Dialogue & Conflict Transformation Facilitator

University of British Columbia; Vancouver; Hybrid; CAD 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

A major educational institution in Vancouver is seeking a Dialogue & Conflict Transformation Facilitator to lead various initiatives related to dialogue and conflict resolution. The role requires advanced expertise in equity-centered approaches and strong leadership skills to enhance community dialogue and address conflicts. Candidates should hold a Master's degree and have extensive experience in related fields. This position supports inclusive excellence and requires a commitment to equity and diversity.

Qualifications

• Minimum of six years of related experience.
• Commitment to enhancing awareness around equity, diversity, and inclusion.
• Experience with trauma-informed care and systemic transformation.

Responsibilities

• Leads planning and evaluation of dialogue and conflict initiatives.
• Mediates equity-based interpersonal/group conflicts.
• Designs educational initiatives promoting inclusive practices.

Skills

Equity-centered frameworks

Conflict facilitation

Restorative justice

Facilitation skills

Education

Master’s degree in Education

Tools

MS Office applications

Job description

Job Summary

The Dialogue & Conflict Transformation Facilitator leads the planning, developing, delivering, and evaluation of a range of proactive and responsive dialogue and conflict transformation initiatives, including workshops, trainings, dialogue spaces, conflict coaching, mediation and restorative group processes. They bring advanced expertise in trauma-informed, relationship-centered, and equity-focused approaches to conflict engagement. Their evidence-based approaches are responsive to campus community dialogue and conflict transformation needs, while playing a strategic role in capacity-building and systems change aligned with the university’s commitment to inclusive excellence.

Organizational Status

The Facilitator reports to the Associate Director, Capacity-Building and Conflict Transformation within the Community and Capacity-Building (CCB) team. They collaborate with other EIO team members across both Vancouver and Okanagan campuses, with UBC units, and, as necessary, with faculty, staff, and student groups. The incumbent will work in a standard office environment located at UBC Vancouver, with a hybrid arrangement that requires at least 50% time in person/on site. Some evening and weekend work may be required.

Work Performed

Facilitation and mediation

• Provides institutional leadership in the development and integration of equity-focused conflict engagement strategies.
• Leads the development, delivery, and evaluation of advanced learning opportunities to build dialogic skills where equity-based intergroup conflict or tension exists, with a focus on how structures and relations of power shape conflict in postsecondary contexts. Engages in continuous assessment by evaluating approach, structure, impact of learning opportunities, integrating feedback into future offerings, and re-evaluating.
• Exercises a very high level of judgment and ability to navigate multi-partial perspectives, often with heightened expectations around personal and confidential information.
• Mediates equity-based interpersonal/group conflicts and facilitates conversations across difference, attending to both interpersonal/group dynamics and the structural conditions that underpin conflict.
• Leads restorative processes that help individuals and communities of students, faculty, and staff address harm, build accountability, and foster reintegration through facilitated dialogue and education.
• Provides coaching to individuals on conflict engagement practices using trauma-informed, equity-focused and procedurally fair approaches.
• Advises senior leaders and unit heads on conflict engagement and restorative practices, supporting institutional alignment and strategic decision-making.
• Maintains active reflection and team dialogue on integrating restorative, social, and procedural justice into workplace practices.

Educational programming

• Leads the design and delivery of educational initiatives (e.g., workshops, forums, trainings) that build dialogic skills, conflict literacy, and capacity for restorative and inclusive practices.
• Develops pedagogical frameworks, programs, and assessment tools, overseeing all stages from planning to evaluation for further refinement to maximize impact and learning.
• Leads and evaluates Train-the-Trainer initiatives to build decentralized, unit-level capacity for conflict engagement and restorative practices.
• Collaborates with academic and administrative units to identify conflict engagement needs and plan responsive offerings.
• Develops educational content related to conflict, dialogue, and restorative/transformative justice, and integrates conflict-informed perspectives across materials developed by the CCB team.
• Plays a key role in aligning conflict-related educational offerings with emerging needs and institutional equity priorities.
• Consults with practitioners and stakeholders to ensure programming is contextually relevant and responsive.

Partnerships and administration

• Builds and sustains high-impact partnerships and represents UBC and the EIO in local, provincial, and national communities of practice whose work intersects with promoting intergroup dialogue, conflict engagement, and restorative/transformative justice.
• Collaborates with the EIO’s Institutional Initiatives Planning & Evaluation team to monitor, evaluate, and report on the progress of conflict-related initiatives.
• Collaborates with Indigenous faculty, staff, students, and community partners to support the development and implementation of Indigenous justice initiatives on campus.
• Prepares grant applications, reports, procedural guidelines, and other written materials in support of strategic initiatives. Assists in developing promotional plans for the educational program area.
• Communicates with discretion and care on matters of high sensitivity involving all levels of the university community.

Consequence of Error/Judgement

The Facilitator is expected to exercise a very high level of sound judgment, discretion, and professionalism in managing confidential information and sensitive conflicts as well as equity-related interventions. Inappropriate handling of conflicts or equity concerns could cause serious reputational harm to the university, damage trust within the campus community, and risk non-compliance with human rights legislation. Errors may also impact the effectiveness and credibility of EIO programs and services.

Supervision Received

The position is supervised by the Associate Director, Capacity-Building and Conflict Transformation. The incumbent works under general program guidelines and exercises a high degree of autonomy, independent judgment, and discretion in program execution and stakeholder engagement. Work is reviewed in terms of quality and effectiveness in meeting educational goals.

Supervision Given

May supervise student employees, volunteers, and project staff as needed, and is responsible for hiring, discipline, evaluation, and termination of these roles.

Minimum Qualifications

Master’s degree in Education. Minimum of six 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

• Post-graduation certification and at least 4 years of specialization in intergroup dialogue, conflict facilitation, restorative justice, mediation, or related practices. Evidence of coursework or professional development in equity, diversity, and inclusion is highly preferred.
• Demonstrated fluency in equity-centered frameworks including anti-oppression, critical interculturalism, decolonization, and trauma-informed care.
• Demonstrated leadership in developing and delivering institutional educational programs related to interpersonal/group dialogue, conflict engagement, and restorative/transformative justice.
• Skilled in coaching individuals through conflict using relational, restorative, procedurally fair, and equity-focused approaches.
• Experience advising leadership and facilitating cross-unit initiatives on conflict, equity, and systemic transformation.
• Excellent communication and facilitation skills; able to hold space for emotionally charged conversations with empathy and clarity.
• High level of professional judgment in managing sensitive, personal, and confidential information with dignity and care.
• Deep understanding of the systemic and structural dimensions of conflict in postsecondary environments.
• Comfortable giving and receiving feedback, engaging in team-based reflection, and addressing interpersonal/group conflict constructively.
• Strong organizational and project management skills; able to prioritize multiple tasks and meet deadlines.
• Proficient in MS Office applications, including Outlook, Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.