Work with Anthony P. Sheehan

Le texte français est un peu plus loin :)

Why This Page?

It’s no secret that it is becoming more and more difficult to attract and retain top talent. The increased competitiveness of available opportunities, combined with the relative ease of talent mobility across the public service, is resulting in several vacancies across departments and agencies; and my team is no exception.

I created this page to try and creatively tackle the problem and maintain an ongoing list of open positions within my team.

More importantly, this page provides you with additional information on my organization, my management style and the open positions; so that you may make a more informed decisions of whether to come work with us!

Opportunities

Below is the list of opportunities. Each opportunity is further described after the summary of the work environment.

Please also note the important disclaimers and additional information below.

Should any of the opportunities capture your attention, please reach out to me at [email].

Why work with us – More about myself

After 10+ years in the private sector, including working as a producer in the video game industry (Ubisoft), I joined the public service in 2014. Ever since, I’ve been trying to bring more Agile and Design Thinking practices to the GC to deliver better services to Canadians. I published an article in 2017 on this topic, which made the cover page of the Canadian Government Executive magazine. I was appointed the Chief Digital Officer of Courts Administration Service (CAS) in July 2022. Before that, I worked as the Director General of the Transformation, Strategy & Results directorate at Transport Canada. Prior to joining TC in 2019, I was the Sr. Director of Digital Delivery and one of the leaders driving the NextGen HR & Pay innovative Agile Procurement Process. I hold an undergraduate degree from the Université de Sherbrooke, an Exec MBA from the Telfer School of Management and try to continuously improve as a public servant and as a leader. With this goal in mind, I recently participated in the Governor General Canadian Leadership Conference and the Canada Beyond 150 Program. I’m also a suicide prevention volunteer and co-founded the Gatineau Ottawa Agile Tour as well as co-launched and sold the startup alagarderie.ca. Originally from Québec city, I live in Aylmer with my wife and 2 young boys.

You can find out more about me on Twitter and LinkedIn.

Leadership Style

We have a great team! I believe that a high-performing organization is one that is made up of talented people where team members have each other’s back, trust each other and hold each other accountable – pretty much what’s in here. We have a Work Hard/Play Hard mentality which makes being part of our team fun and gratifying. That’s why we hire based on competency, but also on fit and behaviors as how you deliver results is just as important as the results you deliver.

I believe in self-empowered team, supported by clear decision-making. I really liked some of the concepts in Ray Dalio’s book Principles, especially the concepts of radical truth and radical transparency. When you have a culture of open sharing of information and open and respectful discussions - you get to better results quicker. I also believe in a clear hierarchy of decision-making. This doesn’t mean that the most senior person is always right, not at all, but at the end of the day, they are accountable for the decision and the result and should therefore have the decision-making authority. In many cases, the leader will and should go with the team’s (and the experts’) recommendations. It’s what Ray calls “believability” – which is not the same thing as hierarchical level. I think that this model brings a good balance of empowering teams, good and trustworthy discussions and brings it all together with clear decision-making aligned to goals and vision.

Our leaders also take great pride in empowering our teams and working closely with team members to support their career growth. One of the greatest testimony of our success is when one of our employees gets a promotion – of course, I prefer when it’s a promotion within our team 

Work – Life Balance

I believe that jobs in the GC are really good jobs. They are not the best paid jobs, but they come with an opportunity to help increase the quality of life of all Canadians – that’s pretty amazing – and our salaries are paid from the taxes we collect from citizens. For me, this comes with the accountability and duty to “give it your all” and take your job very seriously. So yes, we have deadlines, I hold my team to account, I make sure their performance is in line with expectations, I tell them when they fall short, we have difficult conversations when they fall short too often and I support them with the tools and training so they can get there. I do all this because its my job and we owe it to Canadians.

