Racialized Persons, Persons with Disabilities, 2SLGBTQIA+ Persons and Women in occupations or positions where they are under-represented. If you are a member of one of these equity groups, you are encouraged to self-identify on your electronic application.

Accommodation Statement: We are committed to providing an inclusive and accessible recruitment process. Candidates may request accommodations based on any grounds protected by the Human Rights Act. If you require an accommodation throughout the recruitment process, please contact us.

Offer of employment is conditional upon the completion of all applicable background checks and confirmation of credentials, the results of which must be satisfactory to the employer. We thank all applicants for the