Director of Energy Policy, School of Public Policy

Description

The School of Public Policy is currently seeking a Full-time Staff Limited Term Director of Energy Policy for approximately 3 years.

This position requires a strategic, collaborative and engaged leader. Reporting to the Associate Director of the School of Public Policy, and reporting via dotted line to the Director of the School of Public Policy, the new Director (the Director) of Energy Policy will be an accomplished policy professional with a deep understanding of and respect for policy research and the implementation and mobilization of this research as central to the policy dialogue.

The Director will be a pragmatic leader with a track record of building relationships and effecting change in a policy context. As a strategic visionary, the Director will be responsible for: defining standards of excellence and identifying directions for new growth within the Energy Policy Division and the SPP; engaging with community on-and off-campus to develop the relationships and funds required to achieve that new growth; and leading the overall administration of the School's policy research, non-academic operations, and supporting graduate education mission as they relate to the Energy Policy Division. The Director will enhance the School's position in campus, municipal, provincial, national, and international settings by working collaboratively with an engaged internal executive team, and across campus with other leaders to develop and implement the Energy Division's and the SPP's strategic vision. As a trustworthy and visible leader, the Director will guide and promote this vision in a manner that attracts resources and secures funding to sustain and grow the Division and the SPP.

The Director will engage and lead a unified team with a culture that promotes collaboration, mutual respect, open communication, and extraordinary policy research activities that are relevant and produce visible impact. As an engaged and purposeful leader, the Director will inspire and cultivate relationships with students, faculty, staff, alumni, experienced policy practitioners in business, government, the non-profit sector, and cultural communities, to sustain and enhance the reputation of both the Energy Policy Division and the SPP as a whole.

Summary of Key Responsibilities (job functions include but are not limited to):

• Provide strategic leadership in the development and applied research, teaching, and outreach operations of the Centre in alignment with the SPP's framework for growth;
• Foster and facilitate a sense of unity and a culture that is inclusive and engaging, through strong collaboration and communication;
• Work with the SPP's governance structures and bodies to promote the Energy Policy Division and the SPP;
• Motivate and inspire faculty members, staff and students to build momentum for the Energy Policy Division and the SPP;
• Attract, recruit, and retain excellent staff by creating an environment that is conducive to and supportive of conducting world-class disciplinary, interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary research and teaching in the realm of energy policy; and
• Foster and encourage a high level of research productivity within the Energy Policy Division and across the other areas of focus at the SPP by further enhancing and developing excellent research infrastructure and actively engaging with the SPP's efforts to obtain and maintain funding.
• Oversee the implementation of frameworks, policies, initiatives that promote a culture of excellence, innovation, and collaboration that impact all aspects of the Centre and the SPP;
• Effectively develop and manage a budget and organizational structure to address the current and future needs of the Centre, within the mandates and structures of the SPP;
• Identify and capture new revenue streams from multiple sources to ensure financial sustainability;
• Champion the recruitment, mentorship, development, retention, equity, of an inspired, inclusive, diverse and cohesive academic community;
• Establish high expectations and standards and ensure the accountability of faculty and staff to the Centre, the SPP and University of Calgary research and teaching missions; and
• Ensure compliance with University regulations, policies and procedures while overseeing the effective management and supervision of the Energy Policy Division within the SPP.
• Take a leadership role, while collaborating with others, in promoting and developing capacity and innovation, including interdisciplinary research and programming, knowledge translation, and professional, social and entrepreneurial skills training;
• Lead and support a high level of research productivity and scholarly contribution, and create and refine targeted research plans that align and advance the strategic goals of the Energy
• Policy Division, the SPP and the University;
• Model a strong ethical core, including matters related to ethical conduct of research as well as on external policies and conditions and the regulations of funders; and
• Liaise with external public and private funding bodies which currently (or potentially could) support research and programming in the Energy Policy Division and support the same for those for the SPP as a whole.
• Provide support to conceptualization and implementation of innovative educational programs related to the Energy Policy Division and its work, in line with the SPP's and the University's overall objectives;
• Support and enhance innovative curriculum and community-based education;
• Support the SPP academic programs regarding continuous improvement of an exceptional learning experience for the SPP graduate students and post-doctoral scholars;
• Help support, grow, and expand the offered programs within the SPP to position graduates for high impact career opportunities, to help ensure that the SPP is the destination of choice for the best and the brightest students; and
• Develop and garner support for an inspiring shared vision that provides linkages within the SPP's Centres of policy focus and to other schools and faculties across the University;
• Maintain a connectivity to and visibility with faculty, staff and students through direct contact and virtual means while acting as a role model for students, staff and faculty alike;
• Nurture a strong connection to community and demonstrate how the SPP and the University address the challenges facing the people of Calgary, of Alberta, of Canada and beyond;
• Communicate to the broader community and to donors about the Energy Policy Division's and the SPP's impactful programming, contributions, and research achievements, and engage with partners to further strengthen positive working relationships;
  Maintain active involvement with donor engagement and fund development, keeping up to date on opportunities for research and innovation funding, and advising others in the SPP accordingly;
• Build effective relationships, promote and serve as a passionate advocate for the Energy Policy Division, the SPP and the University to a broad spectrum of internal and external stakeholders, including senior administration, faculty members, support staff, students, alumni, community leaders, Indigenous communities, key institutions and organizations regionally, nationally, and internationally;
• Promote and strengthen creative relationships with the local, national and international industry, communities, government and alumni to ensure that the Energy Policy Division and the SPP as a whole is relevant to their education, training and research needs; and
• Perform other duties as required by program operations and assigned by the SPP Director or SPP Associate Director.

