Dean, Academics

Northern Lights College; Fort St. John; On-site; CAD 125,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

A community-focused educational institution seeks a Dean, Academics to lead its academic division. The role requires a visionary leader committed to fostering academic excellence and building community partnerships. Key responsibilities include developing a strategic academic vision, managing budgets, and promoting equity and diversity. Candidates must have advanced academic credentials and significant leadership experience in a unionized environment. The position offers a competitive salary and is based in Dawson Creek or Fort St. John, BC.

Benefits

Competitive compensation package

Excellent benefits

Qualifications

• Significant experience in a senior academic leadership role in a unionized environment.
• Relevant administrative experience including performance evaluation, project management, budgeting.
• Ability to navigate difficult situations calmly and consistently.
• Understanding of the current provincial funding landscape.

Responsibilities

• Develop and advance an academic vision for the college's programming.
• Provide oversight of budgets, staffing, and compliance.
• Build relationships with community, government, and academic partners.
• Promote equity, diversity, and inclusion within academic practices.

Skills

Visionary and strategic thinking

Collaborative and transparent leadership

Excellent communication

Principled decision-making

Community-building

Courageous leadership

Facilitative and decisive style

Inclusive leadership

Education

Advanced academic credentials

Job description

Location

Dawson Creek or Fort St John, BC

Term of Appointment

Regular, Full Time (35 hrs/week)

Start Date

To be negotiated

Salary/Benefits

A competitive compensation package will be provided including an attractive base salary and excellent benefits. Further details will be discussed in a personal interview.

Description

Reporting to the Vice‑President Academic and Research, the Dean, Academics is a key member of Northern Lights College's 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.

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.

Qualifications

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.

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.

Applications

Only those applications submitted directly to: Leaders International Executive Search, will be considered.

For more information and to apply, please go toLeaders International: Dean, Academics