Dean, School of Technologies, Applied Arts and Trades

THE ORGANIZATION: COLLEGE OF NEW CALEDONIA
The College of New Caledonia (CNC) has been dedicated to helping meet the adult and post-secondary educational needs of northern British Columbians since 1969. Serving an area approximately 117,500 square kilometers in size, or 12% of the province, CNC plays an important role in training and educating students in health sciences, trades and technologies, social services, business and university studies. CNC is a pillar in its communities and has six campuses across BC’s Central Interior – Prince George, Burns Lake, Fort St. James, Mackenzie, Quesnel and Vanderhoof. Across all campuses, 5,000 students in 90 distinct programs are enrolled each year.

With affordable tuition, practical, hands-on learning and no more than 37 students per class, students can acquire the skills they need for a long-lasting, stable and successful career in as few as 10 months. CNC offers students the ability to easily transfer into the third year of degree programs, with 15 agreements with 10 universities in BC, AB, and elsewhere.

CNC is honoured to work with the Aboriginal people in this region, inclusive of the First Nations, Métis and Inuit peoples. CNC acknowledges the graciousness of the First Nations peoples in welcoming those who are seeking knowledge on their traditional territories. There are 22 First Nations communities within the region served by the College: Cheslatta Carrier Nation, ?Esdilagh First Nation, Kwadacha Nation, Lake Babine Nation, Lheidli T’enneh Nation, Lhoosk’uz Dene Nation, Lhtako Dene First Nation, McLeod Lake Indian Band, NadlehWhut’en, Nak’azdliWhut’en, Nazko First Nation, Nee Tahi Buhn Band, Saik’uz First Nation, Skin Tyee Nation, Stellat’en First Nation, Takla Lake First Nation, Tl’azt’en First Nation, Tsay Keh Dene Band, Ts’il Kaz Koh, Wet’suwet’en First Nation, and Yekooche First Nation.

To learn more, please visit CNC’s website: https://cnc.bc.ca/

THE LOCATION: PRINCE GEORGE & NORTHERN BC
Prince George is a mid-sized city of about 99,000 people located in central British Columbia on the traditional territory of the Lheidli T’enneh. Surrounded by tree covered hills and a short drive in all directions from the beautiful BC outdoors, Prince George has all the amenities of a larger city mixed with the charm and friendliness of a smaller town. Due to being the largest city in the surrounding region and its wide variety of employment options, Prince George serves as a dynamic hub for Northern BC.

Prince George has a thriving and diverse economy that offers professionals and tradespeople numerous opportunities to advance their careers. Prince George is growing faster than both the provincial and national economies in terms of GDP. The largest employment sectors include Wholesale & Retail Trade, Manufacturing, Healthcare & Social Assistance, Construction, and Forestry, Fishing, Mining and Oil & Gas.
The dream of owning a home can become a reality in Prince George, where the average cost of a single-family home is well under the costs in other urban areas across Canada.

Prince George’s location offers immediate access to four-season outdoor recreation activities that are complemented by a full range of urban amenities. Whether you prefer a relaxing day at the lake, hiking in an inland cedar rainforest, kayaking, canoeing, playing soccer or hockey, a day of shopping, an evening spent watching live theatre or a symphony performance, or good food at a top-notch local restaurant, Prince George has it all. And the best part is that everything is accessible, with the average round-trip in Prince George being only 30 minutes.

THE OPPORTUNITY: DEAN, SCHOOL OF TECHNOLOGIES, APPLIED ARTS & TRADES
With accountability to the Vice President, Academic (“VPA”), the Dean, School of Technologies, Applied Arts and Trades (“Dean”) plays a pivotal leadership role in fostering academic excellence, student success, and community engagement. Through a lens of strategic enrolment management, the Dean has overall responsibility for leading, guiding, and managing the development and operation of the School consistent with the College’s strategic and institutional plans. The Dean provides leadership and oversight of program delivery excellence.

The Dean will oversee multiple programs, ensuring alignment with CNC’s mission, strategic goals, and community needs. They balance the operational needs of academic programs with visionary leadership to ensure innovation, inclusivity, and continuous improvement in teaching and learning as well as student success.

