Student Leadership Development Specialist

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Term: 16 months
This position is being offered as a Secondment opportunity.
The internal posting deadline for this position is Thursday, July 31 at 11:59PM.

Job Description:

Primary Purpose

Reporting to the Manager, Student Equity, Community and Leadership development, the Specialist provides direction and leadership as it relates to student-staff development (hiring, training, management, and recognition) across campus and within the Student Success Office (SSO). The Specialist will oversee all programs related to student training and development within the SSO including the Student Equity and Leadership Development Program and the development of various student leadership opportunities that specifically support Black, Indigenous, racialized, 2SLGBTQ+ and other historically underrepresented students. The Specialist is responsible for developing key partnerships across campus and specifically within the Faculties, the Waterloo Undergraduate Student Association (WUSA), the Graduate Student Association (GSA), Campus Housing, Campus Wellness, and other student services stakeholders. Collaborative working relationships with academic and service-oriented areas on campus will allow the Specialist to activate effective creation, implementation, and assessment of holistic and integrated co- and extra-curricular equity and leadership training and education for students across campus. The Specialist will also serve as the lead on the creation and implementation of asynchronous learning opportunities associated with the Student Equity and Leadership Development Program.

The Student Equity and Leadership Development Specialist is part of an interdependent and collaborative team committed to centring the expertise and lived experience of students, with a specific focus on supporting Black, Indigenous, racialized, 2SLGBTQ+ and other historically underrepresented students. Our collective curricular approach to the work facilitates the design and delivery of intentional equity and leadership learning opportunities that will help students achieve a sense of confidence and competence in their knowledge, skills, and abilities related to equity and leadership.

Key Accountabilities

Program and Curriculum Design and Delivery

• Provides leadership and direction on the development, delivery, and evolution of the Student Equity Leadership Development Program.
• Consults with student groups through asking questions, listening to concerns, and identifying gaps - focusing specifically on consulting with Black, Indigenous, racialized, 2SLGBTQ+ and other historically underrepresented students.
• Liaises with institutional subject matter experts on training creation and best practices.
• Consults, amends, and revises programs as necessary to adapt to changes brought forward via student and stakeholder feedback.
• Identifies and understands current/available technologies in online education. Responsive to adapting program content in both an online and in-person format.

• Functions in an instructional design support role. Makes recommendations on how to improve course and program content to maximize student learning and increase student engagement.

Leadership and Student Staff Development

• Hires, onboards, and manages a Co-op student and team of student staff employees providing excellent leadership, training, and development to promote growth in both leadership and equity knowledge and competence.
• Creates and maintains positive working relationships by establishing a clear set of reasonable and mutually agreed upon expectations, effectively measures and evaluates student staff performance, and provides termly feedback.

• Works collaboratively with stakeholders both within the Student Success Office and across campus (WUSA, GSA, Campus Housing, Campus Wellness, Faculties, etc.)

Build and Maintain Strategic Relationships

• Proactively generates and promotes opportunities for engagement with the Student Equity and Leadership Development Program with faculty, staff, students, and other campus partners.
• Works with internal and external stakeholders to create cohesion and collaborative support for students pursuing development and education in the areas of equity and leadership.
• Identifies and acts on opportunities for increased faculty and partner engagement.

• Participates in and contributes to regular staff, departmental and Faculty specific meetings as appropriate. Participates in and contributes to various internal and external meetings.

Research and Evaluation

• Measures achievement and success within the Student Equity and Leadership Development Program and shares regularly with the Manager, Student Equity and Community for use in decision-making.
• Research trends, issues, and best practices in equity education and leadership development in Canada and the United States, implementing new findings and supports for Black, Indigenous, racialized, 2SLGBTQ+ and other historically underrepresented students.

• Collaborates with the Student Equity and Community team and other internal stakeholders to integrate research and evaluation into other programs and practices that support students - specifically targeted support for Black, Indigenous, racialized, 2SLGBTQ+ and other historically underrepresented students.

Required Qualifications

Education

• University degree or equivalent education and experience. Lived experience and institutional/systemic knowledge of equity, diversity, inclusion, and anti-racism.

Experience

• A record of and commitment to participating in ongoing learning and engagement in the areas of equity, diversity, inclusion, anti-racism, and accessibility. Demonstrated experience applying this learning to their work.
• Demonstrated knowledge of barriers to student success (systemic, historic, issues of access) for Black, Indigenous, racialized, 2SLGBTQ+ and other historically underrepresented students.
• Direct experience in an educational or student service setting, with experience working with Black, Indigenous, racialized, 2SLGBTQ+ and other historically underrepresented students.
• Demonstrated experience developing and delivering integrated programs, performance indicators and assessment methods for the purpose of building the confidence and competence of equity and leadership skills for students - and, namely, Black, Indigenous, racialized, 2SLGBTQ+ and other historically underrepresented students.
• Working experience in equitable and inclusive pedagogical approaches to training and education.
• Demonstrated success in leading change efforts in a post-secondary setting.
• Experience with the use of new technologies to design and implement education and training.

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities

• Working knowledge of current research and best practices in student development theory, particularly focused on the leadership development of Black, Indigenous, racialized, 2SLGBTQ+ and other historically underrepresented students (e.g., students with disabilities).
• Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively, build consensus and be sensitive to the needs and interests of various stakeholders, and contribute to the functioning of a diverse team of student staff.
• Advanced relationship building skills and strong interpersonal skills required. Excellent presentation and organizational skills.
• Working knowledge of experiential education and a high degree of political acumen and interpersonal skill to nurture relationships with a range of stakeholders across the university.
• An understanding of and willingness to engage in assessment and on-going program evaluation as a central component of strategic planning and program development to ensure student engagement, satisfaction, and learning outcomes.
• Working knowledge of instructional pedagogy and online course design.
• Highly developed strategic, analytical and communication skills; knowledge of experiential education and a high degree of political acumen and interpersonal skill to nurture relationships with a range of stakeholders across the university.
• Excellent judgment with the ability to execute decisions with confidence.

Equity Statement

The University of Waterloo acknowledges that much of our work takes place on the traditional territory of the Neutral, Anishinaabeg, and Haudenosaunee peoples. Our main campus is situated on the Haldimand Tract, the land granted to the Six Nations that includes six miles on each side of the Grand River. Our active work toward reconciliation takes place across our campuses through research, learning, teaching, and community building, and is coordinated within the Office of Indigenous Relations.

The University values the diverse and intersectional identities of its students, faculty, and staff. The University regards equity and diversity as an integral part of academic excellence and is committed to accessibility for all employees. The University of Waterloo seeks applicants who embrace our values of equity, anti-racism and inclusion. As such, we encourage applications from candidates who have been historically disadvantaged and marginalized, including applicants who identify as First Nations, Métis and/or Inuk (Inuit), Black, racialized, a person with a disability, women and/or 2SLGBTQ+.

Positions are open to qualified candidates who are legally entitled to work in Canada.

The University of Waterloo is committed to accessibility for persons with disabilities. If you have any application, interview, or workplace accommodation requests, please contact Human Resources at hrhelp@uwaterloo.ca or 519-888-4567, ext. 45935.