Manager, Operations and Business Development - Events

University of Ottawa; Ottawa; On-site; CAD 108,000 - 134,000; Full time

Job summary

The University of Ottawa’s Student Affairs, Client Relations team seeks a senior operations leader on a temporary 8‑month assignment to manage hosting events, summer hoteling, and related services across campus. 35 hours per week, in‑person at Main Campus, and reporting to the Student Affairs department.

You will build supplier relationships, optimize space usage, and drive revenue growth while ensuring high satisfaction and on‑budget delivery.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in event/hotel management or related field.
• 10+ years of experience in hotel/restaurant/event management.
• 8+ years in a team management/leadership role.
• Fluent in French and English (spoken and written).

Responsibilities

• Establishes vision, goals, and target markets for events and summer hoteling services with measurable performance metrics.
• Builds and nurtures relationships with students, staff, external clients, suppliers, and merchants to ensure client-centric service.
• Provides strategic guidance and leadership in HR and operations, including unionized environments.
• Enhances operational efficiency across departments and processes.
• Oversees IT platforms (booking systems) development and collaboration with Housing Services and IT.

Skills

Team leadership

Event management

Customer relations

Bilingual (French & English)

Education

Bachelor's degree in event management / hotel management

Tools

Booking systems

Job description

Posting Reason: Temporary replacement of a regular position

Job Type: Employee

Anticipated Duration in Months (for contracts and temporary assignments): 8

Job Family: Business Strategy and Planning

# of Open Positions: 1

Faculty/Service - Department: Student Affairs, Client Relations

Campus: Main Campus

Union Affiliation: N/A

Date Posted (YYYY/MM/DD): 2026/09/24

Applications must be received BEFORE (YYYY/MM/DD): 2026/10/05

Hours per week: 35

Salary Grade: Non-Union Grade NM1

Salary Range: $107,503.00 - $134,379.00

About Student Affairs:

Student Affairs is at the very heart of the student experience at the University of Ottawa. We recruit the very best future students, support them throughout their university years and leave them well-prepared for fulfilling careers and future studies. Our team of more than 600 dedicated staff provides the services that keep students happy, well and thriving as they pursue their ambitions. We help them apply and enrol for courses, we oversee 11 residences and an award-winning Dining Hall, we organize fun events, we provide extensive recreation program opportunities and varsity sports activities, we run an innovative career development and experiential learning program and much more! There's nothing more rewarding than helping future generations reach their full potential at a world-class university. With our wide variety of career opportunities and professional development pathways, we're sure that you'll enjoy the experience as much as our students do.

Position Purpose :

To ensure the integrated management (planning, organization, direction, and control) of all in-house and outsourced services related to hosting multi-facetted events/activities for the campus community, summer operations/hoteling and technical services to sustain a high level of user satisfaction and loyalty in manner that reflects positively on the University of Ottawa's reputation. Provides transversal leadership to the team to mobilize and seize all opportunities that achieve optimal performance in an auto-financed framework. Demonstrates business acumen in making and adjusting the business planning in response to fluctuating external conditions, market demand and effective management of all internal and external resources.

The role focuses on building supplier relationships, monitoring client satisfaction through key metrics, and developing policies to optimize space usage and operational efficiency. It contributes to business growth by leveraging networking skills, leading participation in major industry events, and forming strategic organizational partnerships to boost campus revenue and enhance the University's external reputation. Additionally, the role involves negotiating and managing agreements with stakeholders, regularly reviewing processes, and establishing financial terms for space rentals to ensure efficient operations, timely payment processing, and optimal use of campus spaces.

In this role, your responsibilities will include :

• Establishes the vision, goals, and target markets for events and summer hoteling services, developing performance metrics and aligning with departmental strategies. Leads business development initiatives by identifying revenue opportunities through targeted markets, sales strategies, and industry partnerships (e.g., with Ottawa Tourism). Continuously evaluates and adapts plans based on market trends to enhance visibility, financial viability, and the institution's reputation.
• Builds and nurtures strong relationships with stakeholders, including students, staff, external clients, suppliers, and merchants, to foster collaboration and ensure a client-centric approach. Uses metrics, surveys, and feedback to monitor and enhance service quality, adjusting action plans to meet evolving client expectations and maintain high satisfaction levels.
• Provides strategic guidance and logistical support to operational teams, adapting team structures to accommodate departmental growth. Manages human resources, including within unionized settings, fostering a productive workplace and ensuring alignment with departmental goals. Stays current on best practices, offering insights to improve departmental effectiveness and maintain high standards in quality, deadlines, and budgets.
• Enhance operational efficiency.
• Oversees the development and upkeep of IT platforms (e.g., booking systems) in collaboration with Housing Services and IT, ensuring they meet departmental needs, reduce errors, and improve productivity.

What You Will Bring:

• Bachelor`s degree in event management, hotel management, a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and work experience.
• At least 10 years related experience in hotel and/ or restaurant industry, event management or other related experiences. At least 8 years in a team management role.
• Bilingualism: French and English (spoken and written), to be considered for this position, candidates must be rated at