Economist and Planning Specialist

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Job Title:Economist and Planning Specialist

Job Type:Permanent / Full time

Job Location:Edmonton, Alberta

Economist and Planning Specialist

Financial and Economic Analytics

Edmonton or Calgary, Alberta

Permanent Full-time Position

Do you…

…strive to make a difference?

…value respect, care, excellence, trust and fairness?

…value a culture where individuals are committed to deliver purposeful client service through a lens of learning and growth, within a hybrid work model that values flexibility and work-life balance?

Why WCB-Alberta?

We are a team that cares. Over 2,000 people, in four offices located in Edmonton and Calgary, each with unique skill, expertise and perspective that supports our core areas of business. Regardless of specialty, we are a team connected by a shared purpose and value.

As the independent operator and administrator of the province’s Workers’ Compensation Act, we come to work each day committed to over two million workers and over 170,000 Alberta employers. We are inspired by making a positive impact on the lives and businesses that have been impacted by workplace injuries.

The Financial and Economic Analytics (FEA) team plays a crucial role in our organization. They are responsible for developing analytics and reports related to economic monitoring, analysis, and operational metrics. By providing high-quality data and metrics, they empower senior management to make informed decisions.

WCB-Alberta is on a transformative journey, leveraging technology to enhance customer insights. To thrive in this environment, you’ll need to be inquisitive, always asking “why,” and relentlessly pursuing answers. Your self-initiative, adaptability, strong analytical skills, and ability to synthesize information from diverse sources will be invaluable. Effective communication with staff, management, and external stakeholders is essential. Your client-centric approach will enable you to contribute meaningful data and ideas to critical discussions.

Our vision is to deliver financial, economic, and operational insights that drive our organization forward. We prioritize meaningful work, automate routine tasks, and focus on providing actionable insights. If you share our values and are excited about the opportunities within our finance team, we encourage you to apply online today.

The Opportunity:

Responsible for comprehensive and complex economic and cost forecasts. Designs and conduct operational research and analysis.

Present advice and guidance based on short and long-term cost forecast predictions used in establishing corporate forecasts and budgets, with a focus on rate setting performance.

Collect and synthesize results of various economic indicators to identify, interpret and report to senior management on emerging trends affecting claim volume and costs, assessable earnings, covered workers and the financial operations of the organization.

Produce quarterly key economic, assessable earnings, and claim volume forecasts and supporting documents to support operational decision making and the development of premium revenue, claims costs, and rate setting forecasts.

Overall coordination of the planning and development of the budget document and three-year plan.

Investigate critical management inquiries; research and analyze complex problems by request of senior management.

Develop, analyze and utilize complex computer programs for the implementation of economic forecasting models, methods and procedures, and the analysis and determination of claim cost forecasting.

Determine appropriate internal and external sources of data, collect data, develop, and run tests and cross checks to ensure the data is appropriate, accurate, and reliable for its intended use.

Attend regular and ad hoc meetings with senior management, project teams and other groups as required.

Your experience and skills:

Bachelor’s level degree in an analytical field (e.g., economics, statistics, mathematics) is required; educational focus in economics is preferred.

Minimum of five years related experience including applying statistical methods and models in support of business decision-making activities.

Proficiency with Python is required, including expertise in developing and maintaining code, assessing code change requests, Python libraries, and efficient data collection and analysis.

Proficiency with data extraction and reporting tools is essential, SQL preferred.

Strong verbal and written communication skills along with effective project management skills are essential.

Excellent facilitation and interpersonal skills are required to build effective working relationships with key clients including senior management.

Ability to integrate technical expertise with strong conceptual and analytical skills.

Expertise in preparing reports and presentations for senior management.

Ability to work effectively as a team member in a self-directed team environment with minimal supervision.

We offer a competitive salary, a comprehensive benefits package, flexible work schedules and hybrid work (combination of work from home and our office in Edmonton or Calgary) to foster a healthy work-life balance. You’ll work with supportive leaders and skilled professionals in a caring and collaborative work environment. For more information, please see our Employee Handbook, available on our website.

SALARY: $87,363.00 to $102,765.00/year (Salary Grade 12)

We are committed to providing equal opportunity to all qualified persons, without regard to race, colour, religion or national origin, gender (or gender identity or expression), age, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability. Equal opportunity is provided in employment, promotions and wages.

Final candidates for this position are required to undergo a security clearance and credit check as a condition of employment.

Closes: May 24, 2024

We thank all applicants for their interest, however only candidates under consideration will be contacted.

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