Director- Government and External Relations
Your Opportunity:
You’re a strategic, politically adept, and influential communicator and relationship builder who thrives in a complex and evolving environment. Assisted Living Alberta (ALA) is now seeking such a person for the role of Director, Government and External Relations to build trusted partnerships, guide government relations, and lead a new enterprise function that serves as a single, coordinated interface between ALA and its external stakeholders. As Director of Government and External Relations, you will have the opportunity to drive meaningful impact through collaboration, engagement, and system-wide leadership. In this highly visible role, you will provide strategic leadership for government relations, stakeholder engagement, and enterprise issues management, ensuring ALA is represented as an integral part of the healthcare system. ALA provides Albertans with the support they need through a comprehensive assisted living system that offers a full range of services, including medical and non-medical supports, continuing care homes, home care, community care, and social services. ALA is focused on delivering care more effectively and consistently across the province by enhancing home and community services, expediting access to supportive living environments and continuing care homes, and ensuring Albertans and their caregivers are well-informed.
Description:
As the Director, Government and External Relations, is responsible for leading strategic relationships with government, provincial health agencies, and external system partners. In this role, you will support and provide leadership for government relations, stakeholder engagement, and enterprise issues management, ensuring ALA’s priorities, perspectives, and interests are effectively represented across the health system. Reporting to the Senior Program Director, Communications and Community Engagement, this role serves as the organization's primary point of coordination for ministry relations, organizational issues management, and stakeholder engagement. You will work with ALA leadership and key stakeholders as you lead a team to oversee ministry relations, legislative monitoring, stakeholder coordination, and the management of complex cross-portfolio issues. This includes the prudent management of fiscal, financial, and human resources, contributing to the successful planning, monitoring, and control of your portfolio’s budget. You will collaborate with departments across the organization, including in your department of Communications and Engagement, and with the other organizational portfolios, including Operations, Planning, Performance and Quality, Client Navigation and Integration, Administration and Finance, the Chief Medical Office and executive leadership, to ensure aligned messaging, coordinated engagement, and a proactive approach to government and stakeholder relations.
- Transition Company: Assisted Living Alberta
- Classification: Program Director
- Union: Exempt
- Unit and Program: Communications and Community Engagement
- Primary Location: Southport Tower
- Location Details: As Per Location
- Employee Class: Regular Full Time
- FTE: 1.00
- Posting End Date: 20-AUG-2026
- Date Available: 24-AUG-2026
- Hours per Shift: 7.75
- Length of Shift in weeks: 2
- Shifts per cycle: 10
- Shift Pattern: Days
- Days Off: Saturday/Sunday
- Minimum Salary: $57.07
- Maximum Salary: $100.39
- Vehicle Requirement: Not Applicable
A post-secondary degree in public administration, political science, communications, or a related field. A minimum of 7 years of progressive experience in government relations, public affairs, or stakeholder engagement or communications with at least 5 years in a senior role. Proven experience in issues management and cross-agency coordination in a public sector or healthcare environment. Demonstrated expertise in ministry interface, legislative monitoring, and government communications.
Additional Required Qualifications:
Strong political acumen and relationship-building skills with experience working with senior government levels. Expertise in strategic communications, including internal, external, and crisis communications at a system level. Proven experience in issues management and cross-agency coordination in a public sector or healthcare environment. Demonstrated ability to develop and implement strategic plans in a large organization. Ability to manage diverse human, financial, and physical resources within a complex environment. Effective communicator with strong organizational skills, a client-focused orientation, and commitment to providing long term quality services. Proven ability to foster partnerships and to achieve organizational goals within a large, diverse organization and managing within unionized settings. Ability to foster a climate of cooperation among, and build solid relationships with agencies, corporations, government, boards, committees and other internal and external partners.
Preferred Qualifications:
Professional certification in government relations, public affairs, or stakeholder management. Experience in healthcare, continuing care, or public sector organizations. Experience in Alberta's healthcare policy or government relations landscape. Familiarity with Provincial Health Agency governance and ministry interface requirements.
Please note:
All postings close at 23:59 MT of the posting end date indicated.
Security Screening:
A satisfactory criminal record check and/or Vulnerable Sector Search is required prior to your first day of work. Additionally, all employees have an ongoing duty to disclose any charges or convictions that may occur during their employment with AHS.
Healthy Albertans. Healthy
Communities. Together.
We’re passionate about what we do. Our team of skilled and dedicated health care professionals, support staff, and physicians promote wellness and provide health care all across Alberta.
Everything we do at AHS reflects a patient and family centred approach; it’s about putting patients’ and families’ experiences, priorities and trust first.
We are an equal opportunity employer. AHS values the diversity of the people and communities we serve and is committed to attracting, engaging and developing a diverse and inclusive workforce.
