Undergraduate Operations Manager

Overview

Reporting to the Associate Dean, Undergraduate Programs, this is a senior administrative staff position that is responsible for the management of the undergraduate office, and that provides leadership and guidance regarding Arts undergraduate operational matters more broadly.

The Undergraduate Operations Manager supports the Associate Deans, including advising on confidential matters and managing special projects. The role leads a team of administrative staff, and provides operational guidance and support to a number of directors of academic programs managed by the Arts Undergraduate Office, as well as direction and continuity within the Arts Undergraduate Office and to committees throughout academic leadership and staff changes.

The Undergraduate Operations Manager is a key resource for undergraduate associate chairs and members of the Faculty on matters related to undergraduate curriculum and academic regulations policy and practice. The role has a high impact on undergraduate program operations and processes through creating consistency and efficiencies, developing reference and training materials, and communication to staff and faculty groups.

Arts Undergraduate Office Operations: The Undergraduate Operations Manager is responsible for strategic planning and development, financial oversight of, human resources

Responsibilities

Strategic Planning and Development

Acts as a resource to the Associate Deans and program Directors; advises on complex, sensitive or highly confidential initiatives, special projects, events, or emerging issues Provides clarification of policy and administrative procedures, and information and data to support decision-making. Oversees completion of action items resulting from decisions Supports the development, implementation and monitoring of long-term strategies and operational plans. Co-ordinates resources required including space, financial, human resources, and information technology Provides operational guidance to directors of programs managed by the AUO, on numerous matters including budget, course scheduling, curriculum, lecturer hiring. Manages corresponding administrative staff to ensure adequate support to programs Contributes to the development and implementation of long-range strategies and operational plans and provides continuity in their planning and execution Liaise with and coordinate actions with stakeholders for strategic projects to ensure roles are clear and actions are executed effectively Conducts ongoing research and environmental scanning in support of planning process. Utilizes data to inform strategic and operational decision-making by AUO management team Builds relationship within the Faculty of Arts and the wider university in support of AUO objectives

Human Resource Management

Oversee and review the administrative structure to ensure that human resources are efficiently and effectively managed; ensuring that the staffing complement and roles match strategic needs, including prioritization of tasks and strategic workforce planning; and planning for future growth Lead the recruitment, evaluation, promotion and retention activities; serving as a mentor, coach, and guide to staff to ensure the successful and collaborative execution of responsibilities Coaches, mentors, manages and conducts annual performance reviews for direct reports Reviewing all position descriptions and requests for position re-evaluation Develop and oversee work processes that best support the operations Oversee succession planning processes and discussions Serve as key liaison with Arts Executive Officer and University Human Resources on all human resource issues Ensure adherence to University policies in all operations and activities

Operational Oversight

Manage all facilities and equipment, oversee maintenance Ensure efficient and equitable use of facilities and equipment, including allocation of space Ensure: adequate supply and quality of technology; upgrades to new/emerging technology for availability of leading-edge capability; ongoing maintenance of the technology  Oversee maintenance, building projects, renovations Authorize the purchase and allocation of equipment and furnishings Oversee emergency operations and procedures and office suite security

Financial Management and Oversight

Oversees the development, expenditure and tracking of AUO annual operating budgets; provides strategic insight and advice to AUO staff, program directors and Associate Deans, ensuring short and long-range financial goals are established and projects are developed to fully support the department’s operation and strategic plans Full signing authority on all operating budget accounts, providing decisions regarding income, expenses, transfers and corrections Ensure all policies/procedures are followed Oversee monthly reconciliation of accounts and p-card activities Provides financial leadership and direction to AUO staff through one-on-one guidance, coaching and training related to financial, reporting, and budgetary issues
Academic Calendar: Curriculum and Academic Regulations Provides leadership on and contributes to improvements in systems and processes through which curricular changes, regulation changes and Academic Calendar updates occur Maintains thorough knowledge of Faculty and University academic policies to act as a key resource to committees, faculty and staff Oversees and backs up the work of the Curriculum Manager, ensuring that Faculty of Arts undergraduate items are processed through all appropriate and necessary levels of approval in a timely and accurate manner Proposes, receives, manages, and implements changes to regulations and policies in the Faculty of Arts related to the undergraduate curriculum. Approves edits and revisions to academic calendar Member of the Arts Academic Regulations Committee; participates in discussions, oversees all aspects of meetings, materials and record-keeping, ensures action items are resolved

Training, Resources and Communication

Oversees faculty and staff training and resource materials regarding complex curriculum processes, in collaboration with Curriculum Manager Oversees strategic communications; recommends, drafts and distributes mass communications on behalf of Associate Deans or the AUO; maintains a strong understanding of various committees and working groups, to ensure important messaging reaches correct and appropriate audiences Develops and maintains training and reference documents for staff and faculty groups that rely on the AUO for information and guidance on aspects of undergraduate operations; implements a strong understanding of effective information architecture and organizational structure Manages corresponding sections of Arts websites; writes and edits content, adhering to web management best practices Determines, approves and manages undergraduate staff and faculty access to resources and systems based on position needs, on behalf of the Associate Deans

Qualifications

A bachelor’s degree and / or several years of increasing responsibilities and administrative experience in an academic department and leadership experience in the areas of human resources and business administration required Extensive administrative and operations experience in an academic setting preferred, with knowledge of University policies and procedures Additional education or professional experience in management, operations, human resources administration and communications is an asset Significant experience with strategy, human resource management, issues escalation resolution, operations management (including financial management), and a successful track record related to hiring and managing staff Knowledge and experience interpreting UW policies, procedures and guidelines is preferred Demonstrated outstanding leadership and management skills, a proven strategic and pragmatic thinker Excellent interpersonal skills are required, including outstanding verbal and written communication skills and a proven record of demonstrated tact, judgment, and diplomacy Excellent writing, editing, research skills Demonstrated analytical and critical thinking skills, ability to gather, synthesize and interpret data from multiple sources and make sound recommendations Must be confident, organized, a long-range planner and an accomplished problem-solver, able to quickly assess situations and individuals and lead solutions Demonstrated ability to make independent decisions and to build consensus is required Proven track record of successful relationship-building, working effectively and collaboratively across faculties and departments, with various internal and external stakeholders Proven ability to manage large volumes of work, conflicting priorities, and competing deadlines Advanced user experience with Microsoft Office suite Experience with UW systems an asset, including: student information systems, web management systems, financial software

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