Manager (Outreach)

Job Responsibility:

About Queen's University

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We are committed to employment equity and diversity in the workplace and welcome applications from individuals from equity seeking groups such as women, racialized/visible minorities, Indigenous/Aboriginal peoples, persons with a disability, persons who identify in the LGBTQ+ community and others who reflect the diversity of Canadian society.

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Job Summary

Reporting to the Director, Student Academic Success Services, the Student Academic Success Manager (Outreach) works collaboratively as a subject matter expert with colleagues within the Student Academic Success Services unit (SASS) and across the Student Life and Learning portfolio to lead a variety of programs and services aimed at enriching student life, enhancing the student experience and facilitating student academic success at Queen's. The incumbent manages the unit's professional outreach staff and services and oversees the unit's volunteer peer programs, including the Peer Learning and Writing Assistants and the Bounce Back mentor program, in order to ensure high-quality professional and peer-delivered academic skills support to a diverse student body. The incumbent develops and oversees the unit's communications strategy, coordinates the unit's outreach initiatives, and builds partnerships and programs with faculty and other campus units in order to support writing and academic skill development for undergraduate and graduate students. The schedule for this position requires the incumbent to work occasional evenings and weekends.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Manages the professional and peer outreach programs and services, including the workshop program, peer writing and academic skills services, and the Bounce Back mentor program.
• Determines annual budget for outreach programming and services and makes recommendations for expenditures to the Director
• Works within budget to ensure effective and efficient delivery of service.
• Operationalizes strategic direction of outreach programs and services by setting expectations for staff and providing oversight of program implementation.
• Works collaboratively with the Director and SASS management team on the development and implementation of strategic plans, unit goals, and program policies that ensure the delivery of high-quality and accessible programs for students and the smooth and efficient functioning of the unit.
• Liaises to identify, build, and maintain relationships with community partners, faculty and other campus units in order to support writing and academic skill development for undergraduate and graduate students.
• Plans, prioritizes and manages the work of employees, providing strategic and tactical advice, guidance and coaching. Identifies the need for staff resources, participates on staffing committees, and makes effective recommendations regarding employee selection.
• Manages performance by establishing performance standards, reviewing and evaluating performance and conducting formal performance reviews on an ongoing basis.
• Assesses staff training and development needs and ensures that employees receive training required to improved and sustain successful performance.
• Investigates, addresses and resolves employee/labour relations issues, including disciplinary matters. Makes decisions or effective recommendations on matters involving possible discipline, discharge and probationary termination.
• Oversees the development, coordination, implementation, promotion and evaluation of the unit's writing and academic skills workshop program.
• Oversees the development, coordination, implementation, promotion, and evaluation of the unit's volunteer peer programming and initiatives.
• Schedules and facilitates 1:1 and group meetings for outreach staff and debriefs issues and responses arising in workshops and in 1:1 and other group programming, advancing emerging priorities to the Director.
• In consultation with the Director, develops the unit's short-term and long-term communication and outreach plans and oversees implementation.
• Works with campus and faculty partners in academic and non-academic units to advise and consult on the development, implementation, and promotion of satellite and collaborative programs and services that support student academic success.
• Leads hub-and-spoke model for peer-delivered academic support programming on campus, including developing training and liaising to gain campus-wide buy-in and collaboration.
• Identifies key performance metrics, aligned across initiatives to evaluate programming and inform recommendations for new or improved services that will attract and retain student participation
• Monitors and assesses programming at other universities for best practices, to make recommendations for programming
• In consultation with the SASS team, contributes as a subject matter expert and provides oversight to the creation of print and on-line resources to support student learning, writing and other academic skills development.
• Maintains current knowledge of student development theory and academic skills development and participates in relevant professional associations and conferences.
• Keeps current with academic program requirements and teaching and learning developments at Queen's to ensure responsive and effective programming.
• Provides professional development in the area of academic skills development for staff within SASS and Student Affairs and across the University, including student staff and volunteers, teaching assistants, and faculty.
• Represents SASS, as delegated by the Director, on relevant committees and working groups.
• Undertakes other duties and special projects, as assigned.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• Minimum of Master's level graduate training in Education, Educational Counseling, English, or other discipline related to academic skills development or academic training related to language, writing, learning, teaching or equivalent.
• Demonstrated experience providing leadership and supervision to direct reports, as well as managing large volunteer teams.
• Three to five years' experience providing writing and academic skills instruction/support in a post-secondary context, including workshop design, delivery and evaluation
• Demonstrated understanding of effective and current relevant professional literature, best practices and pedagogy, including the innovative use of technology.
• Demonstrated ability to establish credibility in an academic context
• Strong knowledge of educational program development for diverse audiences.
• Comprehensive understanding of the principles of responding to and evaluating student writing in academic contexts.
• Thorough understanding of the nature and types of challenges related to writing, academic skills development, learning and self-management likely to be experienced by undergraduate and graduate students of diverse backgrounds and at all levels.
• Consideration may be given to an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Satisfactory Criminal Records Check and Vulnerable Sector Screening required.

