Vice President, New Program Development

At Yorkville University and Toronto Film School, we believe education is more than the pursuit of knowledge – it is a catalyst for transformation. Our mission, grounded in democratizing education, is to create access for learners from every background and empower them to achieve their aspirations and advance their careers.

Who we need

Reporting to the Provost, we are seeking a Vice President, New Program Development. This is a highly influential, high-visibility role leading Yorkville University’s academic growth agenda. You will make an immediate and long-term impact by overseeing the planning, prioritization, and execution of all new program initiatives across Yorkville University and Toronto Film School.

As VP, New Program Development, you will be responsible for shaping the long-term program portfolio strategy, ensuring institutional readiness for new offerings, and enabling cross-functional teams to take programs from concept to launch.

As the leader of the New Program Development team, this role partners closely with Deans, academic leaders, and senior internal stakeholders, as well as external partners, to identify market and societal needs, drive academically rigorous program innovation, and ensure new offerings are high-quality, market-informed, and strategically aligned with institutional mission and priorities, while leading a small, execution-focused team and evolving its structure, capabilities, and operating model as institutional needs mature.

This job posting is for existing vacancy that is a full-time role, currently following a hybrid model, with 4 days a week on-site at our Toronto location and 1 day remotely.

What’s in it for you

Academic leadership and institutional impact. You are motivated by meaningful institutional impact and bring a nuanced understanding of the opportunities, constraints, and evolving policy landscape shaping post-secondary education in Canada. You will apply this expertise to the conception, approval, and launch of high-quality academic programs that advance institutional strategy while meeting the learning and professional goals of a diverse Canadian and global student body.

Influence, governance, and sector contribution. You are seeking a senior academic leadership role with genuine influence, one that shapes academic direction, program quality, and innovation within a progressive institution. This role offers the opportunity to contribute at scale, work within an agile academic environment, and see institutional impact realized within compressed timelines.

Growth. You will have the support and resources to advance your career in meaningful, lasting ways. We provide opportunities for professional development, exposure to best practices across industries, and the chance to contribute to an institution that is continually evolving and innovating.

How you will make an impact

Strategic academic leadership.

You will lead the overall new-program strategy and multi-year academic development roadmap for Yorkville University and Toronto Film School, with a clear mandate to modernize and accelerate program development timelines while maintaining academic rigour and governance integrity. You will identify strategic program opportunities based on labour-market demand, industry consultation, competitive analysis, enrolment trends, and institutional priorities. You will inform long-range enrolment, cost, and revenue projections, ensuring alignment with institutional business and academic plans.

Program portfolio planning and oversight.

You will guide program development from concept through launch, ensuring academic integrity, business viability, and regulatory success. You will redesign and standardize end-to-end development processes to enable speed, consistency, and cross-institutional collaboration. You will work closely with Deans, academic leaders, and the Teaching & Learning team to maintain academic standards, learning outcomes, and curriculum coherence across new offerings.

Program and curriculum design.

You will collaborate with Industry Specialists, Faculty and Discipline Experts, and the Curriculum Development team to design innovative, future-focused programs and courses, personalized learning pathways, and program-to-program intersections. You will lead the design and advancement of competency-based, modular, and flexible program structures, including associated assessment frameworks, with an emphasis on authentic, applied assessments that reflect professional and workplace practice.

Curriculum innovation and credentials.

You will work with discipline and industry specialists to identify opportunities for micro-credentials and stackable learning, both standalone and embedded within credential programs. You will develop frameworks that recognize prior learning and existing competencies, and that support personalized, modular, and stackable learning pathways, including consideration of emerging technologies and artificial intelligence in curriculum design and assessment integrity.

Insight development and external engagement.

You will consult with industry partners, employers, and sector influencers to understand evolving workforce competencies and emerging needs. You will represent the university with external stakeholders, including regulators, accrediting bodies, employers, strategic partners, and post-secondary sector organizations.

Governance, quality assurance, and compliance.

You will establish and oversee governance frameworks, approval processes, standards, and tools for institution-wide new program development. You will steward multiple programs concurrently through the Academic Council, the Senate, and external approval bodies in accordance with established governance pathways. You will support regulatory strategy and relationships in partnership with the SVP, Governance, Regulatory & Government Affairs, and academic leaders.

Learning experience and delivery models.

You will provide leadership and guidance to develop a comprehensive service-delivery philosophy and operating model for high-quality online (synchronous and asynchronous), hybrid, and in-person learning environments. You will conduct internal assessments of strengths, infrastructure, and resources to establish key performance metrics that support a robust program development pipeline.

Operational readiness and program launch.

You will partner with Marketing, Finance, Student Recruitment, IT, People & Culture, and Student Experience to ensure institutional readiness for program launches. You will oversee risk, budget, resourcing, timelines, and performance for all in-flight program initiatives.

Management.

You will lead, mentor, and develop members of the New Program Development team, including Directors, Associate Directors, Project Managers, and Coordinators. You will regularly report to the Provost, CEO, and executive leadership on the program pipeline, performance indicators, and strategic recommendations.

What you bring : The education.

You have a graduate degree in Education, Adult Education, Higher Education, or another directly relevant field. A Master’s degree is required; a doctorate (PhD or EdD) is strongly preferred to support academic credibility and senior-level engagement in curriculum and program development.

The senior-level experience.

You bring 10+ years of progressive experience in educational program development, academic leadership, or related strategic roles within post-secondary education; with demonstrated applied expertise in pedagogy and andragogy, particularly in adult, professional, and online learning contexts. You have successfully launched online, hybrid, and campus-based programs; developed robust program business cases; and navigated regulatory approvals across jurisdictions. You are skilled in market research and competitive analysis and can translate labour-market data into sound academic and program strategy.

The academic and regulatory presence.

You have exceptional communication skills and demonstrated experience preparing materials and presenting to the Academic Council, Senate, Boards, and external regulators. You can influence senior academic and operational leaders and have direct experience working with Ministries of Higher Education, regulatory authorities, and accrediting bodies, including those governing regulated professions.

The leadership.

You are a strategic thinker with an entrepreneurial yet academically grounded mindset and substantial change-leadership experience. You can align strategy, people, projects, and outcomes; influence with and without authority; and lead with emotional intelligence, cultural competence, and diplomacy. You are committed to fostering a diverse, equitable, and inclusive academic environment that supports student success.

The scholarly and visionary drive.

You are a thought leader capable of articulating and advancing a compelling vision for the future of post-secondary learning. You have experience driving transformative change, fostering new ways of thinking, and holding yourself and others to the highest standards of integrity, academic quality, accountability, and ethical leadership.

We welcome and appreciate candidates with a range of backgrounds and experiences. If you have 70% of the qualifications we seek, express your interest.

What you can expect from our hiring process :

A virtual interview with a Talent Advisor discussing your interest in the role and your experience. The conversation will be recorded using BrightHire, an AI-powered video interview tool. More details will be shared when you are invited to interview.

A virtual interview with the Provost and a member of the Human Resources team to explore how your experience aligns with the needs of the role.

An in-person interview with Senior Leaders from the organization who you will work closely with in this role to understand how you collaborate, communicate, and partner across functions.

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