Director, Counselling & Psychological Services

Position Title
Director, Counselling & Psychological Services
Research Project

Department/Unit
Counselling & Psychological Serv
Location
Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
Employee Group
DPMG
Position Type
Regular, On-Going
Duration of Contract (if applicable)

Employment Type
Full Time
Full-time Equivalency (FTE)
1.0
Classification
ADM-09
Provisional Statement
This is a provisional classification. Formal regular review classification procedures may be initiated at any time by the incumbent or supervisor after the incumbent has worked a minimum of six months in the role.

About Dalhousie University
Dalhousie University is Atlantic Canada’s leading research-intensive university and a driver of the region’s intellectual, social and economic development. Located in the heart of Halifax, Nova Scotia, with an Agricultural Campus in Truro/Bible Hill, Dalhousie is a truly national and international university, with more than half of our almost 21,000 students coming from outside of the province. Our 6,000 faculty and staff foster a vibrant, purpose-driven community, that celebrated 200 years of academic excellence in 2018.

Job Summary
The department of Counselling & Psychological Services is responsible for the leadership, management, renewal, and continuous improvement of counselling services for Dalhousie. Reporting to the Assistant Vice-Provost, Campus Living and Student Well-being, Student Affairs, the Director, Counselling & Psychological Services provides strategic, clinical, operational, and people leadership for Dalhousie’s counselling services within Student Health & Wellness. The Director ensures students have timely, inclusive, and evidence-informed mental health supports that promote well-being, academic success, and persistence.

Key Responsibilities

Provide clinical supervision, consultation, and case guidance to counsellors and related staff, supporting sound clinical judgment, ethical practice, professional accountability, and the delivery of evidence-informed care.

Provide consultation on complex, high-risk, or specialized cases and support clinical decision-making, risk assessment, and care planning across the counselling team.

Lead continuous renewal, and optimization of the counselling service delivery model, ensuring services remain responsive to evolving student needs, emerging best practices, and organizational priorities.

Build and sustain a high-performing clinical workforce through effective leadership, talent development, workforce planning, succession management, and the cultivation of a collaborative and psychologically safe culture.

Drive innovation, assessment, and data-informed decision-making, leading strategic initiatives, outcome measurement, quality improvement efforts, and service transformation projects that strengthen institutional capacity and student outcomes.

Serve as a key institutional leader and trusted partner, fostering collaboration across Student Affairs, academic and administrative units, health system partners, and sector organizations to advance a coordinated, care-first approach to student mental health and well-being.

Note
Due to operational requirements, the successful applicant is required to work in-person on campus.

Required Qualifications

PhD in Psychology, or equivalent doctoral-level qualification, with registration or eligibility for registration as a psychologist in Nova Scotia, plus significant experience in clinical leadership and management in a related field.

Significant senior leadership experience in clinical, counselling, mental health, or psychological services, preferably within a post-secondary, community health, or integrated health care environment.

Demonstrated success leading multidisciplinary teams, including clinical supervision, workforce planning, talent development, and fostering high-performing, inclusive workplace cultures.

Deep knowledge of clinical governance, ethical practice, confidentiality, risk assessment, documentation standards, and regulatory compliance.

Proven experience designing and transforming service delivery models, including access pathways, intake and triage systems, stepped-care approaches, and capacity management strategies.

Strong strategic, analytical, and relationship-building capabilities, with experience using data, assessment, and quality improvement methodologies to drive service excellence and organizational outcomes.

Assets
Experience within a university or post-secondary student mental health environment.

Job Competencies
The successful candidate is expected to demonstrate proficiency in Dalhousie’s core and leadership competencies, in particular:

- Integrity
- Respect & Inclusion
- Adaptability
- Knowledge & Thinking Skills
- Communication

Additional Information
Dalhousie University supports a healthy and balanced lifestyle. Our total compensation package includes a defined benefit pension plan, health and dental plans, a health spending account, an employee and family assistance program and a tuition assistance program.

Application Consideration
Applications from current university employees and external candidates are assessed concurrently. Current university employees will be given special consideration.

We sincerely appreciate all applications and note that only candidates selected for an interview will be contacted directly by the hiring department or People and Culture.

Diversity Statement
Dalhousie University commits to achieving inclusive excellence through continually championing equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility. The university encourages applications from Indigenous Peoples of Turtle Island (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. In accordance with our Employment Equity Policy, preference will be given in hiring processes to candidates who self-identify as members of one or more of the equity-deserving groups listed above. For more information, including details related to our Employment Equity Policy and Plan and definitions of equity-deserving groups please review our Employment Equity information.

If you require any support for the purpose of accommodation, such as technical aids or alternative arrangements, please let us know of these needs and how we can be of assistance. Dalhousie University is committed to ensuring all candidates have full, fair, and equitable participation in the hiring process. Our complete Accommodation Policy can be viewed here.

Number of Vacancies
1
Open Until Filled
No
Special Instructions to Applicant

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