Associate Director, Administration

University of British Columbia - Staff; Vancouver; On-site; CAD 80,000 - 100,000; Full time

Job summary

An esteemed university seeks an Associate Director, Administration for its Botanical Garden. This leadership role involves managing financial and human resources while implementing effective policies and overseeing a team. Ideal candidates will have a strong academic background, extensive administration experience, and dedication to fostering equity and inclusion. Join a historic institution that values diversity and supports its mission in horticulture and education.

Qualifications

• Minimum of five years of related experience or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Knowledge of University administrative policies and procedures is an asset.
• Commitment to enhancing awareness related to equity, diversity, and inclusion.

Responsibilities

• Managing financial administration and human resources for the Botanical Garden.
• Developing strategic staffing plans and overseeing recruitment, onboarding, and performance management.
• Implementing comprehensive operational policies and providing administrative guidance.

Skills

Interpersonal Skills

Organizational Skills

Communication Skills

Financial Acumen

HR Management

Education

Undergraduate degree in a relevant discipline

Master’s degree preferred

Tools

Microsoft Office Suite

Workday

Job description

Staff - Non Union

Job Category M&P - AAPS Job Profile AAPS Salaried - Administration, Level C Job Title Associate Director, Administration Department Administrative Leadership | Botanical Garden and Centre for Horticulture Compensation Range $7,622.83 - $11,886.67 CAD Monthly

The Compensation Range is the span between the minimum and maximum base salary for a position. The midpoint of the range is approximately halfway between the minimum and the maximum and represents an employee that possesses full job knowledge, qualifications and experience for the position. In the normal course, employees will be hired, transferred or promoted between the minimum and midpoint of the salary range for a job.

Posting End Date July 28, 2025

Note: Applications will be accepted until 11:59 PM on the Posting End Date.

Job End Date

At UBC, we believe that attracting and sustaining a diverse workforce is key to the successful pursuit of excellence in research, innovation, and learning for all faculty, staff and students. Our commitment to employment equity helps achieve inclusion and fairness, brings rich diversity to UBC as a workplace, and creates the necessary conditions for a rewarding career.

Job Description Summary

UBC Botanical Garden is Canada’s oldest university botanical garden, first established in 1916. The Garden has a total collection of approximately 120,000 accessioned plants which represent some 6,000 taxa or species. The Garden also includes the renowned Japanese Nitobe Memorial Garden and a Nursery, all of which is situated on the University of British Columbia’s Point Grey campus near downtown Vancouver. It has an annual operating budget of $4.0M, a total annual attendance of 100,000 and more than 50 full- and part-time staff members. It is a popular and busy public venue for events and education.

As a member of the Garden’s Senior Leadership team, the Associate Director, Administration, is responsible for managing the development, planning and implementation of effective and comprehensive operational policies and processes related to a broad range of functions including but not limited to, HR, finance and day-to-day administration of the Garden’s operation.

Organizational Status
Reports to the Director of the Botanical Garden; works with and provides advice and guidance to Garden faculty and staff on all administrative and financial matters. Works with the Finance/HR leadership in the Faculty of Science. Collaborates with fellow leaders in other Science and university departments; interacts regularly with Human Resources, Campus and Community Planning, Building Operations, plus governmental, commercial, private, and volunteer groups, including the Friends of the UBC Botanical Garden (FOG).

Work Performed

Financial Administration
Responsible for the complex fiscal environment of the Garden.

-- Develops budget forecasts, regular financial reports and financial plansfor effective fiscal management of this revenue-based facility. Advises Director on planning and feasibility of significant financial expenditures and projects.

-Assesses alternatives and consequences, assesses impact of surpluses/deficits, forecasts, reviews and explains reasons for variances.

- Manages endowments and specific purpose funds; expenditures and reconciliations; manages the GPO budget of approximately $1.8M with additional income of approximately $2.0M received from revenue sources such as admissions and rental revenues, shop sales, plant royalties, education and training, etc.
- Manages all financial aspects of the Shop in the Garden and Garden Centre (sales = $330,000).
- Manages all financial aspects of the Garden’s professional Horticulture Training Program

Develops and implements unit financial policies and procedures to meet UBC Finance requirements; keeps current with changing UBC financial policies and procedures; ensures appropriate internal unit controls; ensures compliance with Payment Card Industry Policy and Standards and reports to Central Finance on Compliance Status.

-Manages PCI and DCSS Compliance, monthly/quarterly reporting, and annual audit.

