Job Description / Duties

At UBC, we believe that attracting and sustaining a diverse workforce is key to the successful pursuit of excellence in research, innovation, and learning for all faculty, staff and students. Our commitment to employment equity helps achieve inclusion and fairness, brings rich diversity to UBC as a workplace, and creates the necessary conditions for a rewarding career.

Job Summary

The Managing Director (MD), UBC Career Centre is responsible for the strategic leadership of the Career Centre unit and related programming at the UBC Vancouver campus in alignment with the UBC Student Strategic Plan goals, purposes, and priorities. As a member of the Vice-President Students’ (VPS) Senior Leadership Team, the MD, UBC Career Centre contributes to the development and execution of VPS portfolio-wide strategic priorities.

The MD, UBC Career Centre, with responsibility for Workplace Learning, Employer and Alumni Engagement, and Career and Professional Development, leads and develops innovative career programming to meet the evolving needs and diversity of our student population, through effective collaboration, evidence-based research, practices and programs, innovative technology, and strategic partnerships. This role is responsible for the oversight of a wide range of career programming for both undergraduate and graduate students. The MD, UBC Career Centre has significant responsibilities for staff leadership, academic partnerships, external partnerships, instilling best practices, policies, procedures, and processes, and assessment and evaluation that support strategic objectives of student careers at UBC. In addition, this role will provide leadership in the development and fostering of collaborative, strategic, responsive, and innovative partnerships across UBC portfolios and with key external partners including industry and government.


Organizational Status

Reports to the Vice-President, Students. The MD, UBC Career Centre oversees a number of senior positions in the Career Centre unit.

As a member of the VPS Executive Team, the MD, UBC Career Centre works closely with VPS Senior Leaders and contributes to the development of VPS portfolio-wide strategic priorities. The MD, UBC Career Centre will work closely with the Office of the Provost and Faculties, and will collaborate with other university units and external organizations as required.


Work Performed

Strategic Planning:

Leads the development and implementation of a strategic direction for the Career Centre and programming in partnership with the academic units and in alignment with the Student Strategic Plan, to enhance and provide a broad range of responsive career related programs and services, in partnership and alignment across campus.

Leads and creates an innovative Career Centre unit and operation that will be wholly unique to the UBC student population and serve as the national model of career development and service delivery.

Forges strategic partnerships with key student career stakeholders to support collaborative, strategic, responsive, and innovative partnerships across UBC portfolios. Engages key stakeholders in discussions about priorities, relevant data, and shared goals.

In partnership with Development and Alumni Engagement (DAE), implements an alumni and donor strategy.

Partners and communicates with external stakeholders, professional regulatory associations, recruiting organizations, government and non-governmental organizations and advocates for alignment of collective priorities and services.

Pursues and reviews new opportunities and strategic relationships to promote the goals of the University and to support student career development.

Pursues consultation and collaboration with researchers and experts within higher education and other organizations, associations, and institutes to maintain evidence-based strategy and practice.

Leads and drives collaborative innovations, including technological innovations, in career services programming, and strengthens enhancements to the existing service and programming delivery models.

Actively contributes as a member of the VPS Executive Senior Leadership Team in the portfolio strategic planning process.

Prepares policy briefs and recommendations for the Vice-President, Students regarding matters impacting student careers.

Leadership/Management:

Leads the deep strategic integration and innovation of the Career Centre unit and develops the overarching direction for collaboration, evidence-based practices, and educational programming, in collaboration with the Office of the Provost and academic units.

Proactively promotes a culture of equity, inclusion and diversity, and creates a culture of continuous improvement and operational efficiency, while providing strong leadership for staff, inspiring them to be innovative and creative, and to challenge the status quo in career education and cost-effective services.

Collaborates on policy, procedural and service related matters intended to support or enhance student careers with stakeholders from across campus, including development of direct service through digital technology.

Represents the Office of the Vice-President Students on University and external committees and working groups as required.

Provides leadership in the development and execution of an innovative and effective communication plan in collaboration with the Executive Director, VPSO to enhance and support the work of the Career Centre.

Oversees the development and implementation of strategies to support and enhance professional development & workplace experience for staff within the Career Centre unit.

Utilizes an inclusive leadership style to develop and support staff across the Career Centre unit and creates and supports initiatives that empower employee engagement and development.

Ensures the Career Centre’s strategic annual operating goals are aligned with broader University and portfolio-wide objectives and plans.

Works with unit directors and VPSO Human Resources to set the standard and cultivate and maintain a culture of respect in the workplace, recognizing the value of diversity within the team that reflects our community.

Develops and oversees the implementation and assessment of human resources policies and procedures to streamline the administrative process and promote retention.

