Student Relations Manager

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Internal post expires Thursday January 29th at 11:59 PM

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Primary Purpose

The Student Relations Manager leads, manages and coaches faculty-aligned teams of Co-op Advisors in support of the co-op program and work-integrated learning (WIL).  The Manager will ensure that throughout the co-op program, learners are provided with person-centred advising that is grounded in WIL pedagogy, student thriving, skill development coaching and best practices for inclusive student advising.  The Student Relations Manager ensures efficient and effective teamwork and consistency of implementation of regulations, rules and procedures within their faculty aligned group and CEE.

The Student Relations Manager works collaboratively across CEE units with a focus on faculty and industry relations. In this capacity, the Manager partners with Faculty Relations Manager(s) to identify requirements for core and faculty-specific resources that support co-op program delivery and collaborates with the Industry Relations team to foster positive industry, employer, and community partnerships. Integral to team-level operations, the Manager contributes to the goals of Co-operative and Experiential Education by ensuring cross-team collaboration and coordination, delivering a quality student experience, and supporting constructive working relationships with students, faculty, employers, and CEE colleagues.

Key Accountabilities

Lead Quality Advising for Co-op Students

·       Design and execute co-op advising strategies and associated resources and supports for learners in co-op programs

·       Assess and determine faculty-specific and common resources and tools that will equip Co-op Advisors in the implementation of co-op pedagogy and advising

·       Partner with the Industry Relations team to stay informed about employer expectations and workforce trends, translating this knowledge into actionable work preparedness resources and advising approaches that enhance student readiness for the workplace

·       Collaborate with the Centre for Career Development to ensure complementary service delivery and accessible programming across all faculties

·       Act as the subject matter expert on WIL pedagogy and workplace learning, Co-op regulations, policy and process, and be knowledgeable about faculty/program specific learning outcomes; consult across CEE to ensure co-op program needs across all programs are met effectively

·       Champion high quality service delivery that meets needs of all learners, including equity-deserving populations

·       Stay current on labour market trends, workplace readiness, skill development theories, and relevant research and best practices. Decisions are evidence-based drawing on a combination of relevant literature, service trends/data and learner feedback where applicable

·       Collaborate with other campus advising units to share advising training, best practices and holistic student support across the institution.

·       Ensure a comprehensive and quality WIL and Co-op experience for learners that is tailored to diverse lived experiences and contextually relevant to labour market trends and emerging needs of employers

·       Work closely with the Director, Student and Faculty Relations to establish and evaluate programmatic outcomes

·       Engage with the Co-op Student Experience team on the outcomes of the co-op student experience report and identify opportunities for continuous improvement in the student experience

Create conditions for high-quality co-op learning experiences for students

·       Provide leadership to the Student Relations team on labour markets and industry trends, student recruitment and hiring patterns

·       Contribute to positive and constructive employer, community, and industry relationships in support of CEE and Industry relations goals that maintain co-op program standards.

·       Provide insight into the student workplace experience to ensure alignment between employer practices and co-op program expectations.

·       Serve as an expert on student workplace experiences to support quality employer partnerships.

Lead and manage direct reports in support of Co-operative Education mission, vision and guiding principles including:

·       Inspire, empower, mentor, and manage a high-performing, resilient team, to ensure delivery of department goals while upholding the University's Basic Principles and CEE's vision, mission, and guiding principles.

·       Ensure team members manage student caseloads from a student-centric approach that meets Co-op learning outcomes and key dates for interventions (e.g., consults, follow-up, termly processes)

·       Provide strategic oversight of team capacity and resource allocation, analyzing workload and caseload data to optimize portfolio coverage based on enrollment trends, programmatic demands, and anticipated staffing needs including planned and short-term leaves

·       Direct the consistent implementation of co-op regulations, rules, procedures and communication in collaboration with other Student Relations Managers, consulting and collaborating as required with colleagues in CEE (e.g., SET process managers and the Communications, Engagement and Digital Experience team, Faculty Relations Managers, Co-op Student Experience team and the Industry Relations Team)

·       Collaboratively lead faculty-specific team meetings with FRMs, CCD managers, and colleague SRMs to ensure that team members have expertise on programs, skill development, and the breadth of work experiences for students

·       Ensure team members have access to, and complete, on-going learning and development required for co-op advisors, the faculty, and provide cross-training opportunities for professional growth so that team members can co-create development plans

·       Motivate staff to do their best work; ensure staff have the necessary tools, resources, information and accommodations

·       Responsible for hiring, training, on-boarding and off-boarding of staff.