The School of Technologies, Applied Arts and Trades (“School”) offers diverse programming, including traditional trades and vocational programming, engineering and IT, mathematics, and graphic and fine arts, across the geographic regions served by CNC. With an engaged faculty and robust industry context, the Dean should work across the region to build relationships and partnerships with industry, the Ministry and SkilledTradesBC, and the many communities that CNC serves in order to build relevance and capacity for the School. Driving partnerships and fundraising are key aspects of the role, as is ensuring a proactive approach to inclusion to ensure learners from diverse backgrounds feel welcomed and are well served by the School.

Nature and Scope:
• Leads the development of a shared School vision, supports the Associate Deans, provides strategic leadership in planning, establishing goals, priorities and procedures;
• Provides leadership and oversight in teaching excellence, curriculum, and faculty development;
• Accountable for budgeting, resource allocation and the overall financial management;
• Responsible for the management of HR, including faculty, operational staff, and Associate Deans;
• Liaises with regulatory bodies and external partners with respect to programming and partnerships;
• Actively engages in contributing to and accomplishing the vision, mission, and goals of the College which includes supporting the aspirations and needs of learners; and
• Promotes a positive work atmosphere by interacting and communicating in a professional manner that demonstrates mutual respect with students and colleagues.

Specific Duties:
• Articulates a School vision, mission, and goals, consistent with CNC’s strategic and academic plans; advises, coordinates, and makes decisions on college-wide operational and strategic matters;
• Keeps the School advised of institutional directions and strategies which have an impact;
• Develops multi-year integrated plans, operational structures, policies, procedures, and communications; ensures decisions are communicated internally and to the external community;
• Leads faculty and staff with respect to institutional policies and procedures, and governance;
• Actively develops and mentors Associate Dean(s);
• Oversees teaching excellence, curriculum development, and faculty development;
• Ensures program quality and integrity; oversees program review, renewal, and outcomes assessment;
• Promotes learning-centered approaches where a culturally inclusive environment facilitates respect, equality and understanding;
• Keeps senior-level administrators advised of initiatives and interests of the School which require coordination and support across the institution;
• Leads and coordinates program delivery and improvement across CNC’s multiple campuses; within a matrix reporting structure, works collaboratively with leaders on other campuses to provide consistent direction on work functions, processes, and standards;
• Monitors enrolment and retention of students; devises, in consultation with faculty and Student Services, strategies for managing and enhancing both areas;
• Analyzes enrollment trends and data to inform decision-making and strategic planning;
• Pursues partnerships and revenue generating opportunities within the College, and with other domestic and international institutions or organizations;
• Builds and maintains strong partnerships with local businesses, industries, and community organizations to ensure relevant academic programs that meet workforce needs;
• Engages with government, educational institutions, and other partners to advocate College’s interests;
• Establishes and participates on advisory committees engaging in college-wide, community consultation;
• Responsible for budgeting and management of finances, including equipment, staffing and facilities;
• Oversees the preparation of the timetable and workload allocations;
• Develops a staffing plan that balances resources, needs, and opportunities;
• Responsible for staff evaluations and, in collaboration with HR, designs and implements performance improvement plans; oversees faculty evaluations, in collaboration with Associate Deans;
• Responsible for addressing student appeals and administering student-related Policy and Procedures;
• Ensures compliance with provincial and national standards, accreditation requirements, and legislation;
• Collaborates with Student Affairs to create an inclusive, supportive, and accessible learning environment;
• Champions initiatives that promote equity, diversity, inclusion and belonging across the institution;
• Works towards and supports the College’s commitment to reconciliation with Indigenous communities;
• Attends and provides advice as requested at all relevant internal and external committee meetings;
• Serves on Education Council, other committees such as Program Advisory Committees, Community Advisory Committees, and external meetings, as required; and
• Responsible for administering of collective agreements.

THE PERSON:
The ideal candidate should be a humble, skilled leader who is well experienced with the complexities of post-secondary administration. Possessing an inclusive and collaborative leadership style, they build engagement with both staff and external partners by creating a true team environment, leveraging the considerable expertise that exists within CNC. The Dean should be decisive and possess sufficient planning expertise and team leadership skills to assist CNC with complex decisions and guide employees through challenging initiatives. The Dean should use their experience with industry, government, and community partners to build relevant, world-class educational offerings for students.

Qualifications
Educational requirement for applicants with a background in:
• Technology or Applied Arts: Master’s degree in a discipline relevant to the School.
• Trades: Red Seal certification in a trade relevant to the School and a Master’s degree in education, leadership, or other relevant discipline.

