Director of Administration

Staff - Non Union

Job Category
M&P - AAPS

Job Profile
AAPS Salaried - Administration, Level D

Job Title
Director of Administration

Department
Department of Psychiatry | Faculty of Medicine | Provost and VP Academic

Compensation Range
$8,063.17 - $12,575.08 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
February 7, 2024

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

Job End Date

This position is located within a health-care facility, therefore, the successful candidate will be required to provide verification of full vaccination against Covid-19 provided prior to the start date, as required by a provincial health mandate.

At UBC, we believe that attracting and sustaining a diverse workforce is key to the successful pursuit of excellence in research, innovation, and learning for all faculty, staff and students. Our commitment to employment equity helps achieve inclusion and fairness, brings rich diversity to UBC as a workplace, and creates the necessary conditions for a rewarding career. 

Job Description Summary
The Director of Administration is responsible for providing comprehensive strategic oversight and management in all areas of administration and department operations including human resources, financial planning, resource allocation, space management, health and safety, strategic plan implementation, project management, policy development and implementation, IT and communications for the Department of Psychiatry and its UBC Institute of Mental Health (UBC-IMH). This senior leader role provides direction in establishing innovative practices and programs in support of strategic priorities and operational requirements to meet the Department's academic mandate of teaching, research and service. This position provides administrative advice to the Department Head on finance, human resources, resource allocation, department operations and implementation of strategic priorities.
This position requires a high degree of independent, executive decision making, an ability to assess and implement work required to achieve objectives, strong organizational skills, diplomacy and the ability to provide leadership in creating positive and supportive work environments. The incumbent provides indirect and direct supervision and oversight to staff in all units in the Department. This position provides authoritative advice to faculty and develops infrastructure systems of support in all areas of administration, policy and procedure interpretation, human resources, financial planning, proposal development, IT support, and other resources to support faculty in their work.
The incumbent is required to develop, foster and maintain excellent relationships, both internal and external to the Department, with an awareness of external and internal political and economic environments. This position acts as the senior administrative representative for the Department, contributing to the Department, Faculty of Medicine, UBC units and partner organizations through participation in various committees, working groups, meetings and projects.
Organizational Status

The Department of Psychiatry is one of the larger departments in the Faculty of Medicine (FoM) with over 1,000 department members including full time academic and clinical faculty, academic visitors, fellows, student employees and staff in varying job families and classifications, in addition to volunteers and others working in clinical and research environments.

Funding within the Department, supporting positions and activities, is a mix of University operating funds, Ministry of Health Alternative Payment Program funds, research grants, donations, endowments, education program funding, as well as other external partner funding.

The Department’s contributions to the medical education programs are some of the most widely distributed within the FoM with faculty appointees and trainees located within all six Health Authorities in the province. Teaching in the Department includes: core contributions in the MD Undergraduate Program; a five-year Psychiatry Specialty Residency training program with approximately 125 residents training at multiple distributed sites (Prince George, Victoria, Interior Health, Fraser Health, Vancouver Coastal Health & Providence Health Care); three Psychiatry Subspecialty Residency training programs; a Fellowship Program, Masters in Translational Psychiatry program in partnership with SPPH, two programs in the UBC Vancouver Summer Program; and a four day Summer Immersion Program for medical students requiring oversight by the Incumbent of resource allocation and staff management at distributed sites.

Faculty research programs in basic neuroscience and clinical research operate within various research institutes and centres, health authorities as well as Departmental dry and wet lab space in Detwiller Pavilion, UBC Hospital and David Strangway Building on Point Grey campus, Djavad Mowafaghian Centre for Brain Health (DMCBH), as well as in the Translational Research Building, Children s Hospital, Oak St. site requiring varying degrees of oversight, administration and management for space allocations, maintenance, renovations/repairs and health and safety.

The Department of Psychiatry Administration Office is located on the UBC Point Grey Campus, Detwiller Pavilion, UBC Hospital. This building is shared jointly with the Health Authority and includes in-patient wards, out-patient clinical services, administrative and physician offices, meeting rooms as well as wet and dry lab space. The Department Education Programs Office is located at the Diamond Health Care Centre, VGH Oak St. site, requiring the Director of Administration to travel between sites regularly.

