Senior Legislative Policy Analyst (Planning & Development Officer 3)

Competition # : 49914

Department: Health and Wellness

Location: HALIFAX

Type of Employment: Term

Union Status: NSGEU - NSPG

Closing Date: ​14-Oct-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 the Nova Scotia Health Authority and the IWK Health Centre, we are 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’re recruiting leaders at all levels of the organization who embrace a challenge and believe in their ability to make a difference.

About Our Opportunity

Reporting to the Manager, Health Profession Regulation, the Senior Legislative Policy Analyst works within the Health Workforce Policy and Partnerships team, providing legislative and policy expertise and oversight related to best practices in regulating health professions. The position supports the design, development, and implementation of legislation, regulations, and policies that strengthen the health workforce, including implementation of the Regulated Health Professions Act (2023).

Your work plan will include managing projects to develop new regulations; building relationships with external stakeholders, such as health profession regulatory bodies, employers—including NSH, IWK, and continuing care organizations—educational institutions, and professional associations; and conducting strategic analysis and developing policy options to support the government’s health-system transformation priorities related to health profession oversight. This work will include updating scopes of practice and improving licensing and professional conduct frameworks.

As the Senior Legislative Policy Analyst, you will play a critical role in supporting senior leaders through process-driven, evidence-informed decision-making. At times, you will work closely with government colleagues on intersecting health profession initiatives and may be required to engage in departmental, interdepartmental, and/or federal-provincial-territorial working groups.

Your expertise and ability to adapt quickly within a highly complex system will be essential to navigating detailed regulatory and consultative processes.

Primary Accountabilities

In this role you will make a significant contribution to the organization. Key responsibilities of this role include:

- Researching best practices in health profession regulation and government oversight of regulatory bodies.

- Liaising with Nova Scotia’s 19 health profession regulatory bodies on emerging issues and government initiatives.

- Preparing briefing notes and correspondence for senior officials on a broad range of health profession regulation matters.

- Collaborating with internal and external partners to develop and evaluate policy options and provide strategic recommendations on health profession legislation and regulations, including through reports, briefing materials, and submissions to Executive Council.

- Providing advice to colleagues on health profession regulation and stakeholder relations.

- Leading and/or participating in working groups focused on health profession policy issues and supporting consultation activities as required.

- Monitoring the introduction and passage of legislation affecting health profession regulation.

Qualifications and Experience

To be considered for this opportunity, you must hold a bachelor’s degree in public policy, political science, law, a health-related field, or a related discipline, plus eight years of experience designing, developing, reviewing, and/or implementing policies or programs.

Legal education and registration as a regulated health professional are considered assets.

As part of your application, you must demonstrate experience in the following areas:

- Progressive position responsibility.

- Superior verbal and written communication skills, with experience preparing reports and briefing materials.

- Strong leadership skills, sound judgement, initiative and an ability to build collaborative working relationships.

- Experience working with multiple internal and/or external stakeholders to advance shared priorities.

- Extensive experience in public policy development, including conducting complex research, policy analysis, and implementation.

- Strong interpersonal and negotiation skills, with the ability to work collaboratively in a dynamic team environment.

- Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications, including Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint.

You must be highly organized and able to manage change, competing priorities, and tight deadlines while working collaboratively and completing complex assignments with minimal supervision.

The following will be considered assets:

- Knowledge of government structures, legislative processes, public policy principles, health profession regulation, and the health care system.

- Knowledge of or experience in professional regulation or government regulatory oversight.

- Experience planning or leading complex consultations.

- Experience working in the health care system.

- Experience developing and monitoring business or strategic plans.

We will assess these qualifications and competencies using one or more of the following methods: a written examination, standardized testing, an oral presentation, an interview, and reference checks.

Equivalency

An equivalent combination of training, education and experience will be considered. Equivalencies may include, but are not limited to:

- A completed Masters degree and 6 years of related experience

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

Benefits

Based on the employment status and union agreement, 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 .

Working Conditions

Most of your work is in a comfortable office environment. You may be required to travel. There is a need for you to balance competing priorities and meet strict deadlines. Your normal work week is 35 hours/week, 7 hours/day. You may be required to work overtime on occasion. Regularly reads and interprets multiple sources of information, regular requirement to type, read and work on a computer.

Additional Information

This is a TERM employment opportunity with anticipated end date of May 31, 2028 . The appointment status (‘term’, ‘temporary’ or ‘casual’) is dependent on the start date of the successful candidate.

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: PR 17

Salary Range: $3,410.48 - $4,005.58 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 at [email protected].

This is a bargaining unit position initially restricted to current civil service employees represented by the Nova Scotia Government Employees Union (NSGEU). If applying from outside a government office, employees must apply correctly via this link:

Failure to apply correctly means that your application will not be given first consideration as a bargaining unit applicant, and will only be included if external applications are pursued.

External applicants and current casual employees will only be considered if there are no qualified civil service bargaining unit candidates. PLEASE NOTE: Candidates will not be considered for an interview if applications are incomplete or are missing information.

If you are receiving a pension from the Nova Scotia Public Service Superannuation Plan (PSSP) or any related plans, you cannot receive pension payments while contributing to the same plan. If you accept a position that requires PSSP contributions, your pension payments must be stopped. Please contact the Nova Scotia Pension Services Corporation for more information.

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 interest, however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted. All questions and concerns may be directed to [email protected].