Dir, Humanities & Languages

Job Information
Job Title: Dir, Humanities & Languages 
Job Requisition ID: 86333
Ministry: Education and Childcare
Location: Edmonton
Full or Part-Time: Full Time
Hours of Work: 36.25 hours per week
Permanent/Temporary/Wage: Permanent 
Scope: Open Competition
Closing Date: Augus 20, 2026
Classification: Senior Manager Zone 2 
Salary: ​$5,139.30 to $6,526.16 bi-weekly ($134,135 - $170,332 annually)

The Alberta Public Service works to build a stronger province for current and future generations. We make a difference in the lives of Albertans through rewarding and diverse career opportunities.
Ministry of Education and Childcare

Through safe and caring schools for all students, Alberta’s government is making life better by investing in education – one of the most important investments we can make in our future. The Ministry is responsible for: developing and evaluating curriculum; teacher development and certification; supporting students with diverse learning needs; funding and supporting school boards; First Nations, Métis and Inuit and Francophone education; and overseeing basic education policy and regulations.
For more information on the Ministry of Education and childcare, please visit: https://www.alberta.ca/education-and-childcare.
Humanities, Wellness & French branch.

The Humanities and French Branch provides leadership for the development, refinement, implementation, and stewardship of Alberta’s Kindergarten to Grade 12 humanities and language curriculum and related programming. The branch oversees curriculum and programming in English and French language arts, social studies, French immersion, English as an Additional Language, French as a Second Language, international languages, and francisation. Working closely with school authorities, education partners, community organizations, and government stakeholders, the branch supports high-quality, inclusive, and evidence-informed curriculum that promotes student success across Alberta.

Role Responsibilities

Are you passionate about shaping the future of education in Alberta? Reporting to the Executive Director, Humanities, Languages and Curriculum Strategy, the Director provides strategic leadership, direction and accountability for the Humanities and Languages Branch.
This role is responsible for:

1. Curriculum Leadership and Development

• Leading the development, refinement and implementation support of Kindergarten to Grade 12 humanities and language curriculum.
• Ensuring curriculum development is evidence-informed, inclusive, jurisdictionally aware, and reflective of First Nations, Métis, Inuit, Francophone and diverse Alberta perspectives.
• Providing leadership and mentorship to professional staff and managers responsible for curriculum development.
• Monitoring emerging trends and leading practices in curriculum, instruction and artificial intelligence.

1. Strategic Policy Leadership

• Directing curriculum policy development, implementation, interpretation and legislative compliance.
• Leading the development of briefing materials, correspondence, business cases, recommendations and strategic advice for senior executives and government decision-makers.
• Monitoring trends, risks and emerging issues and recommending strategic responses.

1. Stakeholder Engagement

• Building and sustaining collaborative relationships with internal and external partners.
• Representing the Ministry on committees, working groups, consultations and strategic initiatives.
• Leading engagement on complex, sensitive and high-profile curriculum issues.

1. Branch Operations

• Providing overall leadership for branch human, financial and operational resources.
• Leading workforce planning, recruitment, succession planning and staff development.
• Fostering a high-performing, inclusive and collaborative workplace culture.
• Managing complex issues involving curriculum, language programming and stakeholder interests.

1. Executive Support

• Providing strategic advice on risks, opportunities and implementation considerations.
• Supporting ministry priorities through effective planning, alignment and execution.
• Contributing to the achievement of division, sector and ministry objectives.

The Job Description is provided for Further details on this position. 

APS Competencies

Competencies are behaviors that are essential to reach our goals in serving Albertans. We encourage you to have an in depth understanding of the competencies that are required for this opportunity and to be prepared to demonstrate them during the recruitment process.

