Job Description

The role of the Assistant Vice President (AVP), Housing and Campus Connections is to provide strategic leadership on the development and execution of institutional policies, programs, services, and resources related to the seamless operations of the housing communities for all campus locations, institutional food services operations, conference services, beverage licenses, DalCard and UPass operations, and related contracts.The AVP will provide strategic leadership for the division and serve as the subject matter expert for the institution across all campuses. The AVP keeps abreast of national and international trends in housing and campus services in housing, benchmarks against U15 comparators, and engages with peers nationally and internationally to ensure competitiveness and alignment with industry standards. The AVP collaborates closely with institutional senior leadership teams, government bodies, academic leads, and other stakeholders to align housing operations with strategic goals and fosters collaboration with faculty, staff, and students to develop comprehensive initiatives promoting campus living and student well-being.
Key Responsibilities

• Strategic Leadership: Establishes clear goals and objectives that align with the university\'s Strategic Plan, tailoring them to each unit and campus. This includes assigning responsibilities, monitoring progress, and adjusting strategies as needed. Establishes performance metrics to evaluate success and identify areas for improvement within Housing and Campus Connections. This also involves a crucial role in strategic planning for the housing campus master plan, focusing on addressing the civic housing shortage and aligning with provincial objectives.
• Housing Property Management: Manages all housing and residence properties, including deferred maintenance plans. They ensure that residence facilities foster accessible, responsive, and inclusive campus living for all students through universal management practices. Additionally, the AVP engages in long-term strategic planning to establish capital reserves for the development and upkeep of residences across all campuses.
• Financial Management: Oversees long- and short-term planning, fiscal management, and policy implementation in alignment with the university\'s Strategic Plan. Manages large budgets and finances annually and establishes robust internal controls to ensure the reliability of financial and management information. This includes compliance with all applicable laws, regulations, policies, and procedures.
• Food Services Management: Provides strategic direction for all residence and retail food service delivery across all campuses and providers and is actively engaged with the management of the food service provider. This requires significant collaboration from the AVP to ensure the strategic direction for all residence and retail food service delivery across all campuses meets the strategic goals.
• Human Resources: Ensures the division fosters an inclusive and diverse workplace environment, free from harassment and discrimination. The AVP oversees policies and practices that promote inclusivity and respect for diversity. Ensures that all staff provide service and support to students in alignment with these principles, fostering a culture of inclusiveness and respect throughout the division.
• Conference Service Management: Oversees the planning, coordination, and execution of events and conferences hosted on university premises. Their primary objectives are to maximize revenue generation and ensure client satisfaction. Collaborates with internal and external stakeholders to promote university facilities as premier event venues.
• Agricultural Campus Residences: Has oversight of all aspects of residence life operations, programming, and staffing for the Agricultural Campus.
• DalCard and UPASS Administration: Oversees the administration of DalCard, which encompasses university identification, access control, and payment functions. Also has oversight of the UPASS program, providing HRM transit passes to eligible students.

NoteThis posting is restricted to current employees of Dalhousie University, only internal applicants will be considered.
Required QualificationsThe AVP, Housing and Campus Connections will have ten or more years of progressive senior leadership experience in residence housing, facilities management, food services, or ancillary/auxiliary services. A master\'s degree in Higher Education Administration, Business Administration, or equivalent education and/or experience is required.The AVP will possess the following demonstrated qualifications and experiences:

• Demonstrated leadership competency in equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility, along with strong intercultural and social justice proficiency.
• Expertise in anti-oppressive and trauma-informed practices to effectively address the diverse needs of students and create inclusive campus environments.
• Exceptional interpersonal, communication, and negotiation skills.
• Ability to effectively engage and collaborate with diverse community members, including students and their guardians, faculty, staff, alumni, donors, government officials, and industry partners.
• Ability to facilitate productive relationships and align efforts to achieve common goals.

Assets
Job CompetenciesThe successful candidate is expected to demonstrate proficiency in Dalhousie\'s core and leadership competencies (https://www.dal.ca/dept/leaders.html), in particular:Thinking and Acting Strategically: Develop and implement strategic plans aligning with the university\'s mission and goals. Anticipate future trends and challenges in higher education and proactively adapt to meet evolving needs.Relationship Building: Cultivate strong relationships with internal stakeholders, external partners, and the student body to foster collaboration in and support of division initiatives.Resource and Process Management: Effectively allocate resources, manage budgets, and streamline processes to optimize operational efficiency and achieve desired outcomes. Identify opportunities for cost savings, revenue generation, and process improvement within the AVP\'s portfolio.Accountability for Performance and Results: Set clear performance metrics, monitor progress, and take initiative-taking measures to address challenges and achieve targets. Ensure that key performance indicators are regularly tracked and reported, and that corrective actions are taken as needed to maintain high standards of service delivery.Change and Innovation: Foster a culture of continuous improvement, innovation, and professional development within the AVP\'s division, promoting adaptability and resilience in the face of change. Encourage staff to embrace new ideas, experiment with innovative solutions, and learn from both successes and failures.Respect and Inclusion: Promoting respect and inclusion by working successfully with a wide variety of people and encouraging participation and involvement.Additional Information
Application ConsiderationApplications will only be accepted from current university employees, and each eligible internal applicant\'s application will be reviewed.We sincerely appreciate all applications and note that only candidates selected for an interview will be contacted directly by the hiring department or Human Resources.
Diversity StatementDalhousie University commits to achieving inclusive excellence through continually championing equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility. The university encourages applications from Indigenous persons (especially Mi\'kmaq), persons of Black/African descent (especially African Nova Scotians), and members of other racialized groups, persons with disabilities, women, persons identifying as members of 2SLGBTQIA+ communities, and all candidates who would contribute to the diversity of our community. For more information, please visit .Posting Detail InformationNumber of Vacancies 1
Open Date 06/06/2024
Close Date 06/16/2024
Open Until Filled No
Special Instructions to Applicant
Quick Link for Direct Access to PostingSupplemental QuestionsRequired fields are indicated with an asterisk (*).Documents Needed to ApplyRequired Documents * Cover Letter

• R\xc3\xa9sum\xc3\xa9 / Curriculum Vitae (CV)

Optional Documents

Dalhousie University