Bursar and Chief Administrative Officer

VICTORIA UNIVERSITY

BURSAR AND CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER

We wish to acknowledge this land on which Victoria University in the University of Toronto operates. For thousands of years, it has been the traditional land of the Huron-Wendat, the Seneca, and the Mississaugas of the Credit. Today, this meeting place is still the home to many Indigenous people from across Turtle Island and we are grateful to have the opportunity to work on this land.

Federated with the University of Toronto, Victoria University—founded in 1836—has earned a distinguished reputation for excellence and creativity in humanities, science, and theological education, all while providing an inclusive and collegial environment within the heart of Canada’s top research university. The University comprises Victoria College, an undergraduate arts and science college of the University of Toronto, and Emmanuel College, a graduate theological college associated with the United Church of Canada. In the last two decades, Victoria University has developed a suite of signature programs that foster high-impact student engagement at both of its colleges, and its more than 45,000 alumni include some of Canada’s most recognized theologians, innovators, writers, artists, scientists, educators, and political leaders. The campus combines a mix of historical and modern buildings, located steps away from an array of cultural, entertainment, and sports attractions in diverse and vibrant Toronto.

Victoria University continues its commitment to fostering an environment where students are encouraged to align their unique talents with emerging opportunities or solutions to some of the world’s most pressing challenges. In keeping with this mission of impact and excellence, Victoria University is now inviting nominations and applications for the role of Bursar and Chief Administrative Officer (CAO), a pivotal position that will help shape the institution’s future and ensure its continued success.

Reporting to the President, the Bursar and Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) holds the highest level of operational and fiscal responsibility at Victoria University, overseeing a broad portfolio that includes finance, information technology, human resources, student residence and food services, event management, capital planning, infrastructure development and sustainability, and the investment portfolio encompassing the endowment, pension fund, and revenue-generating real estate assets. As a senior administrative leader, the Bursar and CAO provides strategic oversight within a not-for-profit academic environment, supporting the University’s mission to cultivate an inclusive community, a vibrant sense of place, and exceptional academic programs.

Overseeing a varied and sizeable portfolio, the Bursar and CAO will be a relationship-focused leader who delegates effectively and builds high-performance teams, all the while being an effective strategic advisor to the President, Principals, senior team members, and the Board of Regents. The incumbent will also maintain effective working relationships with administrative leaders at the University of Toronto, facilitating the day-to-day operational connections between the institutions within the context of the Federation Framework Agreement, with a few areas of the agreement currently under renegotiation. The Bursar and Chief Administrative Officer plays a critical leadership role in this initiative.

Qualifications

Among the qualifications being sought in candidates, the incoming leader must have a deep and abiding commitment to advancing reconciliation, equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility in all its forms and must believe, intrinsically, in the importance of leading with curiosity and welcoming ideas that can later be synthesized and turned into possibility. While all candidates are encouraged to apply and, in so doing, share how they see themselves adding value to the Victoria University environment, the following credentials and/or experiences are seen as possible markers of the candidates most likely to realize success in the role: A) several years of experience in progressively senior roles related to the Bursar and CAO position, with experience working in and/or a strong appreciation for post-secondary education; B) the ability to navigate complexity and provide compelling solutions to challenges that arise within various portfolios; C) experience building relationships within a multilayered environment and, as a result, supporting the delivery of a diverse set of goals from several departments and functional areas; and D) deep strategic and technical abilities in a variety of areas connected to this position, including business operations, capital planning, finance, technology, HR, and governance – all within a unionized environment.

How to Apply

Victoria University is committed to equity in access to employment and a diverse and inclusive workplace. The University encourages applications from racialized persons/persons of colour, women, Indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities, 2SLGBTQI+ persons, and others who may contribute to the further diversification of ideas.

Victoria University is partnering with BIPOC Executive Search to ensure an applicant list that is diverse and is as intersectional as possible. All interested applicants can send their resume to Jason Murray and Christopher Lee by e-mailing clee@bipocsearch.com.

In accordance with the AODA Act, for applicants living with a disability accommodation will be provided throughout the search process. Should accommodation be required, please make Christopher Lee aware by using the above address.

We thank everyone for their expression of interest—and are truly appreciative of the time individuals put into applying—but with the limitations of time only those selected for an interview will be contacted.