Senior Advisor & Executive Director, Strategic Initiatives & Portfolio Coordination

Brock University
Niagara Region, Ontario

This is a unique opportunity for an experienced higher education or public sector leader to help shape and advance the academic priorities of one of Canada's leading comprehensive universities. As Senior Advisor & Executive Director, Strategic Initiatives & Portfolio Coordination, you will work closely with the Provost & Vice-President, Academic to provide trusted advice on emerging issues, coordinate major institutional initiatives, support governance processes, and foster alignment across the University. Your leadership will help ensure that complex priorities are translated into action and that academic and institutional objectives are achieved effectively and collaboratively.

The University

Brock University is a comprehensive teaching and research institution with rich academic programs and world-class scholarship. Located on the traditional lands of the Haudenosaunee and Anishinaabe peoples covered by the Upper Canada Treaties and protected by the Dish with One Spoon Wampum Agreement, with its main campus located in the historic Niagara region, Brock offers all the benefits of a young and modern university in a safe, community-minded region with beautiful natural surroundings. With more than 18,000 students in seven diverse Faculties, 600 faculty members, and over 124,000 accomplished alumni, Brock has earned a reputation as a one of Canada’s top post-secondary institutions. The university continues be an important regional presence and with a new campus in Burlington, further growing connections to the community through this new, dynamic space.

Brock was recently named one of Canada's best employers for Company Culture by Forbes as well as ranked top 10 as one of Canada’s Best Employers for Diversity in 2024, through an independent survey of more than 40,000 Canadian employees working for companies with more than 500 employees. Brock is also home to fourteen 3M Teaching Fellowship Award Winners, Canada’s most prestigious recognition of excellence in educational leadership and teaching at the post-secondary level, and eight Canada Research Chairs.

The Role

Reporting to the Provost & Vice-President, Academic, the Senior Advisor & Executive Director, Strategic Initiatives and Portfolio Coordination serves as the Provost’s executive advisor and Chief of Staff, providing strategic counsel, executive coordination, issues management, and leadership of key institutional initiatives. The incumbent acts as an extension of the Provost’s office, ensuring priorities, commitments, strategic initiatives, and executive decisions are effectively coordinated, communicated, advanced, and monitored across the University. The Senior Advisor & Executive Director, Strategic Initiatives and Portfolio Coordination provides high-level executive support through the development of briefing materials, strategic analysis, communications, stakeholder engagement strategies, and executive recommendations. Working closely with senior leaders, governing bodies, and internal and external partners, the incumbent facilitates institutional alignment, anticipates and resolves emerging issues, and ensures the Provost is positioned to make informed decisions and advance the academic agenda of the University.

Key Responsibilities:

Serve as the Provost’s strategic advisor, providing informed counsel on emerging institutional issues, priorities, opportunities, and risks;
Monitor and assess emerging issues, stakeholder concerns, reputational matters, and implementation challenges affecting the Provost’s portfolio; coordinate information gathering, analysis, and recommendations; and develop proactive strategies to address barriers, dependencies, and matters requiring executive attention;
Support the Provost in managing sensitive, confidential, and complex issues requiring strategic judgment and executive coordination;
Lead the coordination and advancement of institutional transformation initiatives sponsored by the Provost, establishing systems to monitor progress, timelines, deliverables, risks, and outcomes associated with strategic priorities;
Lead the development and coordination of executive communications, speeches, presentations, key messages, correspondence, and engagement materials, advising on communications strategies related to institutional priorities and emerging issues;
Coordinate communications related to major initiatives, institutional announcements, governance matters, emerging issues, and strategic priorities, ensuring consistency with institutional priorities and the Provost’s direction;
Coordinate preparation for Senate, Board of Trustees, Senate committees, Deans’ Council, and executive leadership meetings;
Ensure governance submissions, briefing materials, reports, presentations, and recommendations are complete, strategically aligned, and submitted within established timelines;
Establish and maintain systems to track governance decisions, commitments, action items, and priorities, ensuring accountability, timely follow-up, and regular status reporting to the Provost.

The Ideal Candidate

As the ideal candidate, you are a strategic and highly effective leader who thrives in complex organizations and enjoys working at the intersection of strategy, governance, communications, and institutional leadership. You bring exceptional judgment, political acuity, and the ability to navigate sensitive issues with discretion and confidence. Recognized as a trusted advisor, you have experience supporting senior executives and helping organizations advance ambitious priorities through influence, collaboration, and thoughtful execution.

