Staff - Non Union

Job Category

M&P - AAPS

Job Profile

AAPS Salaried - Information Systems and Technology, Level G

Job Title

Associate Director, Digital Enablement

Department

UBC IT | Digital Enablement

Compensation Range

$12,755.08 - $19,905.67 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

June 8, 2026

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

Job End Date

Ongoing

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 Summary

The Associate Director, Digital Enablement provides strategic guidance and expertise to staff and senior leaders engaged in the delivery and support of UBC’s application portfolio, ensuring services are aligned with institutional priorities and evolving academic and administrative needs. This role drives application modernization, rationalization, and innovation through strong portfolio governance, lifecycle management, and vendor oversight. The Associate Director leads capability development, manages risk, and partners across UBC IT to deliver secure, sustainable, and high‑value digital solutions that advance the University’s long‑term goals.

Organizational Status

Reports to the Director, Digital Enablement (referred to as Director hereafter). Actively participates as a collaborative member of the Digital Enablement senior management team. Participates in UBC committees and works collaboratively with staff from all sections of UBC IT and the broader institution, including faculties, research units and administrative groups. Maintains a network of contacts with higher-education institutions and organizations with large IT operations. The Associate Director must maintain both a macro and micro view of the University's business goals, functions and processes.

Work Performed

Specific Duties

• Provide leadership in the ongoing evolution of the application portfolio toward increased agility, scalability, and innovation, supporting the adoption of new delivery and operating models and enabling leaders and staff to succeed in a changing digital environment.
• Lead portfolio‑level assessments of application fitness, sustainability, cost, and risk, including identifying opportunities for application rationalization, modernization, and benefits realization.
• In partnership with the Director, define, implement, and continuously improve enterprise application lifecycle management aligned with industry best practices, and oversee transitions to modern operating models.
• Provide people leadership by developing strategies that support staff engagement, capability development, and workforce resilience, while identifying emerging skill requirements and addressing capability gaps across the portfolio.
• Establish and mature product management practices across the application portfolio, including the development and governance of application roadmaps, performance metrics, benchmarks, and executive‑level reporting.
• Oversee relationships with major vendors and service providers, ensuring services are cost‑effective, meet performance and contractual commitments, and align with institutional needs and strategic priorities.
• Collaborate with the Director to design and sustain an innovation framework that enables the continuous evaluation and responsible adoption of emerging technologies to advance UBC’s digital capabilities.
• Provide strategic oversight of application operations by establishing standards, practices, and resource alignment with infrastructure and operations teams to ensure reliable production performance and the effective implementation of automated, secure, and sustainable release and deployment models.
• Serve as a subject matter expert to ensure application services, including those delivered by external providers, comply with institutional requirements for privacy, security, accessibility, social responsibility, environmental sustainability, and applicable policies, standards, and legislation.
• Partner with privacy and security leaders to ensure enterprise applications are designed, operated, and governed to mitigate risk and protect institutional and personal information.
• Provide financial leadership for the application portfolio, including budget planning, forecasting, expenditure oversight, and resource allocation within the assigned area of responsibility.

Core Duties

• Leads and guides the development of function specific strategies and initiatives that are aligned with the department's and the University's strategic goals and long-term plans.
• Provides technical expertise and oversees the expansion of innovative business solutions, programs and services.
• Creates and fosters strategic partnerships and influential relationships with senior leaders within UBC IT and the IT broader community.
• Sources, negotiates, and allocates financial, physical, or human resources to implement and support major projects and programs.
• Develop and administer budgets for the implementation and support of integrated, cost-effective business solutions.
• Approves and monitors plans, performance targets and measures for reporting areas.
• Develops leadership strength in functional areas by coaching reporting leaders and staff in the development of critical competencies and by modeling valued leadership behaviours.
• Provides career planning advice to staff and creates development plans to help staff achieve their career goals including assigning work which leverages their skills and capabilities and provides them with opportunities for learning.
• Anticipates and analyzes trends in technology and assesses the impact of emerging technologies on the business.
• Maintains appropriate professional designations and up-to-date knowledge of current information technology techniques and tools.
• Performs other related duties as required.

Consequence of Error/Judgement

Information Technology plays a key role in enabling the University to achieve its goal of becoming one of the world's leading universities. The Associate Director plays an important part in the formulation, alignment and implementation of the enterprise IT programs for the University at large.

