Director, Business Systems

Nelson Education LTD; Toronto; Hybrid; CAD 100,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading education content provider seeks a Director of Business Systems to oversee technology solutions aligning with strategic goals. This role entails managing operations, enhancing business systems, and leading a technology team in a hybrid work environment. The ideal candidate has substantial industry experience and a passion for education.

Benefits

Flexible health and dental plans

Health Spending Account for unreimbursed expenses

Employee Assistance Program providing mental health support

Pension plan with company matching

Annual professional development reimbursement

LinkedIn Learning access for skills growth

Generous paid time off policies

Holiday closure from Christmas to New Year

Summer Fridays

Qualifications

• 8+ years in technology systems oversight with leadership responsibilities.
• Expertise in software lifecycle management and project-based work.
• Proficiency in Agile methodologies and business applications.

Responsibilities

• Oversee operational activities of business systems and ensure alignment with strategic objectives.
• Manage a team of analysts and developers to meet project deadlines.
• Direct research and implementation of cost-effective technology solutions.

Skills

Agile development methodology

Project management

Leadership

Problem-solving

Communication

Education

University degree in software engineering or related field

Tools

JIRA

Confluence

Atlassian

ERP - NetSuite

CRM - SalesForce

Job description

At Nelson, we’ve been shaping the future of education for children and youth across Canada for over 110 years.As the country’s largest K-12 education content provider, we remain dedicated to our legacy of looking forward, paving the way in creating boundless, accessible, and engaging learning experiences for all.

Our innovative solutions, including Edwin, our digital learning platform, provide curriculum-aligned content that support diverse learning styles while fostering critical thinking, creativity, and lifelong learning. We listen intently to the unique needs of educators, students, and administrators everywhere, and continuously evolve what we do and build to improve their lives daily.

When we’re searching for individuals to join our team, we look for bold, innovative team players with a passion for education and making a positive difference in our communities. If this sounds like you, we want to hear from you! Apply to join our team today. Let’s Create Possible, one learner at a time.

About the Role

Reporting to the Vice President, Technology Services, the Director of Business Systems will be responsible for overseeing the seamless operation of all business systems, ensuring their alignment with Nelson's strategic objectives. This role is responsible for managing all operational activities of existing systems, collaborating with other business leads, and providing direction and support for new solutions that enhance business operations. The Director will work closely with decision-makers in other departments to identify, recommend, develop, implement, and support cost-effective technology solutions for all aspects of the organization.

Key Accountabilities

• Manage business systems’ operational and strategic planning, including business requirements, project planning, budget, and resource allocation
• Oversee ongoing maintenance, optimizations, improvements, and enhancements
• Direct research on potential technology solutions, integrations with partners, and implementations in support of new initiatives
• Enforce best practices and standards for business systems throughout their development / product lifecycles
• Create methodologies and processes for master data management and integrity across all business systems
• Direct the analysis of documentation and technical specifications for any new application under deployment or consideration
• Direct the analysis of test planning to discover and report any defects, bugs, errors, configuration issues, and interoperability flaws
• Develop change control processes, practices, and guidelines for new and existing technologies
• Determine the selection and appropriate usage of partners, automated tools, accessibility tools, data collection tools, and other tools to support the business
• Apply established metrics to determine the readiness, quality, and operability of software, systems, and products due for release
• Review performance of Business Systems to determine operating costs, productivity levels, and upgrade requirements
• Benchmark, analyze, report on, and make recommendations for the improvement of the Business Systems
• Manage all members of the business systems team including analysts, developers and quality assurance, leveraging agile methodologies and ensuring that deadlines are met
• Train, coach, and mentor staff, and plan and conduct performance appraisals
• Cultivate and disseminate knowledge of systems
• Understand project requirements and ability to work closely with team on feature releases and being pro-active

