Associate Director, Strategic Initiatives - Waterloo, Canada - University of Waterloo

University of Waterloo

Verified Company

Waterloo, Canada

3 weeks ago

Posted by:

Sophia Lee

beBee Recruiter

Description

Overview:
Accountable to the Director, Strategic Initiatives, this position is responsible for strategic initiatives within the purview of the Provost.

The Associate Director is positioned to lead large scale initiatives related to the Provost's work, ranging from ongoing activity, such as at Deans' Council to University-wide transformational projects that include multi-stakeholder management, the development and oversight of activity that is adapted or created in response to campus needs and/or emerging opportunities.

In addition to working with members of the strategic initiatives team, the Associate Director regularly collaborates with Deans and ASU leadership to create mutual benefits and ensure alignment with operational and strategic priorities.

The Associate Director translates new ideas, proposals, and opportunities into mature initiatives that receives support from across the portfolio, often leveraging expertise and collaboration across the University.

Responsibilities:

Strategic and operational initiatives, and execution

Leads and manages initiatives through scaled initiation, planning, and execution
Establishes clear, concise agreed upon initiative objectives/goals/vision, benefits, scope and success criteria
Ensures alignment of outcomes and requirements with University and Unit strategies
Demonstrates accountability for activity visibility and management
Establishes realistic plans that proactively manage risks, issues, tasks, schedules, communications, and delivery of solution(s)
Manages constraints (schedule, scope, resources), dependencies, and priorities for projects and activities
Demonstrates strong analysis, problem solving, and conflict resolution skills towards diverse issues
Makes recommendations to the Director, Strategic Initiatives to adjust or intervene in initiatives and projects that are at risk or less successful than anticipated and to escalate issues that could have an impact on the quality of outcomes for strategic and operational priorities

Engagement, organization, and relationship management

Contributes to the production of content related to strategic and operational initiatives, including written communication, and presentations, in addition to working with Internal and Leadership Communications to support new and ongoing activity
Supports the positive reputation of the Office of the VPAP by representing the strategic initiatives team in various settings, as assigned
Offers strong, effective communication skills to enable facilitation, negotiation, information flow, buy in, and engagement on activity aligned to the Provost's priorities
Builds stakeholder relationships based on trust and integrity
Analyzes existing initiatives or projects and initiates opportunities for improvement to enable success

Collaboration and relationship management

Consults and builds persuasive consensus to provide recommended solutions towards complex problems
Participates in working groups or projectspecific teams and supports plans for major institutional initiatives, including but not limited to, activity delegated to offices of Associate Vice-Presidents reporting to the Provost
Works with a diverse set of stakeholders across all levels of the institution to advance strategic and operational priorities of the Office of the VPAP
Develops and manages relationships with broad audiences, including working in collaboration with external consultants
Liaises with internal stakeholder groups to address feedback and propose solutions to common concerns with tact, diplomacy, and a positive attitude
Fosters a culture of positive, supportive communication, and personcentric solutions

Leadership for program operations and special projects

Creates datainformed recommendations and reporting for existing initiatives
Creates and implements longterm operational frameworks to support success, and ensure compliance with new and existing internal and external policies, procedures and processes
Makes critical decisions and escalates concerns based on evidence provided across the VPAP portfolio
As a member of the strategic initiatives team:
Participates in the development of operational and strategic initiatives and vision building
Establishes processes and procedures for project activity

Qualifications:

Master's degree, or equivalent postsecondary education and/or related experience required
5+ years working on special projects with a proven ability to align multiple competing priorities and work from implementation to completion to realize strategic and operational goals
Minimum of 2 years' experience in supporting senior leadership in complex initiatives in a multi stakeholder environment
Experience leading across portfolios of a complex organization, including providing guidance and direction to various stakeholders across all levels Experience developing and implementing initiatives at an institutionwide level, and in estab