ASSISTANT ACADEMIC DEPARTMENT MANAGER - SCHOOL OF

Assistant Academic Department Manager, School of Earth, Environment & Society

About McMaster

Ranked as one of the world’s top 70 universities, McMaster University is known for teaching and research excellence. Our purpose is the discovery, communication, and preservation of knowledge. In our teaching, research, and scholarship, we are committed to creativity, innovation, and excellence. We value integrity, quality, inclusiveness, and teamwork in everything we do. We inspire critical thinking, personal growth, and a passion for lifelong learning. We serve the social, cultural, and economic needs of our community and our society. McMaster is consistently recognized as one of the top employers in the Hamilton/Niagara region and have been recognized as one of Canada’s Top Diversity employers for four consecutive years from 2019 to 2022.  

About the School of Earth, Environment & Society

The School of Earth, Environment & Society (SEES) is a large department within the Faculty of Science, focusing on teaching and research in the areas of geography, geology, environmental and earth sciences. SEES offers multiple degree programs and have students at both the undergraduate and graduate level. The School is proud to have over 30 faculty members, including incredible teachers and world-renowned researchers. SEES offers a working environment that is inclusive, innovative and where our team feel as though they can do their best.

About the Position

The Assistant Academic Department Manager is a critical leadership role within the School and is primarily responsible for supporting the Academic Department Manager and Director in the strategic and operational management of the School. This encompasses multiple functions including graduate and undergraduate programming, fee for service facilities, labs, and external partnerships. In addition, this position will play an integral role in supporting the School strategy by ensuring alignment with the strategic vision of the University, influencing the culture within the School, reinforcing University values and shaping the direction of the School offerings with a forward-looking perspective.

The Assistant Academic Department Manager provides vital administrative and operational assistance to the Schools leadership as well as supporting the visioning and strategic planning of a unit, human resources management, curriculum development, academic planning, advising and scheduling, and other strategic matters. On a day-to-day basis, the Assistant Manager supports the Academic Department Manager by providing leadership and direction to the staff who provide service to students in the undergraduate and graduate programs.

Core Accountabilities

Working alongside the Academic Department Manager, the Assistant Academic Department Manager will provide leadership and support to the following areas:

• Management of financial resources (operating, research, facilities/services, research institutes and centres) of the School.
• Implementation of the Schools strategy, ensuring alignment with the strategic vision of the University.
• Overall management of School infrastructure activities, including staff recruitment, human resources, finance, research and teaching activities.
• Human resources activity (hiring, assignments, conflict and performance management, training and development).
• Physical resource management including space planning and tracking, inventory and asset management.
• Managing the resources and infrastructure supporting education activities within the School with emphasis on academic planning, advising and development.
• Administrative support of research activity within the School.
• Lead or participate in special projects and/or sit on committees as the School or faculty representative both within the faculty, the broader University and in the community.

The successful candidate will have:

• Broad understanding of research, finance, Faculty and University initiatives.
• Experience in managing budgets and various financial resources.
• Knowledge and experience interpreting policies, procedures and guidelines.
• Demonstrated leadership and management skills and be a proven strategic and pragmatic thinker.
• Excellent interpersonal skills, including outstanding verbal and written communication skills and a proven record of demonstrated tact, judgment, and diplomacy.
• Must be organized, a long-range planner and an accomplished problem-solver, able to quickly assess situations and individuals and lead solutions.
• Demonstrated ability to make independent decisions and to build consensus.
• Proven track record of successful relationship-building is essential as this role must work effectively and collaboratively across faculties and departments, with various internal and external stakeholders.
• Tact, diplomacy, negotiating and persuasion skills, strategic thinking, superior communications skills, able to build and inspire trust and build bridges and relationships.
• Has a Bachelor’s level degree in business, management or a related field, or working towards a professional designation such as a CPA, MBA, etc.
• 3-5 years of supervisory or management experience