Recruits, develops, manages, evaluates, and coaches Career Centre senior staff, while addressing performance issues as required, and ensures similar effective approaches occur throughout the department.

Financial Responsibilities:

Accountable for the sound management of the Career Centre’s annual and long-range budgets including the development of specific program/unit budgets, the allocation of resources and the on-going monitoring of incoming revenue and outgoing commitments.

Ensures budget plans for the Career Centre programming align with the unit's strategic priorities and directions.

Holds senior staff accountable for achieving budget expectations.


Consequence of Error/Judgement
Incorrect decisions may impact unit operations, budgets and the reputation of the UBC Career Centre and the University. Inability to effectively create and manage programming may result in a negative experience for students, and could deeply impact their perception of UBC. Poor judgement and decision-making may impact student, alumni, employer and public perception of the University, and its ability to attract and retain students.

Supervision Received
Reports to the Vice-President, Students.

Supervision Given
Responsible for the direct management of senior staff in the Career Centre unit on the Vancouver Campus. This includes recruitment, hiring, training, performance management, support, recognition, and evaluation up to and including termination.

Qualifications / Required Skills

Minimum Qualifications

Masters degree required.

Extensive years of leadership experience and experience in the areas of specialization or equivalent combination of education and experience.

Willingness to respect diverse perspectives, including perspectives in conflict with one’s own.

Demonstrates a commitment to enhancing one’s own awareness, knowledge, and skills related to equity, diversity, and inclusion.

Preferred Qualifications

Doctorate in higher education administration or equivalent preferred

Leadership experience administering and delivering career services in a higher education or similar setting, or in relevant senior level leadership positions managing experienced professionals.

Experience in higher education student development, counseling, human resources, business, or related field is preferred.

Expertise in the effective design, development, delivery, and evaluation of innovative career and related student services that incorporate best practices, is data-driven, and is responsive to the needs of the university and its constituencies and the overall higher education marketplace.

Entrepreneurial, innovative, and forward-thinking with a focus on creating and implementing preeminent career services programs and experience. Proven track record of developing and implementing strategic plans and achieving measurable results.

Knowledgeable regarding systems thinking and design thinking with the ability to not only problem solve for individual students but develop enterprise solutions and design systems across the university to better support the student experience.

Demonstrated ability to navigate the complexities of the university and collaborating across university divisions.

Expertise in the objective analysis of complex information or problems to derive logical conclusions and provide a sound basis for establishing priorities and selecting appropriate courses of action.

Demonstrated ability to develop and sustain strong university-employer relations in the Vancouver, British Columbia area as well as provincially, nationally and internationally.

Experience successfully leading change and supporting teams of highly skilled professionals. Ability to manage and motivate an enthusiastic and dynamic professional staff, set clear direction and articulate goals and expectations for excellence and success.

Results-driven and adept at using data to inform decision-making, continuous improvement, and customer service. Demonstrated ability to foster and sustain innovation, collaboration, shared decision-making and strategic partnerships in a complex work environment.

Demonstrated evidence of strong written and oral communication, interpersonal, and relationship management skills.

Demonstrated experience managing and allocating resources and generating additional resources from external sources through fundraising, grant writing, and other activities to support current and new operations and initiatives.

The ability to understand different perspectives, opinions, and priorities and to see the bigger picture to work effectively and affect change.

Thoughtful, with excellent judgment, open to new ideas and sharing them with others.

Problem-solver mentality with ability to accept and lead new challenges, able to think strategically and to critically analyze a variety of issues and show initiative.

Ability to exercise tact, discretion, and good judgement, and to address conflict and engage in effective solutions.

Positive and enthusiastic attitude and approach to work.

Demonstrated political astuteness, tact and negotiation skills.

Additional Information

This vacancy will continue to be posted every 30 days until the position is filled.

Salary: $12,206.50 - $19,072.67 CAD Monthly The Compensation Range is the span between the minimum and maximum base salary for a position. The midpoint of the range is approximately halfway between the minimum and the maximum and represents an employee that possesses full job knowledge, qualifications and experience for the position. In the normal course, employees will be hired, transferred or promoted between the minimum and midpoint of the salary range for a job.

Contact Information

https://ubc.wd10.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/ubcstaffjobs/details/Managing-Director--UBC-Career-Centre_JR11503?q=managing%20director

Employer Profile

The University of British Columbia is a global centre for teaching, learning and research, consistently ranked among the top 20 public universities in the world.

UBC embraces innovation and transforms ideas into action. Since 1915, UBC has been opening doors of opportunity for people with the curiosity, drive and vision to shape a better world.