Dean, Academics

THE ORGANIZATION: NORTHERN LIGHTS COLLEGE
Northern Lights College (“NLC”) serves an area covering more than 324,000 square kilometres in northern British Columbia. NLC opened in 1975, and has campus locations in Chetwynd, Dawson Creek, Fort Nelson, Fort St. John, and Tumbler Ridge, along with access centres in Atlin and Dease Lake.

NLC is a member of British Columbia Colleges (“BC Colleges”), a provincial group comprised of 11 colleges from throughout the Province of British Columbia. BC Colleges has a unique regional advantage and a long history of collaboration with industry, employers, communities and policy makers. This collaborative approach allows BC Colleges to graduate highly skilled workers who are equipped to support their families, build healthier communities and power the economy in all regions of British Columbia.

Mission: Enriching lives, communities, and industry in northern British Columbia and the world through accessible, applied, and academic learning.
Vision: NLC is the college of choice for energy and technology training, and academic and lifelong learning—in or beyond the classroom.
Values:
Heart – We value the emotional connections we have to each other and to those we serve.
Respect – We have mutual appreciation and trust for one another, no matter our differences.
Integrity – We take responsibility for everything we do, no matter the outcome.
Innovation – We encourage initiatives that create opportunities for constructive change.
Excellence – We strive to produce quality work that is both accurate and insightful.

To learn more, please visit Northern Lights College’s website: https://www.nlc.bc.ca/

THE OPPORTUNITY: DEAN, ACADEMICS
Reporting to the Vice-President Academic and Research, the Dean, Academics is a key member of Northern Lights College’s (NLC) academic leadership team and is responsible for providing strategic, academic, and administrative leadership to the faculty and staff of the division. The Dean will foster academic excellence, support faculty development, and advocate for the role of undergraduate arts and sciences education in the life of the college and broader society. As a leader, the Dean will champion community engagement and relevant programming and will contribute to the implementation of NLC’s strategic plan.

Key Responsibilities:
The Dean is a senior administrator responsible for the academic, operational, and financial leadership of the Academic division at Northern Lights College. The role involves balancing the needs of faculty, staff, and students while aligning with the broader institutional vision and external stakeholders.

The Dean is responsible for the following areas of oversight:
• Strategic Leadership: Develop and advance a compelling academic vision for Arts, Sciences, Education, and upgrading programming aligned with NLC’s institutional priorities. Support innovation in curriculum, pedagogy, and experiential learning.
• Operational and Administrative Oversight: Provide effective oversight of budgets, staffing, resource allocation, policy implementation, and compliance with collective agreements.
• Advocacy and Relationship Building: Serve as an articulate and passionate advocate for undergraduate academic programming and upgrading. Build strong relationships within the college and externally with community, government, and academic partners.
• Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Reconciliation: Advance a culture of inclusion and respect, address systemic barriers, advance truth and reconciliation, and ensure that equity, diversity, inclusion, and reconciliation principles are embedded in academic and administrative practices.

Skills and Attributes:
• A visionary and strategic thinker with a passion for Arts, Sciences, Education, and Adult upgrading;
• A collaborative and transparent leader committed to inclusive decision-making;
• An excellent communicator and active listener with strong interpersonal skills;
• A principled and courageous decision-maker who leads with integrity and commitment;
• A community-builder who inspires trust, inclusion, and shared vision;
• Courageous leadership with the ability to face challenges, and to exercise integrity, flexibility, and wisdom;
• A facilitative and decisive style, with the ability to exercise good judgment and make timely, informed decisions;
• Inclusive leadership: a role model and champion for change with a demonstrated commitment to embedding equity, diversity, inclusion and reconciliation into practices and processes.

THE PERSON
Qualifications and Experience:
• Advanced academic credentials;
• Significant experience in a senior academic leadership role in a unionized environment;
• Relevant administrative experience including performance evaluation, project management, budgeting, annual reporting, and successful fundraising efforts;
• Experience working collegially and effectively within a unionized environment, building trusting relationships both internally and externally;
• Demonstrated experience in conflict management, with strong ability to navigate difficult and complex situations in a calm, clear, and consistent manner;
• An understanding of the current provincial funding landscape;
• Demonstrated skill in institutional strategic planning;
• Evidence of exceptional team building skills and consultative practice.

Competencies and Personal Characteristics:
Leadership – Achieves desired organizational results by encouraging and supporting the contribution of others; a proactive and positive team player who acts with a sense of urgency and leads by example; sets and communicates clear goals.
Accountable – Holds self and others accountable for responsibilities; focuses on results and measuring attainment of outcomes in a business focus.
Strategic – Develops a plan in support of organizational strategic direction. Demonstrates an understanding of the link between one’s job responsibilities and overall organizational goals and needs.
Integrity and Honesty – Demonstrates a resolute commitment to and respect for the spirit behind the rules and core values of the organization, setting an example of professionalism and ethical propriety.
Influential and Collaborative – Has an open and consistent approach to working with others and possesses strong interpersonal skills, with the ability to build relationships and develop/maintain partnerships, obtaining stakeholder agreement.
Creativity and Innovation – Develops new insights into situations; questions conventional approaches; encourages new ideas; designs and implements new or cutting-edge programs/processes.
Effective Working Relationships – Treats colleagues, and stakeholders with respect; resolves conflicts in a timely manner, negotiates effectively, and provides effective feedback to colleagues/employees.
Communication – Clearly presents written and verbal information; writes with clarity and purpose; communicates effectively in both positive and negative circumstances; listens well.
People Development – Fosters learning and development of others through coaching, managing performance and mentoring; has a genuine desire to develop others and help them succeed; formally and informally recognizes deserving staff and colleagues.
Stakeholder Focused – Anticipates and attends to the needs of internal and external stakeholders of the organization; keeps stakeholder interests in the forefront.

COMPENSATION:
A competitive compensation package will be provided including an attractive base salary between $116,941 and $155,922 plus excellent benefits. Further details will be discussed in a personal interview.

To apply, please visit our website:

Northern Lights College – Dean, Academics

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Shadyar Shirmast or Greg Longster
LEADERS INTERNATIONAL EXECUTIVE SEARCH
#1160 – 595 Howe St.,
Vancouver, BC V6C 2T5
Phone: (604) 688-8422
Email: connect@leadersinternational.com