Job ID

74847

Job Title

Director of Administration, Department of Psychiatry

Regular/Temporary

Regular

Location

St. Joseph's Hospital

Open Date

03/23/2026

Job Type

Continuing

Close Date

04/11/2026

Employee Group

TMG

Favorite Job

Department

Psychiatry

Full/Part Time

Full-Time

Salary Grade/Band

Band N

Salary Range

$114266.00 - $171398.00 (annual)

Job Code

003267

Hiring Range

$114266.00 - $149831.00

Existing Vacancy

Yes - Backfilling as Existing

Target Number of Openings

1

Hours per Week

35

Posting Details

Schedule

Monday - Friday

Education Level

University Degree at the Master’s level in a related field, with appropriate experience

Career Level

5-10 years of managerial experience in an academic health sciences centre and/or health care organization.

Job Description

About the University

Ranked as one of the world’s top 100 universities, McMaster University is a research-focused, student-centered institution of higher learning, dedicated to creating a brighter world through the art and science of discovery. We serve our community and our society by inspiring creativity and critical thinking, promoting an enduring love of learning, and exploring innovative research that extends the boundaries of higher knowledge.

About the Department of Psychiatry

The Department of Psychiatry and Behavioural Neurosciences (DPBN) at McMaster University is dedicated to teaching, clinical care and research within the university community and throughout a unique regional network of partner organizations including SJHH, HHS and Homewood Health.

Our vision includes equity, innovation and partnerships in everything we do. Our mission is excellence in clinical, educational and research activities to improve outcomes for people living with mental disorders through prevention, earlier detection and person and family-centred care across the lifespan. We offer a rich and innovative academic environment spanning multiple clinical programs and teaching sites within Hamilton and the surrounding area. We are a multidisciplinary department consisting of over 500 full- and part-time faculty members.

This is an exciting opportunity to be part of a dynamic and collaborative environment, helping to shape and support innovative research within the Department.

The Opportunity

The Director of Administration is the senior administrator in the department executive and provides operational management of the DPBN in support of its mandate in teaching, research and clinical activities. The Director provides administrative and operational leadership to departmental visioning and strategic planning and is a resource to the Faculty for Faculty-wide initiatives. Accountable to the Department Chair, and the Executive Director, Clinical Services, FHS, the Director supports the Chair and at the Chair’s discretion, may represent the Chair in discussions with the Associate Deans (Education & Research) and the Associate Vice-President (Clinical Affairs). They will interact with Vice-Presidents of the Teaching Hospitals according to their area of specialty in matters that affect department operations. In carrying out their responsibilities, the Director collaborates with the senior administrative support staff of the faculty. The Director provides the most comprehensive overall view of the Department to the Chair, to ensure consistency and equality in decision making with respect to the interaction between the strategic plan and operational goals.

The ideal candidate is an experienced academic administrator with strong strategic planning skills, deep knowledge of health sciences environments, exceptional relationship management abilities and demonstrated expertise in financial, HR and operational leadership within complex, multi-stakeholder organizations.

Key Duties and Accountabilities

Financial Management

• Develops and implements comprehensive business and operating plans across education, research and clinical units, including HAPA – Child & Adolescent Psychiatry & Stipend B.
• Manages multiple complex budgets in alignment with institutional policies
• Oversees payroll across multiple institutions sand develops competitive compensation packages for new faculty.
• Negotiates funding agreements with hospitals and funding agencies.
• Secures external and non-traditional government funding and collaborates with FHS Advancement personnel to advance new funding initiatives such as mission-based budgeting and alternative funding plans.
• Supports the management of clinical practice plans and works collaboratively with the AFP to administer innovation grants.

Strategic Planning

• Provides high-level advisory support to the Department Chair and contributing to strategic leadership across the Department, the Faculty of Health Sciences and the broader Hamilton health care environment.
• Plays a pivotal role in advancing research, academic and clinical priorities by offering critical analysis and informed guidance grounded in a deep understanding of health sciences education, research and clinical systems—both internally and externally.
• Advises on inter-institutional dynamics.
• Supports the development of strategic plans aligned with departmental, Faculty, and hospital priorities and helps shape faculty complement planning.
• Liaises with and implements strategic directives from the Ministry of Health (MOH)
• Contributes to the development of new strategic initiatives and participates in Faculty-wide planning related to undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate education and research programs.

Operational Management

• Designs, implements, monitors and evaluates all infrastructure activities of the Department including faculty recruitment, promotion, human resource, financial, research and teaching activities within the Department.
• Contributes to decisions involving clinical, research and academic programming.
• Participates in crisis-response planning.
• Ensures that occupational health and safety policies are followed through various processes.
• Ensures the integration of hospital appointments with university appointments.

Inter-institutional Management

• Oversees strategic relationships arising from partnership agreements with Hamilton Health Sciences, St. Joseph’s Healthcare Hamilton, Ron Joyce Children’s Health Centre, Offord Centre for Child Studies, Hospital Foundations, Hamilton HSO and affiliated programs at Waypoint Centre for Mental Health Care and Homewood Health Centre.
• Facilitates effective collaboration between University Department Chairs and Hospital Chiefs, ensuring alignment of strategic priorities and operational goals.
• Leads the negotiation of shared costs.
• Leads the negotiation, implementation and monitoring of shared responsibilities related to faculty recruitment, space allocation, and infrastructure between McMaster University and its teaching hospital partners.

