Description The Faculty of Arts is currently seeking a Full-time Regular Manager, Pod Operations.

The Faculty of Arts is home to highly motivated educators, researchers, and students who have the critical and technical skills, as well as the creative knowledge and spirit, to make sense of our rapidly changing and increasingly globalized world. The Faculty of Arts is central to the Eyes High goals of sharpening our focus on research and scholarship, enriching the quality and breadth of learning, and integrating with the community. We are excited about promoting a distinctive student experience, and our commitment to citizenship, diversity and inclusion helps build a healthy and respectful campus culture for all.

The Manager, Pod Operations is a regular full-time Management & Professional Staff position, reporting to the Director, Administrative Operations. This position serves a critical leadership role, focused on leading and managing an operational pod that supports 2 - 3 departments/schools. This position requires interaction with faculty, staff, and students across a diverse and complex environment, and works closely with academic leadership within schools & departments to advance the strategic direction of the units they serve.

The Manager also takes a proactive approach to the organization, management, and integration of the academic pod operations in alignment with the Faculty administrative strategic direction. This position relies on the ability to creatively problem solve, resolve conflict, manage and lead change, and exercise good judgment, taking into consideration the needs of multiple stakeholders. Given the differences in culture, operational activities, and team dynamics amongst the pods, the incumbent requires strong interpersonal skills, a high degree of diplomacy, and strong written and oral communication skills.

The incumbent is expected to make key human resource and financial decisions. This leadership role is complex in scope, with varied accountabilities and with a high volume of responsibilities, projects, and deadlines to navigate throughout the financial year, and the academic cycle. Given the cyclical and relatively short-term nature of Department Head/School Director academic appointments, the operational continuity provided by the Manager is critically important.

The working relationship with Department Heads/School Directors is highly team-oriented and consultative. The Manager is also part of the Faculty of Arts administrative operations leadership team, comprised of a peer group of managers who, under the direction of the Director, Administrative Operations, work collaboratively on activities and initiatives related to the business functions of the Faculty.

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

Human Resources

- Reports-To-Manager for a team of AUPE administrative (and in some pods, technical) staff including recruitment, annual performance reviews, development, performance management, and discipline up to and including termination
- Oversees hiring of all unclassified appointments (e.g., reader/demonstrators), ensuring HR compliance
- Plans, develops and implements administrative policies and procedures which promote staff competency, effectiveness and development, and align with the strategic direction and initiatives of the departments & schools served
- Onboards new academic leadership (i.e., Department Heads/School Directors)
- Oversees the recruitment, hiring, and onboarding processes for Faculty, Sessional Instructors, Postdocs and other academic and non-academic staff, including participating on selection committees for Department Heads, and Managers, Pod Operations
- Is responsible for the organizational structure of the pod operational teams including role design, job profiles, and job reviews, to ensure effective and efficient management of the pod operational workload
- In consultation and collaboration with Human Resources, oversees the various academic career process cycles at the pod level (promotion & tenure; merit; research and scholarship leaves)
- In consultation and collaboration with Human Resources, actively supports all academic recruitment initiatives within the pods
- Cultivates a collaborative and productive work environment to ensure the operational effectiveness and efficiency of the team

Budget Planning and Management
- Works closely with Department Heads and directors to understand the strategic goals of the units served by the pods and makes recommendations on optimal use of available resources to align with unit initiatives




- Assists Head/Director in developing short and long-range department budget plans
- Acts as the budget owner for department/school non-salary operating budget
- Responsible for forecasting and oversight of all discretionary and non-discretionary budgets, including operationally-directed grant funding and endowments
- Responsible for tracking actual spending, variance reporting and analysis
- Manages a comprehensive financial plan for departments/schools served by the pod, coordinating a variety of budgets including operational, research, graduate, and other funding sources
- Works closely with the Finance Partner to maintains detailed budget reports, modeling and analyses
- Responsible for all operational transactions and reporting for the pod(s) to the Finance Partner, including sessional instructor & recovery tracking
- Acts as a resource for academics with regard to processes pertaining to research / project funding, regulations, and compliance, referring to the Business Operations Centre, where appropriate

Operational Planning
- Leads and implements the pod operational plan in alignment with the Faculty administrative direction and units strategic plans with respect to staffing, budget, resource allocation, program operations, and space planning/maintenance
- Develops and maintains the pod Business Continuity Plan, and Emergency Response Plan
- Completes all aspects of the pod workplace safety plans and audits, including hazard assessments, incident identification, reporting, action planning, and compliance.
- Manages unit review processes (i.e. curriculum review, unit review) for respective department(s)
- Manages pod spaces and other resources to ensure effective utilization
- Provides advice to Department Heads / School Directors regarding strategic and long range planning
- Actively collaborates with the Administrative Management Team on initiatives to ensure an integrated support function across the Faculty of Arts

