Ontario Public Service Careers

The Ministry of Francophone Affairs supports the development of Ontario's government policies, programs and strategies with a view to enhancing access to French-language services and raising the profile of Ontario's Francophone community.

Are you a collaborative policy professional looking for a challenging opportunity? Do you want to play an integral role in ensuring that the needs and interests of the Franco-Ontarian community are reflected in public policies and programs? Consider making a difference at the Ministry of Francophone Affairs.

As the Director, you will lead the strategic direction for policies affecting Francophones, coordinate ministry activities pertaining to Francophone affairs and manage the implementation of French language services throughout Ontario. As a key member of the executive team, you will ensure the Ministry delivers on its vision, purpose and strategic plan which focuses on:
• Cultivating expertise: To promote in-depth knowledge and an overall understanding of Ontario's Francophonie;
• Collaboration: Fostering sustained cooperation with Ministry partners;
• Service excellence: Proactively leading service initiatives to effectively respond to ministry clients; and,
• Innovation: Leading new processes and creative thinking in service delivery.

About the job

Reporting to the Assistant Deputy Minister, you will:
• Lead the implementation of French language services including coordinating joint projects with ministries throughout the province of Ontario.
• Promote and foster strong relationships with all ministries, including agencies of the Ontario government, the federal government, provinces and territories, and a wide range of community stakeholders.
• Develop corporate policies relating to Francophone affairs in accordance with the French Language Services Act, including the provision of consultative advice and expertise to all stakeholders on French language services.
• Facilitate discussions between working groups to review French language issues that are affecting ministries and other stakeholders outside of the OPS in order to ensure the fulfilment of the government's French language mandate.
• Lead French language service policy proposals through Cabinet Office approval processes.
• Foster a productive team environment and a culture of business excellence while creating an inclusive, diverse and accessible work place.

What you bring to the team

Executive Character-Driven Leadership

• You are a proven change agent with the exceptional ability to lead through change initiatives and cultural change
• You are a courageous innovator who challenges the status quo and fosters an environment where new ideas are valued, and team members are empowered to be their best
• You are a strategic leader who promotes a culture of diversity, inclusion and equity in the workplace
• You are committed to continuous improvement, client focus and service excellence
• You promote and foster a culture of collaboration to work effectively with arms-length partners and stakeholders

Policy/ Job Specific

• You have a strong policy focused background and understand the broader public sector including intergovernmental relationships
• You have demonstrated experience with strategic planning, leading policy initiatives and leading concurrent policy focused projects in a service delivery cross functional environment
• You have knowledge of the French Language Services Act and the Ontario Francophone community, as well as the government's policy decision making processes
• You have a proven track record of strategic thinking, innovation and effective decision making, enabling you to contribute to the government's French language policy objectives and long-term strategic direction
• You have demonstrated the ability to influence policy development and program outcomes
• You are a sophisticated communicator and negotiator with superior skills to influence others in adopting new innovative approaches to policy and planning issues

Collaborative Relationship Management

• You initiate and champion working across organizational boundaries, hierarchies and mandates to achieve results
• You create and foster relationships built around trust to ensure an integrated and collaborative approach across organizational program and policy areas
• You have demonstrated capabilities to obtain collaborative buy-in from internal and external stakeholders, colleagues and staff
• You understand intergovernmental relations and have led collaborative initiatives that include multiple jurisdictions

Communication Skills

• You have superior oral and written English and French language communication skills and are able to articulate technical information in both languages
• You have experience briefing senior executives on contentious policy and operational issues in both French and English
• You have demonstrated ability to anticipate and manage high-profile issues and deliver accurate and rapid responses to internal/external enquiries

Language requirements and assessment:
All external Ontario Public Service (OPS) job ads are posted in English and French. Check the "position(s) language" section at the top of each job ad for the language requirements. For all roles, candidates are assessed in English, the business language of the OPS. If the position is bilingual (English/French), you'll also need to pass a French-language proficiency test.

Exigences en matière de langue et évaluation:
Toutes les offres d'emploi externes de la fonction publique de l'Ontario (FPO) sont affichées en français et en anglais. Consultez la section « Langue du ou des postes » en haut de chaque offre d'emploi pour connaître les exigences linguistiques. Pour tous les postes, les candidats sont évalués en anglais, la langue d'affaires de la FPO. Si le poste est bilingue (anglais/français), vous devrez également passer un test de compétences linguistiques en français.

Director, Policy and Ministry Services