Senior Manager of Academic and Special Programs

University of British Columbia•Vancouver, BC

1d•CA$7,502 - CA$10,788•Onsite

About The Position

The Senior Manager of Academic and Special Programs holds significant strategic and operational responsibilities for the planning and delivery of accredited undergraduate and graduate programs within the School of Biomedical Engineering (SBME). These programs include MASc, MEng, PhD, and Engineers in Scrubs (EiS), and must adhere to national accreditation standards. The role involves providing strategic leadership and direction for admissions at SBME, advising on academic procedures and policies for undergraduate (BASc) and graduate programs, and navigating the complexities of SBME being a partnership between the Faculties of Medicine and Applied Science. In collaboration with the Directors of Undergraduate and Graduate Programs, the Senior Manager supports student academic and professional development through various student support systems such as admissions, scholarships, records, scheduling, advising, mentoring, recruitment, and retention. The position also leads special projects like the School’s Indigenous Engagement Program, coordinates summer undergraduate research opportunities, and manages the Vancouver Summer Program. Key responsibilities include developing and implementing effective admissions and recruitment strategies, evaluating current programs, and creating new strategies to attract and retain highly qualified students. The role also oversees community outreach and career development networks, ensuring a balance of priorities and directing workflow efficiently. The Senior Manager contributes to the strategic direction of SBME student services by identifying best practices and improving efficiencies, and is responsible for synthesizing and reporting on student academic information and statistics.

Requirements

Undergraduate degree in a relevant discipline.
Minimum of four to five years of related experience, or an 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

Experience with university student management environment preferred.
Proven supervisory and interpersonal skills with the ability to develop a strong cohesive unit.
Experience using student administrative and advising systems including Student Information Service Centre SISC, eVision, Canvas, Scientia, Faculty Service Centre FSC and OAMS preferred.
Strong written and oral communication skills are required, including persuasive writing, writing for publications, and communication with major stakeholders.
Proven ability to support, engage and lead an inclusive work environment where diversity is valued.
Ability to deal with a diversity of people in a courteous, calm, and effective manner.
Ability to approach interactions with an awareness of sensitive issues.
Ability to be sensitive to the needs of diverse constituents and to recognize and respond effectively to physical and mental health issues in the workplace.
Ability to exercise tact and discretion when handling sensitive and/or confidential matters with both domestic and international students.
Ability to address and moderate interpersonal conflict by confronting issues and taking appropriate action.
Ability to analyse and interpret data, determine implications, and provide recommendations.
Ability to adapt to changing priorities and work effectively in a multi-tasking environment under pressure with a high volume of work and critical deadlines.
Ability to maintain accuracy and attention to detail.
Strong organizational, planning, and time management skills.
Ability to work both independently and within a team environment.
Ability to exercise good judgment and initiative in handling non-routine matters.
Ability to analyze and interpret university policies and regulations related to programs and students.
Ability to learn new technology quickly via self-exploration and experimentation.
Ability to work flexibly on weekends or weeknights at certain times.

Responsibilities

Plans and develops short and long-term strategies for the School’s admissions and recruitment program.
Leads operational implementation and assessment of the School’s admissions and recruitment strategies.
Provides oversight and management of the accreditation process for student programs.
Provides day-to-day leadership and managerial direction to the School’s academic team and develops training programs for staff.
Evaluates the effectiveness of admissions policies and recommends changes.
Evaluates the operational plan for the School's academic programs through the development, coordination, management, and monitoring of policies, procedures, and systems.
Determines deadlines, schedules, and priorities for overlapping responsibilities.
Provides strategic direction in the evaluation of academic programs for recruitment, admissions, and academic advising.
Leads in establishing admissions policies and procedures that foster equity, diversity, and inclusiveness.
Develops and oversees the implementation and assessment of a communication strategy for current students.
Acts as an academic advisor to undergraduate and graduate students and a resource for faculty members.
Leads the process of student appeals at the School level.
Identifies opportunities for improvements in curriculum and co-curriculum/extracurriculum activities.
Expands and implements targeted support programs for students.
Supervises, assigns work to, and performance manages Academic Program Assistants.
Evaluates and interprets unique and non-standard application criteria and provides advising and counselling to students.
Oversees and directs support staff in the processing of applications.
Responsible for the daily operations in support of current and prospective students.
Provides advice to students experiencing academic and/or personal difficulties and identifies students in crisis.
Refers students to appropriate campus units.
Works with Early Alert to report concerns and offer reach outs, tracks all student interactions in OAMS, and follows upon student cases.
Acts as a resource for School leadership, faculty, and staff on issues related to teaching, courses, and students.
Manages admissions to the biomedical engineering academic programs, including application process, onboarding, registration, awards, and resource allocation.
Develops, writes, and continually updates comprehensive manuals, templates, and documents used for various processes.
Oversees the distribution of these manuals/documents.
Provides advice on decisions related to expense allocation for each program area.
Monitors student progress, including meeting timelines, program requirements, student supervisory issues, and academic appeals.
Designs and develops new and innovative offerings to meet the educational needs of graduate students.
Works with curriculum committees of both graduate and undergraduate programs and manages curriculum changes.
Serves as the single point subject matter expert for the undergraduate program accreditation process.
Collaborates in developing a mentoring program for the School’s students.
Prepares reports related to recruitment, admissions, scheduling, evaluations, and student advising services.
Liaises with Graduate and Postdoctoral Studies to manage graduate student academic progress.
Responsible for the administrative processes related to instructional and course coordination of the academic programs.
Liaises with the Faculties of Applied Science and Medicine and other programs across UBC to organize course offerings.
Liaises with the School's HR team in identifying Teaching Assistant needs and training requirements.
Coordinates student recruitment events locally, nationally, and internationally.
Evaluates and analyzes effectiveness of events and strategies for the future.
Develops, implements, and assesses a strategic marketing and recruitment plan for academic programs.
Responsible for developing content for the program websites and ensuring accuracy of online content.
Manages and assists with the development of special projects related to academics.
Supports program quality assurance and evaluation by compiling and analyzing reports/metrics.
Carries out any other related duties as necessary.