Director, University Governance (Kamloops)

Overview

The Director, University Governance leads the day‑to‑day management and administration of the governance activities of the Board of Governors, the Senate, and the Planning Council for Open Learning (PCOL). Reporting to the Chief of Staff to the President, the Director supports Governance Bodies and works closely with senior university officers and committee chairs to ensure accurate, timely access to information, analysis, and procedural support necessary for sound decision making. The role also oversees policy framework development, continuous improvement of governance operations, liaison functions, and special projects such as governance, business process, and strategic initiatives.

Major Responsibilities

• Lead the University Secretariat team, providing operational leadership and high‑quality service to governance bodies and their chairs.
• Contribute to the development of long‑ and short‑term initiatives for the Secretariat in alignment with the President’s Office strategy.
• Collaborate with senior administration to identify and implement improvements in governance processes, technology, and service delivery.
• Maintain effective working relationships with the Chancellor, Board Chair, President, Provost, and other senior leaders.
• Represent the Secretariat at governance events, orientation sessions, and internal/external forums.
• Provide advice and guidance to governance bodies and chairs on jurisdiction, policy, strategy, and process; anticipate issues and recommend solutions.
• Ensure governance bodies identify, consider, and address all relevant matters, and that information flows effectively among structures and senior leadership.
• Respond to requests from chairs and vice‑chairs for information, assistance, and advice, within Secretariat resources.
• Support special projects such as governance structure reviews, business process reviews, and collaborative initiatives with other campus units.
• Support school and university indigenization projects, equity, diversity and inclusion strategies within the Secretariat and governance structures.
• Plan, organize, and administer meetings of the Board of Governors, Senate, PCOL, and their committees, including agendas, documentation, minutes, logistics, and technology.
• Maintain official minutes, bylaws, and other documents, and oversee the revision and publication of governance manuals and university policies.
• Update and post notices of motion and new or revised policies to the website and community, ensuring timely communication.
• Oversee the Secretariat website, ensuring content remains current and comprehensive.
• Supervise and manage direct reports and auxiliary employees, including hiring, onboarding, performance reviews, and disciplinary action, in consultation with the Chief of Staff.
• Establish clear expectations, foster a high‑performance culture, coach and guide team members, and support career development plans.
• Coordinate elective, search, and board development processes, including support for presidential recruitment, honorary doctorate process, orientation, and student member roles.
• Assist the Registrar’s Office in university elections and monitor vacancies for faculty, staff, and student members of governance bodies.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Public Administration, Business, Law, or Management with a focus on higher education administration, governance, or institutional leadership.
• Five to seven years of progressive experience in post‑secondary administration, governance support, or institutional administration, with demonstrated senior administrative or management experience.
• Experience collaborating with shared governance structures and institutional leadership in an academic context.
• Supervisory or team‑lead experience in a complex institutional environment; experience in a university secretariat is a strong asset.
• Strong understanding of university governance structures, policies, bylaws, and relevant legislative frameworks; demonstrated ability to initiate, facilitate, and assess governance operations aligned with best practices.
• Proven leadership, guidance, and day‑to‑day direction of a high‑performing administrative team.
• Excellent judgment, tact, discretion, and ability to maintain confidentiality with sensitive institutional information.
• Strategic change‑management skills, negotiation, and influence of decision‑makers.
• Excellent interpersonal, organizational, oral, and written communication skills for working with diverse stakeholders.
• Project management skills, including organization, prioritization, and delivery of complex, multi‑stakeholder work under time constraints.
• Commitment to inclusion and reducing barriers for under‑served communities within university governance.
• Current knowledge of governance technology, meeting management platforms, and information management systems.
• Advanced computer literacy (word processing, spreadsheets, presentation software, data management).
• Experience supervising in a unionized work environment, including full range of labor‑relations processes.
• Availability to work evenings and/or weekends as required by the governance calendar.

Additional Information

Legal and equal‑employment‑opportunity statements required by applicable law should be included separately per institutional policy.