Professional and Personal Experience:
• Minimum of 5 years managerial experience in addition to 5 years of post-secondary teaching experience. Preference to candidates with teaching experience within a field of study offered within the School; a combination of other experience may be considered;
• Experience in strategic planning and development and implementation of operational plans;
• Understanding of current instructional methods, best practices, and educational technology;
• Proven track record of curriculum development;
• Understanding of the principles and practices of quality assurance, program review and renewal;
• Demonstrated experience in strategic enrolment management and with student success initiatives;
• Considerable knowledge of and experience with budgetary processes;
• Ability to foster relationships with partners—industry, government, and community organizations;
• Working knowledge of and experience with the administration of collective agreements;
• Demonstrated commitment to the values of equity, diversity, inclusion and belonging, with experience leading related initiatives;
• Impeccable interpersonal and communication skills;
• Demonstrated ability to work with individuals in a variety of consultative and collaborative processes;
• Superior ability to develop, interpret, and apply College, government, agency, and departmental policies, procedures and guidelines, and collective agreements;
• Ability to think and lead creatively and strategically;
• Demonstrated ability to develop, motivate and empower a team; and
• Strong organizational, analytical, and problem-solving skills.

Required Leadership Competencies:
• Strategic Planning and Organizing – Aligns departmental priorities with the College’s strategic plan; and other cascading college plans with measured outcomes and uses feedback to make changes as required, and approaches decision making (including, where applicable, program development, modification and or cancellation) with a focus on the potential impact on student enrolment, engagement, and success.
• Relationship Building – Relates comfortably with staff across all levels of the organization; builds rapport in an open, friendly, and accepting manner even when facing tense or demanding situations; identifies interpersonal and group dynamics and reacts effectively; solicits input from others and is continually listening enabling a flow of information that is open and appropriate.
• Service Focus – Values the importance of high-quality delivery; provides innovative service to internal and external customers (colleagues, students, families, visitors, etc.), and understands the needs of the customer and follows up to ensure satisfaction. Able to prioritize and set work activities accordingly and uses relevant skills to achieve goals and finds innovative solutions to achieve the “extra mile.”
• Result Oriented – Takes responsibility for the work; personally, commits to and will be accountable to deliver results quickly, accurately and effectively, and uses thoughtful judgment when responding to challenging situations using foresight to overcome obstacles.
• Initiating Action/Taking Initiative – Readily acts and makes decisions consistent with departmental or College objectives; volunteers readily and takes independent actions when appropriate; leads by example; is a good role model for others to follow and suggests methods and procedures to improve departmental operations.
• Leadership and Supervisory Abilities – Attracts and recruits the best talent; coaches and inspires staff and colleagues; sets expectations, recognizes achievements, and proactively manages conflict; delegates and consistently guides the team towards the outlined goals; clearly defines responsibilities and authority limits of subordinates, and recognizes individual capabilities and assigns work accordingly.
• Problem Solving and Decision Making – Identifies problems; involves others in seeking solutions; conducts appropriate analyses; searches for best solutions, and responds quickly to new challenges; makes clear, consistent, and transparent decisions; acts with integrity in all decision-making, distinguishing relevant from irrelevant information; assures adequate control and accounting of all funds including maintaining sound financial practices, and demonstrates an institutional view.
• Employee Development – Encourages and supports employee participation in personal and professional development; coaches, evaluates, develops, and inspires direct reports; provides constructive and objective performance feedback on a regular basis; acknowledges and encourages reliable performance; proactively identifies and discusses any performance issues in a timely manner, and ensures risks are minimized through initiative-taking succession planning.

CNC is strongly committed to hiring based on merit with a focus on fostering diversity of thought within its community. CNC welcomes those who would contribute to the further diversification of its staff, its faculty and its scholarship including, but not limited to, women, Indigenous, Black and People of Colour, persons with disabilities and persons of any sexual orientation or gender identity. Please note that all qualified candidates are encouraged to apply, however applications from Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority.

COMPENSATION:
A competitive compensation package will be provided including an attractive base salary and excellent benefits. The range is from $116,941 to a control point of $155,992. Further details will be discussed in an interview.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:
Nick Lay or Tony Kirschner
LEADERS INTERNATIONAL EXECUTIVE SEARCH
#880—609 Granville Street
Vancouver, BC V7Y 1G5
Phone: (604) 688-8422
Email: connect@leadersinternational.com