Market Analyst Coordinating Researcher

About Us

The Government of Alberta is committed to a diverse and inclusive public service that reflects the population we serve to best meet the needs of Albertans. Consider joining a team where diversity, inclusion and innovation are valued and supported. For more information on diversity and inclusion, please visit: https://www.alberta.ca/diversity-inclusion-policy.aspx.

The Ministry of Agriculture & Irrigation is responsible for policies, legislation, regulations and services necessary for Alberta’s agriculture, food and forest sectors to grow, prosper and diversify; inspiring public confidence in the quality and safety of food; supporting environmentally sustainable resource management practices; leading collaboration that enables safe and resilient rural communities. For more information about the Ministry of Agriculture & Irrigation please visit our website at: https://www.alberta.ca/agriculture-and-irrigation.aspx.

Trade, Investment and Food Safety Division (TIFS) expands and diversifies Alberta’s food and bio-product manufacturing sector in local and global markets while also providing effective food safety assurance systems.

Competitiveness and Market Analysis (CAMA) Section of Alberta Agriculture and Irrigation (AGI) conducts analysis in key areas of the agriculture and agri-food such as livestock, crop, and food sectors. Analysis is provided to support evidence-based policy development and enable informed business decision-making by our Ministry, partners and other clients. Work activities are in alignment government priorities including industry competitiveness, investment and growth.

Role

The Competitiveness and Market Analysis Section in Alberta Agriculture and Irrigation has a unique opportunity for a results-oriented individual to demonstrate superior analytic, research and communications skills.

The agriculture and food manufacturing sectors are a significant part of Alberta’s rural economy, and contributes to economic growth and diversification. Competitiveness is a major concern for the agriculture and agri-food industry. The cost of agricultural inputs such as (fertilizer, fuel, electricity, capital, labour, land, etc.) is a concern for farmers and rising production costs are an issue for food processors.

This job involves helping government clients and decision makers understand the current situation and trends, explain why they are happening and develop response options when needed. Future growth of the industry depends on Alberta maintaining comparative competitiveness with respect to the cost of inputs and our ability to meet evolving market needs.

Part of this job is to track the price of major agricultural and industrial inputs and benchmark competitiveness of Alberta compared to other relevant jurisdictions. You will analyze market and competitiveness trends and identify drivers of change. The reports you write will provide advice on anticipated future cost trends and the impact of those changes on the agriculture and agri-food industry.

Strong interpersonal skills are required for this position in order to effectively interact with a variety of stakeholders, and to build necessary working relationships with internal clients and external stakeholders.

The job requires superior research abilities, strong analytical skills and an ability to communicate in a variety of mediums. Knowledge of the sectors that make up Alberta’s agricultural and agri-food industry, how inputs are produced and used along the supply chain, is essential to excel in this role. Work is largely self-directed and requires a flexible but pro-active individual. You must be able to work independently and within a team, or even lead a team to a productive and timely conclusion of a project.

Qualifications

• University graduation in Agriculture or Agricultural Economics or a related degree, with appropriate specialization, plus three (3) years related experience; or equivalent as described below.

Additional Requirements:

• Eligibility for membership with Alberta Institute of Agrologists (AIA)
• Superior ability to analyze data and markets
• Top-notch written and verbal communication skills

Equivalency: Related Masters degree considered in lieu of part of the three years of related experience on a one-for-one basis.

Preference will be given to those with a Master’s in Agricultural Economics, Economics or an MBA.

Assets:

• Practical experience in government or from industry.
• Familiarity using MS Office software, maintaining databases, constructing spreadsheets, data processing and data visualization (e.g. Power BI).
• Demonstrated ability to conduct leading-edge competitiveness and market intelligence research.
• Knowledge of how to find crucial data and then to package information in a way that is effective and relevant to clients.
• A strong knowledge of statistical analysis, agricultural economics, including production economics, and agricultural commodity marketing.
• Deep understanding of agri-food supply chains in Alberta and Canada from input suppliers to food processors.
• Good public relations and media skills.
• A sound knowledge of primary agriculture practices.

APS Competencies

Competencies are behaviours that are essential to reach our goals in serving Albertans. We encourage you to have an in depth understanding of the competencies that are required for this opportunity and to be prepared to demonstrate them during the recruitment process.