You possess a strong understanding of organizational governance, strategic planning, and change leadership, along with a demonstrated ability to coordinate initiatives that involve multiple priorities, competing interests, and diverse perspectives. You are equally comfortable providing strategic advice in the boardroom, leading institutional projects, developing executive communications, or facilitating relationships across academic, administrative, government, and community environments.
Whether your experience has been gained in higher education, the public sector, healthcare, government, a not-for-profit organization, or another complex institution, you bring a proven record of supporting executive decision-making, leading cross-functional initiatives, managing sensitive issues, and translating strategic objectives into measurable results. You are an exceptional communicator and relationship builder whose credibility, professionalism, and collaborative approach enable you to build trust and drive progress throughout an organization.

Qualifications and Experience:

Graduate degree in a related discipline or the equivalent combination of education and experience;
Experience supporting senior executive leadership within a complex organization, including providing strategic advice on institutional priorities and emerging issues;
Advanced knowledge of strategic planning, organizational leadership, institutional governance, and public-sector accountability frameworks;
Thorough understanding of the post-secondary education environment, emerging sector trends, and government, community, and sector relationships affecting higher education institutions;
Knowledge of project management, organizational change, and implementation methodologies;
Ability to establish and maintain productive relationships with senior leaders, faculty, staff, students, governance bodies, government representatives, and external partners;
Strong influencing, negotiation, and diplomacy skills, with political acuity, tact, and discretion in managing sensitive issues and confidential information;
Excellent verbal communication, writing, presentation, and facilitation skills;
Ability to analyze complex and ambiguous issues, assess strategic, operational, and reputational implications, and develop proactive recommendations and solutions;
Ability to lead competing priorities, adapt to changing circumstances, and balance strategic thinking with effective execution, while promoting inclusivity and respect.
Training or certification in strategic planning, public affairs, communications, project management, or change management considered an asset.

Skills and Attributes:

Advanced knowledge of strategic planning, organizational leadership, and institutional governance.
Thorough understanding of the post-secondary education environment and emerging sector trends;
Knowledge of public-sector governance, policy development, and accountability frameworks;
Knowledge of stakeholder engagement, communications strategy, and issues management;
Knowledge of project management, organizational change, and implementation methodologies;
Understanding of government, community, and sector relationships impacting higher education institutions;
Promotes and embodies inclusivity and respect within the workplace and the broader community;
Exceptional ability to establish and maintain productive relationships with senior leaders, faculty, staff, students, governance bodies, government representatives, and external partners;
Strong influencing, negotiation, and diplomacy skills;
Exceptional political acuity, tact, and discretion;
Ability to manage sensitive issues and confidential information with professionalism;
Superior verbal communication, writing, presentation, and facilitation skills;
Ability to build consensus among stakeholders with competing priorities and perspectives;
Ability to analyze highly complex, politically sensitive, and ambiguous issues and develop strategic recommendations;
Ability to anticipate challenges, identify opportunities, and proactively develop solutions;
Ability to synthesize information from multiple sources and translate findings into actionable advice for executive leaders;
Ability to lead high-profile initiatives involving competing stakeholder interests and changing priorities;
Ability to exercise independent judgment in matters where precedent may not exist;
Ability to think strategically while executing tactically and managing multiple priorities simultaneously; and
Ability to assess reputational, operational, and strategic implications of decisions and recommendations.

Salary Range: $120,000 – 170,000
Role Type: Current Vacancy
The Search Committee will begin reviewing applications on November 11th.

Brock University recognizes that it is located on the traditional lands of the Haudenosaunee and Anishinaabe peoples. This territory is covered by the Upper Canada Treaties and protected by the Dish with One Spoon Wampum Agreement. Today, Brock is the gathering place of many First Nations, Métis and Inuit— many of whom continue to live and work on its campus.
Brock University is committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive environment and encourages applications from all qualified individuals, including but not limited to women, Indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities, racialized persons, and persons of any gender identity and sexual orientation.

Support and accommodations will be provided to applicants with disabilities, upon request. Applicants in need of an accommodation in order to participate as a candidate in the recruitment process can contact accommodate@kbrs.ca or identify their needs to the recruitment professional named in the job description.

KBRS does not use artificial intelligence to screen candidate applications.

Candidates interested in this opportunity should contact Abbey MacLeod at amacleod@kbrs.ca, Kyle Steele at ksteele@kbrs.ca, or Dr. Jennie Massey at jmassey@kbrs.ca, or submit a full application package online by clicking 'Apply Now'