Job Description / Duties

The Manager, Co-Curricular & Student Engagement will oversee the delivery of an exceptional student experience through skill-development and engagement opportunities that support student learning, professional development and career readiness. The individual will supervise a team of student engagement and experiential learning professionals who will deliver services, programming, and mentorship to more than 70 student clubs and teams while also expanding co-curricular experiential opportunities for all Engineering students. This role will work collaboratively with the ECCS management team to ensure continuity of programming and consistency in career development and reflective practice.

This position is vital in developing an intentional strategy that focuses on proactive engagement of students in relevant and meaningful career and skill development opportunities to support and produce tangible professional development outcomes. This position is responsible for researching market trends and best practices in student engagement strategies and programming and creating a framework for co-curricular experiential learning.

Human Resources Management:
1. Responsible for the daily supervision and performance management of 3-5 full-time continuing staff and up to 4-6 student staff and volunteers (peer leaders).
2. Deliver a coordinated approach to cross-functional programming to support a collaborative and integrated service delivery model.

Strategic Planning/Leadership:
1. Support an engagement and career readiness strategy led by the Associate Director, Co-op and Career Services, the Manager, Talent Partnerships & Employer Relations and the Manager, Career Education & Professional Development addressing areas including student-led programs, experiential learning and student success outcomes.
2. Develop and implement a strategy for managing student engagement programming, clubs and teams, summer research placements, welcome week activities, and co-curricular experiential learning opportunities using relevant technology and coordinating business processes.
3. Co-manage the Innovation and Society Living Learning Community, in collaboration with Residence Life, guiding learning outcomes, programming, and success measurement.
4. Develop a service delivery approach that maximizes resources and increases services/supports during absolute peak and critical times; hybrid approach to service delivery and programming, partnerships with faculty and community groups, and student-to-student support models.
5. Create plans with other internal departments (such as Student Recruitment & Community Outreach, Communications, Alumni Relations, Development, Associate Deans’ Offices), to ensure events, sponsorship, communication, and strategies are aligned, promoted and coordinated.
6. Collaborate with academic departments to ensure the development and maintenance of a robust student engagement program that leads to increased student success and development, retention and employability
7. Manage strategic initiatives, new programs/events, metrics & benchmarking identifiers, and resourcing needs.
8. Prepare and monitor the budget for programs/activities related to areas of responsibility.
9. Demonstrate a commitment to inclusivity and diversity by ensuring that the specific needs of our student populations and equity-deserving groups are met.
10. Participate in relevant industry associations (i.e. CACUSS, CEWIL, EWO, etc.) through committees and other volunteer opportunities.
11. Respond to the dynamic and changing needs of students and market conditions by staying abreast of trends in student engagement and mentorship programming and co-curricular experiential learning.

Student Engagement & Co-Curricular Experiential Learning Strategy:
1. Lead a team of professionals to enhance and streamline the student experience from year 1 to graduation including the development of programming that delivers mentorship supports and student leadership opportunities.
2. Develop, direct, and evaluate student activities and program operations; compile and analyze data related to student participation and program evaluation, develops organizational work processes which facilitate attainment of established program goals and growth objectives.
3. Launch micro-credentials based on employer needs analysis to increase student employability in relation to relevant technical and professional skill development.
4. Train and develop all team members on student engagement and experiential learning methodologies and practices and implement operational processes that deliver cross-functional coordination of the team.

Systems and Software Development:
1. Work collaboratively with Engineering IT Department and Manager of Technology (Student Affairs) to address security, authentication, budget, and system functionality and infrastructure related to delivery software.

Qualifications / Required Skills

Education:
- University Degree and/or equivalent experience
- Adult Education degree/diploma considered an asset
- Ontario Certified Career Development Certification or similar considered an asset

Experience:
- Experience with the Canadian educational systems and the structure of Canadian education
- Established industry/community relationships/contacts
- Workshop development and facilitation skills - ability to deliver to diverse groups of stakeholders - employers, students, Faculty, advisory boards, professional associations, conferences
- Experience in program development and assessment/evaluation strategies
- Minimum of 5 - 7 years leadership experience in this specialty area

Knowledge/Skills:
- Demonstrated knowledge of local and global labour market trends, recruitment practices, and co-curricular program offerings globally and understanding of employability skills development.
- Excellent interpersonal, diplomacy and communication skills including the ability to liaise with management, staff, external organizations and alumni, and establish effective professional relationships
- Strong ability to lead, motivate, coach and mentor and set high-performance standards for self and others.
- Innovative, strategic and entrepreneurial in their thinking
- Professional, confident and competent leader - excellent judgement and decision-making skills
- Passionate about serving students and the world of employment
- Excellent communication skills

Additional Information

This is an exciting time to join our growing team. We are currently 1 year into a new 3-year strategic plan which will see us transform the way we support and partner with students, employers and campus colleagues through the delivery of more robust student engagement, career education and co-curricular programming alongside an already established and growing co-op program.

Salary: $75,373 - $113,059 (annual)

Contact Information

Stephanie Harper, Associate Director
Engineering Co-op & Career Services
sharper1@mcmaster.ca

Employer Profile

Ranked among the top engineering schools in Canada and worldwide, the Faculty of Engineering has a reputation for innovative programs, cutting-edge research, leading faculty, and aspiring students. Engineering faculty, staff and students at McMaster pursue research and learning in more than 22 research centres, institutes and networks whose interdisciplinary pursuits cross departmental and faculty boundaries. Outside the University, we regularly collaborate on research projects with partners in universities, the government and more than 100 companies in Canada and abroad.

The Engineering Co-op & Career Services (ECCS) office supports all students in the Faculty of Engineering with career education services and programming, experiential learning, and work-integrated learning opportunities. The incumbent will focus on ensuring the execution of the three-year strategic plan related to the enhancement, growth and improved synergy of student engagement programming and experiential learning opportunities.