Job Description

Description

Risk Management and Insurance

within

VP Finance

is currently seeking a Full-time Regular

Senior Manager

.


Reporting to the Director, Risk Management & Insurance, the Senior Manager provides oversight of the university's insurance program and risk management services. With expertise in domestic and international insurance, regulatory compliance, and risk mitigation, this role manages over 50 complex policies. The role demands strong leadership competencies, including strategic planning, sound decision-making, crisis management, and stakeholder engagement. As a trusted advisor and subject matter expert, the Senior Manager leads a high-performing team, fosters collaboration across campus and with external partners, and provides expert consultation on high-impact contracts and emergency response.


This is a full-time position (35 hours/week, Monday to Friday), with after-hours availability required for emergency callouts.

Summary of Key Responsibilities

(job functions include but are not limited to):


Leadership and Strategy

Effectively manages the operations of Risk Management & Insurance (RMI), maintaining high standards of service delivery while fostering a collaborative, innovative and results-driven culture within the team. Supports the strategic planning and evaluation of departmental goals in alignment with the university's Ahead of Tomorrow strategic plan. Provides expert consultation on risk mitigation including international travel, driver's registration, volunteer management, events, waivers and emergency response, while maintaining strong stakeholder relationships across campus. Maintains strong, collaborative communication across all levels of academic, staff, and management to share information, gather input, and enhance risk-related processes. Regularly liaises with key departments including University of Calgary International, Research, Campus Security, Emergency Management, Facilities, Environmental Health & Safety, Supply Chain Management, Real Estate, and Legal Services to identify emerging risks and develop coordinated mitigation strategies. Represents RMI on key university committees, contributing subject matter expertise to initiatives that promote risk reduction, safety, compliance, and operational resilience.
Builds strategic partnerships with peer institutions across North America to exchange best practices and enhance the university's risk management capabilities.


Management of Insurance Programs

Oversees the university's insurance program including policy renewals and the development of new coverage strategies to support institutional risk priorities. Serves as the university's subject matter expert on all non-benefit insurance matters, providing strategic oversight of a diverse and complex insurance portfolio. Leads systematic gap analyses of existing insurance policies to proactively identify emerging risks and recommend policy enhancements that align with institutional risk strategy and operational priorities. Supports claims management processes, including liability, automobile, property, and international clinical trial claims, often involving sensitive legal and regulatory considerations. Provides expert interpretation of insurance policies and advises on institutional liability exposure, supporting high-impact contracts and risk decisions. Directs insurance audit processes and coordinates the implementation of insurer requirements, ensuring institution-wide compliance and strengthening operational resilience through strategic stakeholder engagement.

Contract Review

Reviews and analyzes a broad range of complex contractual agreements to ensure alignment with institutional risk strategy, insurance requirements, and legal obligations, while supporting informed decision-making across university operations. Provides expert guidance to key university units including Legal Services, Research, Real Estate, and Supply Chain on insurance and indemnity provisions, ensuring consistency and compliance across agreements. Assesses requests for deviations from standard insurance limits, balancing strategic partnerships with institutional risk protections through informed analysis and negotiation.

Program Development & Delivery

Leads the development and implementation of campus-wide risk mitigation programs and compliance procedures to strengthen institutional risk culture and operational integrity. Conducts risk assessments for new university initiatives and responds to emergencies and critical incidents, ensuring timely, informed decision-making aligned with enterprise risk priorities. Prepares and contributes to key institutional reports, including the Legislative Compliance Report, Environmental Liability Report, and bi-annual submissions to the Audit Committee and the Environment, Health, Safety & Sustainability Committee of the Board of Governors, supporting transparent governance and strategic oversight. Supports the Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) program by reviewing risk reports, advising on individual risks, and enhancing reporting to the ELT and Board committees through improved risk identification and stakeholder collaboration.

