Additional Information:

Northern Lakes College is seeking a visionary, strategic, and innovative leader to join the President’s executive team as Vice President, Academic (VPA), who will operate within the context of respect for culture and the needs of communities. Reporting directly to the President, the VPA is the senior academic officer of the college and has overall responsibility for providing leadership, management, and strategic planning for a broad range of academic programs and ensuring alignment with the College mission, vision, values, and goals. The incumbent will be an active participant in the overall management of the college as a member of the Senior Leadership Team and is responsible for a wide range of academic areas and personnel that support the College’s teaching and learning purpose.
The VPA is responsible for all credit programming including Academic Upgrading, Business, Community Adult Learning Programs, Health, Human Service Careers, Trades, Technology, University Studies, and all non-credit programming offered in our Continuing Education and Corporate Training department. The incumbent’s academic leadership must have a view to maintain excellence while encouraging improvement, innovation, and interdisciplinary collaboration, all within the mandate of serving students and communities within their context. The VPA is responsible to chair the Deans’ Council, the Strategic Enrollment Management Committee, the Indigenous Advisory Council, and has oversight for Academic Council and other groups and initiatives as required.

This leader is a strong communicator and enthusiastic relationship builder. The VPA is able to inspire and generate excitement around current and future college programming by fostering a climate that encourages faculty, staff, and students to identify and pursue innovation, and by promoting excellence and integrity in teaching and learning.

The VPA will have the capacity to listen and make decisions grounded in a commitment to equality, diversity, inclusion, collaboration, and to providing relevant and timely programming in our changing world.

This position is located in Slave Lake, AB.

KEY ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES

Academic Leadership and Quality Assurance
• Provide leadership in sustaining and enhancing student-centred instruction and service quality;
• Ensure the development, review, enhancement, and delivery of relevant, in-demand programming;
• Work within the College model of community engagement including consulting with communities on programming needs;
• Represent the College on Senior Academic Officers’ groups;
• Lead and support evaluation of deans and direct reports as required;
• Develop, implement, and maintain a formal program review process;
• Collaboratively create and implement, and annually communicate and review a Master Academic Plan;
• Support and lead the development of policies, procedures and regulations;
• Support accreditation and curriculum development;
• Lead Academic Council and Chair other committees and groups as required;
• Engage with the Senior Leadership Team, Deans’ Council, Academic Council, Student’s Association, Faculty Association, the Programs and Services Committee, and other groups as required;
• Support, nurture, and advance the existing culture of innovation and excellence;
• Participate in collective bargaining;
• Participate in data gathering and decision making processes;
• Identify and provide professional development opportunities for staff;
• Initiate and develop transfer and exchange agreements with provincial, national, and international partners as required;
• Work closely with deans to enhance the existing program review process;
• Lead and participate in the performance appraisal process as required;

Collaboration and Relationships
• Build strong relationships within the College through collaborative engagement;
• Develop and sustain positive relationships with Ministry of Advanced Education representatives;
• Build collaborative relationships with external stakeholders such as our communities, school divisions, business and industry representatives, and others;
• Work with stakeholders to create and advance an institutional culture that values scholarship, imagination, and creative activity while maintaining a focus on teaching and learning;
• Coach and mentor direct reports;

Strategic Planning
• Lead and participate in the development of strategic planning procedures and documents.
• Participate in Executive and Board planning activities;
• Foster a commitment to accessibility, equity, diversity, and inclusion;
• Support a culture of indigenization;

Financial Management and Accountability
• Participate in and accept accountability for budget development, monitoring, and expenditures;
• Develop procedures and processes for program resource allocation, programming, and other purposes;
• Provide leadership in resource utilization to maximize student and faculty experience;
• Participate and lead proposal writing and grant procurement.

THE PERSON

QUALIFICATIONS AND EDUCATIONAL REQUIREMENTS
The successful candidate will have a completed master’s degree, terminal degree preferred, in a related field, with six or more years related experience in a post-secondary environment. Essential is a broad understanding of institutional and academic leadership strategies and functions, and an outstanding, demonstratable record of academic and leadership success within a public governance structure. Required is an ability to motivate and create a sense of common purpose amongst faculty, staff, students and stakeholders within a culture of innovation. In-depth knowledge of funding opportunities and success in proposal and grant writing is essential. Demonstrated proficiency in strategic planning, implementation and integration across multiple portfolios is required, as is superior skills in collaboration, communication, planning, analysis, problem solving, decision-making, and in presenting ideas. The VPA must be adept at conflict resolution, leading change, willing to take on challenges, and comfortable in an environment of change. Familiarity and experience working in a unionized environment and the ability to travel within the province is required.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ATTRIBUTES

Strategic and Business Planning: Provides leadership in planning initiatives and ensures accountability for achievement of results throughout the division. Maintains focus on the strategic direction and long-term vision while balancing the need to address immediate and emerging needs.

Institutional Research: Maintains knowledge of institutional research requirements, practices and trends. Also, oversees program accreditations, paying attention to standards and learning outcomes.
Service Excellence: Ensures student satisfaction while effectively managing customer expectations within the context of the College’s priorities, policies, and delivery standards.

Relationship Building: Effectively builds relationships with a wide variety of stakeholders both internal and external to the institution. Flexible, adaptable and collaborative while demonstrating a positive attitude. Diplomatic with well- developed negotiation skills. Strong stakeholder management skills to build and maintain relationships in the community.

Communication Skills: Open, honest, and tactful with all audiences. Demonstrates respect to all in a clear and straightforward manner.

Creativity and Innovation: The ability to utilize theory, principles, and experience to develop new and unique ways to address existing issues and / or increase efficiency and effectiveness.

Leadership Skills: Collaborative, progressive, and innovative. Develops and mentors others to be leaders. Creates, supports, and leads by example in building high-performing teams and a positive culture. Is appreciative, understanding, and knowledgeable of issues and concerns. Identifies opportunities, inspires action, and achieves results. Prioritizes competing demands.

Integrity and Trust: Honest, sincere, dependable, authentic and trustworthy. High ethical standards and integrity in working with all staff, students and external stakeholders.

Politically Astute: Knows and understands legislative and regulatory processes with the intuitive ability to read the room and understand political implications of recommendations and actions. Makes solid and informed recommendations and decisions.

Management Skills: Encourages and inspires innovation. Ensures timely and efficient budgeting and financial reporting. Uses resources effectively and efficiently; sets clear expectations and ensures accountability.

Decision-Making: Assesses complex/sensitive situations to determine importance, urgency, and risk. Makes decisions based on real data, after considering all sides of an issue, and ones that support the policies of the institution.

Financial Management: Leads with a strong sense of service, efficiency, integrity, communication, and transparency in all budgeting, financing, and reporting.

COMPENSATION

A competitive compensation package will be provided including an attractive base salary and excellent benefits. Further details will be discussed in a personal interview.

For further information contact:

Ardyce Kouri or Diana Ly
Leaders International
Suite 501 Fox One 10226 – 104 Street
Edmonton, AB T5J 1B8
Phone: 780-420-9900 Email: Edmonton@Leadersinternational.com