Director, APSC Student Services

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

Job summary

A leading educational institution in Vancouver is seeking a Director, APSC Student Services. This pivotal role provides strategic leadership for student services and oversees initiatives to enhance the student experience for over 5,500 undergraduate and 400 graduate students. The ideal candidate will have a Master’s degree, at least ten years of related experience, and a strong commitment to equity and inclusion. Competitive compensation provided.

Qualifications

• Minimum of ten years of related experience in academic setting.
• Excellent writing and communication skills.
• Strong commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion.

Responsibilities

• Oversee strategic direction of the Applied Science Student Services Centre.
• Lead development and improvement of student services.
• Manage enrolment and academic integrity processes.

Skills

Leadership

Strategic planning

Communication

Student engagement

Education

Master’s degree in a relevant discipline

Job description

Staff - Non Union Job Category M&P - AAPS Job Profile AAPS Salaried - Student Management, Level F Job Title Director, APSC Student Services Department EDI and Student Success Portfolio | Dean’s Office | Faculty of Applied Science Compensation Range $11,705.58 - $18,265.42 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 December 22, 2025

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

Job End Date Ongoing

This position is expected to be filled by promotion/reassignment and is included here to inform you of its vacancy at the University.

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 Summary

Applied Science Central Student Services is a shared service unit across the Faculty of Applied Science (APSC) including Engineering, the School of Community and Regional Planning, the School of Biomedical Engineering, and the School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture. The unit is dedicated to being an efficient and consistent source of academic, career, and professional development services and support for students through their academic journey in APSC. APSC Central Student Services unit has 4 teams: the APSC Co‑op, Experiential Learning and Professional Development team, the Undergraduate Academic Advising Team, the Graduate Academic Programs and Advising Team, and the Academic Systems Team all under the leadership of the Director, APSC Student Services.

The Director holds comprehensive strategic leadership for a broad portfolio of student services and initiatives in APSC. This includes direct oversight of academic advising, academic integrity, enrolment management, experiential learning, work‑integrated education (APSC Co‑op), and professional development programs. The role is responsible for supporting over 5,500 undergraduate and 400 graduate students across six Engineering departments, the School of Engineering at UBC Okanagan, the School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture, and the School of Community and Regional Planning and over 30 programs. The role has a high‑level ownership of these areas, including the design, development, and continuous improvement of student‑facing systems and services. This includes stewardship of multiple enterprise platforms and advising systems, overall responsibility of cross‑functional teams, and leadership of faculty‑wide student experience initiatives. While reporting to the Associate Dean, the Director is empowered to drive strategy and lead transformative changes across all student service functions.

As a key member for the Dean’s senior management team, the role is expected to lead with vision, innovation, and a deep commitment to student success. The Director is responsible for shaping and executing strategic initiatives that enhance the student experience and contribute to the overall success and reputation of the Faculty, including establishing and refining policies, systems, and practice that reflect best‑in‑class standards and are responsive to the evolving needs of a diverse student population, long‑term financial planning and building strategic partnerships that strengthen the Faculty’s capacity to deliver on its mission. This role will require proactive collaboration with academic leadership, administrative units, and external partners to ensure alignment with institutional goals. Fostering a culture of continuous improvement and using data‑driven insights and stakeholder feedback to evaluate and evolve programs and services, the Director plays a pivotal role in ensuring every student’s journey is supported, enriching, and aligned with the Faculty’s commitment to excellence.

Organizational Status

The Director oversees the APSC Co‑op, Experiential Learning and Professional Development, Undergraduate Academic Advising, Graduate Academic Programs and Advising, and the Academic Systems Team teams serving the Faculty’s student body at both the Vancouver and Okanagan campuses. This role will spend considerable time working with the Dean, Associate Deans (Academic and Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Student Services), Department Heads and School Directors, faculty, staff and students to develop priorities and direction for enrolment management, academic integrity, academic advising, and experiential learning. The Director contributes to the development of Faculty‑wide strategic priorities and collaborates with internal and external partners including units within VP Academic and VP Students.