·       Develop effective and collaborative team culture in support of department and CEE goals

·       Managing performance through both formal (performance appraisal) and informal methods such as regular feedback, coaching and one-to-ones

Provide overall leadership to the organization

·       Personally champion mission, vision and guiding principles and play a leadership role in bringing them to life

·       Provide input to leadership, direction and strategic planning for Co-operative Education

·       Monitor business practices to ensure that Co-operative Education has the appropriate practices and processes to work effectively internally and represent UW externally

·       Develop productive, collaborative working relationships across the CEE portfolio, and across UW

·       Build trust with key stakeholders including staff in Co-operative and Experiential Education; Student Success Office, Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs, Alumni Relations, Registrar's Office, Campus Support and Accessibility, Campus Wellness, EDI-R Office, Office of Indigenous Relations,   Affiliated and Federated Institutions, and across the faculties.

Continuous improvement leadership

·       Lead the identification, development and implementation of projects to improve service quality, relationships, stakeholder satisfaction, timeliness, staff capability and performance

·       Develop internal/external customer service standards and assessment processes to ensure quality service delivery and take action to restore and enhance service quality

·       Participate in, and/or lead, working groups, Initiatives, committees and projects that builds on new and existing best practices and continuous improvement

·       Contribute to CEE and SFR team goals

Required Qualifications

Education

·       University undergraduate degree; Master's degree preferred in relevant disciplines, for example education, social services, organizational behaviour.

Experience

·       A minimum of 5 years-experience in a human services setting is required, preferably in university student services and Co-operative Education/Work Integrated learning

·       Experience leading, managing, and coaching teams

·       Expertise in working with post-secondary students and student advising is strongly preferred

·       Experience with process and systems that support delivery of quality student-centric services is strongly preferred

·       Experience developing and implementing effective strategic initiatives in collaboration with others

·       Experience building relationships with a variety of stakeholders within a complex environment

·       Experience measuring and reporting on program effectiveness

·       Experience contributing to the design and delivery of programming that is inclusive, accessible and student-centric ensuring access to Work Integrated Learning 

·       Experience operating in an employment counselling, career advising or career counselling setting is an asset

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities

·       Knowledge of Co-operative and Work Integrated Learning, student development and experiential learning.

·       Knowledge of best practices in advising, preferably advising skills

·       Knowledge of labour markets, industry and employment trends

·       Ability to build trusting relationships with others across complex organizational lines

·       Ability to think critically, problem-solve, and make well-reasoned decisions, collaboratively and independently as required

·       Demonstrated ability to take initiative, function both independently and collaboratively, and be flexible with on-going change and flexible thinking to deliver on results

·       Skilled verbal and written communicator, with strong presentation skills,

·       A collaborative leader who motivates colleagues and team members

·       Demonstrated ability in working with information systems, analyzing data, and use of MS office.  Experience with AI tools is an asset

Equity Statement

The University of Waterloo acknowledges that much of our work takes place on the traditional territory of the Neutral, Anishinaabeg, and Haudenosaunee peoples. Our main campus is situated on the Haldimand Tract, the land granted to the Six Nations that includes six miles on each side of the Grand River. Our active work toward reconciliation takes place across our campuses through research, learning, teaching, and community building, and is coordinated within the Office of Indigenous Relations.

The University values the diverse and intersectional identities of its students, faculty, and staff. The University regards equity and diversity as an integral part of academic excellence and is committed to accessibility for all employees. The University of Waterloo seeks applicants who embrace our values of equity, anti-racism and inclusion.  As such, we encourage applications from candidates who have been historically disadvantaged and marginalized, including applicants who identify as First Nations, Métis and/or Inuk (Inuit), Black, racialized, a person with a disability, women and/or 2SLGBTQ+.

Positions are open to qualified candidates who are legally entitled to work in Canada.

The University of Waterloo is committed to accessibility for persons with disabilities. If you have any application, interview, or workplace accommodation requests, please contact Human Resources at  or , ext