At the same time, I know that outcomes are more important than outputs, that tired and stressed employees are not productive, that there’s more to life than work and that ultimately, a happy, engaged and competent workforce is one that will best serve Canadians. So it’s in this interesting context that I try to find the right balance of Work hard/Play hard and yes, having the right balance – or integration – is important to me personally and professionally.

Flexible Work Arrangement

I started my career at Ubisoft, where I was managing a team that was spread across Québec city, Montreal, San Francisco and Romania. Until joining the public service, I had always managed dispersed and asynchronous teams. I’ve grown in a culture where the results of your work are much more important than when and where you work. We try to hire the best. In return, we trust our team members to do their best and this means that they can – within applicable terms of conditions and rules – decide where and when they work, as long as it does not introduce risks and negatively impact team productivity. So aside from a few exceptions, roles in my team can be filled and performed from anywhere in Canada – where there’s good Internet connection J

Disclaimers and additional information

Classification

To accelerate staffing and gather iterative feedback, the below opportunities are shared although they have not yet been formally classified. As such, the proposed language profiles, levels and groups - which impact rates of pay – are tentative and may change following the results of a formal classification assessment.

Rates of Pay

For those not fully familiar with the rates of pay and terms of employment in the public service, please consult the collective agreements for each of the positions (IT group, EC group, AS group).

Overview of the hiring process

Although each hiring process is different, here’s a video that provides an overview of each of the steps and provides tips on navigating the application process in the GC.

Working Environment

Working for the Government of Canada (GC)

Working for the GC is rewarding and fulfilling! See the Top 10 reasons for joining Canada’s Public Service.

Working at TC

Transport Canada (TC) is a great place to work! TC plays a major role in keeping Canadians and travelers safe and secure and in supporting Canada’s economy and greening efforts. TC’s workforce is competent, passionate, collaborative, diverse and fun to work with! Learn more about our awesome Deputy Ministers, Michael Keenan and Arun Thangaraj. Here’s also a high-level org chart to better understand how TC is organized.

Working within the Digital Services and Transformation Office

I work in the Digital Services and Transformation Office (DSTO). DSTO is accountable for providing the executive leadership and management direction for departmental transformation, service and data management and modernization, as well as for the delivery of the Department’s IM/IT program. This includes the advancement of Transport Canada’s Priority #6 of Transforming the design and delivery of programs and services to Canadians in order to adapt to a changing world. DSTO’s accountabilities also include the programs and governance required to meet the requirements of the Policy on Service and Digital to ensure client service experience and government operations are improved through digital transformation approaches. Working in the #GCDigital family is pretty amazing, learn more here!

DSTO’s leader is TC’s Chief Digital Officer and Assistant Deputy Minister, Raj Thuppal. You can find more info on Raj on his LinkedIn profile. Raj leads of team of +500 employees that are spread across Canada.

DSTO is organized into 4 directorates:

Service & Data Modernization: Enabling service design and data-driven decision making across TC

Business Solutions: Delivering digital projects, solutions, and platforms for external services and oversight activities.

Enterprise Solutions: Delivering digital solutions and support to employees.

Transformation, Strategy and Results

TC was one of the first departments to bring together the accountabilities for Data, Service, Transformation and IM/IT together under one ADM. Our ADM is part of the department Executive Committee and DSTO is a key strategic advisor to the other ADMs and core to TCs digital transformation journey. DSTO’s mandate is strategic, broad, innovative and exciting!

Working within the Transformation, Strategy & Results (TSR) Directorate

My team’s mandate is strategic and core to DSTO’s success. We are accountable for the following key areas:

Transformation Management

Aligned with Canada’s Digital Government Strategy, TC is committed to modernizing and adapting the way we work to make our Department more responsive, resilient, and most important, better at serving people. TC’s Transformation vision to be agile, smart, and trusted will ensure that TC remains a world class regulator, that delivers modern digital services and is an employer of choice. Our Transformation Plan is organized around 4 key themes:

Service Modernization: Work in this theme will, while ensuring a safe and secure transport system, transform people’s experience with government by designing and delivering services that put people’s needs first, increase access to services for all Canadians, and improve citizen trust.

