Job Specification

Purpose :

- To provide strategic policy advice, expertise, and consultation to senior management on personal income and payroll tax development.
- Co-ordinates policy analysis and designs/leads multi-discipline, cross-ministry projects in the research and development of microeconomic policies and initiatives on a broad range of economic issues.

Key Responsibilities :

1. Advice, Expertise, and Issues Management:
- Advises senior management, the Deputy Minister and the Minister on trends and developments relating to the development of personal income and payroll tax policy. Develops policy options for implementing new tax initiatives.
- Evaluates the feasibility/impacts of new and existing government policies, programs, business cases/plans and program expenditure management reviews and other initiatives from line ministries and the private sector.
- Provides strategic policy advice and alternative policy options/recommendations to the Minister of Finance and Ministry senior management on potential policy/program changes by other governments requiring policy response, strategic review of economic policy/program directions, or changes to criticism.
- Co-ordinates/prepares/present a range of briefing materials and analyses (e.g. broad policy analysis/development options, complex technical issues/reports, briefing notes, correspondence), prepares and updates reports and provides senior management with comprehensive information and analysis to support resolution of contentious issues.
- Contributes to Section work and results based planning processes, identifies areas/assignments requiring further action/review, and recommends assignment of staff and strategies to enhance linkages within the Section.
2. Economic Policy Research and Development:
- Leads/coordinates policy analysis activities for major research projects: develops project scope and identifies significant factors for research;
establishes multi-discipline, cross-ministry project teams; designs terms of reference, deliverables and timelines; and provides leadership, coaching and guidance to team members. Advises on qualitative, quantitative and financial/ economic analysis/results; oversees impact/risk analysis, and development of options/recommendations; and guides recommendations through executive approvals.
- Develops in-depth reports and analyses, presents policy options and recommendations to ministry senior management for decision making purposes, provides briefings to the Minister, Deputy Minister and senior management and coordinates/ prepares policy documentation [e.g. Cabinet submissions, legislative amendments]
- Leads/supervises activities of assigned economists and students by providing technical guidance/coaching/training to improve analytical and presentation techniques and ensure quality of analyses/advice and written materials comply with Ministry standards.
- Identifies aspects of existing legislation or regulation that require amendment, to maintain the accuracy and integrity of the legislation/regulation, and to ensure ongoing conformity with policy directions.
3. Consultation and Partnerships:
- Develops and maintains networks with partners within own/other Ministries, central agencies, other governments, universities and business executives to exchange information and assess the effectiveness of government approaches.
- Represents the Branch/ministry on intra/inter-ministry working committees and task forces. Provides interpretation and presents/explains ministry/branch views.

Knowledge / Skill :

Knowledge of and skills in:
- Theory, principles, and methodologies of economics, statistical analysis and economic research to co-ordinate and lead project teams on policy analysis activities, assess and present accurate/reliable economic analysis and data to assess the impact of budget and Cabinet proposals and initiatives.
- Statistical methodologies to gather, evaluate, interpret, analyze and extract relevant economic data to support the policy development process.
- Provincial and ministry strategic directions with respect to personal income and payroll tax, and related issues, policies, programs, governing legislation and regulatory structures related to Ontario's economy, to ensure that ministry business objectives and the provincial agenda are effectively considered in the development of policy and/or the evaluation of options, and to provide strategic policy advice and interpretation to senior management and stakeholders.
- Policy and program development principles and techniques and government decision making processes to lead and/or participate in the development of policy/program options/proposals.
- Knowledge of government/ministry taxation policies/programs to ensure ongoing conformity with policy directions.
- Research and economic analysis principles and techniques, including economic/statistical modeling, to plan/design complex research projects, to conduct complex qualitative/quantitative analysis involving a range of microeconomic, taxation, financial and regulatory factors.
- Project management to co-ordinate, lead and provide direction and guidance to multi-discipline, cross-ministry project teams.
- Oral and written communications to respond to issues, provide/present recommendations, prepare reports, Cabinet submissions, briefing materials and correspondence, and to represent the ministry on inter-ministry task forces/working committees mandated to discuss policy proposals, economic performance competitiveness, issues and concerns.
- Research and statistical modeling software and tools to research and prepare own analyses.
- Computer applications for word processing, spreadsheets, graphics and databases to prepare briefing materials, presentations, correspondence and support research and policy/program development activities and prepare reports.

