Director of Operations & Strategy

Western University; London; On-site; CAD 105,000 - 145,000; Full time

Job summary

A prominent educational institution in Canada is seeking a Director of Operations and Strategy to provide strategic leadership and oversee the budget for the Faculty of Engineering. The ideal candidate will possess a Master's or Bachelor's degree, significant experience in a senior role within a complex organization, and preferred background within academia. This role requires strong communication and analytical skills, project management abilities, and a commitment to promoting diversity and inclusion. Applications are invited from all qualified individuals.

Qualifications

• 10 years’ experience in a related senior-level role in a large organization.
• Experience in an academic institution is preferred.
• 7 years’ experience leading staff, budgets, and projects.

Responsibilities

• Provide strategic and operational leadership for the Faculty of Engineering.
• Work closely with senior management and support faculty strategies.
• Manage the Faculty's budget and oversee administrative operations.

Skills

Compelling communication skills

Analytical problem solving

Project management skills

Ability to collaborate

Facilitative leadership style

Education

Master’s Degree or Bachelor’s Degree with relevant experience

Relevant designation preferred (CHRL, CPA, etc.)

Job description

Classification & Regular Hours

Hours per Week: 35

Salary Grade 19

The base salary will be $105,000 - $145,000 per annum. Starting salary will be aligned with the successful candidate’s experience, skills, and demonstrated qualifications.

About Western

Since 1878, Western University has been committed to serving our communities through the pursuit of academic excellence and by providing students, faculty, and community members with life-long opportunities for intellectual, social, and cultural growth. We seek excellent students, faculty, and staff to join us in what has become known as the "Western Experience" - an opportunity to contribute to a better world through the development of new knowledge, new abilities, new connections, and new ways to make a difference.

About Us

The Faculty of Engineering at Western University is a vibrant teaching and research faculty that consists of six academic units: Department of Chemical & Biochemical Engineering, Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, Department of Mechanical & Materials Engineering, Department Electrical & Computer Engineering, School of Biomedical Engineering and the John M. Thompson Centre for Engineering Leadership & Innovation. It is also home to several outstanding research centres including the Boundary Layer Wind Tunnel Laboratory (BLWTL), WindEEE (Wind Engineering, Energy and Environment) Research Institute, The Institute for Chemicals and Fuels from Alternative Resources (ICFAR), and the Fraunhofer Innovation Platform for Composites Research (FPC), as well as the ancillary unit, University Machine Services (UMS). Approximately 3,500+ undergraduate students are enrolled in one of our ten undergraduate programs and 900+ graduate students are completing degrees at the master’s or doctoral levels.

Responsibilities

As an integral member of the senior leadership team, the Director, Operations and Strategy provides strategic and operational leadership to support and advance the mission, vision and objectives of the Faculty of Engineering. The role is responsible for, the provision of evidence based advice to the Dean and senior management team, relationship building, planning, project execution, inclusive and equitable change management and implementation of Faculty strategies, working closely with the Dean, Associate and Assistant Deans, Department Chairs, leaders, staff, faculty and committees. The role will work closely with the Dean and Director of Finance to implement the Faculty’s financial management and workforce planning strategies, and will contribute to the development of the Faculty’s strategic goals. The role provides oversight of the Faculty’s budget, working with the Director of Finance in the preparation of the annual operational and capital budget submission. The Director monitors administrative operations in a complex environment to identify opportunities for improvement, and implements business processes to support the management of operational and legal risk to the Faculty. The role is accountable for providing strategic leadership to operational teams, and will direct and oversee the allocation of the human, physical and largescale resources for the Faculty.

Qualifications

Education:

• Master’s Degree or Bachelor’s Degree with relevant experience
• Relevant designation preferred (CHRL, CPA, etc.)

Experience:

• 10 years’ experience in a related senior-level role, in a large, complex organization
• 7 years’ experience with accountability for leading staff, budgets and projects
• Experience in an academic institution is preferred

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:

• Familiarity with, and experience in the Canadian postsecondary educational landscape would be an asset
• Compelling and persuasive communication skills to engage individuals and teams inside and outside the University
• Business acumen with an advanced understanding of quality standards relative to operational improvement, strategic planning and business growth
• Ability to collaborate across internal and external boundaries to meet common objectives, improve outcomes and support work beyond one’s own unit
• A facilitative and consultative leadership and management style with respect for others and the ability to inspire trust
• Strong analytical problem solving skills with an ability to compile, synthesize and interpret relevant data from a wide variety of sources, with an ability to pay exceptional attention to details.
• Ability to organize and control a demanding schedule of conflicting priorities and deadlines and determine the importance, urgency and risks, and make clear decisions which are timely and in the best interests of the University.
• Ability to establish and build healthy respectful working relations with senior leaders, academic and administrative staff, as well as community members
• Ability to ensure expenditures and resources are within allotments, and to make appropriate modifications when required
• Ability to effectively drive and manage change initiatives that align with organizational strategies and/or provide opportunities to increase efficiency
• Ability to deal confidentially with information that has financial, political, regulatory and reputational implications
• Critical thinking and analytical skills to assess complex higher education issues of concern to stakeholders, including the media and the public
• Ability to draw on diversity of skills, backgrounds and knowledge of people to achieve more effective results
• Project management skills to align projects with strategic goals and operational objectives

Western Values Diversity

The University invites applications from all qualified individuals. Western is committed to employment equity and diversity in the workplace and welcomes applications from women, members of racialized groups/visible minorities, Indigenous persons, persons with disabilities, persons of any sexual orientation, and persons of any gender identity or gender expression.

Accommodations are available for applicants with disabilities throughout the recruitment process. If you require accommodations for interviews or other meetings, please contact Human Resources or phone [phone].

Please Note

Interested applicants are asked to visit: https://recruit.uwo.ca for further information and to apply online referencing job #41657 by 11:59PM on February 8, 2026.

This position is an existing vacancy. We thank all applicants for their interest; however, only those chosen for an interview will be contacted.