Cooperative Education Administrator

Department: Student Affairs Job Type: Limited TermFull-time/Part-time: Full Time (>=1249 hrs/year) Campus: Waterloo Reports to: Associate Director, Co-op OperationsEmployee Group: WLUSA Application Deadline: November 23, 2025Requisition ID: 9946 Wilfrid Laurier University is a leading multi-campus university that excels at educating with purpose. Through its exceptional employees, students, researchers, leaders, and educators, Laurier has built a reputation as a world-class institution known for its rich student experience, academic excellence, and global impact. With a commitment to Indigenization and commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion, Laurier's thriving community has a place for everyone.Laurier has more than 21,000 students and 2,100 faculty and staff across campuses in Waterloo and Brantford, as well locations in Kitchener and Milton. The university is committed to providing an inclusive workplace, a flexible work policy and employing a workforce that is reflective of local and national demographics. Laurier's Waterloo, Kitchener, and Brantford campuses are located on the shared traditional territory of the Neutral, Anishnaabe, and Haudenosaunee peoples. This land is part of the Dish with One Spoon Treaty between the Haudenosaunee and Anishnaabe peoples and symbolizes the agreement to share, protect our resources, and not to engage in conflict. Laurier's Milton campus is located on the traditional territory of the Mississaugas of the Credit, and part of the Nanfan Treaty of 1701 between the British Crown and the Haudenosaunee Confederacy.This job posting is for a current vacancy.Please note: To be eligible for employment, you must reside in the province/territory that the position is located, and must be able to attend campus as part of your regular work schedule.  Position SummaryWithin the Department of Co-operative Education, the Cooperative Education Administrator provides frontline operations for the department's co-op admissions, student preparation and employment process, coordinates departmental expenditures and supports the associate director operations,  co-op consultants, , the manager co-op curriculum, the manager external relations and the director. The incumbent responds to a high volume of inquiries and requests from students, employers and staff, in a department where twenty  different co-op programs are offered, students are employed in more than 2,000 work terms annually and the employer database includes approximately 8,500 employers and 11,000 contacts. The position calls for a combination of strong administrative and coordination skills and the ability to handle numerous tasks simultaneously in a fast-paced environment. The incumbent investigates a wide variety of problems that arise and recommends and implements solutions. This position requires the ability to market co-op and promote our services to employers and is results-driven with a mandate for customer service excellence. All staff members work together as a team with an objective of 100% employment of students each term in quality positions, while meeting the needs of valued employers.  This position has a university-wide mandate and is based at the Waterloo Campus.  The incumbent provides subject matter expertise to all campuses, requiring regular interpersonal interactions and collaboration with departments at the Waterloo Campus, the Brantford Campus, the  Milton Campus and external partners. Special attention is given to ensure equitable service delivery across all locations.Accountabilities1. Co-op Student Employment/Recruiting Process Marketing & Promotion: Design promotional materials including posters, flyers and invitations, using Adobe InDesign, Adobe Photoshop and Adobe Acrobat.Maintain co-op website with accurate information using Cascade CMS.Create invitations for active recruitment of co-op students including preparing and sending email campaigns in the online platform (Navigator) to invite employers to post jobs for Co-op roles. A total of 10 different recruiting invitations go out each year to approximately 7100 contacts per invite.Respond to employer inquiries by marketing co-op programs and promoting departmental services.Posting Jobs: Prepare accurate job posting information (approximately 5200 a year) under tight timelines into online platform (Navigator) for students to view and apply during recruiting periods.Coordinate approximately 65,000 student job applications online each yearConsult with employers to determine their requirements including student programs, application deadlines, briefing and testing sessions and recruiting sessions.Scheduling Interviews: Coordinate scheduling of co-op student interviews during each of the three recruitment cycles(approximately 700 interviews and 2850 individual interviews per cycle), while analyzing and evaluating student conflicts and locations to allow for travel time, exercising judgement and discretion working with them to assess and resolve conflicts.Prepare and revise a high volume of complex and conflicting schedules under tight timelines while balancing availability of interview facilities.Collaborate and develop relationships, consulting with employers when creating interview schedules and resolve conflicts/changes directly. Coordinate the scheduling of interviews taking place in Toronto. Involves arranging multiple and complex interview schedules for hundreds of students within a two or three-day period each term (for example, 700 student interviews were scheduled in the GTA in May Revise and map locations to determine travel time in order to maximize student and employer availability.Coordinate food services requirements for on-campus interviews and receptions, audio visual and room set up of on