ABOUT US

The Division of Housing and Ancillary Services is committed to helping members of the Western community fulfill their educational goals and life potential by providing a first-class residence experience for over 5,600 Western students; delivering superior customer service and quality in food and nutrition; and providing products, retail/technology services and information to support academic, professional, social and cultural needs.

QUALIFICATIONS

Education:

• Undergraduate Degree in Business Administration, Hospitality Management, Communications or a related discipline
• Professional Certification in a related field (e.g. Senior Business Strategy Professional (SBSP), Project Management Professional (PMP), Certified in Management (CIM))
• Masters Degree in a related field is preferred

Experience:

• 7 years’ experience in a related senior-level role, in a large, complex organization, with accountability for leading staff, budgets and projects
• Experience in an academic institution is preferred

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:

• Familiarity with, and experience in the Canadian postsecondary educational landscape would be an asset
• Compelling and persuasive communication skills to engage individuals and teams inside and outside the University
• Business acumen with an advanced understanding of quality standards relative to operational improvement, strategic planning and business growth
• Ability to collaborate across internal and external boundaries to meet common objectives, improve outcomes and support work beyond one’s own unit
• A facilitative and consultative leadership and management style with respect for others and the ability to inspire trust
• Strong analytical problem-solving skills with an ability to compile, synthesize and interpret relevant data from a wide variety of sources, with an ability to pay exceptional attention to details
• Ability to organize and control a demanding schedule of conflicting priorities and deadlines and determine the importance, urgency and risks, and make clear decisions which are timely and in the best interests of the University
• Ability to establish and build healthy respectful working relations with senior leaders, academic and administrative staff, as well as community members
• Ability to ensure expenditures and resources are within allotments, and to make appropriate modifications when required
• Ability to effectively drive and manage change initiatives that align with organizational strategies and/or provide opportunities to increase efficiency
• Ability to deal confidentially with information that has financial, political, regulatory and reputational implications
• Critical thinking and analytical skills to assess complex higher education issues of concern to stakeholders, including the media and the public
• Ability to draw on diversity of skills, backgrounds and knowledge of people to achieve more effective results
• Computer skills with the ability to learn and use relevant software that achieves required outcomes and is in line with best practices; advanced computer skills in Microsoft Office, business analytics and report writing software
• Project management skills to align projects with strategic goals and operational objectives

The Senior Advisor, Strategic Initiatives provides strategic and operational leadership to support and advance objectives related to the Housing & Ancillary Services division. The Senior Advisor is a senior operational leader responsible for research, advice, relationship building, planning, project execution, change management and implementation of University strategies, working closely with the Associate Vice-President, Housing & Ancillary Services, internal and external committees, Directors and University leaders. The strategies usually involve division-wide initiatives (e.g. construction and expansion, employee engagement) and also support campus wide priorities (e.g. homecoming, orientation week, sustainability, food insecurity) in supporting the health and wellness of our residence students.