Administrative Officer

Overview

The Centre for Education in Mathematics & Computing (CEMC) is Canada’s largest and most recognized outreach organization for promoting and creating activities and materials in mathematics and computer science and is housed within the Faculty of Mathematics at the University of Waterloo. Our mission is to increase interest, enjoyment, confidence, and ability in mathematics and computer science among learners and educators in Canada and internationally. We do that through a commitment to our core values: future readiness, access, community, and impact. As such, the CEMC is the first point of contact at Waterloo for a significant percentage of our future undergraduate and graduate students and their parents. Through Outreach activities the CEMC has perhaps the largest set of external points of contact amongst any unit on campus. Because of this vital role in the University’s function, it is essential that the CEMC’s Administrative Officer be able to represent, manage and strategically guide the administrative operations of CEMC with exceptional judgment and ability.

Reporting to the Director, CEMC, this role is the senior administrator of the Centre and accountable for strategic development and management of the administrative operations, including but not limited to: 12 Mathematics and three Computer Science contests, local, domestic and international school visits for outreach, student and teacher workshop and conference delivery, online resource offerings and the Master in Mathematics for Teachers (MMT) and Mathematics/Teaching Undergraduate program, as well as IT infrastructure, communications, marketing and brand. In addition, the Administrative Officer is responsible for financial oversight of the unit’s Operating, Trust, and Endowment funds (and Research accounts when applicable) and annual budget of +$6 million dollars.

This position is contingent on funding.

Responsibilities

Strategic Planning of the CEMC

Establishes the direction and emerging priorities of the CEMC administration with the Director and Associate Director, and as a member of the Director’s Advisory Group Plans for growth of the CEMC initiatives and oversees the implementation of new and emerging programs as well as the increase and/or diversification of current programs and initiatives Manages creation of, ongoing maintenance of, and adherence to a strategic plan for the CEMC, including long-range strategies and operational plans including human and equipment resourcing and funding viability and financial stability Builds framework that enables employees to create new processes where no standard operating procedures exist and to enhance current processes to ensure compliance with best practice and legislative requirements With work the Dean of Mathematics Office to align mission and activities of CEMC to those of the Faculty of Mathematics and the University of Waterloo

Risk management

Identifies and evaluates risks to program participants, stakeholders, staff, infrastructure, finances, and reputation and with the Director and Associate Director, recommends and implements measures to mitigate risk Conducts reviews and audits of the CEMC financial procedures and transactions to ensure strong internal controls and efficient and effective financial accountability Monitors and prepares reports for CEMC operating, endowment and trust funds, identifying issues and risks Identifies training and performance needs across the unit and, along with the Operations Manager, develops and implements training initiatives for administrative staff to ensure proper controls of human resource allocations and skill set alignment Reviews non-routine contracts and agreements, and consults central units (. Legal Services, Secretariat, Finance, Human Resources) where appropriate Develops, with the Director and Associate Director, business plans for new outreach programs/initiatives Provides strategic advice and recommends courses of action to Director and Associate Director, as well as the Director’s Advisory Group regarding risk management Leads and provides guidance to program audit processes; provides management responses, and tracks actions

Management of staff

Oversees the recruitment, evaluation, job descriptions, reclassification, promotion, professional development, and retention processes of all direct report staff as well as advises the Operations Manager, Director and Associate Director on like HR processes in the management their direct reporting staff Oversees crisis management and unit compliance with regard to health & safety policies, procedures and legislative requirements. Supports the Operations Manager in the development of new guidelines, processes and training requirements for faculty, staff and volunteers as needed Manages human resources related projects such as reviewing administrative structure, ensuring that job descriptions and levels are managed appropriately; utilizing change management expertise when redistribution of duties is required Oversees the scheduling of work responsibilities for CEMC staff, including re-deployment of people at peak times Coaches and mentors staff managers, including conflict management, mediation and performance improvement plans and administers the salary increase pool process for faculty and staff in the CEMC Provides the Director and Associate Director with necessary staffing and systems support for the recruitment, evaluation, promotion, and retention of faculty Promotes team spirit, cohesiveness, motivation and commitment to customer-focused service and a culture of continuous quality improvement and life-long learning Oversees technical and computing management of the CEMC Oversees the events and marketing plan and execution for the CEMC initiatives Supports the Operations Manager with the strategic management of the complex contest process to provide contests to over 250,000 registrations globally Provides guidance in the management and execution of the outreach events operations which includes numerous workshops and conferences annually while identifying new initiatives and building on successes