Oversight Modernization: Work in this theme will build a more effective oversight regime that enhances public trust and confidence in the safety and security of the transportation system by leveraging data, empowering our inspectors with new tools and expanding multi-modal approaches, while reducing regulatory burden on industry.

Our TC: Work in this theme is focused on making TC the best place to work. Aligned with Beyond 2020’s areas of focus, activities within this theme will help retain and attract a high-performing, diverse workforce by being a leader in creating a flexible, service-oriented, and digitally-enabled work environment.

Foundation: Work in this theme will help advance core and supporting changes across DSTO and across the organization, including many of the strategic priorities described in the Digital Operations Strategic Plan: 2021–2024.

TSR’s mandate, aligned with recommendations from a 2019 audit of TC’s Transformation Governance and Oversight, is to support TC’s Transformation in the following areas:

Strategy & Governance: TC’s Transformation Plan has a clearly defined vision and strategy. An effective governance framework is in place to oversee the implementation of TC’s Transformation initiatives. Governance committees are in place with clear objectives, defined roles and responsibilities that help ensure effective coordination, integration and oversight of Transformation initiatives and projects. Risks to the overall success of TC Transformation are tracked, managed and reported.

Integrated planning: An effective planning approach has been developed to set clear direction and priorities on the implementation of TC Transformation.
Change management: Change management processes and practices are established to facilitate the implementation of TC Transformation.
Reporting on results: The progress of initiatives is effectively tracked and reported. Senior management and governance bodies receive relevant, accurate, complete and timely information for their timely decision making.

Strategic Direction – Doing the Right Thing

Another component of TSR’s mandate is to set and coordinate’s DSTO’s strategic direction. This includes scanning the environment, looking at the market and trends, understanding the organization’s performance and resources and working with stakeholders across DSTO to define what this means for the organization and, as a result, where we should be going. This responsibility includes managing TC’s digital strategy and DSTO’s strategy, DSTO’s investment strategy (what we should be investing in and why) and monitoring the overall demand for DSTO’s services.

Oversight, Governance & Operational Excellence – Doing Things Right

TSR’s mandate also includes ensuring DSTO adheres to GC and TC policy requirements, including ones defined in the Policy on Service and Digital. TSR is also responsible for overseeing DSTO’s portfolio of projects and initiatives and recommend corrective actions to increase the likelihood of delivering the planned benefits. TSR also provides DSTO with various human resource, financial and talent management functions to ensure DSTO works as one group and is a high-performing organization.

Measuring Results – Learn & Adapt

Finally, TSR is responsible for various performance measurement activities, including monitoring DSTO’s service performance, tracking various commitments related to Management Action Plans and the Management Accountability Framework, monitoring the achievement of planned benefits from our digital investment portfolio, managing the performance of our vendors, supporting the production of TC’s Departmental Results Reports for DSTO commitments and other corporate reporting functions.

In short, our team is accountable for driving departmental Transformation, DSTO’s strategy, oversight and governance of DSTO’s work, driving operational excellence and ensuring the achievement of planned results. TSR’s mandate is not about policing, but rather about enabling DSTO’s and TC’s success.

EX-02 – Executive Director, Digital Strategies & Results (Bilingual imperative CBC/CBC)

This strategic and enthusiastic leader provides direct leadership over the Digital Strategies, Project Delivery and Oversight, as well as the Performance Measurement teams. As their 2ic, the individual also supports the Director General, Transformation Strategy and Results on a number of strategic, horizontal, and complex files to support departmental transformation while also ensuring DSTO is a high performing organization by making sure we Do the right thing, and do it right.

Although the position’s HR & financial accountabilities are rather small, the role is strategic and horizontal in nature and offers an exciting opportunity for an experienced executive to build a new team and branch-off from more traditional IM/IT spaces into more strategic and enterprise areas.

Below is a description of each of the 4 teams under the position’s direct responsibilities.