Change Leadership
- Initiate, implement, and support new or modified approaches, practices and processes at the pod level to support the strategic direction of departments/schools and Faculty
- Understand the high-level business requirements of the pod to drive resource allocation, forecast requirements, and support change management
- Act as a Liaison within the department, as well as between other university business units
- Manage the transition associated with academic administrative leadership appointee changes (i.e., Department Heads, School Directors, undergraduate & graduate program directors and other faculty service roles)
- Develop and adapt pod plans and priorities to address resource and operational challenges

Policy Development
- Responsible for updating policies in order to ensure operational alignment and compliance
- Responsible for identifying, developing, and implementing new unit operating policies to support governance and operational requirements, and ensuring such policies are aligned with the Faculty of Arts strategic direction.

Other

- Oversees the team responsible for all unit timetabling, course administration and other related processes
- Oversees all special projects and initiatives within the pod
- Represents the pod interests on various internal and external committees
- Develops and maintains positive and productive working relationships with counterparts in other pods, both within the Faculty of Arts and at the university-level
- Oversees all pod-related event planning
- Initiates and guides community engagement activities in the pod to achieve positive community-building and relationships of importance to the pod and the university as a whole

Qualifications / Requirements

Required

- Undergraduate degree
- Formal education or training in business, public management, or a related field
- Minimum 7 years proven experience in a managerial role, preferably in an academic or public/non-profit setting
- Proven experience with complex budget oversight, preparation, and adherence in a multi-funding source environment
- Demonstrated understanding of generally accepted accounting principles and managerial financial practices
- Demonstrated ability to optimize resource allocations
- Proven ability to develop partnerships with other leadership roles, acting in an advisory capacity




- Proven experience leading business process improvement initiatives
- Demonstrated ability to quickly adopt new technical skills and integrate systems solutions into day-to-day practices
- Strong organizational, analytical, and problem-solving skills
- Demonstrated leadership skills, particularly during times of significant change
- Proven strategic planning skillset
- Proven experience in hiring, managing, and leading a team of direct reports
- Demonstrated superior conflict management skills
- Strong written and verbal communication skills
- Proven capability to manage multiple competing priorities
- Proven attention to detail
- Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills to deal effectively with complex decisions, issues and initiatives
- Excellent interpersonal and change management skills
- Advanced computer skills in the Microsoft Office suite of programs (MS Word, Excel, SharePoint), with an emphasis on intermediate skills in Excel and database/reporting tools

Considered as Asset
- Graduate degree, preferably in business, public management, or a related field
- Familiarity with academic career processes, undergraduate and graduate program administration
- Familiarity with managing a team of direct reports within a unionized workplace

Application Deadline: November 05, 2026 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.

This position is classified in the Management Career Band, Level M2 of the Management and Qualified Staff Career Framework.

For a listing of all management and staff opportunities at the University of Calgary, view our Management and Staff Careers website.

About The University Of Calgary

UCalgary is Canada's entrepreneurial university, located in Canada's most enterprising city. It is a top research university and one of the highest-ranked universities of its age. Founded in 1966, its 36,000 students experience an innovative learning environment, made rich by research, hands-on experiences and entrepreneurial thinking. It is Canada's leader in the creation of start-ups. Start something today at the University of Calgary. For more information, visit ucalgary.ca.

The University of Calgary has launched an institution-wide Indigenous Strategy ii' taa'poh'to'p 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.

The university's commitment to the Indigenous Strategy is evident through the oversight of 18 Elders serving on the Circle of Advisors and the many unit-based circles working towards implementation of the strategy including the Faculty Advisory Circle and teams such as the Office of Indigenous Engagement, the Writing Symbols Lodge, and the Indigenous Research Support Team. Many Indigenous-based events and processes are impacting curriculum, programming and polices at the University of Calgary.

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 Institutional Commitments ([email protected]) and requests for accommodations can be sent to People & Culture ([email protected]).

Do you have most but not all the qualifications? Research show that women, racialized and visible minorities, and persons with disabilities are less likely to apply for jobs unless they meet every single qualification. At UCalgary we are committed to achieving equitable, diverse, inclusive and accessible employment practices and workplaces and encourage you to apply if you believe you are right for this role.

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

📌 Manager, Pod Operations - Faculty of Arts (Calgary)
🏢 University of Calgary
📍 Calgary