Requirements

• University degree in software engineering, computer science, or other related post-secondary Technology field.
• 8+ years direct experience in overseeing the design, development, QA, and implementation of technology systems
• 8+ years direct experience as a Technology Manager for major application integration and / or major application product release
• 8+ years of experience managing a team of technology professionals
• Experience with functional, integration, regression, stress, and smoke testing
• Strong understanding of Agile development methodology, Scrum, and software used to manage technology projects, i.e. Atlassian, Confluence, JIRA, etc.
• Strong knowledge of system metrics, best practices and methodologies
• Extensive experience with core business applications : ERP - NetSuite, CRM - SalesForce
• Direct hands-on experience with ad hoc query programs, automated tools, reporting software, API platforms
• Proven data export / import / analysis and problem-solving abilities
• Good project management skills and / or substantial exposure to project-based work
• Excellent understanding of the organization’s goals and objectives
• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• Excellent coaching, listening, presentation, and interpersonal skills
• Ability to communicate ideas in both technical and user-friendly language
• Able to prioritize and execute tasks in a high-pressure environment
• Creative and analytical thinker who is self-driven and capable of working in a fast-paced environment
• Strong MS Office skills - Word, Outlook, Excel and PowerPoint
• Strong systematic troubleshooting and problem-solving skills
• Keen attention to detail
• Knowledge of applicable data privacy practices and laws
• Experience working in a team-oriented, collaborative environment
• Willing to provide support outside regular work hours
• Must be located in the GTA; Hybrid role (in office + work from home)

What We Offer

At Nelson, we believe in taking care of our people.

Your well-being, growth, and work-life balance matter to us, which is why we offer a comprehensive benefits package designed to support you—professionally and personally.

• Flexible and customizable health, dental, and paramedical plans for employees and their families
• Health Spending Account (HSA) for medical, hospital, or dental costs not covered by insurance
• Personal Spending Account (PSA) for wellness expenses, including fitness and health related products
• A comprehensive Employee Assistance Program (EAP) providing confidential support spanning from mental health services to financial counselling, and many things in-between

Financial & Professional Wellbeing

• Pension plan with company matching contributions
• Registered Retirement Pension Plan to help secure your future
• Annual educational reimbursement for professional development
• Access to LinkedIn Learning for continuous skill growth

Flexibility & Time Off

• Hybrid work model with remote and in-office options
• Flexible work hours (divisional dependent)
• Generous paid time off policies, including vacation time, sick leave, parental leave top-up, personal days, and more
• Annual paid volunteer day to support causes you care about
• Holiday closure from Christmas to New Year’s
• Summer Fridays

Don’t have 100% of the above qualifications? Do you still think Nelson is a great fit for you? We encourage you to apply anyway!

Our EDI Statement

Nelson teaches the world by learning from everyone in it .

We are committed to fostering an equitable, diverse, and inclusive workplace environment. This is an integral part of our company’s culture and mission that aligns with our four key pillars of Employee Diversity, Developing Authentic and Accurate Content, Amplifying External Voices, and Supporting the Local Community and Beyond.

We believe in the power of education and our ability to impact social change. Truth, honesty, integrity, and respect guide our decisions and actions in the development of learning solutions that empower success for all educators and learners.

We value a respectful, inclusive, and safe workplace that nurtures belonging and represents many different cultures, backgrounds, perspectives, and opinions. Everyone is free to be who they are.

We foster and continue to build relationships that are equitable, diverse, and inclusive with existing and future partners in education.

We commit to holding ourselves accountable by creating measurable short and long-term goals that place equity, diversity, and inclusion at the core of what we do in our resources, the workplace, the educational community, and in the larger society.

We strive to build an inclusive world for everyone. We are stronger together.

Our Commitment

Nelson is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to Inclusion, Equity and Diversity. As part of this commitment, we do not discriminate on the basis of age, race, sex, gender, gender identity, colour, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, marital status, citizenship, veteran status, or disability status.

Should you require any accommodation during our recruitment and selection process, please reach out to [emailprotected] .