Manage funding stability of the CEMC

Prepares multi-year projections of the CEMC financial position of all funds, identifying concerns and proposing solutions Sources development opportunities and funding potential for the continuous sustainability of the CEMC strategic plan and long-term vision Investigates possible non-corporate sources of funding for CEMC Creates proposals and co-author reports to external funding agencies and individuals

CEMC Financial Oversight

Provides support, oversight and one-over level of approvals in the development and preparation budgets for all CEMC activities: operating, trust, endowment and research accounts Accountable for budget planning and for developing strategies to allocate resources funded by endowment and trust to operating budget during times of financial constraint Oversees preparation of financial reports: monthly, quarterly, and annual reports for the CEMC Director’s Advisory Group, trust, endowment annual reports (including to organizations such as the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation) and research grant reporting Ensures financial policies and funding terms of reference are understood by faculty and staff and followed correctly Oversees the travel expense budget related to domestic and international school visits Ensures funding stability by expertly managing revenue, providing monthly reconciliation reports to Associate Director and Director, identifying risks to operational revenue stability and predicts cash flow to support new and ongoing initiatives, with corresponding resourcing needs

Marketing and Brand Identity

Manages the development and oversees multi-year marketing and brand campaigns including audience and market definition based on identified target audiences in planned target markets, environmental scans, content marketing strategy, paid media strategy, and cross-channel tactical plans to increase CEMC profile, reputation and brand recognition Provides strategic direction for brand cohesion by overseeing web content, events branded tools and supplies, digital media, print and direct touch points

Manage infrastructure of the CEMC

Oversees the efficient and equitable use of facilities and equipment, including space requirements for the CEMC (in conjunction with the Office of the Dean of Math) Authorizes computing hardware purchases and other equipment needs, repair, etc. ensuring inter-departmental funding transfers relating to Roll-Over agreements Provides direction to Information Systems group regarding the strategic needs and direction of the CEMC related to existing and new custom-built large software systems Serves as a resource for the faculty and staff within the CEMC for the interpretation and application of UW policies, guidelines and practices

Qualifications

Bachelor’s Degree required (preferably in a STEM discipline) and post-graduate work in a business-related or STEM-related discipline; extensive experience in financial, technical and human resource management and project management 8-10 years of progressive and related business experience Strategic and long-term planning Senior financial management, budgeting, and planning Senior human resource management with significant experience in human resource best practice, conflict management, negotiation and issue resolution and team development Managing technical and infrastructure resources Project management experience Exceptional oral and written communication skills Strong leadership and management skills with record of demonstrating competence in making and executing decisions, potentially in crisis situations, and where precedent does not exist Proven ability to manage and engage people, direct and guide staff on large volumes of work, conflicting priorities, and competing deadlines Collaborative team player comfortable leading as well as executing and receiving constructive input from multiple sources Excellent problem solving, organization, creative thinking, interpersonal, technical and writing skills Ability to communicate effectively, precisely, and professionally with internal and external sources Proactive in anticipating needs and the ability to manage tight deadlines Exceptional client service skills to support an academic setting and multi-stakeholder environment Possesses strong critical thinking skills and a motivated problem-solver with high degree of professionalism in both demeanor and communications Ability to think strategically and with a high capacity for success Proven ability to lead, guide and mentor a team by establishing trust and confidence High standard of commitment, ethics, respect, care in program delivery to stakeholders The ability to handle sensitive and confidential information, to work independently and as part of a team, and the capacity to work effectively and efficiently in a complex, fast-paced and changing environment with numerous deadlines and priorities Thorough knowledge of the university and its policies and procedures Intermediate experience with database systems and computing technology Advanced experience with Microsoft Office Advanced personnel and department resource management Advanced financial management, planning, budgeting, reporting Advanced spoken and written communication skills A clear vulnerable sector check is required

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