Associate Dean, Mechanical Engineering

Who We Are:

Putting people at the core of everything we do is paramount. This idea is the foundation of BCIT’s People Vision, which describes the Institute’s goals and priorities in respect to our people. In a complex and uncertain world, it’s vital our people feel valued, supported and connected. BCIT champions a culture of innovation and global progress through people’s imagination and creativity. With a competitive compensation package, great work-life balance, and career advancement opportunities, see why we’ve earned the title of one of BC’s Top Employers for over ten years running.

Position Summary:

BCIT’s School of Energy is seeking a regular, full-time (1.0 FTE) Associate Dean, Mechanical Engineering. The Associate Dean is part of The Educational Leadership Team of the Institute. Reporting to the Dean, the Associate Dean is accountable for providing administrative and educational leadership to designated full-time, part-time and industry training programs and courses, in accordance with BCIT industry standards and congruent with the overall Institute mission to become Canada’s Premier Polytechnic Institute. As the first line educational manager, the Associate Dean represents the School’s Dean as appropriate. The Associate Dean functions as a member of academic departments, as faculty and staff personnel supervisor, and as the individual responsible for the implementation of corporate and school level educational strategies and objectives.

The Associate Dean is responsible for leading a broad range of initiatives impacting the daily and longer term strategic issues important to the School of Energy and the Institute. This individual must be a strategic and system-wide thinker with effective change management skills.

The successful candidate will provide administrative and educational leadership to a range of full and part-time programs including:

• Mechanical Engineering Technology with options in: Mechanical Design, Mechanical Manufacturing, and Mechanical Systems, as well as a
• Bachelor of Engineering in Mechanical Engineering,
• Mechatronics and Robotics,
• Technology Teacher Education, and
• Machinist.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Leadership:

• Represents the Institute, School and Department at relevant Industry, community and sector functions.
• Responsible for full time, part time, Industry Services and International courses.
• Participates in the development and implementation of strategic plans, organizational structures, systems, and processes.
• Represents the educational department for internal activities.
• Establishes and maintains an effective liaison with relevant industries, professional groups and associations, government agencies, joint boards, BCIT support groups, etc.
• Establishes a working liaison with other institutes, schools, colleges and universities and participates in inter-institutional planning and articulation committees as appropriate.
• Identifies and leads the development of new educational and business opportunities for the Institute.
• Attends Program Advisory Committee meetings.
• Works with the Foundation and encourages Industry to support BCIT via scholarships, donations, awards and Gifts in Kind.
• Ensures compliance with relevant provincial and federal legislation.

Educational Administration:

• Fosters an organizational environment that will encourage personal productivity, job satisfaction and the professional growth of both support and academic staff.
• Identifies and facilitates instructor, professional/management and support staff training initiatives and opportunities.
• Ensures provision of approved training and learning opportunities to students, in accordance with established priorities.
• Promotes and maintains positive working relationships with other teaching and non-teaching departments and services.
• Ensures academic integrity for all program courses.
• Supports and enhances the educational experiences of students enrolled in the department’s programs.
• Represents the department’s and/or School’s interests at various Institute committees, hearings and stakeholder meetings.
• Identifies and contributes to the marketing efforts required to build or sustain the Department’s programs.

Programming:

• Consults broadly with external groups to determine present and future educational training needs, and enrolment levels.
• Develops program and department objectives in consultation with internal and external stakeholders.
• Directs the design, development and implementation of new programs and courses. Establishes curriculum development strategies consistent with Institute standards and oversees the process.
• Establishes, maintains and operates an ongoing process of program evaluation, ensuring that programs and courses are of a high quality and are effectively and efficiently delivered in accordance with established standards.
• Oversees program accreditation processes.
• Ensures that Advisory Committees are in place for each program, that program committee membership is appropriate, and that Advisory Committees function effectively in accordance with Institute expectations and policy.
• May participate in some instructional activities.

Staff Relations:

• In consultation with others, establishes a Human Resources plan to ensure an optimum match between expertise and human resources requirements.
• Initiates and participates in the recruitment and selection of faculty, technical and support staff, and ensures appropriate recommendations on hiring.
• Participates in the selection and election of Department Heads and Program Heads in accordance with the collective agreements.
• Briefs Program Heads/Department Heads regarding administrative duties.
• Approves staffing schedules with Department Heads/Program Heads, ensuring that there is an optimum utilization of staff resources.
• In consultation with the program areas, sets appropriate performance expectations, and evaluates performance based on those expectations and objectives. In accordance with the relevant collective agreements, coordinates and signs off faculty and support staff performance reviews. Ensures that group and individual staff development plans are established to meet individual, program and Institute needs. Monitors implementation of these plans.
• Meets regularly with program areas and ensures appropriate communications.
• Ensures that the provisions of collective agreements and Institute policies are observed and advises staff of Institute policies as appropriate.
• Addresses complaints and concerns regarding program delivery and content, staff relations, and other issues affecting student and customer satisfaction.
• Manages the department in accordance with the appropriate collective agreement.

