Manager, Program Standards

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Department: Labour, Skills and Immigration

Location: Flexible

Type of Employment: Permanent

Union Status: Exclusion - Non Union - NSPG

Closing Date: 20-Sep-26 (Applications are accepted until 11:59 PM Atlantic Time)

About Us

The Department of Labour, Skills and Immigration works to provide fairness, safety and prosperity for all Nova Scotians by helping them live, learn and work to their highest potential. We have a staff of more than 500 employees working from offices throughout Nova Scotia. Together we are responsible for workplace safety, fire safety, pensions, apprenticeship, adult education, and many other facets of everyday life.

The Nova Scotia Apprenticeship Agency (NSAA) is responsible for supporting and advancing apprenticeship training and certification across the province. Working collaboratively with industry, training providers, regulatory authorities, and provincial and federal partners, the Agency develops and maintains occupational standards, curriculum standards, examinations, certification pathways, and policies that support a highly skilled workforce.

As apprenticeship systems continue to evolve provincially and nationally, the Agency is committed to innovation, collaboration, and responsive approaches that support industry, apprentices, employers, and training providers while advancing workforce development priorities across Nova Scotia and Canada.

We are seeking a strategic, innovative, and collaborative leader to join our team as Manager Program Standards .

About Our Opportunity

Reporting to the Director of Standards and Examinations, the Manager, Program Standards provides strategic leadership and operational oversight for Nova Scotia's apprenticeship occupational standards, curriculum standards, examinations, and recognition of prior learning portfolios. You will lead a team of professional and technical staff and help ensure the quality, integrity, consistency, and continuous improvement of provincial and interprovincial apprenticeship products and services.

As Nova Scotia's lead representative on national and regional apprenticeship development initiatives, you will work with federal, provincial, and territorial governments, industry, regulatory bodies, training providers, and other partners to advance skilled trades priorities. This role is well suited to a strategic and collaborative leader who can navigate complex issues, build consensus, challenge conventional approaches, and champion practical, innovative solutions that respond to evolving workforce needs.

Primary Accountabilities

As the Manager, Program Standards, you will:

• Lead, mentor, and support a team responsible for occupational and curriculum standards, logbooks, examinations, transfer credit, credential recognition, and related apprenticeship products and services.
• Oversee Nova Scotia's participation in the Canadian Red Seal Program, including interprovincial standards development, examination activities, harmonization initiatives, and implementation of Red Seal products and policies.
• Represent Nova Scotia on national and regional committees and working groups focused on apprenticeship standards, training, examinations, certification, labour mobility, and workforce development.
• Provide leadership for Atlantic apprenticeship harmonization initiatives and other multi-jurisdictional projects involving curriculum, examinations, and occupational standards.
• Manage the development, maintenance, quality assurance, and implementation of occupational standards, curriculum standards, logbooks, certification and level examinations, and supporting resources.
• Lead the development and implementation of policies, procedures, and operational frameworks related to standards, examinations, recognition of prior learning, transfer credit, cross-trade credit, and credential recognition.
• Build and maintain effective relationships with industry representatives, subject matter experts, training providers, regulatory agencies, government departments, and other partners.
• Analyze complex issues and provide strategic advice, briefing materials, reports, presentations, and evidence-informed recommendations to senior leaders and government officials.
• Identify and advance opportunities for modernization, innovation, risk management, and continuous improvement across the program portfolio.
• Manage human, financial, and operational resources, monitor program performance, and ensure priorities and services align with organizational and government objectives.

Qualifications and Experience

You have a university degree in education, public administration, business administration,