Job Specification

Purpose :

To provide policy and data analysis and expert advice in support of policy development with respect to property tax, including provincial land tax reform initiatives.

Key Responsibilities :

Policy/Financial Analysis Projects
- As a policy team leader/member, provides expertise in property tax and assessment to support policy development; provides expertise in municipal finance to support implementation of the realignment initiative; and provides expertise in education finance to support the use of property tax as the funding method for education.
- Develops work plans, determines analytical approaches and data requirements. Establishes project expectations; coaches colleagues/team members on approaches and monitors their progress; monitors for delivery and quality of product.
- Acts as liaison with counterparts in the secretariat, ministries, agencies and the private sector to obtain/exchange/ ensure comprehension of data and to serve on work teams.
- Acquires and verifies financial data from multiple sources; develops data models for analytical purposes.
- Ensures finished product meets quality standards and deadlines and conveys results of analysis in a clear, understandable fashion.
- Contributes to briefing notes/papers for the Minister, Deputy Minister and senior staff.
- Identifies issues, derived from analysis, that require further consideration/action.
- Provides advice to those implementing policy to ensure intent is adhered to.

Communications
- Ensures up to date knowledge base is shared with colleagues.
- Maintains files and databases.
- Writes reports, papers, briefing materials and correspondence pertaining to policy specialty.
- Monitors assigned portfolio of issues to anticipate emerging and contentious issues.

Knowledge / Skill :

Property tax, provincial land tax and assessment legislation, regulation, policy and practice, in order to serve as tax policy expert, provide advice to policy development teams and to senior management to inform their decision making.
Municipal finance and local services realignment policy, tax structures, education finance, to determine analytical methods, impacts and linkages and to provide initiative specific expertise; e.g., re the use of property tax as the method for education funding.
Economics and quantitative research and analysis techniques/methods to design, develop and apply financial data models.
Issue identification and management to identify issues which emerge during analysis and to recommend ways and means of managing/resolving them.
Communications to prepare materials (briefings, correspondence, reports) suitable to target audiences and to deliver presentations, respond to questions.
Computer operations to use standard office software and quantitative/statistical data and modelling tools/ applications including data warehouses to conduct analyses.

Interpersonal / Influencing Skill :

Team building skills to encourage exchange of information with branch members on assigned tasks and files related to provincial municipal finance issues.
Presentation skills to deliver briefings and presentations on results of analyses understandable to the audience.
Negotiation skills to involve others (branches, divisions, ministries, private sector organizations) in joint projects/ initiatives.

Analyzing / Problem Solving Skill :

Identify, understand and act upon the policy linkages between taxation, existing service delivery mechanisms and other relevant issues on the provincial agenda.
Identify emerging issues with policy implications.
Analyze and outline viable policy alternatives.
Analyze financial and other quantitative data from multiple sources; produce findings, conclusions and recommendations.

Decision Making / Responsibility :

Leading/conducting policy/analysis projects/studies in support of property tax/provincial land tax reform and other provincial municipal initiatives.
The accuracy, quality and timeliness of analysis, documentation and resulting recommendations/advice concerning the fiscal/policy impact of existing and proposed initiatives with respect to provincial-local finance issues.
Has latitude to: initiate contacts with external sources of information; determine approaches to research and analysis; recommend action on issues identified by own analysis.
Decisions are guided by: provincial-local finance relationships and regulations, tax statutes, property tax,
provincial land tax and assessment policy.

Contacts / Stakeholder :

Management and staff to advise on policy implementation and to obtain feedback that policy is implemented as intended.
Own and other ministries to consult re joint issues and projects; establish linkages.
Municipal representatives, public, private sector, to provide/obtain information, collect data, explain/discuss policy.
Federal and other governments to exchange information, data and opinion.

Guidance / Supervision :

Provides project leadership, counsel and coaching to current and new team members within the branch.

Demands / Pressures :

Work Demands :

Frequently required to respond to immediate requests for information/analysis/briefings from senior management within tight deadlines.

Mental / Sensory :

Daily periods of concentrating intently to read, review, analyze and document a large volume of information and data from multiple sources.

Conditions / Environment :

Work is performed in a typical office environment.