Digital Strategies (EC-07)
Results & Performance Measurement (AS-05)
Project Delivery (CS-04)
Project Oversight (AS-06)

Responsibilities

Management and oversight of DSTO’s project portfolio:

Project health, portfolio risks/issues, financial health
Tracking of investment benefits

Support investment management decisions
Support secretarial functions for:

Project Community of Practice
Project Review Committee
ADM Investment Management Committee

Sponsor responsibilities for implementation of a Project & Portfolio Management Solution

EC-07 – Manager, Digital Strategies (CBC)

This strategic thinker leads the Digital Strategies team, including the EC06 – Digital Strategist and the EC-06 – Strategic Policy Analyst.

EC-06 – Digital Strategist (BBB)

Part of the Digital Strategies team, this strategic thinker is responsible for the following:

Research and understand the technological forces at play influencing the transportation sector
Research, review and authorize opportunities for new services to better support the department’s mandate
Coordinate Research & Advisory services from consulting firms
Produce whitepapers and advise to guide DSTO’s investment and prioritization decisions
Consolidate various DSTO strategic initiatives into a cohesive digital strategy

Lead DSTO’s strategic demand management functions

EC-06 – Strategic Policy Analyst (BBB)

Part of the Digital Strategies team, this strategic thinker is responsible for providing strategic policy advice, vision, and leadership on policy issues across DSTO and the department, including the following:

Research and understand the trends in the transportation sector

Conduct research and liaise with GC stakeholders to understand the political and GC ecosystem
Lead and/or support medium-term planning, transitions, MCs, Budget Requests, TB Subs
Produce strategic communication products and briefings to support senior executive attendance to key GC committees (Cabinet, DMCEPP, PSMAC...)
Work with various stakeholders to proactively identify and influence (where applicable) key priorities (Digital Operations and Strategic Plan, mandate commitments, Departmental Plans…) and ensure ongoing alignment of DSTO’s strategy and these key priorities.

AS-05 – Lead, Performance Measurement (BBB)

This person leads DSTO’s performance measurement unit, including the following:

Monitor the realization of planned benefits (from projects, activities, investments…)
Produce and maintain various performance reports & balanced scorecards
Coordinate the tracking and resolution of DSTO’s Management Action Plans

Lead and monitor DSTO’s MAF activities and responses
Coordinate the agenda and production of materials for DSTO’s Quarterly Performance Management meetings
Track the achievement of various corporate commitments (Risks resolution plans, DP, DRF…)
Act as the Liaison for DSTO and attending briefings and formal meetings with TC corporate Planning and TBS to seek guidance and clarity

CS-04 – Manager, Digital Delivery

The Manager, Digital Delivery, manages a group of digital project managers that work following digital government practices to enable project teams to create project outputs that deliver planned benefits.

CS-04 – Sr Digital Project Manager

The Sr Digital Project Manager manages large, and/or a suite of, digital projects and teams (in a matrix environment) and is accountable for their success.

Canada’s Digital Standards provide additional information on how the Government of Canada is shifting to becoming more agile, open, and user-focused. The Sr Digital Project Manager is expected to follow the Digital Standards to guide teams in designing digital services in a way that best serves Canadians.

CS-03 – Digital Project Manager

The Digital Project Manager manages a suite of digital projects and teams (in a matrix environment) and is accountable for their success.

Canada’s Digital Standards provide additional information on how the Government of Canada is shifting to becoming more agile, open, and user-focused. The Digital Project Manager is expected to follow the Digital Standards to guide teams in designing digital services in a way that best serves Canadians.

CS-04 – Business Architect (BBB)

This person acts as a bridge between business and technology, develops capability maps and other artifacts to help in the operationalization of strategy, and assists in the technology enablement of core capabilities and value streams. We’re looking for someone who can function as the glue that binds various facets of our organization and is at the vanguard of enterprise transformation. This person will work alongside enterprise architects, business strategists, product (service) owners, and technologists to provide business architecture inputs to drive optimal investment decisions and a cohesive enterprise architecture.