Qualifications / Requirements:

University degree in a relevant discipline, supported by professional designations such as CRM, CIP, or FCIP, reflecting advanced expertise in risk management and insurance. 7-10 years of progressive experience in insurance and risk management, including at least 5 years in a leadership role within a high-volume, complex environment. Exhibits exceptional leadership and team-building skills, fostering collaboration, driving consensus, and managing competing priorities with minimal supervision. Demonstrates expert-level technical knowledge of commercial insurance lines, regulatory compliance, and legislative frameworks, with a proven ability to manage institutional risk portfolios. Brings extensive experience working within complex, decentralized organizations ideally in the public sector with a strong ability to navigate institutional structures, manage stakeholder relationships, and contribute to enterprise-wide risk and compliance initiatives. Operational Enterprise Risk Management experience with risk identification, reporting, and mitigation strategies that align with organizational priorities. Applies sound financial acumen, including experience with budget models, insurance premium negotiations, claims handling, and cost-benefit analysis, to support fiscally responsible decision-making. Communicates effectively across all levels of the organization, influencing decision-making through clear, constructive dialogue and delivering impactful presentations to diverse audiences. Maintains high standards of confidentiality, independent judgment, and initiative, with a demonstrated ability to perform under pressure and adapt quickly to emerging challenges.
Understands and complies with the requirements of the University's Occupational Health and Safety Policy, and is knowledgeable about the expectations of the University's Occupational Health and Safety Management System (OHSMS), including applicable Faculty/Departmental/Unit-specific procedures. Ensures all work is conducted in accordance with the Alberta Occupational Health and Safety Act, Regulation, and Code, as well as other relevant health and safety legislation.

Application Deadline:

November 3, 2025

We would like to thank all applicants in advance for submitting their resumes. Please note, only those candidates chosen to continue on through the selection process will be contacted.


This position is classified in the

Management Career Band, Level M3

of the Management and Professional Staff Career Framework.


For a listing of all management and staff opportunities at the University of Calgary, view our

Management and Staff Careers website

.

Driving on University of Calgary Business:

While driving vehicles on University of Calgary business, all drivers must comply with the Driver Requirements outlined on the Risk Management and Insurance website: Driver Requirements | Risk | University of Calgary.

About the University of Calgary

UCalgary is Canada's entrepreneurial university, located in Canada's most enterprising city. It is a top research university and one of the highest-ranked universities of its age. Founded in 1966, its 36,000 students experience an innovative learning environment, made rich by research, hands-on experiences and entrepreneurial thinking. It is Canada's leader in the creation of start-ups. Start something today at the University of Calgary. For more information, visit ucalgary.ca.


The University of Calgary has launched an institution-wide Indigenous Strategy committing to creating a rich, vibrant, and culturally competent campus that welcomes and supports Indigenous Peoples, encourages Indigenous community partnerships, is inclusive of Indigenous perspectives in all that we do.

As an equitable and inclusive employer, the University of Calgary recognizes that a diverse staff/faculty benefits and enriches the work, learning and research experiences of the entire campus and greater community. We are committed to removing barriers that have been historically encountered by some people in our society. We strive to recruit individuals who will further enhance our diversity and will support their academic and professional success while they are here. In particular, we encourage members of the designated groups (women, Indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities, members of visible/racialized minorities, and diverse sexual orientation and gender identities) to apply. To ensure a fair and equitable assessment, we offer accommodation at any stage during the recruitment process to applicants with disabilities. Questions regarding [diversity] EDI at UCalgary can be sent to the Office of Institutional Commitments (

equity@ucalgary.ca

) and requests for accommodations can be sent to Human Resources (

hrhire@ucalgary.ca

).

Do you have most but not all the qualifications? Research show that women, racialized and visible minorities, and persons with disabilities are less likely to apply for jobs unless they meet every single qualification. At UCalgary we are committed to achieving equitable, diverse, inclusive and accessible employment practices and workplaces and encourage you to apply if you believe you are right for this role.

We encourage all qualified applicants to apply, however preference will be given to Canadian citizens and permanent residents of Canada.