Recruitment posting
Alberta Innovates
Competition #: 811
Ministry : Technology and Innovation
Opening Date : 2024/02/15
closing Date : 2024/03/15
Role : Public Members
It is recognized in Alberta as a fundamental principle and as a matter of public policy that all persons are equal. Diversity and inclusion are valued and supported on the boards of Alberta's public agencies.
The Minister of Technology and Innovation is seeking applications from individuals interested in serving as Members of Alberta Innovates. Up to four (4) vacancies are to be filled.
The Government of Alberta is committed to a diverse and inclusive public service that reflects the population we serve best to meet the needs of Albertans. Individuals will be given an opportunity to be considered as public members on Alberta’s public agencies, boards and commissions. To help ensure that Albertans are well represented on boards, we invite applicants from diverse backgrounds who embody a range of knowledge, skills and expertise to apply.
Alberta Innovates is a public agency established by section 6.1(3) of the Alberta Research and Innovation Act.
Alberta Innovates is the province’s largest research and innovation agency whose mandate is to support and accelerate research, innovation, and entrepreneurship in Alberta to drive provincial economic growth and diversity.
Through its programs and technical expertise, Alberta Innovates:
- provides targeted funding for researchers, industry, and entrepreneurs;
- develops and implements strategic research and innovation initiatives;
- provides third-party technical counsel and support to early-stage businesses and entrepreneurs; and
- develops key innovation and industry networks, partnerships, and collaborations locally, nationally, and internationally.
Technology and Innovation drives Alberta’s economic diversification by engaging and supporting innovators, entrepreneurs, and businesses to advance strategic initiatives that enhance industry growth. The Alberta Technology and Innovation Strategy (ATIS) aims to position Alberta as an internationally recognized technology and innovation hub that develops and attracts people, business, and investment to accelerate growth of the technology and innovation sector.
Alberta Innovates will contribute to the Alberta Technology and Innovation Strategy and other relevant government strategies by continuing to invest in five areas of significant economic opportunity for the province: artificial intelligence, clean resource technologies, digital health, the entrepreneurial ecosystem and smart agriculture. The entrepreneurial ecosystem and artificial intelligence serve as enabling tools to drive much of the innovation – and the associated economic stimulus and job growth – in the other three areas (Digital Health, Clean Resource Technologies and Smart Agriculture). Alberta Innovates has an economic impact of approximately $1.3 billion and plays a key role in accelerating and nurturing the innovation ecosystem.
Alberta Innovates encompasses:
- Approximately 600 staff across Alberta, including more than 100 PhDs;
- 10 locations in Alberta (Edmonton, Devon, Calgary, Vegreville) and one location in Victoria, B.C.
- Research and entrepreneurial investments in the range of $225 million annually.
- Two subsidiaries, InnoTech Alberta and C-FER Technologies invest in a range of research, development, industrial testing, and engineering consulting services. Alberta Innovates connects innovators with scientific and technical expertise, funding, networks, and applied research facilities to de-risk technologies and grow new capabilities.
- Entrepreneurial coaching accelerates innovators’ ideas from start-up to scale for impactful application and job growth. Strategically driven and results oriented, each $1 invested by Alberta Innovates generates $4.98 in revenue by small/medium businesses and each $1 put into a leveraged project attracts $33.47 in follow-on investment from private sector partners and other orders of government.
Alberta Innovates’ unique position in the research and innovation ecosystem enables it to apply emerging technologies across multiple sectors, and to leverage cross-sectoral research and innovation partnerships to accelerate the development, uptake and impact of these technologies.
Board and Committee Structure
The Board consists of up to 12 Directors appointed by the Lieutenant Governor in Council, including a Chair and Vice-Chair. In addition to full board meetings, the Alberta Innovates board also has a number of committees, with membership based on Director competencies. Typically, committees are composed of five members and hold up to five meetings per year.
The Alberta Innovates Board is comprised of up to 12 research, innovation and business leaders who share their governance expertise and industry insights to provide strategic guidance and support the governance and oversight of the agency.
Directors have a general duty to act honestly, in good faith, and in the best interest of the public agency and of Albertans. Appointees are expected to abide by the agreed time commitment, to appropriately prepare for public agency commitments, actively participate in agency activities, and act to the highest standards of conduct and avoid any real or perceived conflicts of interest.
Alberta Innovates seeks vision, and world class credentials in their Directors who will actively support the Province’s efforts as a place where original thinking, entrepreneurship, and innovation is recognized and celebrated.
Core competencies include senior executive-level leadership, governance, entrepreneurial thinking, marketing/communications, strategic planning, and financial literacy.
In addition, the Board is specifically seeking individuals with proven expertise in three areas:
- Energy transition and clean-tech sector, including large- and small-scale initiatives and innovations;
- Digital health and related commercialization and scale up;
- Smart agriculture sector, including overlap with energy sector and experience with sector-specific innovation; and
- Legal and governance experience, including with public agencies and/or large complex organizations.