This link will assist you with understanding competencies: https://www.alberta.ca/assets/documents/psc-alberta-public-service-competency-model.pdf

The successful candidate will demonstrate the following APS Competencies:

Drive for Results: This will include acting and thinking beyond tasks to accomplish organizational goals. You will need to conduct or lead various types of projects and studies. Knowing what outcomes are important and maximizing resources to achieve results that are aligned with the goals of the organization while maintaining accountability.

Develop Self and Others: A commitment to lifelong learning and the desire to invest in the development of the long term capability of yourself and others.

Build Collaborative Environments: In this position you must contribute to conditions and environments that allow people to work collaboratively and productively to achieve desired outcomes. Ability to facilitate open communication and leverage skills and knowledge of others, work collaboratively with subject matter experts in Ministry and across government, build relationships to facilitate optimal exchange of information to achieve successful outcomes.

Develop Networks: To succeed in this position you will need strong interpersonal and collaborative skills to develop business relationships. You will need to listen effectively and communicate in a way that is accurate, timely, and easy to understand.

Systems Thinking: You will need to be able to draw upon knowledge of the agriculture and agri-food sector and gain understanding of government policies and programs to assess impacts and develop recommendations. Work done is part of a larger integrated and inner-related environment. Allows us to keep broader impacts and connections in mind.

Creative Problem Solving: You will engage stakeholders and resources at hand to address issues, seek out perspectives when analyzing trends and market drivers to find ways to improve complex systems, and encourage debate and idea generation to address market competitiveness impacts. Ability to assess options and implications in new ways to achieve outcomes and solutions.

Salary

$2,556.48 to $3,505.76 bi-weekly ($66,723 to $91,500/year)

Notes

Position Information: 

• Office located in Edmonton
• Hours of Work: Monday to Friday (8:15 am to 4:30 pm)
• 36.25 hours per week (permanent full time)
• Evening and weekend work is sometimes required

Additional Applicant Information:

• Please outline how your experience as it relates to the qualifications in detail in your cover letter
• Final candidates may be required to undergo a written test demonstrating writing skills and abilities after interviews
• Any costs associated with obtaining the required documents/checks as noted or interview travel expenses, will be the responsibility of the candidate. Out-of-province applicants can obtain the required documents/checks from the province they currently reside in.

What the GoA has to offer to prospective employees:

• Working for the Alberta Public Service – https://www.alberta.ca/advantages-working-for-alberta-public-service.aspx
• Public Service Pension Plan (PSPP) – https://www.pspp.ca
• Leadership and mentorship programs
• Professional learning and development
• Positive workplace culture and work-life balance
• Opportunity to participate in flexible work arrangements such as working from home up to two days per week and modified work schedule agreements
• Research Alberta Public Service Careers tool – https://researchapscareers.alberta.ca

How To Apply

Candidates are required to apply for a job online. Please visit https://www.alberta.ca/navigating-online-jobs-application.aspx to learn more about creating a candidate profile and other tips for the Government of Alberta’s online application system.

If you are not currently an employee with the Government of Alberta, the first step in applying for a job is creating your candidate profile within our online application system, click here to access the main log in page where you are able to ‘Create an account’, reset your password (‘Forgot your password’) or ‘Sign In’ should you already have an account.

Existing employees should access the Career tile in 1GX to submit their application in order to be recognized as an internal applicant.

Once you have created your candidate profile, visit the Alberta Public Service job site to apply for jobs at https://www.alberta.ca/alberta-public-service-jobs.aspx

Applicants are advised to provide information that clearly and concisely demonstrates how their qualifications meet the advertised requirements, including education, experience and relevant examples of required competencies.

Resources for applicants:

• https://www.alberta.ca/apply-for-jobs-with-the-alberta-public-service.aspx
• https://www.alberta.ca/alberta-public-service-hiring-process.aspx
• https://alis.alberta.ca/look-for-work/

It is recommended applicants who have completed post-secondary studies from outside of Canada obtain an evaluation of their credentials from the International Qualifications Assessment Service (IQAS) or from recognized Canadian Credential Evaluator; please visit the Alliance of Credential Evaluation Services of Canada for more information.

Closing Statement

This competition may be used to fill future vacancies, across the Government of Alberta, at the same or lower classification level.

We thank all applicants for their interest. All applications will be reviewed to determine which candidates\\\' qualifications most closely match the advertised requirements. Only individuals selected for interviews will be contacted.

If you require any further information on this job posting or a copy of the role profile, and/or require a disability related accommodation during the recruitment process, please contact Christina Tataryn at Christina.Tataryn@gov.ab.ca.