Job Specification

Purpose of Position :

To manage the direct delivery of student financial assistance programs to postsecondary students in Ontario.
To plan and develop operational policies and procedures and performance measures to ensure effective program delivery and high quality client services to postsecondary students and their parents. To resolve contentions cases and support the issues management process.

Duties / Responsibilities :

1. Manages the direct delivery of student financial assistance programs to postsecondary students across Ontario on behalf of provincial and federal governments.
2. Contributes to the development of program policy, guidelines and procedures for provincial and federal grants, and provincial and federal loans. Develops performance measures to enable the evaluation of program delivery.
3. Develops, manages and monitors client service standards for unit staff in responding to telephone, mail and email enquiries from students and parents. Leads the development of protocols and procedures to ensure quality and consistency in information, advice and services provided. Develops communication protocols consistent with government plain language principles and service deliver standards.
4. Establishes processes and procedures for the management of complex/ unusual cases. For example, this includes complex cases/ situations related to the appeals and review processes; or assisting students with complex cases (e.g. family breakdown). Manages the resolution of these cases, and the ongoing consultation/ communication with the student and parents. Prepares briefing notes as required to inform senior management of potential escalation of the situation.
5. Works collaboratively with partners and stakeholders such as MPPs, and the Office of the Ombudsman, federal government student aid officials and service delivery agents to resolve issues and complaints; and to provide information and advice on grant and loan processes and policies.
6. Contributes to the development of program policies; identifies issues, gaps and opportunities for program delivery enhancements , streamline processes and enhance services to students. Works collaboratively with branch colleagues to develop policy options and recommendations. Coordinates client consultation and input to support process review initiatives.
7. In conjunction with the Business Unit, contributes to the development of systems support required to deliver programs administered by the Student Financial Assistance Branch. Develops and implements operational procedures based on business processes and systems changes. Ensures systems related tools such as application forms accurately reflect OSAP policy.
8. Develops and manages an effective client service strategy for providing services to students and parents. Contributes to the development of tools such as internet sites, information booklets and applications used to communicate with the public. Ensures that unit staff are trained in client service standards and protocols. Acts as a point of escalation for staff in the handling of unusual or controversial issues/ situations.
9. Collaborates with other branch units in the development and implementation of performance measurement tools to provide quantifiable data on program delivery effectiveness. Ensures the analysis of data and the preparation of reports and statistics for presentation to senior branch and division management. Identifies trends or recurring issues in services delivered by unit staff. Develops new/ revised policies and procedures to mitigate issues; provides coaching/ training to unit staff as required.
10. Manages unit human resources; provides leadership, coaching, mentoring and team building to unit staff located in Toronto and Thunder Bay; leads employee engagement; fosters a diverse and inclusive workplace. Manages the hiring of staff, determining performance standards and conducting performance reviews, orientation, training and staff development opportunities, and managing labour relations matters. Manages financial resources assigned to unit; develops and manages unit budget; supports corporate planning processes and reporting, including RbP and annual plans.
11. Supports the issues management and briefing process by drafting replies and briefing notes for Minister, Deputy Minister and ADM on behalf of the Program and Policy Unit, Director, in response to issues related to the administration of student financial assistance by unit staff. Prepares background papers and presentations for use by branch/ division management.
12. As a member of the branch management team participates in strategic planning, program and policy development, the identification of systems requirements and impact analysis of legislation on internal administrative processes.

Knowledge :

Knowledge of the Government and Ministry's objectives, strategies and legislation related to postsecondary education and student support to contribute to the development of branch policies and to ensure unit processes and procedures support government/ ministry directions and comply with legislated
authorities.
Knowledge of provincial and federal student support programs and understanding of public secondary and postsecondary school systems in Ontario to manage and coordinate the delivery of 28 provincial and federal programs of assistance to postsecondary students across the province and to resolve related appeals and program issues.
Knowledge of the principles and practices of business management to develop business processes, operational policies, administrative standards and procedures for the coordination and delivery of multiple programs across the province. Understanding of information technology to participate in the
development of systems supports and tools.
Knowledge of the theories, principles and practices of leadership and management in the public sector to manage a province wide program delivered by staff in two geographic locations; to plan and manage administrative, financial, human resources and information technology resources for the unit in
accordance with government and ministry guidelines. Knowledge of relevant collective agreements to manage staff and respond to labour relations issues.
Analytical, problem solving and issues management skills to participate in the development and implementation of performance management tools; to analyze performance data; to identify developing issues and trends; to identify best practices.
Consultation and interpersonal skills to review and resolve complex situations and appeals from students; to work collaboratively with students and parents for resolution of the case. Political acumen to resolve contentious issues with MPPs and the Office of the Ombudsman and to participate in the issues management process.
Oral communication, consulting and relationship management skills to develop and maintain business relationships with internal and external partners and stakeholders.

Judgement :

Position works under the general direction of the Manager, OSAP Business Transformation Lead with latitude for independent decision making within the broad framework of legislated authorities, and in accordance with ministry, division and branch standards, policies and procedures.
Judgement is exercised in participating in the development of program policies for the delivery of provincial and federal grants and loans to postsecondary students in Ontario.
Judgement is exercised in planning and managing operational policies, systems and procedures for the province wide delivery of student support programs by unit staff.
Judgement is exercised in ensuring the effectiveness of performance measurement processes; in identifying performance gaps or issues with delivery of services; in implementing corrective action as necessary.
Judgement is exercised in the review and determination of course of action on difficult or sensitive cases; and in determining when to alert senior management to developing problems.
Judgement and discretion are exercised in working with high profile stakeholders such as MPPs and the Office of the Ombudsman to resolve issues and complaints. Judgement is exercised in the development of briefing and issues papers for senior ministry management.

Accountability - Programs :

Accountable for the management and direct delivery of 28 provincial and federal student financial assistance programs across Ontario. Accountable for the development and management of client services standards and the provision of training and guidance to unit staff. Accountable for the monitoring of program delivery effectiveness and compliance with policies and procedures.
Accountable for decisions that impact the amount of financial assistance received by students.
As a member of the branch management team, accountable for participating in branch decision-making including business and operational planning and policy development.

Accountability – Personnel :

Accountable for the management of 15-20 staff Has full management authority to hire staff, assign work, determine performance standards, conduct performance reviews and manage labour relations matters.

Accountability - Finance and Materials :

Accountable for the management and administration of assigned unit budget.
Accountable for unit IT hardware and software

Accountability - Impact of Errors :

Failure to establish and manage effective processes and procedures could result in ineffective processes for the delivery of postsecondary student financial assistance programs and cause delays in the processing of applications for students.
Errors in judgement when dealing with issues/appeals could impact the OSAP funding and educational opportunities for individual students and cause embarrassment to the Minister and the Government.

Contact - Internal :

Internal Contacts: Regular contact with branch/division colleagues to collaborate on policy development, issues management, and coordination of programs. Frequent contacts with ministry senior management to provide information and resolve problems.

Contact - External :

Occasional contact with stakeholders such as officials in postsecondary education institutions, federal government student aid program, service delivery agents, MPPs and Office of the Ombudsman to resolve problems; to provide information.