Assistant Director, Business Partnerships

About Queen's University

Queen's University is a world-renowned institution with a transformative student learning experience. Our employment experience is diverse and interesting, with opportunities in globally recognized research, faculty administration, engineering & construction, athletics & recreation, power generation, corporate shared services, and more.

Job Summary

We are seeking an exceptional Assistant Director, Business Partnerships to join our dynamic team. As a trusted advisor, you will collaborate closely with senior stakeholders across the institution to identify business needs and define initiatives that will best enable them through technology, innovation, and excellence.

Key Responsibilities:

• Ensure the full delivery of IT value to a diverse client base by nurturing relationships, identifying business opportunities, developing recommendations, and promoting the value and contributions of IT Services in delivering business solutions.
• Ensure compliance with the Queen's governance framework and contribute to the continuous improvement of Queen's digital governance processes by providing input, feedback, and recommendations based on best practices and stakeholder needs.
• Develop and maintain a strong working knowledge of the University's academic plan and strategic priorities, and IT Services strategic priorities to ensure alignment.
• Develop, maintain, and continuously improve the strategy and process to address business demand for IT capabilities; capture desired business outcomes, high-level technology requirements, and strategic objectives.
• Develop and lead outreach activities to engage stakeholders with the goal of enhancing technological development and enrichment.
• Represent the strategic interface between the client/stakeholder and all areas within IT Services by supporting client access to client-IT strategy development, solution discovery, service management, risk management, change management, and relationship management.
• Work in collaboration with key stakeholders to negotiate, listen, mitigate conflict, build alliances, and achieve desired business outcomes using strong interpersonal and diplomacy skills to foster long-term, value-driven, and strategic relationships.
• Build external relationships with peer institutions to benchmark demand management and business relationship best practices.
• Plan, direct, coordinate, and review work activities of the business relationship management team. Facilitate alignment between business stakeholders and IT enablement, providing cross-department visibility into demand, operational support, budget/resource allocation, enterprise solutions, and execution of key projects.
• Lead a diverse group of employees by promoting a professional, supportive, and inclusive work environment.
• Plan, prioritize, and manage the work of employees, providing strategic and tactical advice, guidance, and coaching. Identify the need for staff resources, participate on staffing committees, and make effective recommendations regarding employee selection.
• Manage performance by establishing performance standards, reviewing and evaluating performance, and conducting formal performance reviews on an ongoing basis.
• Assess staff training and development needs and ensure that employees receive training required to improve and sustain successful performance.
• Investigate, address, and resolve employee/labour relations issues, including disciplinary matters. Make decisions or effective recommendations on matters involving possible discipline, discharge, and probationary termination.

Required Qualifications:

• Graduate degree in commerce, business, computer science, engineering, or related field.
• Project Management Professional certification preferred.
• Business Relationship Management Professional (BRMP) certification preferred.
• Experience in relationship building and relationship management at the senior level.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including experience in writing technical documentation.
• Understanding of IT service management best practices.
• Understanding of current technology and trends, with an ability to communicate that understanding in non-technical business terms; familiarity with the higher education community considered an asset.

Special Skills:

• Building Relationships: cultivates a wide network of long-term relationships, builds strong bonds by nurturing high-potential strategic partnerships for future opportunities or immediate impact.
• Business Acumen: understands the complete business ecosystem, including developing and executing strategy; integration of internal operations that delivers a value proposition in keeping with the service model framework.
• Change Management: leads transformational change through effective planning and consistent communication and reaching strategic goals.
• Collaboration and Teamwork: champions highly effective teams by creating an inclusive environment by modelling behaviours that lead to maximizing group participation.
• Communication: influences strategic direction by expressing clear ideas and delivering a concise message of action across all teams or the University.
• Client Orientation: creates an environment where it is understood that client satisfaction is a top priority.
• Decision Making & Judgement: champions initiatives with significant payback, and minimal adverse consequences.
• Integrity: consistently and intentionally displays the characteristics of high integrity.
• Initiative: fosters attitudes, conditions, and an environment that yields improved team performance.
• Leadership: genuinely listens to and addresses any resistance or concerns from others.
• Planning & Organizing: develops and evaluates long-term strategic plans and policies.
• Strategic Perspective: engages with others to develop a strategic direction that capitalizes on current goals and future opportunities.
• Innovation: fosters an environment of creativity and encourages exploration of new ideas.
• Driving for Results: optimizes systems, processes, and people to maximize broad organizational success.
• Developing Others: builds commitment by communicating a compelling vision of change.
• Self Development: recognizes the need for continuous learning and holds each team member accountable to actively participate in their development.

Decision Making:

• Recommends, confirms, and executes decisions with IT Services management and governance.
• Determines appropriate communication and follow-up with stakeholders.
• Executes decisions approved by IT Services Directors and governance committees.
• Develops the content of recommended project management standards and practices.
• Recommends project staffing position summaries with management.
• Sets, directs, and advises on work plans and efforts for assigned projects.
• Determines content and critical information to be presented in the annual budget and operations plan submission.
• Facilitates complex and timely decision-making processes and activities with management, governance, and stakeholders.
• Evaluates job candidates and makes effective recommendations on suitable hires.
• Makes decisions and/or effective recommendations regarding transfers and promotions.
• Evaluates employee performance and decides on appropriate training or coaching to address lack of proficiency in carrying out responsibilities.
• Assesses investigation outcome of grievances and makes effective recommendations on appropriate course of action.
• Makes effective recommendations on level of discipline up to discharge and probationary termination.

Employment Equity and Accessibility Statement:

The University invites applications from all qualified individuals. Queen's is committed to employment equity and diversity in the workplace and welcomes applications from women, visible minorities, Aboriginal Peoples, persons with disabilities, and persons of any sexual orientation or gender identity.

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