Director, Student Personal and Professional Development

Job Category
M&P – AAPS

Job Profile
AAPS Salaried – Student Management, Level D

Job Title
Director, Student Personal and Professional Development

Department
Business Career Centre Leadership Business Career Centre UBC Sauder School of Business

Compensation Range
$7,278.33 – $11,372.33 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.

Posting End Date
November 14, 2022

Note: Applications will be accepted until 11:59 PM on the day prior to the Posting End Date above.

Job End Date

Job Summary

UBC Sauder School of Business is one of the world’s leading business faculties. The school consistently ranks among the top 100 in the world and is recognized internationally for excellence in research and learning, an outstanding faculty and unmatched global partnerships. A collaborative and respectful culture within which all members of our community can thrive is a key principle in our strategic plan, and one that underpins our educational mission.

When you join UBC Sauder School of Business you become part of a team of academics and professionals committed to making a positive impact through business education.

We acknowledge that UBC Sauder at the Vancouver Campus is situated within the traditional, ancestral and unceded territory of the Musqueam. We acknowledge that UBC Sauder at the UBC Robson Square is situated on the traditional territory of the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh. 

The UBC Sauder’s Hari B. Varshney Business Career Centre (BCC) supports business students’ personal and professional development journey to responsible leadership through customized services focused on self-exploration, career development and access to business communities. Our team supports approximately 5,000 students across undergraduate and graduate programs.

The Director, Student Personal and Professional Development furthers the centre’s vision to support students to become career ready graduates – able to connect their talents, interests and education to the world of work. The Director develops and oversees personal, professional and career programming across all graduate and undergraduate portfolios which include coaching and advising services, events, experiential learning opportunities and development of online assets among others.

The Director is responsible for the strategic development of comprehensive approaches, programs and services and ensures that personal, professional and career development programs and experiential learning opportunities are developed and delivered in conjunction with the curriculum to enable students to achieve their immediate and long-term career goals, making career development an integrated part of the UBC Sauder experience.

Director, Personal and Professional Development will achieve results by leading meaningful initiatives that align with the BCC’s overarching strategy and relevant critical success factors of:

1. Personal and professional development

2. Access to business communities

3. Service excellence

Organizational Status

Reports to the Assistant Dean, Hari B. Varshney Business Career Centre and is as a part of the department’s leadership team.

Works with senior leadership across UBC Sauder, faculty and other BCC stakeholders. Within UBC, interacts with UBC’s Centre for Student Involvement & Careers, other faculty Co-op teams and career education teams.
Work Performed

• Develops and evaluates the BCC’s and the Personal and Professional Development team’s strategy and annual plans.

• Advises the Assistant Dean with the development of strategies and contributes to the priorities, short and long-term objectives of the BCC and team. Ensures that there is synergy in the overall delivery of career services.

• Develops a comprehensive and holistic career programming strategy across graduate and undergraduate programs, which includes coaching and advising services, events, experiential learning opportunities and development of online assets among others. Ensures the strategy is aligned with the Career Centre’s career development model, incorporating industry best practices and adapting to meet evolving student needs and employment landscapes.

• Develops and oversees the production of a career development curriculum to be used as the basis for student learning approaches across the programs, course-based, online and in-person activities. Works with faculty, other academic partners and co-operative education team to ensure curriculum is academically relevant to students and based on the most current student learning and career development theories.

• Implements and oversees outcomes assessment and program evaluation. Measures the impact of programs and services in terms of student learning, career outcomes, and service to departments and faculties. Develops and implements a strategy to share results and raise awareness of the impact of experiential learning and student life activities in developing career ready graduates.

• Leads the establishment of a strategic framework for the career development outcomes inherent in experiential learning.

• Ensures comprehensive reflective practices are embedded in the Centre’s programs, services, and student roles to maximize student learning and career development outcomes across the unit’s work.

• Builds research, fosters data, provides insights on success and gaps of the personal, professional and career programming and develops solutions. Makes data informed decisions on any current and new programming across all portfolios.

