Manager, Student Success Advising

Position Summary

Administrative Full-time Replacement Position

The Manager of Student Success and Retention plays a pivotal role within the Student Advising, Accessibility & Testing Management team. The incumbent is responsible for the leadership of approximately half of the Student Success Advising (SSA) team, which is a centralized team of support staff connected to program areas and Schools across the College. With a commitment to inclusivity and a student-centered philosophy, the Manager collaborates closely with academic teams to ensure the overall success of the SSA service and the alignment of resources with student needs, goals, and outcomes. In addition, the Manager provides leadership and shares accountability for the College retention strategy, specifically in the role of the SSA within that strategy, as well as the overall Student Success initiatives to support early intervention, retention, and ultimately, student success.

Successful candidates will be required to conduct work within Ontario and must be available to work on campus as needed. This position will follow a hybrid work arrangement, with two days remote and three days on-site at the Doon campus, located at 299 Doon Valley Drive, Kitchener, Ontario, N2G 4M4. Travel to other Conestoga campus locations will be required. The standard working hours for this role are Monday to Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., with occasional evening, weekend, and flexible work as required.

Responsibilities

Retention and student success 

• Maintains expertise on academic/success advising principles and practices, acting as a subject matter expert
• Stays updated on current trends and research in academic/success advising and retention strategies to guide initiatives
• Identifies and leads new program and service development strategies
• Collaborates with Executive Deans, Chairs, Office of Institutional Research & Planning, and the Registrar to develop and monitor student success and retention plans
• Develops, monitors, and reports on student success strategies
• Oversees project-based student success and retention planning activities
• Provides guidance on the effective use of technology to drive improvement
• Initiates research independently and with campus partners to support innovation in student retention and persistence
• Implements innovative technology solutions to support early intervention and success
• Liaises with the Product Manager (Student Affairs) regarding software opportunities and integrations
• Chairs a student advising Community of Practice on strategic topics

Quality and operations 

• Ensures services, programs, and initiatives are student-centered with an integrated, cross-functional approach to problem-solving, supporting an exceptional student experience
• Develops strategies to understand and respond to the evolving needs of Conestoga’s diverse student population with special attention to supporting students from equity-deserving groups
• Provides leadership for the development, implementation, and continuous improvement of quality processes for SSA’s and retention strategies, including data management and reporting
• Collaborates with the Student Success Management team and academic colleagues to ensure services are timely, proactive, and strategically allocate financial and human resources
• Seeks process improvements, automation, and efficiencies, contributing to the documentation of quality processes and activity cycles
• Provides regular reports on trend analysis and statistical summaries to monitor performance, utilizing metrics dashboards and delivering updates for improvements
• Plays an active role in the planning, development, and quality assurance of the software/student portal as a case management, student access, and early intervention tool
• Gathers and analyzes data for annual reports, government funding, and strategic planning

Human resources 

• Maintains high staff performance through effective recruitment, selection, development, and evaluation of full-time and part-time staff
• Supports departmental effectiveness by providing leadership to the SSA team
• Schedules services in collaboration with Campus Managers and academic colleagues to ensure remote and campus-wide access
• Nurtures a positive, collaborative work environment where team members work cross-functionally to achieve common goals
• Monitors compliance with service model standards and operations, providing direction as needed
• Provides staff with ongoing team and individualized professional development to ensure they are confident, high-performing, and successful
• Collaborates with other Student Success managers to ensure consistent interpretation and application of policies, procedures, and expectations
• Monitors workload distribution and manages assignment of portfolios among the SSA team

Other related duties

• Actively participates as a member of the Student Success Management team
• Participates in Student Success equity, diversity, and inclusion initiatives
• Contributes to internal and external committees and projects subject to timing and interest

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Social Studies, Education, Business, Social Work, or a related field of study; master’s degree in Student Affairs, Social Work, Education/Guidance, or a related discipline is considered an asset
• Minimum five years of work-related experience in academic/student advising practices, including demonstrated staff management experience
• Applied Suicide Intervention Skills Training or equivalent would be considered an asset
• Ability to develop a strong team and work effectively as a member of the management team
• Demonstrated knowledge of early intervention and retention strategies, and the role of student affairs in these capacities
• Strong knowledge and practical application of anti-racist, equity, diversity, and inclusion practices
• High level of confidentiality and professionalism, with the ability to approach sensitive issues with tact, diplomacy, and compassion
• Excellent interpersonal skills, with the ability to collaborate and build consensus among multiple stakeholders
• Proven ability to take initiative and champion a project from conception through implementation and evaluation

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