The Director of Administration is the departmental administrative liaison for Faculty of Medicine (FoM) and central UBC units, responding to queries and directives, contributing to administrative policies and processes, participating in committees, and disseminating communications and changes in institution and specific FoM policies to Department members as appropriate. This position develops relationships with those internal to UBC and FoM as well as those external including regional teaching sites, partner institutions, health authorities, collaborative research partners and others as required to facilitate appropriate administrative support and ensure consistent application of policies and practices in Department operations and relationships.
Work Performed

Strategic Initiatives and Direction

• Participates as a member of the Department Executive Committee and Advisory Committee in the development of strategic priorities, goals, and objectives for the Department; establishes and participates in other Department committees, working groups, task forces as required in support of strategic priorities and administrative and operational efficiencies ensuring stakeholder representation
   

• Works under the direction of and in partnership with the Department Head, meeting weekly to develop strategies to improve Department operations, advance strategic priorities, and implement new initiatives
   

• Develops and provides leadership, direction, and guidance for strategic administrative and financial efficiencies for the Department and its members; aligns overall management and administrative functions of the Department within its mission, vision and strategic priorities and those of the Faculty of Medicine and UBC;
   

• Directs the development and implementation of specific initiatives in support of Department strategic and operational priorities and opportunities; provides administrative leadership, project oversight and reporting as needed;
   

• Responsible for maintaining and reviewing faculty demographic data and salary information as a part of 5 and 10-year financial planning for faculty retention and recruitment for both the Department and IMH considering salary award end dates, secondments, study leaves, etc.
   

• Works with the Department Head, Education Program Directors and the Senior Education Programs Manager to further advance and improve core education programs and to establish priorities for the development and implementation of new education programs
   

• Develops and implements Department policies and procedures to achieve administrative and financial efficiencies while ensuring compliance with UBC and Faculty of Medicine (FoM) policies, procedures and employment agreements; advises Department members on policies, procedures and employment agreements
   

• Initiates and provides direction for business and workflow process reviews in the Department; develops and implements changes to improve administrative efficiency and internal controls in support of new initiatives and priorities within the Department, FoM and UBC
   

• Facilitates and manages partnerships and the development of agreements, working with appropriate UBC and external agencies as required to achieve common goals and objectives
   

• Authorizes staff appointments; hires, develops, supervises, coaches, evaluates, disciplines and terminates staff; overall responsibility for directly or indirectly managing 100+ staff appointees

Human Resources and Leadership

• Directs the strategic planning and management of human resource activities in the Department ensuring equity and compliance with employment agreements;
   

• Provides leadership and oversees Department human resource services, employee relations, staff development, equity and terms of employment
   

• Ensures engagement opportunities for staff through staff meetings, participation in projects and committees, inclusion in Department wide activities, individual and group consultation, etc.
   

• Develops, implements and oversees organizational changes to meet objectives of new initiatives and evolving needs within the Department of Psychiatry
   

• Provides leadership with regards to challenging issues such as performance management, grievance meetings, bullying and harassment complaints and other matters that require diplomatic resolution and/or investigation; supports Department Head in investigations as required
   

• Provides advice and support to Department Head on faculty recruitment, retention, appointment, re-appointment, promotion, tenure and compensation terms consulting with appropriate UBC units as required; oversees and provides direction to staff in carrying out related processes ensuring compliance with policies and procedures
   

• Responsible for Department procedures related to faculty annual reviews and salary increases; maintains records of merit rankings, salary increases, funding resource complexities to administrate (external support, salary award end dates, leaves, etc.) and to support decision- making; ensures compliance with Faculty Association agreement and FoM policies and procedures and the timely consideration and review of faculty eligible for merit or other salary increases and monitors their implementation; works in partnership with Department Head and provides advice on recommendations for faculty salary increases (PSA) based upon data analysis
   

• Develops agreements and letters of offer for unique arrangements related to secondments, leadership roles, leaves, etc. working with internal and external organizations to the University ensuring appropriate authorizations and approvals

Finance and Resources

• Oversees all financial activity in the Department and the development of financial models to manage Department budgets, funding allocations, revenue and expense projections and analysis in support of Department and IMH business operations, strategic priorities and long term (5-10 year) planning; oversees the development of systems and processes to resolve problems and improve management of financial resources
   

• Ensures timely review of funding supporting faculty positions and directs changes in earnings distribution as required to maximize external funding, while ensuring agreements on funding support are observed
   

• Reviews Departmental budgets and financial analyses/summaries, evaluates priorities and makes recommendations to the Department Head for budget reductions and management of available resources; provides advice and recommendations to other PG holders in managing budgets
   

• Signing authority on all Department P/G s
   

• Makes recommendations on significant investment of department resources; approves expenditures for standard business equipment, equipment replacement, leases, computers and systems, renovations and repairs, etc. upon appropriate cost/benefit analysis and risk assessment
   

• Liaises with FoM Finance staff and other UBC finance personnel
   

Communications and IT

• Directs and oversees the development, implementation and maintenance of Department communication systems, tools and projects (website, email distributions lists, communication bulletins/newsletters, reports, etc.)
   