The business architect will be responsible for the following:

Craft business capability maps and define the capability attributes
Abstract business flows and processes into higher level value streams and/or journey maps to show the end-to-end flows to realize a business outcome or service output

Conduct capability assessments including a future state maturity at a capability level
Work with product and service owners, user groups, and business analysts to create and/or validate investment concept cases
Work with solution architects and technical architects to map systems and services to capabilities for footprint analysis of what systems/services support which capabilities
Work with corporate and business strategy teams to assess the strategic plans’ impact on various capabilities and document the maturity needs at a capability level
Develop various viewpoints, lenses, and mappings to show relationships, juxtaposition, linkages, overlaps, and footprint

CS-04 – Lead, Vendor Management (BBB)

This person leads DSTO’s vendor performance management program, including the following:

Coordinate DSTO’s Vendor Management Committee
Monitor KPIs and the performance of DSTO’s vendors and procurement vehicles

Provide strategic advice on procurement approaches to optimize the value derived from procurement activities and contracts
In partnership with corporate procurement teams, manage vendor performance escalations
Monitor procurement activities to ensure key solution and technology vendors go beyond providing technical solutions and also complement their offering with the training, reskilling and support required to maximize value for money
Acts a TC representative with PSPC and SSC for contracting and procurement strategies and resolutions of issues.

AS-06 – Chief of Staff & Issues Manager to the DG (CBC)

This person works closely with the TSR management team to ensure the directorate is a high-performing organization. To achieve this, this individual is expected to:

Conduct research and strategic analysis to review material, produce executive briefings, options and recommendations for the DG and other senior executives
Review files and manage the directorate’s quality control and assurance processes and workflows to ensure the timely and quality completion of the directorate’s deliverables
Lead and coordinate the resolution of various issues and urgent requests for the directorate

Review, develop and recommend correspondence and serve as a critical liaison in dealings with the offices of the Chief Digital Officer, with offices of other ADMs and DGs, with various committee secretariat and with other governmental stakeholders
Manage the directorate’s team of executive assistants & administrative staff to ensure the team provides the following services:

Manage and organize the DG’s and the Directors’ schedule, meetings, travel and conferences
Manage, monitor the status and move forward the directorate’s list of strategic commitments, Bring Forwards (BFs) and executive taskings
Liaise with the directorate’s managers and directors to ensure the completion of timely and high-quality deliverables.

Support various governance committees and management meetings by preparing meeting agendas, managing membership and meeting attendance, managing meeting invites, takings notes and producing records of decisions, issuing call outs to presenters, manage pre-brief and debrief meetings…
Develop guidelines and processes to enhance operational efficiency and communications across the DG’s office and the entire directorate

AS-05 – Supervisor, Talent Management

This person helps DSTO’s managers attract, develop and retain a high-performing workforce; including the following responsibilities:

Coordinate the completion of various staffing competitions and pools
Coordinate and streamline the announcement of various job opportunities across various channels (internal emails, intranet, GC career marketplace, social media…)
Develop and nurture relationships with various talent sourcing channels (colleges and universities, public sector recruitment programs…)
Coordinate DSTO’s coop and student recruitment programs

Manage DSTO’s Talent Management and mobility management program
Coordinate key training opportunities across DSTO
Manages the Free Agent Program’s administrative requirement and support its mission of mobility by taking part in various initiative (such as Canada Free Agent recruitment campaign)

AS-04 – Talent Acquisition Coordinator

This person works closely with the rest of the Talent Management team to attract top talent into our team. They do so by researching and contacting candidates through social media and other channels to share stories and explain how great it is to work in our team, to entice them to apply to our open positions and competitions and to answer any questions they may have.

AS-03 – Talent Management Coordinator

This person supports the Supervisor, Talent Management in managing DSTO’s Talent Management program and Free Agent Program

Page Break