Director, Student Experience, Faculty of Science

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Job ID: 31680
Location: Main Campus
Updated April 26, 2024

We would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the traditional territories of the people of the Treaty 7 region in Southern Alberta.
The City of Calgary is also home to Métis Nation of Alberta, Districts 5 and 6.

Description

The Dean's Office  in the Faculty of Science  is currently seeking a Full-time Regular Director, Student Experience .

Reporting to the Dean of Science, the Director, Student Experience plays a pivotal leadership role focused on strategy, with emphasis on building operational excellence across multiple operational areas including the Undergraduate Student Centre, the Graduate Student Centre, and the Undergraduate Learning Services.

The Director is a member of the Faculty leadership team and works closely with the Vice-Dean, Director of Operations, Associate Deans, Department Heads and Program Directors to play a significant role in decision-making related to the Faculty's administrative and operational structures and processes working collaboratively with the functional units residing within the Dean's Office (Advancement, EHS, Finance and HR).

The incumbent plays a critical role in establishing a culture of kindness and excellence that will allow everyone in our community to thrive. This includes development of a high-trust culture within their unit(s) and beyond. The Director will develop a culture of strength-through-diversity will include user-focused operational excellence, building a culture of trust that supports teams and their aspirations through dynamic, responsive and responsible leadership. he goal is that a culture that puts relationships first will allow large and skilled dynamic teams to flourish.

The successful candidate works closely with the Dean, Vice Dean, and Director of Operations to oversee and integrate the administrative and operational activities of the operational units within the Faculty. They strategize and collaborate with both internal and external stakeholders to facilitate smooth and efficient operations and to ensure the Faculty's academic activities are well-supported by operations. The Director also works closely with the finance partner and Faculty leadership to ensure fiscal responsibility of the faculty's budget.

Summary of Key Responsibilities (job functions include but are not limited to):

Leadership and Management

• Member of the Dean's Advisory Council.
• Co-Chair of the Faculty Safety Improvement (with the Vice Dean).
• Leadsand manage operational management teams and assumes full managerial discretion for direct reports.
• Responsible for the strategic operations management, including oversight of those accomplishing day-to-day operations and administration.
• Provide critical project management and change management leadership to ensure success and sustainability of the administrative and operational structure across the Faculty. 
• Responsible for full-cycle recruitment and all aspects of performance management for MaPs direct reports.
• Provides support to senior leadership and management on administrative issues in order to realize prioritized strategic objectives.
• Review the human resources complement to ensure alignment with operational requirements and strategic goals and works with HR to plan and implement required actions.
• Works across the Faculty to develop appropriate operational changes based on the strategic plans and academic priorities of the Faculty to ensure the highest level of service possible to the Faculty of Science.
• Represents the Faculty on key committees and working groups with stakeholders from across the university.

Strategic Operations

• Working in collaboration with the Dean's Advisory Council and the Science Management team to implement the vision of the Faculty's Strategic Plan.
• Accountable for setting, executing, and integrating the Faculty's operational and administrative vision.
• Work with the Science management team, assessing and redesigning and/or creating workflow, tools, and processes to develop efficiencies in administrative systems.
• Responsible for developing and maintaining partnerships across the campus, supporting the University's strategic plans.
• Ensure processes are compliant with applicable University policies and procedures (e.g., HR, OHS, Finance, Collective Agreements).
• Participate in the budget process with Faculty leadership to ensure budget is appropriately allocated to meet operational needs.
• Responsible for budget planning, oversight and fiscal accountability of all non-academic units.
• Review human resources and associated budgets to ensure alignment with operational requirements.
• Provide Faculty-wide operational context to the Finance Partner throughout the fiscal cycle.

Qualifications / Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree required. Business management, MBA or equivalent is preferred.
• 8-10 years of related, progressively responsible, management/leadership experience, demonstrating achievement in a senior administrative position, preferably within a public sector environment.
• Experience within a post-secondary environment is preferred.
• Strong leadership, communication, diplomacy and people-management skills, with proven skillset in forging harmonious, collaborative, and supportive working relationships.
• Experience working closely to mentor individuals in leadership positions is an asset.
• Excellent project management, change management, and task coordination skills.
• Strong organizational, analytical and interpersonal skills in order to advance creative solutions to complex tasks and provide strategic advice and counsel regarding all business structures and operations in support of academic programs and activity within the Faculty.
• Excellent communication skills, the ability to write clearly and concisely; excellent editing skills.
• Experience leading, coaching and mentoring staff essential. Experience in an unionized environment is preferred.
• Must have a proven track record in budget planning, financial management, and production of financial and business reports.
• Able to deal with a heavy workload while still ensuring day-to-day activities are attended to, and to deal with challenges of multiple competing demands.
• A high degree of professionalism, tact, discretion, and respect is required in all interactions.
• Extensive knowledge of the University of Calgary and Faculty of Science policies, procedures and operating requirements, in addition to an understanding of the University organizational structure and governance.
• Excellent computer skills including strong working knowledge of university systems (including People Soft).
• Understanding of the University of Calgary mission, strategic direction, and academic plan.

Application Deadline: May 10, 2024

We would like to thank all applicants in advance for submitting their resumes. Please note, only those candidates chosen to continue on through the selection process will be contacted.

This position is classified in the Management Career Band, Level 3  of the Management and Professional Staff Career Framework. 

UCalgary is Canada’s entrepreneurial university, located in Canada’s most enterprising city. It is a top research university and one of the highest-ranked universities of its age. Founded in 1966, its 36,000 students experience an innovative learning environment, made rich by research, hands-on experiences and entrepreneurial thinking. It is Canada’s leader in the creation of start-ups . Start something today at the University of Calgary. For more information, visit ucalgary.ca .

The University of Calgary has launched an institution-wide Indigenous Strategy committing to creating a rich, vibrant, and culturally competent campus that welcomes and supports Indigenous Peoples, encourages Indigenous community partnerships, is inclusive of Indigenous perspectives in all that we do.

As an equitable and inclusive employer, the University of Calgary recognizes that a diverse staff/faculty benefits and enriches the work, learning and research experiences of the entire campus and greater community. We are committed to removing barriers that have been historically encountered by some people in our society. We strive to recruit individuals who will further enhance our diversity and will support their academic and professional success while they are here. In particular, we encourage members of the designated groups (women, Indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities, members of visible/racialized minorities, and diverse sexual orientation and gender identities) to apply. To ensure a fair and equitable assessment, we offer accommodation at any stage during the recruitment process to applicants with disabilities. Questions regarding [diversity] EDI at UCalgary can be sent to the Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion ( [email protected] ) and requests for accommodations can be sent to Human Resources ( [email protected] ).

Do you have most but not all the qualifications? Research show that women, racialized and visible minorities, and persons with disabilities are less likely to apply for jobs unless they meet every single qualification. At UCalgary we are committed to achieving equitable, diverse, inclusive and accessible employment practices and workplaces and encourage you to apply if you believe you are right for this role. 

We encourage all qualified applicants to apply, however preference will be given to Canadian citizens and permanent residents of Canada.