• Oversees Department internal and external communications ensuring recognition of department members and achievements; oversees awards committee activities, ensuring award nominations are considered for relevant prizes and recognition
   

• Ensures emerging communication vehicles are evaluated from a technical and user perspective and cost/benefit perspective prior to implementing
   

• Working with Department Psych IT, approves recommendations for information systems to support department operations, including new technology implementation, software and hardware upgrades, custom applications, etc. and develops policies and procedures related to IT, equipment and new technology
   

• Ensures appropriate support for Departmental IT systems; working with Department Psych IT, regularly reviews user support levels, needs and resources available to support these;

Facilities and Health & Safety

• Oversees and reviews space inventory; provides recommendations to the Department Head on the utilization, assignment and management of space in UBC Department academic space (Detwiller,Strangway and Diamond Centre) to meet current and future needs of the department and its members at its various sites
   

• Authorizes maintenance and repair costs; ensures appropriate engagement with UBC, Health Authority and other external units and vendors as required
   

• Oversees Department Health & Safety activities and participation ensuring appropriate representation on OH&S committees for work sites
   

• Oversees authorization of key requests to Psychiatry space and access to secure areas with key cards
   

Other

• Interprets University, Faculty of Medicine and partner institution policies and procedures; develops and implements Department policies and procedures in alignment with these and to meet goals and objectives in consideration of relevant internal and external requirements
   

• Liaises with internal and external units and organizations on behalf of the Department; participates in various committees and working groups, contributing towards goals and objectives
   

• Exercises considerable judgment and decision making in department operations, resource allocation and human resource management
   

• Participates in Department, Faculty, University and other committees and meetings
   

• Acts on behalf of the Department Head as delegated/requested
   

• Oversees event organization and management and related costs
   

• Performs other related duties as required

Consequence of Error/Judgement

Considerable judgement is required for all areas of department operations and resource management including the delegation of responsibilities and decision making. Errors in judgement could lead to inappropriate decisions impacting department finances and other resources, the efficiency and effectiveness of Department operations and the reputation of the Department, Faculty and University.

A high degree of accuracy and initiative is required and relied upon by the Department Head and others in decision making and effective implementation of strategic priorities, operational management, problem resolution and in addressing unique situations and opportunities.

Errors in judgment in handling personnel issues could lead to legal/financial issues, disruption to Department activities, grievances and impact the reputation of the Department, Faculty and University.
Supervision Received

The Director of Administration works independently, reporting to the Department Head. Work is reviewed in terms of achievement of long-term goals.
 

Receives broad directives from the Executive Director, Faculty Affairs.
Supervision Given
Direct and indirect supervision of administrative and education office staff groups through multiple levels of subordinates with responsibilities in administration, human resources, finance, education, IT, space, health and safety, communications and faculty support.
Minimum Qualifications

Undergraduate degree in a relevant discipline. Minimum of seven years of related experience, or the equivalent combination of education and experience.
- 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

• Experience working at a management level in a university and/or a health care setting an asset.

• Experience in human resources management, business administration, finance, research support, facilities, health and safety and operational management desirable.

• Knowledge of University policies, procedures, governance and administrative systems is an asset. Computer literacy, with knowledge of financial software tools.

• Proven ability to successfully recruit, mentor, manage, discipline and terminate staff.

• Ability to work with or direct and lead a team.

• Ability to deal tactfully with a diversity of people in a calm, courteous, and effective manner.

• Ability to communicate effectively verbally and in writing.

• Ability to maintain confidentiality.

• Ability to analyze, prioritize and work effectively under pressure to meet deadlines.

• Ability to effectively develop, analyze and implement strategic and operational plans.

• Proven leadership, prioritization and organizational skills.

• Proven judgment and decision-making skills, particularly in areas where there are no established policies or guidelines.

• Ability to take initiative, manage effectively and meet goals in a complex environment.

• Ability to foresee, prevent and resolve conflicts and other problems.