Senior Specialist, Program Management

uottawa; Ottawa; On-site; CAD 97,000 - 121,000; Full time

Job summary

The University of Ottawa invites applications for the Eddie Goldenberg Research Chair in Arctic Governance and Community Resilience, led by Dr. Jennifer Spence. The Program Manager will help build the program from the ground up, shaping the team, partnerships, activities, and ways of working to define its success.

You will work closely with Dr. Spence, Indigenous and northern partners, governments, researchers, and international organizations to translate strategy into operations and deliver

Responsibilities

• Program Operations Management: Oversees ongoing operational activities (courses, workshops, training, events) in support of core program delivery; coordinates cross-project activities for resource optimization and collaboration.
• Planning: Contributes to needs analyses and strategic planning; translates objectives into short-, medium-, and long-term operational plans; identifies risks and contingency measures.
• Continuous Improvement: Defines KPIs, tracks data, analyzes trends, and introduces innovations in planning and delivery to align with sector objectives.
• Human Resources Management: Supervises operations staff and may oversee additional staff assigned to special projects.

Job description

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Posting Reason: New Position

Job Type: Employee

Anticipated Duration in Months (for contracts and temporary assignments): 24

Job Family: Program Management

# of Open Positions: 1

Faculty/Service - Department: Impact+ Chair_Jennifer Spence_PM

Campus: Main Campus

Union Affiliation: N/A

Date Posted (YYYY/MM/DD): 2026/09/17

Applications must be received BEFORE (YYYY/MM/DD): 2026/09/16

Hours per week: 35

Salary Grade: Non-Union Grade NR8 - 35 hrs

Salary Range: $96 570,00 - $120 712,00

The Eddie Goldenberg Research Chair in Arctic Governance and Community Resilience, based in the Faculty of Social Sciences and led by Dr. Jennifer Spence, is an ambitious new research program focused on the most consequential challenges and opportunities facing the Arctic today. Working closely with Dr. Spence and with Indigenous and northern partners, governments, researchers, and international organizations, the program will advance research and policy innovation in Arctic governance, research cooperation and science diplomacy, Indigenous leadership and innovation, and community resilience. As the program gets underway, Dr. Spence is building a collaborative and dynamic team committed to producing research that matters and translating ideas into meaningful policy and community impact. The Program Manager will work directly with Dr. Spence and play a critical role in building the program from the ground up. You will be part of shaping the team, partnerships, activities, and ways of working that will define its success. This is an opportunity to join an engaged and supportive team and help build an important new Arctic research program together.

About the Faculty of Social Sciences

The FSS comprises nine departments, schools and institutes, which offer undergraduate, masters and doctoral programs in both English and French. With its 10,000 students, 260 full-time professors, and wide array of programs and research centres, the Faculty of Social Sciences plays a key role at the heart of the University of Ottawa. Its graduate students are supervised by excellent researchers and undertake cutting-edge research in the Faculty's masters and Ph.D. programs. Along with its complement of about 100 administrative employees, the faculty is proud to provide a collaborative working environment that inspires new ideas, encourages creative ingenuity, and promotes excellence.

Position Purpose

Leads the planning, organization, execution and continuous improvement of all aspects related to the efficient delivery of a defined special program or research program in a faculty. Translates strategies into program plans and deliverables in support of meeting program objectives while promoting service excellence. Ensures collaboration among program staff and establishes processes and procedures that optimize resources contributing to the overall success of academic, research and/or special services offered by the University of Ottawa.

In this role, your responsibilities will include:

• Program Operations Management: Oversees all ongoing operational activities, including but not limited to courses, workshops, training and events, in support of core program delivery including administrative and financial functions, resource allocation, monitoring and communication. Coordinates cross-project activities of inter-connected projects within the program scope with the objective of maximizing resources and enhancing communication. Acts as management liaison with other faculties or services whose contribution is a key input to program success, as well as to ensure effective communication and collaboration on areas of common interest. Oversees activities undertaken as part of special projects within the overall scope of the program.
• Planning: Participates in needs analyses and strategic planning activities by contributing innovative ideas and evidence-based information related to program delivery. Translates global program objectives and needs into short -, medium- and long -term operational plans. Identifies risks to success and implements contingency measures to ensure program continuity. Plans all key resources; human, material, financial and space, towards meeting program objectives.
• Continuous Improvement: Devises key performance indicators and ensures accurate tracking of data for evaluating performance against program objectives. Analyses performance trends and adjusts program elements accordingly. Monitors industry trends and norms to introduce innovations into program planning and delivery, and ensures continuous alignment of deliverables with global objectives of the sector while favouring service excellence. Given the ongoing nature of programs, ensures that program deliverables continue to evolve with the evolving needs of program participants.
• Human Resources Management: Supervises operations staff of the program. May oversee the work of additional staff assigned to special projects within the scope of the program