Manager, Collaboration Services

Staff - Non Union

Job Category M&P - AAPS Job Profile AAPS Salaried - Information Systems and Technology, Level E Job Title Manager, Collaboration Services Department UBC IT | Collaboration Services Compensation Range $9,859.25 - $15,380.75 CAD Monthly

The Compensation Range is the span between the minimum and maximum base salary for a position. The midpoint of the range is approximately halfway between the minimum and the maximum and 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 midpoint of the salary range for a job.

Posting End Date April 3, 2025

Note: Applications will be accepted until 11:59 PM on the Posting End Date.

Job Summary

The Manager provides service management, operational management and technical leadership for multiple lines of products and services.

The Manager is responsible for the design, planning, implementation and overall management of Collaboration Services, including day-to-day support, patching, incident and problem management, demand management, change management, risk management, lifecycle management, service onboarding, and service delivery.

Organizational Status

Digital Enablement provides strategic leadership to a portfolio delivering a wide variety of technology services across UBC. Working in close partnership with academic and administrative leaders, Digital Enablement develops and maintains innovative solutions in support of UBC’s long term strategic goals. As part of the portfolio, UBC IT Collaboration Services provides a suite of enterprise communication and collaboration services to the University community, including Microsoft 365, Email, Calendaring, Content Management, Voice Services and Emergency Notification Systems.

The Manager reports to the Senior Product Manager, Collaboration Services, works closely with the Team Lead, Collaboration Services, and the Senior Leadership Team. The Manager collaborates with all areas of Information Technology, and other administrative and academic offices to coordinate application support, application implementation and enhancement projects. The Manager supervises a team of systems administrators and network analysts, and interacts directly with other University technology professionals.

Work Performed

• Works collaboratively with key customers, internal stakeholders, and other entities to plan and deliver the communication and collaboration services to the broader UBC community.
• Leads the development of implementation plans, policies, standards, and pricing models for services within the Collaboration Services portfolio.
• Leads the assessment of client needs, utilizing a structured requirements process (gathering, analyzing, documenting, and managing changes) to identify business priorities and recommends solutions for implementation.
• Engages in open dialogue with relevant stakeholders in the UBC community to identify and prioritize enhancements to collaboration systems. Ensures the prioritization process is open, transparent and accessible to all members of the community.
• Engages in the development of proposals as participant or owner; demonstrating a strong ability to represent requirements of each, as appropriate to individual proposals.
• Contributes to the development of roadmaps for Collaboration Services.
• Assists in negotiation of vendor contracts. Acts a liaison with vendor and hardware/software specialists to plan, coordinate and complete implementations and upgrades.
• Supports application lifecycle, and applies and follows appropriate change management methodologies and best practices.
• Performs formal system audits and develops written procedures, standards and practices to ensure a high level of availability, security, data integrity and hardware/software compatibility.
• Leads the team in developing the necessary skillsets, training regimens, processes, toolsets, and best practices to deliver Tier 2 and Tier 3 support for enterprise communication and collaboration services across UBC and partner organizations.
• Oversees incident management, request fulfillment, problem management and knowledge management.
• Analyzes and identifies functional or technical problems impacting service delivery. Leads technical professionals to resolve or provide work-arounds. Implements efficient and strategic communications to users impacted by these problems.
• Handles escalations and works with the technical professionals to provide seamless service to all clients.
• Works with peers and various stakeholders to determine, document and communicate standard operational processes, functional requirements for systems, and maintenance schedules in accordance with requirements and best practice.
• Provides management and leadership to multiple teams of technical professionals, including scheduling, assignment of work, reviewing their efforts and removing roadblocks which may inhibit ongoing group success.
• Communicates with Business owners, vendors and key clients of varying technical ability and subject matter expertise to maintain productive working relationships.
• Maintains a high-level understanding of their work area's current technical tools sets and architectures and future strategic directions.
• Using a wide range of tools and techniques, creates and maintains a collaborative, motivated and positive team atmosphere.
• May be required to provide after hours support in situations requiring an urgent response.

Core Duties:

• Works with business partners and/or IT leadership to understand and anticipate business and IT project needs of a reporting unit.
• Develops strategies, operating plans, performance measures/targets for a reporting unit and leads the day-to-day delivery of its programs, services and activities.
• Administers unit budget and ensures for cost efficiencies.
• Develops, implements, and ensures adherence to procedures, methods, standards and controls to foster operational efficiency, monitor compliance, mitigate risks, and achieve unit results.
• Negotiates for, sources and obtains financial, physical, or human resources to support short term projects and programs.
• Develops and implements innovative service, business solutions, and programs, provides technical leadership and oversight on projects, and collaborates with others on integrated solutions and initiatives across other administrative/academic areas.
• Develops influential working relationships across the organization, including with internal and external key customers and stakeholders.
• Develops, mentors, and manages reporting Team Leads, professionals and other staff including selection, training, coaching, performance management and all other people practices.
• Manages the staff performance assessment process. Reviews performance assessment feedback and conducts regular meetings with direct reports and all staff.
• Provides career planning advice to staff and creates development plans to help staff achieve their career goals including assigning work which leverages their skills and capabilities and provides them with opportunities for learning.
• Manages performance concerns and disciplinary action in collaboration with HR and, where applicable, a Senior Manager or Director. Provides guidance to Team Leads on more complex performance concerns and disciplinary actions.
• Anticipates and analyzes trends in technology and assesses the impact of emerging technologies on the business.
• Maintains appropriate professional designations and up-to-date knowledge of current information technology techniques and tools.
• Performs other related duties as required.

