Strategic Initiatives Advisor

Competition 2121

This position is part of the Association of the Academic Staff of the University of Alberta (AASUA).

In accordance with the Administrative and Professional Officer Agreement, this position has a comprehensive benefits package and an annual salary range of $71,557 to $119,269.

Location - This role is hybrid with a mix of remote and in-person. Work primarily takes place at North Campus, Edmonton.

Working at the University of Alberta

The University of Alberta acknowledges that we are located on Treaty 6 territory, and respects the histories, languages and cultures of First Nations, Métis, Inuit and all First Peoples of Canada, whose presence continues to enrich our vibrant community.

The University of Alberta is a community of knowledge seekers, change makers and world shapers who lead with purpose each and every day. We are home to over 14,000 faculty and staff, more than 40,000 students and a growing community of 300,000 alumni worldwide.

Your work will have a meaningful influence on a fascinating cross-section of people — from our students and community members, to our renowned researchers and innovators, making discoveries and generating solutions that make the world healthier, safer, stronger and more just. Learn more.

Working for the Dean of Students (DoS)

The Dean of Students (DoS) portfolio supports all students – undergraduate and graduate – in the pursuit of academic and personal success. The Associate Vice President, Student Experience and the Vice Provost and Dean of Students collaborates with faculties, offices, and services across all campuses to deliver effective programming and provides leadership on university policies and initiatives. The portfolio coordinates many services that strive to provide support in all stages of students' experiences, including academic resources, career and professional development, health & wellness services and community resources. The work is based on the portfolio’s values of respect, empathy, collaboration and equity.

Position

Reporting to the Associate Vice President, Student Experience, and supporting senior leadership in the dyad model in the Dean of Students, the position provides leadership,  planning, creativity, and management of specific initiatives and projects from initiation through completion that align with institutional strategic priorities. The position must prioritize multiple portfolio-wide initiatives with varying completion dates. This role is responsible for communicating complex strategies clearly to various partners and contributors. In all facets of this role, this position endeavors to integrate and advance the University’s commitment to access, community and belonging for all portfolio team members, students and partners. This position understands, fulfills, and promotes health, safety, and environmental responsibilities identified in university policies.

Duties

Advisor/Influencer:

• Provides clear and understandable advice and recommendations based on experience and knowledge to support informed decision making by leaders.
• Supports the Associate Vice President and Dean of Students in providing strategic advice and information and responds to various current and emerging issues. As such, the Strategic Initiative Advisor is regularly entrusted with confidential information and must be flexible to respond to the changing priorities in a challenging and dynamic environment.
• Maintains a transparent and responsive relationship with clients and partners. Takes accountability for performance. Develops trust.
• Leverages extensive contacts and relationships across campus to solve problems and gather data. And ensure projects and initiatives are successful based on pre-developed metrics.  

Strategic Thinker:

• Demonstrate a broad understanding of the internal and external context in which the University operates.
• Anticipates issues and challenges facing the university and aligns own projects and initiatives accordingly.
• Leads, coordinates, implements, tracks, and completes projects and events that are in support of the strategic vision and priorities of the institution.
• Plans and schedules calendars with minimal consultation which requires an understanding of portfolio priorities and dependencies to deal with conflicts. Responds to last minute shifts in priorities and emerging issues.
• Incorporates aspects of successful solutions from other organizations but adapts them to create a made for purpose solution for the University.

Issues Management:

• Raise urgent and/or sensitive issues while assessing options, implications and risks, and provide recommendations to the AVP, Student Experience, and the Vice Provost, Dean of Students for consideration and decision-making.
• Creates important, explanatory information from complex quantitative (e.g. financial or statistical) or qualitative data.
• Synthesizes complex ideas for all levels of users. Provides briefing, presentations or reports on findings, including interpretations.
• Direct and prioritize initiatives in alignment with the workflow and scheduling of the AVP, Student Experience, and the Vice Provost, Dean of Students.

Communication:

• Oversees the development of presentations, marketing and communications materials, updates, or reports for all strategic initiatives. Leads and coordinates effective external communication, in collaboration with university-wide partners, to ensure consistent understanding of key priorities and the development of effective, collaborative working relationships across the Portfolio.
• Develop documents, presentations, briefing and speaking notes to support and advance strategic priorities of the AVP Student Experience, and the Vice-Provost Dean of Students.
• Completes report submissions as required for external communications (e.g. Senate reporting, BLRSEC and other required reports as needed).
• Provides advice and counsel to the AVP, Student Experience, and Vice-Provost, Dean of Students on content that needs to be shared and best distribution method.
• Actively participates in Portfolio meetings to gather information and to provide information on proposed and ongoing initiatives.

Project/Event Manager:

• Manages projects and initiatives as assigned by individual leaders or leadership councils, including prioritizing projects based on determined priorities and the availability of resources. Leads complex, specialized project work on behalf of the Portfolio.
• Responds to major changes/issues currently affecting or potentially affecting the Portfolio. Identifies new projects/work assignments required due to current or future directions. Proposes initiatives and projects based on these discoveries.
• Establishes strategic priorities with the Leadership Team to determine initiatives/projects in alignment with the DoS goals and key institutional strategic plans such as SHAPE: A Strategic Plan of Impact Igniting Purpose: The Student Experience Action Plan (SEAP), Braiding Past Present and Future: The Indigenous Strategic Plan, Changing the Story and others.
• Facilitates and presents proposals, recommendations, reports, and other documents through the university governance systems.
• Manages the implementation of recommendation or decisions, where appropriate.
• Meets with sponsors and organizing committees to plan the scope and format of all the DoS events, to establish and monitor budgets, and to review administrative procedures and progress of events.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in a related field. Graduate level preferred.
• 5-10 years of progressive experience where a significant portion of the duties involved managing projects/initiatives.
• Strong strategic thinking, analytical and problem solving skills, and market research experience are essential along with the ability to develop innovative and concrete solutions to complex institutional problems.
• Excellent interpersonal communication, relationship management, and issues management skills with demonstrated experience in conflict resolution and/or mediation in highly charged situations.
• Highly developed level of political acumen with proven ability to successfully collaborate with key campus constituencies including students, faculty, staff, and community partners.
• Proven ability to be innovative, creative and passionate in developing and advocating for new policies, programs, administrative structures and/or modifying existing policies and practices.
• Extensive knowledge of the University of Alberta, its strategic plan, key initiatives, structures, systems, policies, procedures and values.  In all facets of the role, this position endeavors to integrate and advance the University’s commitment to access, community and belonging.