Chief of Staff, People and Culture

Position Information

**Position Title**
- Chief of Staff, People and Culture

**Department/Unit**
- People and Culture

**Location**
- Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada

**Posting Number**
- S149-25

**Employee Group**
- DPMG

**Position Type**
- Term

**Duration of Contract (if applicable)**
- 2 years

**Employment Type**
- Full Time

**Full-time Equivalency (FTE)**
- 1

**Salary**
- $101,863 - $137,432 per annum

**Classification**
- ADM-09

**Provisional Statement**
- This is a provisional classification. Formal regular review classification procedures may be initiated at any time by the incumbent or supervisor after the incumbent has worked a minimum of six months in the role._

**About Dalhousie University**
- Dalhousie University is Atlantic Canada’s leading research-intensive university and a driver of the region’s intellectual, social and economic development. Located in the heart of Halifax, Nova Scotia, with an Agricultural Campus in Truro/Bible Hill, Dalhousie is a truly national and international university, with more than half of our almost 21,000 students coming from outside of the province. Our 6,000 faculty and staff foster a vibrant, purpose-driven community, that celebrated 200 years of academic excellence in 2018.

**Job Summary**
- Dalhousie University’s People and Culture team strives to ensure Dalhousie’s people and culture goals and core values are aligned and fully embedded across the institution so that all members of the university community feel included, motivated, and supported to excel in their careers and in advancing the mission of the university. Reporting to the Vice-President, People and Culture, the Chief of Staff plays a vital role in driving the Dalhousie’s People and Culture’s strategic priorities and fostering collaboration across units. This position oversees progress on key initiatives and ensures alignment with broader institutional objectives. Working closely with the Vice-President, the Chief of Staff manages operational priorities, special projects, and initiatives of critical importance. They also provide confidential, strategic advice and counsel, acting as a trusted partner in advancing the unit’s mission. The Chief of Staff is essential to supporting the university’s commitment to a positive and productive workplace culture.

**Key Responsibilities**
- Serve as a trusted strategic advisor to the Vice-President, providing high-level research, analysis, and briefings on institutional priorities and emerging issues, and ensuring alignment across executive decision-making and university-wide initiatives.
- Lead and manage complex, high-impact projects from inception to execution, collaborating with cross-functional teams, mitigating risks, and ensuring timely delivery of outcomes aligned with institutional goals.
- Coordinate issues management and resolution, responding to sensitive and time-critical matters, facilitating stakeholder communication, and ensuring the Vice-President is informed and positioned to act effectively.
- Drive operational excellence within the Office of the Vice-President by overseeing administrative operations, resource planning, budgeting, and staffing to ensure optimal support for strategic initiatives.
- Foster internal alignment and external engagement, acting as the Vice President’s representative on committees, facilitating campus-wide communication, and ensuring timely, strategic responses to key developments.

**Note**
- Due to operational requirements, the successful applicant is required to work in-person on campus.

**Required Qualifications**
- Undergraduate degree in a public administration, education, business, or related field, combined with over ten years’ of progressive leadership or administrative experience, ideally in a complex, multi-stakeholder organization such as a university or public sector institution (or an equivalent combination of training and experience).
- Strong understanding of the post-secondary education environment or comparable sectors (e.g., government, healthcare, or research), with a strong grasp of governance structures, decision-making processes, and institutional dynamics.
- Demonstrated ability to lead and coordinate cross-functional projects and initiatives, with a proven track record of managing competing priorities in a fast-paced environment.
- Exceptional communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to engage and influence diverse stakeholders, prepare high-quality written materials, and represent senior leadership effectively.
- Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail, with the ability to work independently, manage deadlines, and contribute collaboratively as part of a high-performing team.

**Assets**
- Master’s degree in a related field.
- Project Management Professional (PMP) certification or equivalent training in project management methodologies.
- Experience in organizational change or transformation initiatives, particularly within a higher education or sim