Qualifications / Requirements:

• Minimum of an undergraduate degree, and will benefit from having acquired a PhD, professional graduate degree or comparable terminal degree;
• Over 10 years' experience in senior management of a think-tank;
• Has extensive network with global think thanks;
• Being a recognized expert in energy policy with demonstrated organizational leadership and administrative management skills;
• A breadth of knowledge and proven success in policy engagement or development, policy research productivity, programming and research, and building community partnerships;
• A track record in external funding successes and the ability to build strong relationships with the local, national, and international communities, government, and alumni;
• The ability to lead change, inspire and engage faculty, students, staff, administrators and community partners in innovative strategic initiatives, and work across disciplines, schools and faculties to achieve broad strategic objectives;
• A strong commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion.
• Experience in a position of influence including guiding a vision through to accomplishment;
• A strong and clear communicator with the capacity to influence, persuade, and inspire;
• Demonstrated superior leadership, people management and coaching/mentoring skills, and the ability to delegate effectively;
• Proven ability to guide and work at the strategic level, engaging faculty, researchers, fellows and staff to choose initiatives and manage priorities;
• An authentic and demonstrated commitment to, and understanding of equity, diversity and inclusion practices and Indigenous engagement;
• Skill at building a strong student/mentee community and at promoting the best student experiences for the student population with a focus on student recruitment, retention, engagement and success;
• Proven leadership in creating space for people who hold diverse perspectives, such as knowing, understanding and engaging with members of equity groups, including but not limited to,
• Indigenous peoples, racialized people, members of the LGBTQ2S+ communities, and groups who may express non-dominant ideas, practices, and expectations; and
• The ability to drive change and inspire faculty, students, staff, and community partners.
• An approachable leader who demonstrates exceptional interpersonal, communication and collaboration skills with the proven capacity to advocate, build trust, influence, collaborate, and will demonstrate proven success in academic productivity and building community partnerships;
• Highly engaged, optimistic, collaborative, strategic, respectful, decisive and able to cultivate an inclusive environment in which students, faculty, staff and fellows feel a sense of community;
• Visionary with the ability to promote public policy as essential through implementation of a forward thinking and creative strategy;
• Comfortable developing consensus within the SPP and among the different SPP Divisions of policy focus, and other communities, in a direct, pragmatic, socially and politically astute manner;
• Ability to maintain a deep passion for student success, devoted to improving the student experience;
• An excellent understanding and ability to engage with the Indigenous nations and people; and
• Proven capacity to build and sustain trust through openness, listening, and engagement while demonstrating an uncompromising commitment to ethical values and the highest level of integrity and transparency.
• Established organizational, administrative, and financial and budgeting skills with the ability to deal with prioritizing a range of human and financial resourcing issues;
• Demonstrated community engagement, proven fund development and stewardship experience with a track record in securing funding from competitive peer-reviewed granting agencies, the community, and donors, while maintaining donor relations;
• Success in encouraging interdisciplinarity and cross-faculty/cross-school/cross organizations collaboration, and in embracing diverse approaches; and
• Effective methods of working with intercultural capacity.

Application Deadline:  January 14, 2025.

We would like to thank all applicants in advance for submitting their resumes. Please note, only those candidates chosen to continue on through the selection process will be contacted.

This position is classified in the Management Career Band, Level M4 of the Management and Professional Staff Career Framework. 

For a listing of all management and staff opportunities at the University of Calgary, view our Management and Staff Careers website. 

About the University of Calgary

UCalgary is Canada's entrepreneurial university, located in Canada's most enterprising city. It is a top research university and one of the highest-ranked universities of its age. Founded in 1966, its 36,000 students experience an innovative learning environment, made rich by research, hands-on experiences and entrepreneurial thinking. It is Canada's leader in the creation of start-ups. Start something today at the University of Calgary. For more information, visit ucalgary.ca.

The University of Calgary has launched an institution-wide Indigenous Strategy committing to creating a rich, vibrant, and culturally competent campus that welcomes and supports Indigenous Peoples, encourages Indigenous community partnerships, is inclusive of Indigenous perspectives in all that we do.

As an equitable and inclusive employer, the University of Calgary recognizes that a diverse staff/faculty benefits and enriches the work, learning and research experiences of the entire campus and greater community. We are committed to removing barriers that have been historically encountered by some people in our society. We strive to recruit individuals who will further enhance our diversity and will support their academic and professional success while they are here. In particular, we encourage members of the designated groups (women, Indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities, members of visible/racialized minorities, and diverse sexual orientation and gender identities) to apply. To ensure a fair and equitable assessment, we offer accommodation at any stage during the recruitment process to applicants with disabilities. Questions regarding [diversity] EDI at UCalgary can be sent to the Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion ([email protected]) and requests for accommodations can be sent to Human Resources ([email protected]).

Do you have most but not all the qualifications? Research show that women, racialized and visible minorities, and persons with disabilities are less likely to apply for jobs unless they meet every single qualification. At UCalgary we are committed to achieving equitable, diverse, inclusive and accessible employment practices and workplaces and encourage you to apply if you believe you are right for this role. 

We encourage all qualified applicants to apply, however preference will be given to Canadian citizens and permanent residents of Canada.