campus interview facilities during employer interviews.Rank/Match Process:Advise employers about our online system, instructing the on how to access, review and submit rankings of candidates.2. Reporting, Data Management and FinancesCreating Statistical Reports  Analyze, process and gather large quantities of data and information independently for the purposes of financial reports, student employment reports, employment salary reports and annual reports. Administer co-op process surveys and create reports based on results.Data Management  Compile, track and monitor employed students and students seeking employment lists on a weekly and monthly basis.Create and update employer databasefor over 11,000 employer contactsOrganize data for departmental use, including managing and tracking students' program status and visa work permits.Finances and PurchasingTrack and verify departmental budget transactions including travel expenses for 13 consultants and three managers.Coordinate employment authorizations and payroll submissions, including positions funded by various donors and employers who contract our services.Monitor office supplies and processes purchase requisitions.3. Frontline Customer Service: Manage the departmental reception counter, encountering walk-ins from students, parents, inter-departmental staff and community partners while maintaining the main phone line and 25 teams phone extensions for Co-op staff.  Triage the nature and complexity of inquiries and determine action to be taken, advising as appropriate and solving problems.Effectively communicate with students, employers, parents, staff and faculty by providing accurate and timely information about co-op policies and procedures when responding to inquiries in person, by email, web and telephone.  Respond as the first point of contact to parents and students in difficult situations who are expressing their frustrations and anxieties, with calm counselling and problem solving rooted in established protocols.Establish and maintain strong employer relationships by meeting needs throughout employmentGuides visa co-op students in the application process for work permits and required travel documents 4. Co-op Admissions ProcessProcess, track and monitor over 1300 co-op admission applications, while also calculating GPA (at times manually) forco-op applicants during admission process. Coordinate the scheduling of co-op admission interviews. QualificationsMinimum college diplomaMinimum two years of recent related administrative work experience and customer service, preferably in a work environment related to student service, human resources or employment assistanceExcellent communication, customer service and interpersonal skillsStrong computer skills with proficiency (accuracy and speed) in Word and Excel and experience using InDesign and Illustrator. Experience in financial systems and web site updatesExperience working collaboratively in a team environmentAdaptability, flexibility, good judgment and problem-solving skillsSuperior Organization and time management skills with the ability to prioritize and manage multiple conflicting tasks.This position is eligible for Educational Equivalencies. Hours of WorkThis is a full-time, limited-term opportunity with an anticipated end date of October 13, 2026. The normal hours of work are 8:30am to 4:30pm, Monday to Friday. Flexibility in hours will be required during on-campus interview periods while employers are visiting our campus in each of three terms annually, requiring the incumbent to help host employers earlier or later in the day. There may also be some variation in hours required during the co-op admissions process in the fall, requiring the incumbent to work a few evenings. While the manager will adjust the schedule where possible to ensure no more than 35 hours per week is worked, some overtime may be required.This role requires daily in person attendance and is not eligible for a flexible work arrangement as per Policy 8.14 (Flexible Work Policy)CompensationLevel: DRate of Pay: $38.34 to $40.53 per hour with an annual step progression on anniversary date up to $43.82 per hour. Considerations for new hire step placements include, qualifications and length/depth of required experience, relevant market rates for similar jobs, internal equity, and estimated learning curve in starting the job.Wilfrid Laurier University endeavors to fill positions with qualified candidates who have a combination of education, experience, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position while demonstrating Laurier's Employee Success Factors.Equity, diversity and creating a culture of inclusion are part of Laurier's core values and central to the Laurier Strategy. Laurier is committed to increasing the diversity of faculty and staff and welcomes applications from candidates who identify as Indigenous, racialized, having disabilities, and from persons of any minority sexual and gender identities. Indigenous candidates who would like to learn more about equity and inclusive programing at Laurier are welcomed to contact the Office of Indigenous Initiatives. Candidates from other equity deserving groups who would like to learn more about equity and inclusive programing at Laurier are welcomed to contact Equity & Accessibility. We have strived to make our application process accessible, however if you require any assistance applying for a position or would like this job posting in an alternative format, please contact Human Resources. Contact information can be found at Should you be interested in learning more about this opportunity, please visit  for additional information and the online application system. All applications must be submitted online. Please note, a resume and cover letter will be required in electronic form.