Director, University Governance

DUTIES

The Director, University Governance, provides leadership for 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) (collectively, the “Governance Bodies”) and their respective committees. Reporting to the Chief of Staff to the President, this role supports the work of the Governance Bodies and works closely with the Chancellor, Chair of the Board, the President as Chair of Senate, the Provost as Chair of the PCOL, the Chief of Staff to the President, as well as senior administration and committee chairs.

The Director manages the University Secretariat’s support for institutional decision-making, providing advice and guidance on matters of jurisdiction, strategy, policy, and governance process. In doing so, the Director ensures that the Governance Bodies have accurate, timely access to the information, analysis, and procedural support required to make sound and well-informed decisions. This role also supports the University’s official policy framework, overseeing the development, revision, and publication of University policies, bylaws, and governance manuals.

The Director supports the continuous improvement of governance operations to align with best practices in post-secondary governance, increasing the visibility and effectiveness of the Secretariat’s services, and benchmarking comparable institutions to identify areas for ongoing improvement. In addition, the Director ensures effective liaison among the Governance Bodies, senior university officers, and external stakeholders, and contributes to special projects including business process reviews, governance structure reviews, and strategic initiatives at the direction of the President’s Office.

MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES
Organizational Structure
The Director, University Governance, reports to the Chief of Staff to the President and provides day-to-day leadership to the University Secretariat team. On a functional basis, the Director works closely with the Chancellor, Chair of the Board, the President as Chair of Senate, and the Provost as Chair of the PCOL. The Director represents the University Secretariat at various levels and at internal and external events.

Specifically, the Director, University Governance is responsible for:
Acting as a Member of the University Secretariat’s Leadership Team

• Provides operational leadership to the governance support functions of the University Secretariat, ensuring the delivery of high-quality, consistent service to Governance Bodies and their chairs.
• In consultation with the Chief of Staff and senior university leadership, contributes to the development of long- and short-term initiatives for the Secretariat that are consistent with the strategic goals of the President’s Office and the institution.
• Collaborates with senior administration to identify opportunities for improving governance processes, technology, and service delivery, and coordinates implementation of improvements.
• Maintains effective working relationships with the Chancellor, Board Chair, President, Provost, senior administrators, faculty, and staff across the institution.
• Represents the University Secretariat at governance events, orientation sessions, and internal and external forums as appropriate.

Governance Advice and Coordination

• Provides advice and guidance to the Governance Bodies and their Chairs on matters of jurisdiction, policy, strategy, and process. Anticipates substantive or procedural difficulties and proactively recommends measures to address them.
• Supports the work of ensuring that Governance Bodies identify, consider, and address all matters requiring their attention, and that information flows effectively between and among governance structures and senior leadership.
• Assesses requests from Chairs and Vice-Chairs of Governance Bodies for information, assistance, and advice, responding within the resources of the Secretariat and forwarding matters to the Governance Bodies as appropriate.
• Supports special projects that may include governance structure reviews, business process reviews, and collaborative initiatives with other campus units, working closely with the President’s Office and senior leadership to implement strategic priorities.
• Supports school and university indigenization projects, efforts, and teams; plays an active role in the development and implementation of equity, diversity, and inclusion strategies within the Secretariat and governance structures.

Governance Operations and Administration

• Manages the planning, organization, and administration of meetings of the Board of Governors, Senate, PCOL, and their respective committees, including developing internal deadlines, preparing and circulating agendas, supporting documentation, and minutes, and organizing logistics.
• Oversees the assessment and implementation of meeting technology as appropriate, including ensuring that meetings of Governance Bodies are live-streamed in accordance with institutional policy.
• Maintains official minutes, bylaws, and other public and confidential documents of the Board, Senate, and PCOL. Ensures the official repository of University policies is accurately maintained and updated following approved changes.
• Coordinates the ongoing revision and publication of the Governance Bodies’ Manuals, Bylaws, and the University’s Policies. Posts notices of motion and new or revised policies to the website and the university community in a timely manner.
• Ensures policies and procedures of Governance Bodies are accessible on appropriate internal and external-facing sites, and communicates approved changes promptly to all relevant constituencies.
• Oversees the Secretariat website, ensuring its content remains current, relevant, and complete.

Team Leadership and Human Resources

• Supervises and manages direct reports and auxiliary employees of the Secretariat, including hiring, onboarding, providing direction, training, conducting probationary and performance reviews, and disciplinary action, in consultation with the Chief of Staff.
• Establishes clear expectations and a high-performance culture, coaching and guiding team members and modeling key behaviors. Uses collaborative and pragmatic approaches to resolve inter-related service issues.
• Assists team members in defining shared and individual goals, meeting target dates, and ensuring alignment of team objectives with institutional priorities.
• Determines professional development needs for staff and supports the implementation of a professional development plan.
• Identifies additional staffing needs to meet peak operational demands.

Electoral, Search, and Board Development Processes

• Provides support and coordination for the Presidential recruitment and evaluation processes and the Honorary Doctorate process.
• Facilitates training and professional development for members of Governance Bodies on committee structure, function, and relevant policies. Leads orientation for new Board members and Senators, and organizes the Board’s annual planning session.
• Coordinates and supports student members in their roles on the Board of Governors and the Senate. Assists the Registrar’s Office in the conduct of University elections and monitors vacancies for faculty, staff, and student members of Governance Bodies.

REPORTS TO
Chief of Staff to the President

QUALIFICATIONS

Required Education and Experience

• Degree in a related field—Public Administration, Business, Law, or Management with a relevant focus on higher education administration, organizational governance or institutional leadership. A master’s degree and the ICD.I or a similar governance designation is an asset.
• Five (5) to seven (7) years of progressive experience, with some in post-secondary administration, governance support, or institutional administration, with demonstrated experience in a management or senior administrative support capacity.
• Experience collaborating with or providing support to shared governance structures and institutional leadership; experience in an academic context in preferred.
• Supervisory or team lead experience in a post-secondary or analogous complex institutional environment; experience in a university secretariat or equivalent governance office is a strong asset.
• Knowledge, Skills and Abilities
• Demonstrated ability to initiate, facilitate, and assess governance operations in alignment with best practices; experience benchmarking comparable institutions is an asset.
• Proven ability to provide leadership, guidance, and day-to-day direction to a team; demonstrated success in contributing to high-performing administrative teams.
• A strong understanding of university governance structures, policies, bylaws, and relevant legislative frameworks.
• Demonstrated judgment, tact, and discretion, and the ability to maintain a high degree of confidentiality in preparing, disclosing, and handling sensitive institutional information.
• Proven ability to implement change using strategic change management approaches; ability to negotiate and influence decision-makers.
• Excellent interpersonal, organizational, oral, and written communication skills enabling effective, collaborative working relationships with diverse institutional stakeholders.
• Demonstrated project management skills, including the ability to organize, prioritize, and deliver complex, multi-stakeholder work under significant time constraints.
• Demonstrated commitment to inclusion and to reducing barriers affecting under-served and under-represented communities within university governance.
• Demonstrated currency with governance technology, meeting management platforms, and information management systems.
• Advanced computer literacy, including word processing, spreadsheets, presentation software, and data management applications.
• Demonstrated ability, in a unionized work environment, to supervise and coordinate the work of others, including experience with the full range of labour relations processes.
• Availability to work evenings and/or weekends as required by the governance calendar.