Student Relations:

• Is readily accessible to students; monitors and supports student activities with reference to admissions, counseling and program advancement.
• Responsible for ensuring student policy compliance.
• Counsels students when requested; promptly investigates and resolves student complaints and proposals.
• Ensures that concerns regarding student performance and conduct are appropriately addressed.
• Manages the student appeal process at the request of the Dean.
• Monitors and implements special learning accommodations recommended by Accessibility Services.
• Monitors student placement and employment opportunities.

Corporate Management:

• Contributes to the overall planning and administration of the Institute through participation on Institute committees and other consultative bodies.
• Assigned responsibility may include campus management.
• Directs the administrative, budgetary, personnel and operational functions of the assigned department.

School Management:

• Contributes to the overall planning and administration of the school through participation on school committees and other consultative bodies.
• Assigned as a principal member of the school management team.
• Acting Dean where and when appropriate.

Decision Making:

• Makes Decisions for:
• Developing, evaluating and maintaining training programs.
• Implementing administrative and budgetary control.
• Employee recruitment.
• Developing programs and procedures. Operating policies and procedures.

Financial Responsibility:

• Manages complex budgets, both operational and capital, including determining costs, allocations, and expenditures, and monitoring the processes for multiple programs.
• Budgets vary by department, typically up to $5 Million.
• Negotiates operating budget components; controls by program expenditures and is responsible for year-end performance.
• Negotiates capital budget components; controls by program expenditures and is responsible for year-end performance.

Student Enrolment:

• Varies by department, typically up to 1,000 FTE’s. The Associate Dean is responsible for monitoring and taking appropriate corrective action if enrolment shortfalls occur.

Supervision Exercised:

• Plans and directs activities through Department Heads/Program Heads; establishes priorities, resolves problems and reviews results achieved in each program area.
• Number of employees reporting directly to the position varies by department.
• Total number of employees for whom the position has direct responsibility varies by department, typically up to 100.

Supervision Received:

• Works under general direction of the Dean and is required to operate autonomously. Work is reviewed periodically for achievement of objectives and quality and effectiveness of programs.

Qualifications:

• University graduation at the Master’s level, or at the Doctoral level as required by some schools or disciplines.
• Eight to 10 years of directly related experience in business, industry and/or training, or an equivalent combination of education, training and experience.
• Strong leadership skills, good organizational skills and a high degree of self-motivation and business acumen.
• Demonstrated effective and positive management style for people and issues.
• Excellent interpersonal skills, which are necessary to establish and sustain relationships and rapport.
• Ability to communicate effectively with all levels of customers.
• Must be familiar with office software and state-of-the-art information and educational technology.

Organizational Relationships:

• Reports directly to the Dean; may be required to act on behalf of the Dean/other Associate Deans/Directors/Managers in their absence. Program Heads/Department Heads, Faculty, Technical and Support Staff report to this position.

Benefits – Why you’d love working with us:

• Competitive pay
• Minimum of twenty-five days of vacation
• Competitive employer-paid extended health and dental plan including access to a Health Care Spending Account of up to $500 if eligible!
• Defined benefit pension plan with employer contributions
• Flexible hybrid work arrangements available
• Professional Development funds and resources
• Access to most BCIT Flexible Learning courses free of charge
• Wellness and Employee Assistance programs
• Complimentary membership with free access to the Fitness Centre, Gymnasium, and more
• For more information on our generous benefits, click here!

We are committed to the principles of equity, diversity & inclusion and to promoting opportunities in hiring for systemically oppressed groups who have been excluded from full participation at BCIT and the larger community. This includes Indigenous Peoples, women, racialized persons, persons with disabilities and those who identify as 2S/LGBTQIA+. All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadian citizens and permanent residents will be given priority.

Persons with disabilities who require accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process should contact RecruitmentAssistant@bcit.ca. Please note that all applications must be submitted via the careers page portal. Email applications will not be accepted.

The British Columbia Institute of Technology acknowledges that our campuses are located on the unceded traditional territories of the Coast Salish Nations of xwməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səl̓ilwətaɁɬ (Tsleil-Waututh).

Salary Range: $136,202 - $195,791 with a control point of $170,253 per annum.

Additional Salary Information: The Compensation Range is the span between the minimum and the maximum base salary for a position. The control point of the range 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 the control point of the salary range for a job, taking internal equity into account. Salaries above the control point may be considered for extenuating circumstances and must be approved by an external governing body.