Director, External Relations and Capital Projects

The Director will act as a trusted advisor to the Dean and the Associate Dean of Research and Partnerships. This position serves as a strategic conduit between academia and the external community to ensure relationships are fostered and strengthened to deliver impact while executing capital projects to ensure the infrastructure is in place to meet the demands of a growing profession.

In the realm of external partnerships, the Director will strategically engage with government, industry, the profession, and other key community stakeholders, aligning efforts with the Dean’s vision and ensuring efficient resource utilization. The Director will lead complex capital project initiatives, focusing on the integrated engineering facilities, and play a pivotal role in proposing and executing strategies for the IDEAS Building.

This position oversees the Co-op and Career Centre, Student Recruitment, Sci Fi, outreach programming, the Research Facilitator and guide workflow for the Facilities SBA, ensuring high performance, structured delivery, client care, and team balance. Reporting directly to the Dean, the Director identifies relationship-building opportunities, fostering collaboration across the college, engineering leadership, and central university services.

The ideal candidate will be versatile, adaptable, and adept at navigating diverse working styles. Responsible for budgetary oversight of the college’s external revenue, the Director recommends financial allocations for strategic priorities. The role requires skill in managing tensions and synergies across different disciplines, fostering collaboration, and leveraging their unique strengths.

Nature of Work: In this role, the Director assumes a pivotal role in cultivating relationships, fostering collaborative initiatives, and advancing strategic objectives. Serving as a primary liaison for key stakeholders, such as government, industry, and community leaders, the position demands a combination of diplomacy, foresight, and sound judgment, considering potential contractual, legal, tax, and ethical implications for the University.

The Director is integral in maintaining continued goodwill, enhancing the University’s reputation, and securing financial support. The ideal candidate should exhibit versatility and adaptability, seamlessly navigating diverse working styles. Proactively engaging with college leaders and faculty, the Director brings focus and organization to propel plans forward. Proficient in both strategic planning and execution, the Director exercises budgetary oversight for external revenue, providing recommendations for allocating financial resources to strategic priorities.

This role serves as a bridge across multiple disciplines within the college, each contributing significant value and revenue potential. The Director navigates tensions and synergies between these disciplines, leveraging their unique strengths and fostering a collaborative environment. Oversight extends to initiatives supporting the IDEAS building plan, especially when leveraging donor funds for project advancement.

The external partnerships team, under the Director’s guidance, builds and sustains collaborative relationships with external entities to enhance various aspects of the college’s academic mission, including student opportunities, research capabilities, infrastructure development, and overall institutional growth. Balancing high standards and team commitment, the Director ensures alignment with strategic planning and capacity-building initiatives. A key responsibility involves keeping the dean’s strategic goals at the forefront, considering real constraints like time and resources, and maintaining close communication and collaboration with the Director of Advancement.

Confidentiality is paramount in this role, particularly when leading large-scale projects. The Director is tasked with working, analyzing, and developing sensitive labor relations and financial information. This encompasses salaries, compensation data, employment status, succession plans, workforce planning, and organizational budgets, all of which may involve the college, the university, and/or government partners in the college’s mission.

Typical Duties or Accountabilities:
Strategic Advisory Role:

• Provide trusted advice to the Dean and Associate Dean of Research and Partnerships.
• Serve as a strategic bridge between academia and the external community to nurture and enhance impactful collaborations.
• Execute capital projects to ensure the infrastructure aligns with the evolving needs of the growing profession.

Stakeholder Engagement:

• Strategically engage with government, industry, and stakeholders, aligning efforts with the Dean’s vision.
• Identify and capitalize on relationship-building opportunities across the college and campus with the college’s external community.
• Cultivate relationships and drive collaborative initiatives to advance strategic objectives.
• Lead complex capital project initiatives, focusing on integrated engineering facilities.
• Propose and execute strategies for the IDEAS Building, ensuring alignment with organizational goals.
• Oversee initiatives supporting the IDEAS building plan, leveraging donor funds for project advancement.

Leadership and Oversight:

• Keep the dean’s strategic goals in focus, considering real constraints and maintaining communication with the Director of Advancement.
• Oversee the external partnerships team which includes the Co-op and Career Centre, Student Recruitment, Sci Fi, outreach programming, and the Research Facilitator.
• Guide workflow and coordination with the Facilities SBA on initiatives supporting the IDEAS building plan, and infrastructure development.
• Ensure high performance, structured stakeholder-focused delivery, and team balance within the assigned areas.
• Balance high standards and team commitment with strategic planning and capacity-building initiatives.

Financial Management:

• Exercise budgetary oversight for the college’s external revenue.
• Recommend financial allocations for strategic priorities, ensuring efficient resource utilization.
• Ensure all capital projects remain within scope and budget.

Interdisciplinary Collaboration:

• Manage tensions and synergies across different academic disciplines within the college.
• Foster collaboration, leveraging unique strengths for collective success and revenue potential.
• Proactively engage with college leaders and faculty, bringing focus and organization to plans.

Confidentiality Management:

• Uphold confidentiality in leading large-scale projects, handling sensitive labor relations, and financial information.
• Analyze and develop sensitive information related to salaries, compensation, employment status, succession plans, and organizational budgets.
• Ensure confidentiality adherence to college, university, and government partners in the college’s mission.

Education: A relevant university degree; as well as project management and/or change management certification is desirable.

An equivalent combination of education and related experience may be considered.

Experience: A minimum of ten years related experience in post-secondary education.  Experience in project management, change management, or quality improvement would be a definite asset. Experience working in diverse and inclusive environments is required.

Skills:

• Possess high standard of professional integrity with the ability to maintain confidentiality and handle sensitive matters diplomatically and discreetly.
• The ability to influence outcomes and provide guidance to project management, change management and quality improvement decisions unique to a college or unit;
• The ability to work collaboratively, build relationships with internal and external partners, and manage multiple demands to meet deadlines;
• Experience working within a multi-reporting organizational structure is an asset;
• Effective and flexible interpersonal, communication (oral and written), organizational and analytical skills, conflict resolution, to provide strategic supports and guidance.
• as well as a strong ability to take initiative and be self-directed.
• Demonstrated capacity to manage multiple tasks with tight timelines and competing demands.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently as well as collaboratively, including delegation, within a team environment.
• Strong attention to detail, creativity and problem-solving skills are required.
• Ability to understand a wide range of needs and issues and to support the development of policies, procedures and solutions to address them.
• Ability to research and effectively present information.
• Ability to understand and achieve resolution on complex issues and provide timely and accurate information.
• Knowledge and understanding of issues (including cultural, socio-economic and other factors) affecting Indigenous peoples and an awareness that Indigenous engagement is a strategic priority at the university.

Department: College of Engineering-DnOffce

Status: Term – with the possibility of extension or becoming permanent

Employment Group: Exempt
Full Time Equivalent (FTE): 1.0

Salary: The salary range, based on 1.0 FTE, is $88,740.00 – 148,665.00 per annum. The starting salary will be commensurate with education and experience.

Salary Family (if applicable):
Salary Phase/Band: Salary Band 4

Posted Date: 3/14/2024

Closing Date: 3/20/2024 at 6:00 pm CST
Number of Openings: 1
Work Location: On Campus