Interpersonal / Influencing Skill :

- Consultation, leadership, and influencing skills, to advise senior management, the Deputy Minister and the Minister on trends and developments impacting issues related to personal income and payroll taxes.
- Consultation, partnership building and relationship management skills to: establish key stakeholder linkages across the OPS to work cooperatively in projects; with federal government and private sector representatives [e.g. business, universities] to provide expert analysis and interpretation of policy, exchange data/information and to discuss the impact of government policies.
- Presentation and persuasion skills to provide policy advice and to explain policy and/or program recommendations and convince senior management on most favourable option.
- Facilitation skills and diplomacy to represent the ministry/province on intergovernmental forums, and to communicate/advise on, the Ministry/provincial policy/position on sensitive, political issues to working committees, other governments and stakeholders.
- Political acuity skills to liaise with senior staff in the Minister's Office, Cabinet Office and the Premier's Office to ensure that information/briefing materials accurately reflect the Government's directions and plans for the economy and have a high likelihood of approval.

Analyzing / Problem Solving Skill :

Analytical and problem-solving skills to:
- Identify emerging issues and conceptualize/determine research required to develop creative solutions, proposals and policy options in response to the issues.
- Formulate and provide strategic advice, interpretation and technical expertise to senior management on research and analytical findings.
- Analyze and evaluate the microeconomic and fiscal impacts of new/existing policies, programs, initiatives, and business plans of line ministries and the private sector in relation to the government's framework for economic, fiscal, taxation and regulatory policies and programs.
- Design/ plan research studies/projects that encompass complex economic modeling, to identify/develop economic policy options, fiscal frameworks and implementation plans.

Decision Making / Responsibility :

As recognized microeconomic expert by own/other Ministries, responsible for:
- Providing strategic advice and policy recommendations/options to senior management that may impact Cabinet decisions, the Ontario Budget and the establishment/enhancement of fiscal, taxation and regulatory policies.
- Evaluating the microeconomic and fiscal impacts of new and existing government policies, programs, business cases/plans and program expenditure management reviews and other initiatives from line ministries and the private sector.
- Identifying issues requiring policy response within strategic directions and broad Ministry/Branch policy/program directions and legislative/regulatory and policy framework.
- Leading major research and analysis projects and initiatives: planning/designing/carrying out economic research and modeling with respect to the development of personal income and payroll taxes.
Decisions are guided by provincial and ministry strategic directions, existing legislative/regulatory and policy framework, best practices and government directives and procedures.

Contacts / Stakeholder :

- Ministry senior management in own/other Ministries and central agencies to provide strategic advice, issues management resolution, and to present reports, information, correspondence, and briefings.
- Counterparts in own and other ministries to consult on policy/program development, to collaborate on issues resolution, and to develop Cabinet submissions.
- University and business executives to provide expert analysis and interpretation of economic policy, exchange data/information, and discuss the impact of government policies.
- Federal government officials to exchange information/opinion on government policies/programs, best practices and represent the Branch on routine committee work.

Guidance / Supervision :

- Provides technical guidance and microeconomic expertise when participating on project teams to resolve complex policy issues.
- Provides coaching/guidance and reviews/edits work of team members to improve analytical and presentation techniques.

Demands / Pressures :

Work Demands :

- Frequently required to respond to requests within short deadlines where time pressures result in the need to occasionally work beyond normal work hours for response to information requests [e.g. requests from Minister/ Deputy Minster/Cabinet].
- Frequently required to deal with deadlines which are subject to change without notice, priorities that are not anticipated or contentious.

Mental / Sensory :

Continuous requirements to concentrate when reading materials, analyzing fiscal/economic data, documents and research and when drafting reports,
briefing notes and policy related materials.

Conditions / Environment :

Work is performed in a typical office environment.