SPECIAL SKILLS:

• Demonstrated commitment to and ability to apply principles of equity, diversity and inclusion in all programming to build more inclusive programming for all students.
• Ability to motivate and direct others, including ability to manage and motivate a large team of student volunteers.
• Strong capacity for presenting information, advice, and guidance in a clear, concise, and helpful manner.
• Discretion, temperance, compassion, and good judgment.
• Excellent organizational skills, with ability to effectively prioritize competing demands.
• Resourcefulness, creativity, and initiative with respect to program design and delivery.
• Demonstrated presentation skills.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and demonstrated ability to work collaboratively with other professionals and build effective working relationships.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Strong sense of empathy and ability to refer students to other Queen's and community resources as necessary.
• Strong cultural competencies and commitment to intercultural development.
• Excellent analytical and problem-solving capacity.
• Ability to work independently, consult and take direction as appropriate.
• Solid computer skills, including use of Adobe Acrobat and MS Office (Word, Access, Excel, and PowerPoint) is required.

DECISION MAKING:

• Identifies and resolves complex program, workshop and outreach issues independently, referring only highly complex issues to Director
• Effectively manages risks, anticipates challenges, investigates, monitors, and resolves problem areas in order to increase efficiency and effectiveness.
• Recommends budget and staffing complement for professional and peer outreach and peer 1:1 programs.
• Recommends effective strategies for improving or expanding services.
• Evaluates job candidates and makes effective recommendations on suitable hires.
• Makes decisions and/or effective recommendations regarding transfers and promotions.
• Evaluates employee performance and decides on appropriate training or coaching to address lack of proficiency in carrying out responsibilities, or remedial action for staff disciplinary situations.
• Assesses investigation outcome or grievances and makes effective recommendations on appropriate course of action or next steps on grievances.
• Makes effective recommendations on level of discipline up to discharge and probationary termination.
• Makes daily as well as short-and long-term strategic programmatic decisions and resolves problems within policy guidelines; determines when to refer or advise the Director.
• Determines most effective ways to design, deliver, and present programming.
• Contributes to decisions with regard to establishing priorities, setting goals, long-term planning and program development.
• Determines, in consultation with SASS team, most effective outreach strategies for undergraduate and graduate students. Uses professional judgment and knowledge of best practices to determine individual interventions and when and to whom to refer students.
• Determines content and format of online and print resources.

Employment Equity and Accessibility Statement

The University invites applications from all qualified individuals. Queen's is committed to employment equity and diversity in the workplace and welcomes applications from women, visible minorities, Aboriginal Peoples, persons with disabilities, and persons of any sexual orientation or gender identity. In accordance with Canadian Immigration requirements, priority will be given to Canadian citizens and permanent residents.

The University provides support in its recruitment processes to applicants with disabilities, including accommodation that takes into account an applicant's accessibility needs. Candidates requiring accommodation during the recruitment process are asked to contact Human Resources at View email address on ca.edajobs.com.