Become the NWT’s superhero! Avenge administrative failings! Banish bureaucratic bias!
If you think you can handle five years of people complaining about the territorial government, becoming the Northwest Territories’ first ombud may be the job for you.
As ombud – note, the job title is neither ‘ombudsman’ nor ‘ombudsperson’ – you’ll get to conduct “independent, impartial and non-partisan investigations of administrative decisions, actions or omissions of GNWT departments, boards and agencies,” as the posting on the Legislative Assembly’s website reads.
Or, as we wrote in September: “An ombudsperson’s office independently receives and investigates complaints from members of the public who feel unfairly treated by government staff or agencies.”
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This is a position with power. During investigations, you can compel anyone you decide is “appropriate and necessary” to provide information in order to help you make recommendations.
However, those recommendations may be nothing more than recommendations – the government doesn’t have to follow them. So maybe not so much power.
Qualifications
You’ll need excellent interpersonal and communications skills for this job, if for no other reason than to negotiate a salary and benefits that have yet to be determined.
Like most jobs these days, the successful candidate (superhero) is expected to have a “relevant university degree” – but also expertise in administrative law and public sector program delivery, which narrows things down significantly.
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You also need experience in fun and exciting areas like interpreting legislation, regulations, policies, and procedures; and drafting reports and recommendations.
The Legislative Assembly is hoping to find someone with five years’ experience conducting complex investigations and interviews.
If you meet the above criteria or can mush together the tattered contents of your resumé until they vaguely resemble something like it, send in your application by February 15.
