Director Workplace Initiatives

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Department: Labour, Skills and Immigration

Location: HALIFAX

Type of Employment: Permanent

Union Status: Exclusion - Non Union - NSPG

Closing Date: 03-Feb-26 (Applications are accepted until 11:59 PM Atlantic Time)

At Labour, Skills and Immigration we don’t just accept difference – we celebrate a supportive culture of diversity, inclusion and belonging. We work hard to create an environment where different perspectives and experiences are welcome and valued. We are committed to helping diverse talent thrive. We encourage applications from those that equally value diversity.

The Department of Labour, Skills and Immigration is a dynamic and innovative department that is focused on strategies, policies and programs that help people live, learn and work to their highest potential in vibrant businesses and organizations throughout the province.

The mandate of the Skills and Learning Branch within the Department of Labour, Skills and Immigration is to support the growth and strengthening of Nova Scotia’s workforce through the delivery of a labour market programming.

The branch is responsible for:

• Setting the strategic direction and providing leadership across the labour market portfolio;
• Ensuring the delivery of a modernized, future-focused workforce development system that underpins economic growth;
• Ensuring continuity and strategic use of multi-year federal funding agreements; and
• Providing evidence-based advice on labour market risks and opportunities to senior levels of government.

The branch’s Skills and Learning programs:

• Support workforce development in Nova Scotia in support of economic growth;
• Help businesses, sectors and employees to become more productive through skills training, strategic human resource services, and industry/sector partnerships;
• Help unemployed Nova Scotians prepare for, and secure work, through skills training, employment assistance, and work experience opportunities and local employment supports through the Nova Scotia Works system;
• Support career advancement and upskilling of Nova Scotia’s workforce;
• Support career-oriented work experiences for post-secondary students and employment for recent graduates and other youth; and
• Provide adult learners with the foundational education needed to enable further education or jobs through the Nova Scotia School for Adult Learning, and recognition of skills and credentials.

The Director of Workplace Initiatives leads the strategic planning, delivery and monitoring of the Branch's employer-facing workplace supports ensuring strategy, training programs and resources contribute to a skilled, diverse, adaptable future facing workforce and productive, innovative and globally competitive Nova Scotia businesses. The Director is accountable for fostering a climate that will drive workforce competitiveness and human capital focused productivity in the province supported by effective strategies, policies, priorities and programs.

The Director is a conduit for bridging employer needs with employee training through building key partnerships with labour, business, and industry that support upskilling and reskilling the current workforce, workforce adjustment and labour market attachment. As a member of the Branch senior management team, the Director contributes to overall Skills and Learning strategic and investment planning and performance monitoring.

In this role, you will lead provincial labour market programming that helps employers and industries anticipate workforce needs and build inclusive, productive workplaces. You’ll guide strategic, evidence based investments and ensure programs are aligned with government priorities and responsive to sector, regional, and employer realities. A key part of your work will involve establishing clear performance indicators, reporting frameworks, and evaluation tools to ensure transparency, accountability, and strong return on investment across the system.

You will champion major change initiatives, working closely with internal teams, industry partners, and service providers to drive improved outcomes through strong…