Manager, Programs and Events, Hunter Hub for Entrepreneurial Thinking, VP Research

Position Overview

The Hunter Hub for Entrepreneurial Thinking in VP Research invites applications for a Manager, Programs and Events. This Full-time Fixed Term position is for approximately 5 years (based on length of grant funding), with the possibility of extension.

The primary purpose of the position is to lead program development, management and delivery for the Hunter Hub including annual programming (i.e. Launchpad and Map the System), other small and large-scale event management as well as supporting strategic community engagement initiatives (i.e. Tech Fest, Entrepreneurial Thinking Week). The successful candidate will be accountable for managing program planning, program approvals/committees, sourcing speakers and facilitators, evaluation, budgets and reporting as well as partnership agreements. This position requires leadership skills and expertise in program and event planning and production, partnership building and community engagement. A high level of project management skills including sophisticated timelines and planning documents, budget creation and management, the ability to work collaboratively with many departments and/or contractors to achieve common goals, and the ability to lead teams of high-profile stakeholders and volunteers in executing complex programs and events is required.

The Programs and Events Manager will lead project teams comprised of staff, coaches/mentors, university stakeholders/partners, and volunteers. This position is accountable for the performance and results of a small team of direct reports, and is responsible for all recruitment, development, and performance management of the programming team.

As a key public-facing ambassador for the Hunter Hub, the incumbent will be an expert in the innovation community at UCalgary, and integral to developing both internal and external relationships in support of the Hunter Hub and the university's overall entrepreneurial thinking and innovation initiatives.
The pace of this position can be hectic, the workload demanding, but rewarding. The position at times requires flexible work hours to support events.

Position Description

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

Programming and Event Management

• Under the leadership of the Executive Director and/or Academic Director, develop, enhance, staff, implement, evaluate and report on programs, campaigns, and events in entrepreneurial thinking and innovation to enhance the impact, reach and reputation of the University of Calgary.
• Oversee program delivery supported by a small team; Responsible for selecting, hiring and managing presenters, speakers, facilitators, mentors, suppliers, vendors and contract staff as needed.
• Manage the Hunter Hub's partnership contracts and vendor procurement process for programming: identify and qualify vendors with project lead, create contracts for procurement, and ensure smooth delivery of all agreed deliverables and activities.
• Continuously improve and enhance programming and event processes and practices to ensure the smooth, efficient, and effective operations of the programming team.
• Aligning the Hunter Hub programming strategy to the database strategy and ensuring the Hunter Hub team is collecting metrics and content for reporting to government funders and other stakeholders.
• Actively develop knowledge and records of our internal and external stakeholders, in order to enable high-quality deliverables and broad reach to all stakeholders where necessary.
• Track and report on projects as needed; compile metrics and write reports when required.

Strategic Planning and Communications

• Establish programming and event priorities annual calendar; Support strategic planning for regular programming (i.e. Launchpad, Map the System) and other community initiatives (i.e. Entrepreneurial Thinking Week, Tech Fest, etc.) to advance the University of Calgary's vision to be the most entrepreneurial university in Canada.
• Liaise with the marketing communications team to ensure marcom calendar aligns with programming strategy and calendar and that all programming is well-supported by marketing communications team.
• Responsible for stakeholder/partner communications, identification and relationship management to advance community programs and events that advance the Hunter Hub' s strategic objectives.
• Identify, secure and leverage new opportunities, partnerships and subject matter experts to improve or expand the reach, quality and impact of programming and events.
• With expenditures approved by the Executive Director, the Manager is responsible for budget forecasting, purchasing, tracking and reporting for programming and events.
• Provide senior level administrative support to the Executive Director as needed for other administrative and operational needs of the Hunter Hub including human resources, strategic initiatives/projects, and partnerships.
• Independently takes on as many tasks as possible to assist the Executive Director and oversee follow-up activities and draft professional correspondence and action plans that arise from meetings and engagements.

Community Engagement and Team Management

• Provide quality leadership by developing, maintaining, and modeling positive working relationships with faculty, staff, students and community stakeholders.
• Manage a small team of community engagement specialists and events staff with responsibilities such as hiring, delegation of work, performance management, disciplinary action up to and including termination; ensure staff work effectively as a team and deliver a high quality of work; Develop and support strategies to promote staff engagement, problem solving and following through as appropriate to ensure positive outcomes for all stakeholders.
• Represent the Executive Director on key internal and external committees and boards; Facilitate cross-functional working relationships to support the Hunter Hub's programming priorities and mandate.
• Identify opportunities to be a brand ambassador and lead the programming team by example by building strong relationships with internal and external networks; Communicate professionally with faculty, staff, administrators across the academic community, and students; respond to requests for information (and take necessary and appropriate action including triaging to appropriate team members).
• Support the community engagement efforts for the Hunter Hub through front line engagement with students, faculty, staff, University leadership and community stakeholders in a personable and professional manner.

Qualifications / Requirements:

• Undergraduate degree in a related field (preferably business, education or management)
• Minimum of 7 years direct experience, preferably in a post-secondary educational setting; Program and/or event planning experience; Community relations and engagement experience an asset.
• Instructional design and/or experience teaching or creating courses an asset.
• Strong strategic leadership skills and the ability to manage the development and planning of complicated strategic relationships, programs, campaigns, and events/conferences.
• Exceptional communication skills; Demonstrated experience in developing collaborative relationships with both internal and external stakeholders. Experience with cross-faculty initiatives, and/or partnerships in an academic environment is an advantage.
• Expansive, demonstrated understanding of marketing communications including event management, production and measurement serving marcom objectives.
• Proactive and energetic self-starter and problem-solver dedicated to superior academic quality, client service and operations; able to successfully manage multiple competing priorities with minimal supervision and direction and deliver high quality results on time; strives to exceed the needs of all stakeholders and partners; high degree of innovativeness and creativity while still being a team player; Experience in an entrepreneurial environment is an asset.
• Demonstrated experience managing program/event budgets and ensuring fiscal responsibility.
• Demonstrated experience in management of cross-functional teams and direct reports; Understanding of issues in human resource management and supervisory experience is required.
• Knowledge and understanding of University plans and policies, as well as structure, governance, and decision-making processes is an asset. Understanding of human resource management and supervisory experience is required.
• Excellent computer skills in Microsoft Office are required. Experience with University core business systems (Peoplesoft, eFIN, enterprise reporting, etc.) an asset.

Application Deadline: September 1, 2022. Interested applications are invited to submit a cover letter and resume online via the 'Apply Now' button.

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.

Additional Information

This position is classified in the Management Career Band, Level 1 of the Management and Professional Staff Career Framework.

To find out more about management and staff opportunities at the University of Calgary and all we have to offer, view our Management and Staff Careers website.

The University strongly recommends all faculty and staff are fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

About the University of Calgary

The University of Calgary is Canada’s leading next-generation university – a living, growing and youthful institution that embraces change and opportunity with a can-do attitude. Located in the nation’s most enterprising city, the university is making tremendous progress on its Eyes High journey to be recognized as one of Canada’s top five research universities, grounded in innovative learning and teaching and fully integrated with the community it both serves and leads. The University of Calgary inspires and supports discovery, creativity and innovation across all disciplines. For more information, visit ucalgary.ca.

The University of Calgary has launched an institution-wide Indigenous Strategy in line with the foundational goals of Eyes High, 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]).

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