Intermediate Specialist, Admissions

University of Ottawa•Ottawa, ON

11d•CA$80,942 - CA$102,245•Onsite

About The Position

Student Affairs is at the very heart of the student experience at the University of Ottawa. We recruit the very best future students, support them throughout their university years and leave them well-prepared for fulfilling careers and future studies. Our team of more than 600 dedicated staff provides the services that keep students happy, well and thriving as they pursue their ambitions. We help them apply and enrol for courses, we oversee 11 residences and an award-winning Dining Hall, we organize fun events, we provide extensive recreation program opportunities and varsity sports activities, we run an innovative career development and experiential learning program and much more! There’s nothing more rewarding than helping future generations reach their full potential at a world-class university. With our wide variety of career opportunities and professional development pathways, we’re sure that you’ll enjoy the experience as much as our students do. Under the direction of the Supervisor of Admissions, the incumbent acts as a senior expert to colleagues, recruitment partners, faculties, and campus services and is responsible for adjudicating applications to undergraduate and professional programs. They manage the admissions cycle within their area, applying current policies to support enrolment goals. This role demands in-depth knowledge of national and international curricula and strong expertise in admissions policies. The incumbent assesses complex applications, advises applicants with non-traditional backgrounds, and reviews appeals with clear, policy-based justifications.

Requirements

Completion of an undergraduate degree, preferably in Business Administration, International Relations, or a related field. A combination of equivalent education and experience may also be considered.
A minimum of four (4) years of experience applying admissions and/or academic policies and regulations, ideally within a post-secondary education environment.
At least two (2) years of experience analyzing and interpreting institutional needs and aligning daily work with broader organizational objectives
Bilingualism: French and English (spoken and written), to be considered for this position, candidates must be rated at the Low Advanced proficiency level or higher for both oral comprehension and reading comprehension in their second official language. The rating is determined by a proficiency test designed by the Official Languages and Bilingualism Institute.
Demonstrate excellent judgment and initiative with superior problem-solving skills;
Good interpersonal and communication skills, tact and diplomacy;
Excellent customer service dealing with a diversified and difficult clientele;
Must be empathetic while holding firm to their decisions;
Strong analytical, critical thinking and decision-making skills;
Demonstrated excellence in advising, influencing, and consultative skills, with the ability to actively listen, ask insightful questions, synthesize complex information, and communicate effectively to support sound decision-making and problem resolution;
In-depth knowledge of national and international education systems;
Broad knowledge of university academic programs, structure, and admissions;
Solid computer competency and experience with applications such as the Microsoft Office Suite including intermediate/advanced knowledge of Excel and the ability to keep up with and adapt to changing technology;
Excellent ability to perform mathematical calculations and validations;
Ability to work independently, under pressure with strict deadlines, to handle highly sensitive and confidential material and remain focused in a high-volume, high-stress environment; coordinate a multitude of priorities and tasks;
Ability and willingness to travel both domestically and abroad as well as work outside of regular business hours and on weekends;
Planning: Organize in time a series of actions or events in order to realize an objective or a project. Plan and organize own work and priorities in regular daily activities.
Initiative: Demonstrate creativity and initiative to suggest improvements and encourage positive results. Is proactive and self-starting. Show availability and willingness to go above and beyond whenever it is possible.
Client Service Orientation: Help or serve others to meet their needs. This implies anticipating and identifying the needs of internal and external clients and finding solutions on how to meet them.
Teamwork and Cooperation: Cooperate and work well with other members of the team to reach common goal(s). Accept and give constructive feedback. Able to adjust own behaviour to reach the goals of the team.

Nice To Haves

The University of Ottawa embraces diversity and inclusion in the workplace. We are passionate about our people and committed to employment equity. We foster a culture of respect, teamwork and inclusion, where collaboration, innovation, and creativity fuel our quest for research and teaching excellence. While all qualified persons are invited to apply, we welcome applications from qualified Indigenous persons, racialized persons, persons with disabilities, women and LGBTQIA2S+ persons.

Responsibilities

Apply advanced judgment to assess applications for admissibility by applying and implementing complex admissions policies and Senate regulations across diverse international and domestic academic systems.
Conducts comprehensive interviews using a holistic approach to identify strong candidates, including those with non-traditional academic backgrounds or experiential learning.
Adjudicates admissibility of applicants from national and international systems across undergraduate, certificate, and professional programs in Education and Law.
Utilizes expert knowledge of grading scales, credential recognition, and global curricula to ensure fair and consistent assessments.
Serves as the institutional expert on admissions procedures and applicant file quality control.
Use expert judgment to detect fraudulent documents, assess inconsistencies, and analyze applicant trends.
Guides Information Officers and stakeholders to ensure compliance with institutional standards and regulatory requirements, safeguarding admissions integrity.
Provides strategic academic advice to prospective students and parents on admissions requirements, prerequisites, averages, and scholarships.
Explains reasons for unmet criteria and suggests ways to strengthen academic profiles, including alternative pathways.
Manages complex appeals and liaises with the Office of the Ombudsperson on escalated cases.
Shapes institutional admission policies and streamlines processes to improve efficiency and service quality.
Evaluates enrollment needs to support strategic diversity goals across faculties and targeted international markets.
Oversees quota allocations by faculty, program, and country for competitive admissions.
Prepares and presents complex cases to the Faculty Admissions Committee, assessing academic potential.
Supports applicants facing family, personal, or economic challenges that may affect performance, with a focus on special needs and minority groups to connect them with appropriate services.
Maintains expertise on provincial, national, and international education systems and curricula.
Develop targeted strategies aligned with enrollment and outreach goals.
Collaborate with stakeholders and recruitment teams to advance market development.
Pursues ongoing professional development through specialized training and conferences to apply best practices.
Produces data-driven reports supporting university and faculty enrollment targets, considering retention and academic performance.
May Assist the Admissions Manager in developing training materials for colleagues, recruitment partners, faculties, and services and deliver training sessions to these stakeholders.
Represents Admissions at recruitment events on and off campus, including evenings and weekends.
Travel nationally and internationally for recruitment missions.
Collaborates with stakeholders to provide guidance and training on admission requirements and policies.
Configure decision rules in the Student Information System (SIS) to support electronic application evaluation.
Monitors OUAC grade submissions and resolves anomalies.
Collaborate with the Admissions Manager to schedule offer releases, review scholarship eligibility, evaluate conditions, and manage offer or scholarship withdrawals.
Tests new SIS admission functions and maintain admission content on websites and publications.
Undertakes special projects and other duties as needed.
Champions a client-centered approach by providing personalized, exceptional service to prospective students, parents, counselors, and partners via phone and email.
Anticipates complex needs, manages sensitive cases discreetly, and ensures consistent policy applications with empathy and professionalism.