11954 - Associate Director, Strategic Initiatives

Department
Office of the Vice-President, Academic and Provost
Employment Type
Permanent
Time Type
Full-Time
Hiring Range
$83,455 - $104,319
Job Category
Administration
Job Location : Location
CA-ON-Waterloo

Accountable to the Director, Strategic Initiatives, this position is responsible for strategic initiatives within the purview of the Provost. The Associate Director is positioned to lead large scale initiatives related to the Provost’s work, ranging from ongoing activity, such as at Deans’ Council to University-wide transformational projects that include multi-stakeholder management, the development and oversight of activity that is adapted or created in response to campus needs and/or emerging opportunities. In addition to working with members of the strategic initiatives team, the Associate Director regularly collaborates with Deans and ASU leadership to create mutual benefits and ensure alignment with operational and strategic priorities. The Associate Director translates new ideas, proposals, and opportunities into mature initiatives that receives support from across the portfolio, often leveraging expertise and collaboration across the University.

Strategic and operational initiatives, and execution

• Leads and manages initiatives through scaled initiation, planning, and execution
• Establishes clear, concise agreed upon initiative objectives/goals/vision, benefits, scope and success criteria
• Ensures alignment of outcomes and requirements with University and Unit strategies
• Demonstrates accountability for activity visibility and management
• Establishes realistic plans that proactively manage risks, issues, tasks, schedules, communications, and delivery of solution(s)
• Manages constraints (schedule, scope, resources), dependencies, and priorities for projects and activities
• Demonstrates strong analysis, problem solving, and conflict resolution skills towards diverse issues
• Makes recommendations to the Director, Strategic Initiatives to adjust or intervene in initiatives and projects that are at risk or less successful than anticipated and to escalate issues that could have an impact on the quality of outcomes for strategic and operational priorities

Engagement, organization, and relationship management

• Contributes to the production of content related to strategic and operational initiatives, including written communication, and presentations, in addition to working with Internal and Leadership Communications to support new and ongoing activity
• Supports the positive reputation of the Office of the VPAP by representing the strategic initiatives team in various settings, as assigned
• Offers strong, effective communication skills to enable facilitation, negotiation, information flow, buy in, and engagement on activity aligned to the Provost’s priorities
• Builds stakeholder relationships based on trust and integrity
• Analyzes existing initiatives or projects and initiates opportunities for improvement to enable success

Collaboration and relationship management

• Consults and builds persuasive consensus to provide recommended solutions towards complex problems
• Participates in working groups or project-specific teams and supports plans for major institutional initiatives, including but not limited to, activity delegated to offices of Associate Vice-Presidents reporting to the Provost
• Works with a diverse set of stakeholders across all levels of the institution to advance strategic and operational priorities of the Office of the VPAP
• Develops and manages relationships with broad audiences, including working in collaboration with external consultants
• Liaises with internal stakeholder groups to address feedback and propose solutions to common concerns with tact, diplomacy, and a positive attitude
• Fosters a culture of positive, supportive communication, and person-centric solutions

Leadership for program operations and special projects

• Creates data-informed recommendations and reporting for existing initiatives
• Creates and implements long-term operational frameworks to support success, and ensure compliance with new and existing internal and external policies, procedures and processes
• Makes critical decisions and escalates concerns based on evidence provided across the VPAP portfolio
• As a member of the strategic initiatives team:
  • Participates in the development of operational and strategic initiatives and vision building
  • Establishes processes and procedures for project activity

• Master’s degree, or equivalent post-secondary education and/or related experience required
• Preference will be given to candidates with Project Management Professional (PMP) certification or working towards completion of PMP certification
• 5+ years working on special projects with a proven ability to align multiple competing priorities and work from implementation to completion to realize strategic and operational goals
• Minimum of 2 years’ experience in supporting senior leadership in complex initiatives in a multi stakeholder environment
• Experience leading across portfolios of a complex organization, including providing guidance and direction to various stakeholders across all levels Experience developing and implementing initiatives at an institution-wide level, and in establishing measures for success
• Expert verbal and written communication skills with an emphasis on presentations, report writing and editing
• Highly developed interpersonal skills, including building strong relationships, working collaboratively, and contributing to change management
• Demonstrated decision-making abilities and able to operate independently
• A high degree of political acumen and interpersonal skills; able to inhabit a variety of perspectives, achieve compromise, and communicate decisions with empathy and tact
• Able to navigate a complex matrix organization within the unit with agility and resourcefulness
• Familiar with university policies, procedures and processes
• Demonstrated commitment to the core values of respect, equity, diversity, inclusion, and anti-racism
• Intermediate Microsoft Office skills (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)

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 co-ordinated 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+.

All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority.

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.