Senior Advisor, Academic Operations
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Skills
operational risk management
About the role
SAIT’s Academic Services team is dedicated to serving SAIT’s schools and learners by providing training in essential and transferable skills. Join a team passionate about creating transformative learning environments that provide access to, and support post-secondary journeys.
The Opportunity
Job classification: P5932 - Supervisor
Salary range: $78,385 - $90,000. Placement within the range is typically based upon a review of skills, experience, and internal equity.
Hours per week: 37.5
Paid leave: 4 Weeks Vacation / 14 Flex Days per year
Position End Date: December 31, 2027
Deadline to apply: 9am November 2, 2026
As the Senior Advisor, Academic Operations, you play a key role in ensuring pathway programs run smoothly from planning through delivery. You will oversee program staffing, scheduling, enrolment, course administration, faculty loading, and student progression while driving process improvements that enhance the student and faculty experience.
Working closely with Academic Chairs, Associate Deans, faculty, and service areas across the institution, you will provide operational leadership and help ensure programs are delivered efficiently and effectively. This role allows academic leaders to focus on curriculum, teaching excellence, and student academic matters while you lead the operational execution that keeps programs on track.
If you thrive in a collaborative environment, enjoy optimizing processes, and are passionate about supporting student success through operational excellence, we'd love to hear from you. Apply today and help shape an exceptional learning experience from behind the scenes.
How you'll contribute
- Oversee day-to-day operations for English Language Foundations, Open Studies and other assigned pathway programming
- Translate approved enrolment plans, program requirements and funding commitments into executable semester and annual operating plans
- Ensure administrative processes and program activities are completed accurately and on schedule
- Manage course and section planning, scheduling requirements, registration capacity, instructional loading, operational calendars and program readiness
- Coordinate the administrative systems supporting adjunct faculty recruitment, appointment, contracting, onboarding, access and teaching readiness
- Coordinate implementation of approved program and operational changes
- Provide operational direction to administrative and advising staff, ensuring students receive timely, consistent information and support
- Manage the operational delivery of government-funded programs, including participant eligibility, enrolment targets, funding requirements, expenditures, milestones and reporting deadlines
- Coordinate the implementation of approved program changes without assuming responsibility for curriculum, course content or academic quality
- Develop and maintain procedures, workflows, records and service standards that ensure consistent delivery across all assigned programs
- Monitor enrolment, course fill rates, waitlists, student progression and available capacity, taking timely action to address delivery requirements
- Develop and maintain semester course and section plans based on approved program requirements, enrolment forecasts and available resources
- Initiate and administer section additions, cancellations, consolidations and capacity adjustments within approved parameters
- Manage the administrative processes required to recruit, appoint, contract, onboard and schedule adjunct faculty
- Support the work of Academic Chairs by providing accurate enrolment and capacity information; coordinating the administrative requirements associated with program planning and governance; and escalating matters involving academic quality, curriculum, teaching standards, faculty performance, labour relations or significant delivery risk
- Work alongside Administrators, Analysts and other operational support roles to coordinate workflows, timelines and service coverage required for program delivery
- Provide functional guidance, mentoring and operational expertise to employees performing program administration and student-support activities
- Support administrative employee recruitment, onboarding, training and orientation by coordinating documentation, system access, procedures and program-specific information
- Monitor service levels, workflow effectiveness and operational risks, implementing or recommending process improvements within the role’s authority
- Work with Academic Chairs at a planning and governance level by providing operational data, identifying risks and translating approved academic decisions into implementation plans
- Work directly with faculty to coordinate scheduling, loading, onboarding, classroom and other operational requirements, without responsibility for faculty performance or academic supervision
- Coordinate with institutional service areas to ensure registration, scheduling, staffing and program-delivery requirements are completed accurately and on time
- Escalate faculty-related, academic, labour-relations, and student conduct matters to the appropriate academic leader
- Coordinate operational processes supporting admission, registration, progression and transition through pathway programming
- Identify administrative barriers affecting student progression and coordinate resolution with appropriate service areas
- Ensure processes and student communications are clear, consistent and timely
- Coordinate with Advising, OTR and other institutional areas supporting pathway students
- Support effective transitions from pathway programming into further SAIT studies
- Identify opportunities to improve student-facing administrative processes
- Monitor operational information related to enrolment, retention, progression, course utilization and pathway outcomes.
- Maintain regular program reports and operational updates
- Identify recurring operational issues, inefficiencies and process gaps
- Implement practical improvements to workflows, documentation and administrative processes
- Coordinate operational requirements associated with REFRESH sessions, cyclical reviews and approved curriculum or program changes
- Provide regular updates to the Senior Manager and academic leadership regarding program operations, risks and emerging issues
Program Operations and Administration
Enrolment and Faculty Loading
Collaborative Operational Leadership and Coordination
Student Pathways and Program Processes
Reporting and Continuous Improvement
What you bring
- Diploma or Bachelor's degree in business administration, education administration, operations, management, or related discipline
- 3-5 years progressively responsible experience in program operations, academic administration, post-secondary administration, student lifecycle management, or related environment
- 1-2 years experience coordinating scheduling, enrolment, program delivery or administrative processes
- An equivalent combination of education and experience may be considered
We sincerely thank all applicants for their interest in this opportunity. We understand how important communication is, and we are committed to following up with every candidate. Please know that each application is thoughtfully reviewed, and you will hear from us either way.
Together, we build bold futures
At SAIT, we equip you with the resources you need to shape bold futures for yourself and our communities. We offer a comprehensive package including:
- Generous time off to pursue other passions and support your wellbeing
- SAIT paid premiums for medical, dental, and vision benefits so you, and your family, are well supported
- Benefits supporting mental health and access to Greenshield + for virtual therapy at a reduced rate
- Access to a Health Spending or Taxable Spending Account
- Professional development opportunities through our Free Seat Program, tuition support, access to LinkedIn Learning and discounted Continuing Education & Professional Studies courses
- Defined Benefit pension through LAPP to help you retire with confidence
- Excellent dining options on campus
- Free access to our fitness facilities and group fitness classes
About SAIT
At SAIT, we’re building bold futures. We’re a community of tenacious problem-solvers, inventive thinkers, and passionate collaborators who believe in doing work that matters.
Named one of Alberta’s Top Employers, we’re driven by a desire to create an impact in our community. If you’re looking for a place where purpose meets possibility, you’ve found it here.
We’re committed to community and belonging
Community and belonging is essential to achieving SAIT's vision to be a global leader in applied education. We encourage applications from women, Indigenous people, racialized people, people with disabilities, people from gender and sexually diverse communities, and/or people with intersectional identities. Learn more about Community and Belonging at SAIT.