Candidates considering this position should have a demonstrated record of success in several of the following areas:
- Understanding of good corporate/board governance gained from past experience serving on other private, public or not-for profit sector boards
- Previous leadership experience within a highly complex, multi-functional organization in the private, public, or not-for-profit sectors
- Competency in growing a business and/or establishing a new business or industry in Alberta or elsewhere
- Development of strategic plans, business plans and annual reports
- Financial literacy: budget planning; evaluation; risk management in a complex environment; financial statements; and accounting and audit (particularly in the public sector).
- Enterprise risk management, including use of risk evaluation tools in governance and strategic planning.
- Operational policy development and management
- Public policy experience and an understanding of how government works
- Comprehensive understanding of the research and innovation landscape (regional, national, international) in Alberta and elsewhere
- Understanding the relationship between basic research and commercialization
- Extra-provincial exposure including international experience or networks
- Understanding of the relevant legal and regulatory environments related to the commercialization of innovation
- Board and executive evaluation and performance assessment
- Understanding of research and innovation for urban, rural and Indigenous communities
- Executive-level business expertise related to running a large, complex organization, including human resource management, communications, marketing, accounting/audit and information technology in addition to technical leadership
- Financial and capital markets experience (multi-industry/innovation specialization) related to early, mid-stage, growth and large companies
Professional and Personal Characteristics
- Integrity and accountability
- Adaptability and sound judgment
- Strong interpersonal skills (team player, collegial, collaborative, consensus building/ conflict resolution skills)
- Effective communicator (strong listening and verbal communication skills)
- Courage of conviction
- Impact and influence
- Creativity and passion for innovation
- Broad perspective – “big picture strategic thinker”
- Commitment (including ability to apply necessary time and effort)
- Independence/impartiality
- Ability to simplify complex data and ideas into clearly articulated frameworks and strategies
- Appropriate academic credentials or equivalent professional experience
- Global innovation skills and strategies
Alberta Innovates welcomes diversity and encourages applications from all qualified people, including persons with disabilities, members of visible minorities, and Indigenous persons.
Appointments are for fixed terms, with the potential for reappointment based on satisfactory performance as assessed by the Chair and the Minister, to a maximum of ten years of continuous service. Terms shall be staggered to avoid significant turnover in any given fiscal year. Subject to Government approval, the Board of Alberta Innovates recommends terms of 2 to 3 years.
The Board meets 5 times per year for full day meetings. There is an expectation of sitting on at least one of the three committees of the board in addition to consistent attendance at board meetings. Members should expect a significant time commitment to meet the demands of this role—approximately two days for each board meeting (including preparation), one day for each committee meeting and availability between meetings for other business.
Remuneration and expenses payable to Alberta Innovates Board of directors are paid in accordance with Schedule 1, Part A of the Committee Remuneration Order (OC 466/2007, effective April 1, 2009).
A member of a committee shall be paid:
- $164 for up to and including four hours in any day, or
- $290 for over four hours and up to and including eight hours in any day, or
- $427 for over eight hours in any day
In addition to your cover letter and resume, we require a biography. Click HERE to download the biography form.
Once the forms are completed, save them to your PC. When you click on submit application, you will be prompted to upload additional documents. Drag and drop or upload your completed biography form and others requested into the ‘Drop files below or click to upload’ section.
Please note: This ad will close on March 15, 2024 or until suitable candidate found.
Executive Search, Alberta Public Service Commission.
Phone: 780-408-8460
Carefully read the Recruitment Posting and the Position Profile to ensure this is an appropriate opportunity for you. Applicants are advised to provide information that clearly and concisely demonstrates how their qualifications meet the advertised requirements.
Online applications are preferred. To apply, click on the 'apply' button, create or sign into your account in the ePAAS system; upload your resume, view the listing under Current Opportunities and click on 'submit application'. The uploaded resume will be automatically attached.
Provide a short 4 line biography using the Biography template found under additional documents section. Your biography should include your name, current work experience, board/committee experience and relevant education. Please note that biographies may be edited for length and clarity.
Once your biography and other required form(s) are completed, save it to your PC. When you hit 'submit application', you will be prompted to upload additional documents. Drag and drop (or upload) your completed cover letter, biography and other form(s) into the 'Drop files below or click to upload' section before clicking the 'apply' button.
If you are unable to apply online, please submit a cover letter and resume, quoting the recruitment posting competition number, to the contact provided on the posting. We thank all applicants for their interest. All applications will be reviewed to assess which candidates' qualifications most closely match the agency's requirements. Only those selected for interviews will be contacted to advance to the next step in the appointment process. You can check the status of each competition on-line at https://www.alberta.ca/public-agencies.cfm.
The personal information in ePAAS is collected pursuant to section 33(c) of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. The information will be used to administer and manage recruitment for current and future public agency appointment opportunities. Questions regarding the collection, use, or disclosure of this information, may be directed to the Public Agency Secretariat, Public Service Commission, 3rd Floor, Peace Hills Trust Tower, 10011 109 Street, Edmonton, AB T5J 3S8 or by calling 780-644-3060. Applicants will be required to identify any real or perceived conflicts of interest and may be required to undergo additional screening.
Please Note: Successful applicants will have the following information about them made publicly available on the Public Agency Secretariat Website: name, biography, public agency, and position title.