Consequence Of Error

In the Manager role at UBC, errors or lapses in judgment can significantly hinder the delivery of communication and collaboration services. Misalignment with academic and administrative units or ineffective leadership of project and sustainment teams may impede the university's strategic goals. Inadequate stakeholder relationships could disrupt collaboration and priority setting, potentially limiting the platform's effectiveness. Failures in managing Microsoft 365 adoption might affect its long-term utility.

Failure to meet service level obligations for performance and availability of services could adversely impact the University community, including the large majority of students, faculty and staff, and could cost millions of dollars in lost productivity, funding and revenue. It also risks damaging the reputation of UBC and UBC IT.

Supervision Received

The Manager, Collaboration Services works under the general direction of the Senior Product Manager, Collaboration Services and has considerable latitude in the execution of duties consistent with the goals and objectives for the functional area.

Supervision Given

Manages staff directly and works with considerable latitude under the general direction of the Senior Product Manager, Collaboration Services. Work is reviewed in terms of achievement of specific objectives.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications

- Willingness to respect diverse perspectives, including perspectives in conflict with one's own

- Demonstrates a commitment to enhancing one's own awareness, knowledge, and skills related to equity, diversity, and inclusion

Preferred Qualifications

Undergraduate degree in a relevant discipline. A minimum of 8 years of experience and 2 years of managerial experience or the equivalent combination of education and experience. Years of experience include 2 years in a technology leadership role, or the equivalent.

Experience with enterprise communication and collaboration systems, specifically Microsoft 365 (Exchange, SharePoint, Teams, OneDrive, etc… experience required), Email Security (Cisco Email Security Appliance experience preferred), and Voice Services (Cisco VoIP, Avaya TDM PBX and Contact Centre experience preferred).

Ability to lead teams in the delivery of mission critical services in a demanding environment.

Experience in all of the following areas: service management, customer service, project management, requirements definition, configuration, implementation, testing, data conversion, training and documentation.

Working knowledge of project management, business analysis and software development lifecycle methodologies.

Demonstrated relationship management and effective communication skills.

Demonstrated ability to convey technical issues to decision-makers and stakeholders in order to facilitate broad understanding of technology ecosystems.

Demonstrated ability to manage a diverse team of individuals responsible for varying tasks across units or areas of expertise.

Demonstrated ability to identify problems and apply problem-solving methodologies to diagnose and solve operational and interpersonal problems.

Demonstrated proactive approach to customer service and responsiveness to customer needs.

Ability to analyze and redesign workflow/business processes to make them more efficient and effective.

Ability to work on several projects at once and to change priorities quickly as needed.

Ability to quickly learn new technologies and assess impact on clients, end users and technology support.

Effective staff management, including ability to coach and mentor staff.

Strong facilitation, collaboration and communication skills.

Strong organizational and planning skills.

Strong understanding of IT Service Management methodologies and associated tools (e.g. ServiceNow)

Ability to maintain accuracy and attention to detail.

Collaboration - Actively solicits ideas and opinions from others to efficiently and effectively accomplish specific objectives targeted at defined business outcomes. Openly encourages other team members to voice their ideas and concerns. Shows respect for differences and diversity, and disagrees without personalizing issues. Utilizes strengths of team members to achieve optimal performance.

Communication for Results - Conducts discussions with and writes memoranda to all levels of colleagues and peer groups in ways that support troubleshooting and problem solving. Seeks and shares relevant information, opinions, and judgments. Handles conflict empathetically. Explains the context of interrelated situations, asks probing questions, and solicits multiple sources of advice prior to taking action when appropriate.

Problem Solving - Applies problem-solving methodologies and tools to diagnose and solve operational and interpersonal problems. Determines the potential causes of the problem and devises testing methodologies for validation. Shows empathy and objectivity toward individuals involved in the issue. Analyzes multiple alternatives, risks, and benefits for a range of potential solutions. Recommends resource requirements and collaborates with impacted stakeholders.

Accountability - Sets objectives that meet organizational needs. Provides recommendations to individuals and teams on ways to improve performance and meet defined objectives. Monitors and provides feedback on individual and team performance against defined standards.

Developing Others - Provides guidance to others on ways of increasing their contribution to the mission, objectives, and values of the organization. Involves individuals in identifying developmental opportunities and provides feedback and recommendations. Involves others in setting development plans. Allocates resources for learning. Responds to requests for solutions to developmental problems.

Strategic Technology Planning - Investigates technology practices, priorities, and direction. Uses the strategic technology plan to set objectives and action plans for a specific work area.