Associate Director, Careers & Experience

Classification & Regular Hours

Hours per Week: 35

Salary Grade 17: $79,040 - $92,980; commensurate with experience

Please note, this is a 1-year contract opportunity with a benefits package.

Secondments are Welcome

Click here for more details on secondment opportunities.

About Western

Western University delivers an academic experience second to none. Western challenges the best and brightest faculty, staff and students to commit to the highest global standards. Our research excellence expands knowledge and drives discovery with real-world application. Western attracts individuals with a broad worldview, seeking to study, influence and lead in the international community. Since 1878, The Western Experience has combined academic excellence with life-long opportunities for intellectual, social and cultural growth in order to better serve our communities.

About Us

The Leadership & Learning Pillar champions student thriving by encouraging students to become critically engaged learners. Through a commitment to diverse ways of knowing, being, and doing, we support students as they explore their academic and professional pathways. Our vision is for students to discover and build upon their strengths, engage in classroom and community learning, and learn to navigate failure in order to thrive.

Responsibilities

Western is a destination university for high-performing students who are highly sought-after throughout their careers as Western graduates. The Associate Director, Careers & Experience will provide leadership over comprehensive and strategic programming, services, and initiatives that support personal and professional growth through career education, experiential learning, and industry exploration. The role will provide strategic expertise regarding their portfolio and provide coaching and training to staff to ensure that highly efficient, client-focused and responsive services are delivered to the University community. The Associate Director will champion large-scale and complex projects from conception to completion, and develop a shared vision of team success.

The role will be a strategic partner who provides leadership for their portfolio’s strategic planning, policy development, financial administration and resource allocation, in consultation with the Director, Leadership & Learning and other members of the Student Experience senior leadership team. The role will oversee and provide leadership in the development of initiatives and priorities, and act on opportunities to continuously improve programming and processes with the goal of supporting all Western students in building a meaningful life and career.

Qualifications

Education:

• Master’s Degree in Education, Higher Education, Business Administration or other related field

Experience:

• 7 years experience developing and successfully implementing programs, services and operational strategies related to career planning and development and/or experiential learning
• Experience in a higher education setting is preferred
• 3 years experience managing staff, budgets, and projects

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:

• Knowledge of programs and services which have proven to enhance student experience in higher education institutions, including new and evolving support for career development and experiential learning
• Knowledge of best practices for assessing, developing, and implementing new business processes and procedures and of best approaches for creating a shared vision
• Ability to collaborate across internal and external boundaries to meet common objectives, improve outcomes, and support work beyond one's own unit
• Ability to provide strategic analysis and recommendations for designing and implementing new and changing practices and processes
• Openness to recognize when change is necessary, and to develop, implement, and lead effective change management strategies
• Presentation skills to deliver engaging and informative presentations that clearly explain information to audiences using appropriate communication channels
• Ability to deal confidentially with information that has financial, political, regulatory and reputational implications
• Ability to draw on diversity of skills, backgrounds, and knowledge of people to achieve more effective results
• Ability to promote individual growth by encouraging others to learn new skills and develop themselves
• Ability to quickly re-allocate resources and adjust priorities in response to unexpected events or changing circumstances
• Ability to recommend controls to manage operational and legal risks
• Ability to effectively provide staff with regular feedback and recognize and reward strong performance, as well as address performance concerns
• Ability to demonstrate a high level of professionalism and to work effectively and efficiently with internal and external clients at all levels of the organization
• Proven ability to take initiative and champion a project from conception through implementation and evaluation
• Ability to develop strategies that are in line with the University's mission and which balance competing priorities
  

Western Values Diversity

The University invites applications from all qualified individuals. Western is committed to employment equity and diversity in the workplace and welcomes applications from women, members of racialized groups/visible minorities, Indigenous persons, persons with disabilities, persons of any sexual orientation, and persons of any gender identity or gender expression.

Accommodations are available for applicants with disabilities throughout the recruitment process. If you require accommodations for interviews or other meetings, please contact Human Resources or phone 519-661-2194.

Please Note:

We thank all applicants for their interest; however, only those chosen for an interview will be contacted.