• Actively participates in Recruitment & Admissions activities (especially for the Robert H. Lee Graduate School), to ensure school’s quality expectations are met. Sits on the R&A committee, provides feedback and conducts interviews.

• Provides leadership and supervision to a team of professional employees, students and contractors. Manages a team and is responsible for recruitment, onboarding, performance management, ongoing professional development and termination as needed.

• Establishes and tracks KSI / team goals that feed into unit’s goals.

• Cultivates, builds and maintains relationships with key stakeholders including university departments, provincial/national/international employer community, student groups/clubs, and student services with respect to student and stakeholder initiatives relevant to career programming.

• Fosters and actively supports a campus culture of student-led initiatives and robust campus life. Consults regularly with student government, student clubs and teams, and other student groups to understand their leadership development needs and to identify ways that the Centre can support their efforts.

• Leads the ongoing evaluation of services and the organizational structure of the unit; makes recommendations to the Assistant Dean in determining the most appropriate supporting organizational structures to deliver the programs within the BCC to meet strategic objectives.

• Prepares and manages annual budgets for their program portfolio. Develops and manages operational budgets for specific activities as required.

• Assumes responsibility for special projects assigned by the Dean, Senior Associate Deans, or Assistant Dean, Hari B. Varshney Business Career Centre.

• Represents UBC Sauder at public functions and on external committees.

• Performs other duties as required.

Consequence of Error/Judgement

The incumbent determines priorities, contributes to the strategic direction and goals the career centre and is responsible for a wide range of decisions. Incorrect decisions or ill-informed strategy could compromise the integrity of the Business Career Centre as well as jeopardize the reputation of the UBC Sauder School of Business. Incorrect processes and strategy regarding employment outcome data collection will impact the School’s reputation, rankings and accreditation. Decisions contributing to poor student experience with programs and services may adversely affect student engagement and employment outcomes, as well as future student recruitment, alumni engagement and development opportunities.

Poor management of staff may lead to inefficiencies, discontent or grievances.
Supervision Received
Reports to the Assistant Dean, Hari B. Varshney Business Career Centre. Works autonomously within the scope of the unit’s, school’s and University’s strategic plans.
Supervision Given
Manages a cross-program team, and indirectly manages student employees and contractors.
Minimum Qualifications
Undergraduate degree in a relevant discipline. Minimum of five to six years of related experience, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree is an asset.

• Experience in an academic environment with proven ability to work well with faculty, administrators, students, staff and alumni, and with knowledge of and appreciation for the needs and concerns of a diverse business student and alumni populations.

• Experience in ideating, developing and evaluating complex initiatives required.

• Extensive knowledge of the career development, higher education and employment landscape, theory, best practices and trends.

• Must have knowledge of approaches in coaching and advising. Internationally recognized coaching certification is an asset.

• Knowledge of university environment, policies, processes and student experience best practices is an asset.

• Experience developing project plans, reviewing and evaluating initiatives and developing program or service enhancements.

• Demonstrated ability to apply and evaluate literature, research, institutional data, and theoretical frameworks to establish, manage and transform evidence-based programs and services.

• Demonstrated leadership ability – including motivating and supporting long-term learning and development, and conducting performance management – and experience managing multiple direct reports. Experience leading cross-functional teams is an asset.

• Excellent oral and written communication, judgement, interpersonal skills, cross-cultural sensitivity and organizational skills are required.

• Ability to make decisions independently, and to be tactful and articulate when interacting with various stakeholders.

• Experience in budget development and management, including determining the resources required to sustain projects and services.

• Experience working with cross-functional teams and with a variety of internal and external stakeholders.

• Proven ability to work under pressure of critical deadlines and to prioritize a demanding workload.

Equity and diversity are essential to academic excellence.  An open and diverse community fosters the inclusion of voices that have been underrepresented or discouraged.  We encourage applications from members of groups that have been marginalized on any grounds enumerated under the B.C. Human Rights Code, including sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, racialization, disability, political belief, religion, marital or family status, age, and/or status as a First Nation, Metis, Inuit, or Indigenous person.

Pursuant to the BC Human Rights Code Article 42, preference will be given to Indigenous applicants.

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