Executive Director – Management Team

Position: Executive Director 

Hours of work: 37.5 hours/week 

Salary: $90,000 to $120,000 per year, with competitive benefits package 

Reporting to: Executive Committee 

Centre Description    

The University of Ottawa Students’ Union (UOSU) is the official student government of over 35,000 undergraduate students at the University of Ottawa, with a mandate to represent the interests of students and provide essential services on campus. Together, elected student leaders and dedicated administrative staff work to improve the academic and social lives of students at the University of Ottawa. 

Job Description    

UOSU is seeking an experienced nonprofit motivated and knowledgeable Executive Director. This is an exciting opportunity for a passionate, versatile, driven, and outcomes-oriented individual to manage the activities of a dynamic unionized staff team, while directing the policy and advocacy goals of an established and respected student organization. 

Under the supervision of UOSU’s Executive Committee, the Executive Director will be a visionary and dynamic leader responsible for overseeing and driving the organization’s efforts to create positive, lasting change within the student community. This role requires a strong commitment to strategic thinking, the ability to collaborate with diverse stakeholders to address issues, to perform various tasks and to be hands on with the daily operations tasks.  The Executive Director will also represent the organization to the University and partners.  Applicants must also be at ease juggling the demands of their work while also taking part in a vibrant, social work setting. 

Responsibilities  

The Executive Director’s responsibilities can be assigned by the President, the Operations Commissioner and/or the Executive Committee, and may include the following but not limited to: 

• Manage and provide leadership to a diverse team while promoting a collaborative and inclusive work environment. 
• Collaborate closely with the Executive Committee, providing regular updates on organizational performance, strategic initiatives, and community impact outcomes. 
• Report progress on organizational short- and long-term objectives to the Executive Committee. 
• Advising and assisting the student representatives on UOSU’s Executive Committee in all matters relating to their portfolios and mandates.  
• Support the executive committee in governance matters and participate in executive meetings as a non-voting member. Advising the executive committee in strategic and organizational planning. 
• Foster professional growth and development among staff members, encouraging a culture of learning and innovation. 
• Ensure effective management of human resources, including recruitment, performance evaluation, and talent retention. 
• Manage, and monitor budgets to ensure financial resources are allocated appropriately and used efficiently. Whereby identifying cost-saving opportunities and optimizing expenses, without compromising quality or performance.  
• Ensure that the organization complies with financial regulations, accounting standards, internal policies, and is ensuring that audits are completed to maintain financial integrity. 
• Assisting in the preparation and administration of the annual budget, supporting UOSU’s annual audit, and ensuring the overall financial health of the organization. 
• Administer employee benefits and health plans as well as insurance plans. 
• Attend labor management meetings and work in collaboration with the Labor Management and Human Resources Advisor to answer the employee union’s requests. 
• Strong skills to negotiate a collective agreement.  
• Working closely with the Labor Management and Human Resources Advisor in managing grievances and disputes.  
• Proactively managing relationships with the stakeholders to further UOSU’s objectives. 
• Build and maintain strong relationships with key community stakeholders. 
• Oversee all tasks related to office operations and carry out other tasks as needed.  

Qualifications 

The ideal candidate must possess the following skills and experience: 

• Over 5 years of management experience.  
• 1-3 years of non-profit management experience. 
• Bilingualism (in both French and English) is a requirement. 
• A bachelor’s degree in, public administration, public policy, management, or another related field. 
• Ability to build and maintain positive relationships. 
• Great oral and written communications skills, analytical thinking skills, and organizational skills. 
• Excellent conflict resolution and personnel management abilities. 
• Strong personal time management and organizational abilities.  

The ideal candidate will possess the following skills and experience: 

• Strong team-building skills. 
• Experience in employer-union consultation. 
• Experience in conflict resolution, disciplinary processes, and workplace investigations. 
• Background in the post-secondary education sector. 
• Ability to work within a diverse team and prioritize promoting inclusivity. 
• A proven ability to mentor, motivate, and empower youth leaders. 
• A demonstrated understanding of the context of student government and student advocacy. 
• Ability to navigate complex issues within the context of the organization’s policy directives. 
• Experience in business start-ups is an asset. 
• Knowledge of the UOSU and its Services, businesses, activities, Constitution and policies is an asset.