Work Performed

• Responsible for the collective vision and long‑term strategic direction of Applied Science Student Services Centre. Provides strategic oversight of key academic functions, including strategic enrolment management and admissions policy, academic systems, academic advising and integrity, diversity and inclusion, program development, policy development and student experience for both undergraduate and graduate programs. Ensures these areas and policies are aligned to deliver an exceptional experience for students, faculty, and staff while advancing the Faculty’s and University’s academic mission.
• Fosters a culture of service excellence and builds a high‑functioning team environment by developing HR strategy and planning. Provides strategic direction and oversight of the development and implementation of systems and technologies for monitoring and evaluation of holistic student service programming and leads the design and development for continuous streamlining and improvement.
• Provides strategic leadership and advisory oversight across all units in the Applied Science Student Services Centre, ensuring that policy and process align with the vision and mandate of the Centre, Faculty, and University.
• Advocates for undergraduate and graduate student needs within the Faculty’s policies and practices; ensures students and communities thrive and that student support processes are responsive to the unique needs of a diverse student population.
• Responsible for annual and long‑term budget and organizational planning for the Student Services team, ensuring careful stewardship of allocated resources in accordance with the strategic priorities of the Faculty.
• Responsible for binding decisions on behalf of the Faculty in complex student cases and appeals regarding admission, continuation, graduation, and similar academic‑related matters.
• Responds to complex admissions appeals, ensuring consistency and equity in the management of appeals and admissions decisions in APSC.
• Oversees complex and non‑routine non‑academic misconduct with the faculty, particularly for cases that cannot be investigated by the UBC Conduct Officer.
• Responsible for translating student satisfaction and student success findings into policies and procedures that will increase student satisfaction and retention.
• Represents APSC on various campus‑wide committees and acts on behalf of the Associate Dean, Academic and Associate Dean, EDI and Student Success. Responsible for strategic partnership development with other UBC faculties, university units such as Enrolment Services and the VP Students unit, as well as external organizations at the provincial and national level.
• Performs other duties as required.

Consequence of Error/Judgement

The Director is responsible for managing relationships within a multi‑cultural and ethnically diverse student body. This position has the complex task of coordinating and balancing the distinct objectives of various constituents, often with conflicting interests. Decisions must be in line with Faculty’s goals and integrated with the vision and direction of the university. Decisions impact the quality of academic programs, overall student experience, and influence the effectiveness of student management. This position is critical to the long‑term success on a broad base of functions as the responsible resource to provide expertise on continually improving organizational capabilities and the student experience. The consequence of decisions may have catastrophic financial, operational and reputational impact for students, the Faculty of Applied Science and UBC.

Supervision Received

Works independently under the broad direction of the Associate Dean, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Student Services. The Director proceeds on their own initiative on most matters, new developments and procedures. Work is reviewed in terms of overall achievement of strategic goals by the Associate Dean.

Supervision Given

Leads a team of five professional staff and holds overall responsibility for the strategic direction and performance of the student services portfolio.

Minimum Qualifications

Master’s degree in a relevant discipline. Minimum of ten years of related experience with experience in area of specialisation, or an 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

• Previous experience in senior level leadership role, preferably in an academic setting
• Senior level experience in planning, directing, and managing a complex service program
• Extensive knowledge of academic environments and culture, an asset.
• Demonstrable professional experience in student engagement, student services, and post‑secondary educational programming
• Excellent leadership skills with a consultative and collaborative approach to management and the ability to effectively develop and maintain cooperative and productive working relationships
• Previous experience driving large complex projects, including experience planning and developing strategic plans and setting direction in a complex and multi‑faceted work environment.
• Must have the ability to exercise a high level of diplomacy and discretion in both internal and external interactions. This position requires the ability to thrive in a complex, interrelated organizational setting.
• Must be able to effectively meet deadlines and time constraints.
• Ability to effectively create and manage budgets.
• Requires excellent writing and communications skills, excellent organizational skills and the ability to work well under pressure.