-Creates, tracks and adapts Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA) risk management and compliance review process used to identify and address potential information privacy and security issues.
- Assists with developing budgets for specific projects and grant applications.
-Works with the Sustainability Community Programs to perform cost/benefit analyses on course offerings

-Works closely with the Development Officer and fundraisers to ensure that donations are administered and tracked appropriately.

Human Resources

-Develops and executes strategic staffing plans to meet the operational needs of the Garden through different seasons.

-Provides leadership for employment and human resource related mattersfor over 50 Garden staff either directly or indirectly through other managers; develops and oversees processes for recruitment, onboarding, offboarding, professional development and performance management for Garden staff;

- Ensures the University’s policies on equity, diversity, and inclusion are followed within the Garden and are incorporated in all planning processes.

- Provides the Director and senior management with expertise, advice, interpretation and guidance, and ensures compliance with faculty/staff/student collective agreements, UBC and government policies and procedures for all human resources matters.

- Provides expertise and advice to supervisors and managers in the areas of recruitment, training, retention, development and performance management of Botanical Garden staff.
-Works with the Director and senior managers to ensure effective management of unionized and non-unionizedstaff, and to resolvecomplex problems as they arise.
-Manages the process and expectations to ensure that all members of the Garden staff receive regular feedback on performance and a formal performance evaluation annually.
-Ensures volunteers, including FOG members, adhere to UBC and Garden policies.
-Identifies, develops and implements staff advancement and succession planning initiatives to ensure the Garden meets its strategic planning objectives, and implements processes for managing staff advancement and succession within the parameters described by the relevant collective agreements.
-Establishes procedures and reviews internal controls on a regular basis to ensure that retail staff, including admissions, are following appropriate procedures.

–Develops and implements Garden policies for all purchasing activities.

Administrative

Acts as advisor for Shop, Admissions, Events and Membership and works with Marketing as needed.

- Develops, evaluates and implements effective unit-wide administrative policies, practices and procedures.

-Develops policies regarding the use of Garden facilities and grounds rentals by UBC partners, the public, the entertainment industry, and others; liaises with Campus and Community Planning, University Neighbourhood Association, the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure, and other government and community groups.

-Cultivates a collaborative relationship with the large FOGs volunteer group: provides administrative guidance and organizational assistance, and ensures they adhere to UBC policies and best business practice for all activities run by the group, including in the Shop in the Garden and Garden Centre and community and fundraising events, such as Apple Festival.
- Manages and resolves building problems, liaising with Building Operations, Campus and Community Planning, Access Control, and IT Services as necessary.

-Ensures compliance with VCH health and safety inspections, and that Garden retail kitchen areas are kept in compliance.

-Manages relationship with UBC Desktop Services, as well as all IT related computer updates/upgrades and allocation.

- Advises on safety and security procedures within the Garden.

-Serves on various Garden-related committees, including FOGs-Staff Collaborative Committee and Senior Leadership Team.
-Acts as Garden representative on various Faculty committees and University committees.

Consequence of Error/Judgement

Scopeof decision making in the development and implementation of comprehensive policies, procedures and systems for operations and administration has broad impact across the unit and public visitors.

Errors in policy and marketing oversight would cause financial or reputational hardship to the Garden and UBC. HR management decisions significantly impact the daily operation of the Garden and a large number of regular and seasonal staff. Errors in judgement or action could result in serious financial impact, union action, reduced ability to raise funds or poor public image of the Garden, Faculty and University.

Supervision Received
Works with considerable latitude under the general direction of the Director.

Supervision Given
Direct management of some staff and student workers; administrative HR oversight to other staff; operational guidance to other managers and volunteers.

Minimum Qualifications

Undergraduate degree in a relevant discipline. Minimum of five years of related experience, or the equivalent combination of education and experience.

- Willingness to respect diverse perspectives, including perspectives in conflict with one’s own

- Demonstrates a commitment to enhancing one’s own awareness, knowledge, and skills related to equity, diversity, and inclusion

Preferred Qualifications
Master’s degree preferred or equivalent combination of appropriate education, training and experience is desired. A minimum of five years relevant business administration experience with knowledge of accounting principles and practices and HR practices. Knowledge of University administrative policies and procedures is an asset, as is familiarity with Workday and current UBC budget systems.

Skills and abilities

Excellent interpersonal, communication, management and organizational skills.

Ability to effectively recruit, train, supervise, develop and motivate employees in a unionized and public environment.

Excellent planning and oversight skills in areas of finance, marketing and communications and space usage.

Ability to research and develop high quality reports, budget plans and business plans.

Proficient in Microsoft Office Suite.

Strong understanding of financial accounting principles and processes.

Highly proficient with UBC systems and platforms, especially Workday and Teams.