If UBC's IT strategies do not align with or enable the academic goals of the University, or if the IT-related services and support that Units receive are not fully aligned with their needs and goals, the University's IT resources will inhibit the University from achieving its strategic targets. Failure to ensure alignment and direction for the University in this role will negatively impact on the reputation of the University, leading to loss of prestige that could impact enrollment, donations, and public relations.

Failure to effectively direct major projects that transform university business operations through technology change will lead to the loss of millions of dollars in investment and unrealized efficiency benefits.

Supervision Received

Reports to the Director, Digital Enablement with strategic input from the Chief Information Officer. Work is reviewed in terms of long-term multi-year objectives and resulting benefits realization.

Supervision Given

Manages staff and consultants directly and indirectly through multiple levels of sub managers.

Minimum Qualifications

Post-graduate degree. Minimum of eleven years of related experience including at least five years of managerial experience plus four years of specialized experience in the design and implementation of major computer systems, 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

• Specialized experience in the design and implementation of major computer systems. Significant senior level experience in IT Application Development management and operations.
• Demonstrated experience in performance management, career development, succession planning, problem-solving, change management, budget development and financial management.
• Knowledge and experience: supporting SaaS applications in addition to on-premises and COTS; development and implementation and management of ITIL processes and policies; implementation of Lean IT, agile development, and application modernization programs.
• Demonstrated business, leadership, management, and organizational skills. Demonstrated and sustained track record and commitment to delivering results and proactively supporting the technology needs of faculty, students and staff.
• Thorough understanding of key trends and players in the Information and Communications Technology industry; higher-education sector.
• Strong skills in strategic planning, tactical planning, project management, risk management, business process improvement, continuous improvement, quality assurance, research, development, operations management and customer service.
• Effective leadership, consulting, marketing, facilitation, conflict resolution, negotiation and team-building skills.

Core Competencies:

Collaboration (Expert – E): Identifies and improves communication to bring conflict within the team into the open and facilitate resolution. Openly shares credit for team accomplishment. Monitors individual and team effectiveness and recommends improvement to facilitate collaboration. Considered a role model as a team player. Demonstrates high level of enthusiasm and commitment to team goals under difficult or adverse situations; encourages others to respond similarly. Strongly influences team strategy and processes.

Communication for Results (Expert – E): Converses with, writes strategic documents for, and creates/delivers presentations to internal business leaders as well as external groups. Leads discussions with senior leaders and external partners in ways that support strategic planning and decision-making. Seeks a consensus with business leaders. Debates opinions, tests understanding, and clarifies judgments. Identifies underlying differences and resolves conflict openly and empathetically. Explains the context of multiple, complex interrelated situations. Asks searching, probing questions, plays devil's advocate, and solicits authoritative perspectives and advice prior to approving plans and recommendations

Problem Solving (Advanced – A): Diagnoses problems using formal problem-solving tools and techniques from multiple angles and probes underlying issues to generate multiple potential solutions. Proactively anticipates and prevents problems. Devises, facilitates buy-in, makes recommendations, and guides implementation of corrective and/or preventive actions for complex issues that cross organizational boundaries and are unclear in nature. Identifies potential consequences and risk levels. Seeks support and buy-in for problem definition, methods of resolution, and accountability.

Role Based Competencies:

Leading Self (Expert – E): Draws upon self-awareness and self-control to identify and manage the emotions of others during adverse times. Demonstrates the capacity for self-reflection; looks back at setbacks and/or failures and identifies and applies key learnings for self and others. Solicits feedback from a professional and personal network of experts and strategic advisors. Adapts easily in a continually changing environment and positively influencers others to adapt.

Leading Others (Expert – E): Sponsors and reviews long-term learning needs, career paths, and succession plans for organizational leaders. Mentors and develops critical talent for the future. Ensures that all team members have equitable access to development opportunities. Creates a diverse and inclusive environment which brings together different ideas, experiences, skills and knowledge. Demonstrates and promotes effective conflict resolution practices.

Leading the Organization (Expert – E): Understands the projected direction of technology in the marketplace and how changes will impact the University and its learning and research environments. Champions the use of strategic alliances that align with the organization’s and the University’s goals to extend organizational impact. Provides necessary support (e.g. systems, processes, resources) for implementation of the organization’s strategic direction and adjusts as necessary to maintain high quality service. Promotes a climate of continuous transformation that will keep the organization and the University agile and “best in class”.