Associate Director, Digital Enablement

University of British Columbia • Vancouver, BC

7d • CA$12,755 - CA$19,906

About The Position

The Associate Director, Digital Enablement provides strategic guidance and expertise to staff and senior leaders engaged in the delivery and support of UBC’s application portfolio, ensuring services are aligned with institutional priorities and evolving academic and administrative needs. This role drives application modernization, rationalization, and innovation through strong portfolio governance, lifecycle management, and vendor oversight. The Associate Director leads capability development, manages risk, and partners across UBC IT to deliver secure, sustainable, and high‑value digital solutions that advance the University’s long‑term goals.

Requirements

• Post-graduate degree.
• Minimum of eleven years of related experience including at least five years of managerial experience plus four years of specialized experience in the design and implementation of major computer systems, or the equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Willingness to respect diverse perspectives, including perspectives in conflict with one’s own
• Demonstrates a commitment to enhancing one’s own awareness, knowledge, and skills related to equity, diversity, and inclusion

Nice To Haves

• Specialized experience in the design and implementation of major computer systems.
• Significant senior level experience in IT Application Development management and operations.
• Demonstrated experience in performance management, career development, succession planning, problem-solving, change management, budget development and financial management.
• Knowledge and experience: supporting SaaS applications in addition to on-premises and COTS; development and implementation and management of ITIL processes and policies; implementation of Lean IT, agile development, and application modernization programs.
• Demonstrated business, leadership, management, and organizational skills.
• Demonstrated and sustained track record and commitment to delivering results and proactively supporting the technology needs of faculty, students and staff.
• Thorough understanding of key trends and players in the Information and Communications Technology industry; higher-education sector.
• Strong skills in strategic planning, tactical planning, project management, risk management, business process improvement, continuous improvement, quality assurance, research, development, operations management and customer service.
• Effective leadership, consulting, marketing, facilitation, conflict resolution, negotiation and team-building skills.

Responsibilities

• Provide leadership in the ongoing evolution of the application portfolio toward increased agility, scalability, and innovation, supporting the adoption of new delivery and operating models and enabling leaders and staff to succeed in a changing digital environment.
• Lead portfolio‑level assessments of application fitness, sustainability, cost, and risk, including identifying opportunities for application rationalization, modernization, and benefits realization.
• In partnership with the Director, define, implement, and continuously improve enterprise application lifecycle management aligned with industry best practices, and oversee transitions to modern operating models.
• Provide people leadership by developing strategies that support staff engagement, capability development, and workforce resilience, while identifying emerging skill requirements and addressing capability gaps across the portfolio.
• Establish and mature product management practices across the application portfolio, including the development and governance of application roadmaps, performance metrics, benchmarks, and executive‑level reporting.
• Oversee relationships with major vendors and service providers, ensuring services are cost‑effective, meet performance and contractual commitments, and align with institutional needs and strategic priorities.
• Collaborate with the Director to design and sustain an innovation framework that enables the continuous evaluation and responsible adoption of emerging technologies to advance UBC’s digital capabilities.
• Provide strategic oversight of application operations by establishing standards, practices, and resource alignment with infrastructure and operations teams to ensure reliable production performance and the effective implementation of automated, secure, and sustainable release and deployment models.
• Serve as a subject matter expert to ensure application services, including those delivered by external providers, comply with institutional requirements for privacy, security, accessibility, social responsibility, environmental sustainability, and applicable policies, standards, and legislation.
• Partner with privacy and security leaders to ensure enterprise applications are designed, operated, and governed to mitigate risk and protect institutional and personal information.
• Provide financial leadership for the application portfolio, including budget planning, forecasting, expenditure oversight, and resource allocation within the assigned area of responsibility.
• Leads and guides the development of function specific strategies and initiatives that are aligned with the department's and the University's strategic goals and long-term plans.
• Provides technical expertise and oversees the expansion of innovative business solutions, programs and services.
• Creates and fosters strategic partnerships and influential relationships with senior leaders within UBC IT and the IT broader community.
• Sources, negotiates, and allocates financial, physical, or human resources to implement and support major projects and programs.
• Develop and administer budgets for the implementation and support of integrated, cost-effective business solutions.
• Approves and monitors plans, performance targets and measures for reporting areas.
• Develops leadership strength in functional areas by coaching reporting leaders and staff in the development of critical competencies and by modeling valued leadership behaviours.
• Provides career planning advice to staff and creates development plans to help staff achieve their career goals including assigning work which leverages their skills and capabilities and provides them with opportunities for learning.
• Anticipates and analyzes trends in technology and assesses the impact of emerging technologies on the business.
• Maintains appropriate professional designations and up-to-date knowledge of current information technology techniques and tools.
• Performs other related duties as required.

Benefits

• 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.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager