Senior Business Analyst in Halifax

Competition #: 49975

Department: Opportunities and Social Development

Location: HALIFAX

Type of Employment: Term

Union Status: NSGEU - NSPG

Closing Date: 02-Nov-26 (Applications are accepted until 11:59 PM Atlantic Time)

About Us

At the Department of Opportunities and Social Development (OSD), we provide a broad portfolio of programs and services including Child and Family Wellbeing (CFW), Employment Support Services (ESS), Income Assistance (IA), Supportive Housing and Homelessness, and the Disability Support Program (DSP). We advocate and help vulnerable Nova Scotians be independent, self-reliant, and secure.

About Our Opportunity

As a Senior Business Analyst with the Innovation Team in the Strategic Operations & Innovation division, you will help improve programs and service delivery for clients and staff. We are looking for someone who can see the big picture and the details, ask the questions others may not yet be asking, create clarity from ambiguity, and help turn ambitious ideas into practical, lasting improvements.

In this role, you will:

• Analyze complex service-delivery challenges and identify improvement opportunities.
• Connect client and staff experience, policy, operations, data, technology, and departmental priorities to develop a whole-system view.
• Lead research, current-state analysis, and collaborative discovery with internal and external partners.
• Clarify root causes, challenge assumptions constructively, and establish shared problem definitions.
• Design practical future-state services, processes, policies, and digital solutions.
• Develop business cases, options, and evidence-based recommendations for decision-makers.
• Work with project, product, program, and technology teams to turn recommendations into achievable plans and implemented changes.
• Identify dependencies, risks, and unintended consequences across programs and service channels.
• Define outcomes and measures, using evidence and feedback to refine implemented solutions.
• Mentor analysts and introduce methods, tools, and approaches that strengthen the team’s analytical and delivery capacity.

Qualifications And Experience

We’re seeking a strategic and collaborative professional with experience in both planning and execution of business process improvement and digital transformation. This role is ideal for someone who thrives in cross-functional environments and is passionate about improving public services and supporting the successful delivery of departmental and government priorities.

You have a university degree from a recognized school plus at least six (6) years of related experience, or an equivalent combination of school, volunteering, training and experience.

You Also Have Experience:

• Leading or supporting service redesign, policy development, business process improvement, strategic planning, or digital transformation.
• Conducting analysis and preparing clear deliverables, such as business cases, policy briefs, process maps, service-improvement plans, or outcome-measurement frameworks.
• Managing organizational change and moving complex work from analysis to implementation.
• Building trusted relationships, facilitating collaboration, and influencing decisions through evidence and sound judgement.
• Managing competing priorities and deadlines in a changing environment.
• Using Microsoft 365 and Power Platform tools, including Excel, PowerPoint, Power Automate, Outlook, and SharePoint.

The Following Are Considered Assets:

• Certification or training in business analysis, project management, Lean Six Sigma, or change management.
• Experience with service design or human-centred design.
• Knowledge of government processes, regulatory requirements, or departmental programs and services.
• Experience with data visualization, Microsoft Power Apps, Power BI, Power Automate, or the development of artificial intelligence tools to improve business processes.

Benefits

Based on the employment status and union agreement, the Government of Nova Scotia offers its employees a wide range of benefits such as a Defined Benefit Pension Plan, Health, Dental, Life Insurance, General illness, Short and Long Term Disability, Vacation and Employee and Family Assistance Programs.

Working Conditions

This role is based in a comfortable office environment and you may be working at your computer for extended periods of time. You may be required to travel to worksite locations. Your normal work week is 35 hours/week, 7 hours/day.

Additional Information

One (1) full-time term position is available with an anticipated end date of December 31, 2028.

What We Offer

• Ownership of complex initiatives with meaningful, province-wide impact.
• Influence at the intersection of policy, operations, service design, and technology.
• Work across multiple social programs rather than within a narrow functional area.
• Experiment with practical approaches to digital services, automation, data and responsible AI.
• A welcoming, multidisciplinary team that values curiosity, thoughtful challenge, collaboration, and implementation.
• Career Development where you have access to career guidance, tools, resources, and ongoing training for every stage of your career.
• Engaging workplace.

Pay Grade: PR 17 Salary Range: $3,410.48 - $4,005.58 Bi-Weekly

Employment Equity Statement

Our goal is to be a diverse workforce that is representative, at all job levels, of the citizens we serve. The Government of Nova Scotia has an Employment Equity Policy, and we welcome applications from Indigenous People, African Nova Scotians, Persons of African Descent, Racialized Persons, Persons with Disabilities, 2SLGBTQIA+ Persons and Women in occupations or positions where they are under-represented.

Accommodation Statement

We are committed to providing an inclusive and accessible recruitment process. Candidates may request accommodations based on any grounds protected by the Human Rights Act.