Agility-Demonstrates the ability to lead and adapt through change in a complex and evolving environment. The successful candidate can anticipate emerging issues, adjust priorities in response to shifting organizational needs, and maintain focus during periods of uncertainty. This includes supporting staff through change initiatives, implementing new approaches to improve outcomes, and responding effectively to competing priorities while maintaining operational excellence.
Drive for Results-Takes accountability for achieving outcomes and delivering high-quality results in a fast-paced environment. This includes proactively identifying risks, removing barriers, making sound decisions, and holding self and others accountable for performance. The ability to balance political, stakeholder, operational, and fiscal considerations while delivering on ministry priorities is essential.
Build Collaborative Environments-Builds trust and fosters meaningful collaboration across teams, ministries, school authorities, education partners, and stakeholder groups. This competency includes the ability to engage diverse perspectives, facilitate constructive dialogue, resolve conflict, and create alignment among groups with competing interests to achieve shared outcomes.
Develop Networks-You will build and maintain strong working relationships with internal and external partners to support engagement, knowledge exchange, and coordinated action on AI in education.
Creative Problem Solving- Uses sound judgment, research, analysis, and critical thinking to address complex and often unprecedented challenges. This includes synthesizing diverse information, evaluating potential impacts, identifying innovative solutions, and making recommendations that consider stakeholder needs, political sensitivities, operational realities, and strategic outcomes.
Develop Self and Others-Creates a culture of continuous learning, engagement, and excellence by coaching, mentoring, and supporting the growth of staff and leaders. The successful candidate empowers teams, promotes innovation and knowledge sharing, establishes clear expectations, and develops talent to build organizational capacity and succession readiness.

Qualifications

University graduation in a related field (Education, Public Administration, etc.), plus 7 years of related experience or equivalent as described below.

Equivalency: Directly related education or experience considered on the basis of:

• 1 year of education for 1 year of experience; or
• 1 year of experience for 1 year of education.

The ideal candidate will possess:

• Significant leadership experience managing multidisciplinary teams and complex portfolios.
• Extensive experience within education, curriculum, public administration or a related policy environment.
• Experience leading strategic initiatives and stakeholder engagement activities.
• Strong political acumen and experience navigating politically sensitive issues.
• Experience preparing strategic advice, briefing materials and recommendations for senior executives.
• Experience managing financial and human resources.
• Strong negotiation, collaboration, mediation and relationship-building skills.
• Knowledge of Alberta’s K-12 education system and curriculum development processes.

Assets:

• Experience leading curriculum or educational programming initiatives.
• Knowledge of French-language education, language programming or Francophone education.
• Knowledge of the role and responsible use of artificial intelligence in research, policy development and educational programs.
• Graduate-level education in a related discipline.

Note: For professional work related to Communications (e.g. Public Affairs Officer), a directly related diploma is considered equivalent to university graduation in a related field.

Minimum recruitment standards outline the minimum education and experience required for appointment to a job classification.

Notes

This is a permanent position, and the hours of work are a total of 36.25 hours per week working out of Edmonton.

A cover letter demonstrating your qualifications, experience and skills for this position is required and will be used as a screening tool.

 

Any costs associated with obtaining the required documents/checks as noted or interview travel expenses will be the responsibility of the candidate. Out-of-province applicants can obtain the required documents/checks from the province they currently reside in.

Any costs associated with obtaining the required documents/checks as noted or interview travel expenses, will be the responsibility of the candidate. Out-of-province applicants can obtain the required documents/checks from the province they currently reside in.

Links and information on what we have to offer:

• Working for the Alberta Public Service
• Management Employee Pension Plan (MEPP)
• Alberta Public Service Benefit Information
• Professional learning and development
• Research Alberta Public Service Careers tool
• Positive workplace culture and work-life balance.

How To Apply
Applicants are advised to provide information that clearly and concisely demonstrates how their qualifications meet the advertised requirements, including education, experience, and relevant examples of required competencies.
Candidates are required to apply for a job online. Please see Job Application Resources for information. 
In your resume, please include dates (including months and years) associated with all education and work experience. For example, January 2006 - June 2009 (part-time). This example is provided for illustrative purposes only. Applicants are encouraged to present their information clearly and thoroughly, using a format that best conveys their experience.
It is recommended applicants who have completed post-secondary studies from outside of Canada obtain an evaluation of their credentials from the International Qualifications Assessment Service (IQAS) or from a recognized Canadian Credential Evaluator; please visit the Alliance of Credential Evaluation Services of Canada for more information.
It is recommended that applicants include the assessment certificate from IQAS or any other educational assessment service as part of their application.
Closing Statement
This competition may be used to fill future vacancies, across the Government of Alberta, at the same or lower classification level.
We thank all applicants for their interest. All applications will be reviewed to determine which candidates' qualifications most closely match the advertised requirements. Only individuals selected for interviews will be contacted.
If you require any further information on this job posting or require an accommodation during the recruitment process, please contact Liliane Karara at Liliane.karara@gov.ab.ca.