Clinical Operations

• Plays a key role in major operational decisions, including the relocation of existing programs and the development of new clinical initiatives.
• Evaluates space requirements, develops comprehensive budget and staffing plans in collaboration with hospital administration, negotiating appropriate facilities.
• Manages the Clinical Practice Plan, monitoring its effectiveness and ensuring departmental solvency.
• Responsible for HAPA – the Pediatric AFP & Stipend B, including hospital and Ministry of Health reporting requirements.
• Negotiates individualized, multi-sourced annual personnel agreements (covering income, expenses, and target billing) with faculty members, overseeing sessional payments from hospitals to physicians.

Human Resource Leadership

• Oversees all human resource functions for faculty and staff, including recruitment, promotion, workforce planning, performance management and succession planning.
• Ensures compliance with collective agreements and University and hospital policies while fostering a supportive and high-performing culture.
• Advises supervisors, mediates conflicts as required and manages orientation and professional development programs while supporting promotion and tenure processes.
• Develops innovative recruitment and retention strategies and ensures effective onboarding and training for diverse faculty and staff groups.

Physical Resource Management

• Leads space and infrastructure planning across multiple academic and hospital sites.
• Optimizes space utilization.
• Maintains space and asset inventories.
• Negotiates space allocations in alignment with affiliation agreements.
• Represents the department in institutional planning processes.

Education Administration

• Oversees the administrative infrastructure supporting undergraduate, postgraduate and graduate education programs. This includes:
  • Managing clinical placements, postgraduate admissions, faculty supervision processes, accreditation requirements (e.g., Royal College and other regulatory bodies) and strategic workforce planning for Clinical Teaching Units.
• Ensures compliance with accreditation standards and appropriate compensation mechanisms for supervisors and fellows.

Research Administration

• Provides comprehensive oversight of research administration, including space allocation, grant management, proposal support, financial reporting and research compliance (including occupational health and safety).
• Facilitates collaboration opportunities, negotiates with funding agencies, supports budget development and ensures timely communication of funding opportunities to faculty.

Strategic Projects & Clinical Alignment

• Leads or contributes to special initiatives such as new building proposals, business case development, compensation model enhancements and University negotiations.
• Collaborates closely with Vice Chairs, physician leaders and administrative managers to support leadership development, engagement strategies and continuous improvement efforts.

Leadership & Organizational Impact

• Participates actively in senior leadership forums and drives operational excellence through thoughtful prioritization, delegation and collaboration.
• Promotes diversity, equity and inclusion while strengthening partnerships across departments and institutions.
• Fosters a culture of accountability, innovation, and service excellence.

Education/Qualifications

• University Degree at the Master’s level in a related field, with appropriate experience.
• 5-10 years of managerial experience in an academic health sciences centre and/or health care organization.

Experience

• Expected to model McMaster’s leadership capabilities (Takes a Strategic Approach, Communicates & Collaborates, Develops People, Drives Results, Champions Change and Innovation, Invests in Relationships).
• Demonstrated ability to set priorities and deadlines to ensure multiple projects and objectives are achieved in a timely manner.
• Able to navigate in a complex decentralized organization, with flexibility and a tolerance for ambiguity.
• Capable of setting performance standards, exhibiting mature judgment and managing a team toward meeting and exceeding objectives.
• Strong relationship management skills and ability to foster internal relationships with leaders across the university.

Knowledge/Skills

• Excellent communication, change management and presentation skills, excelling at presenting information to executive level program sponsors.
• Strong financial skills, financial literacy.
• Proficient written communication skills, including the ability to generate presentations and reports.
• Strong facilitation, negotiation and issue resolution skills. Able to listen, seek out and consider information objectively, and respond to challenging situations with reason.
• Able to communicate with a diverse range of people and positively influence others to maximize the outcomes for service users.
• Superior skills in building personal and professional relationships that result in collaborative partnerships and mutually beneficial results; possesses a high level of integrity.
• Demonstrated commitment to personal development and actively seek out learning and development opportunities.
• Demonstrates a positive approach to change and keeping up to date with developments in relevant areas.

Pay Transparency Statement

The posted hiring range represents McMaster's typical hiring range for this position. Actual starting salary will depend on factors such as relevant experience, qualifications, internal equity, and market conditions.

Individuals with extensive experience, deep specialized expertise, and/or those who can demonstrate exceptional past performance, as applicable, may be hired at a higher rate within the full range, in accordance with the University compensation policies.

How To Apply

To apply for this job, please submit your application online.

Employment Equity Statement

McMaster University is located on the traditional territories of the Haudenosaunee and Mississauga Nations and within the lands protected by the “Dish With One Spoon” wampum agreement.

The diversity of our workforce is at the core of our innovation and creativity and strengthens our research and teaching excellence. In keeping with its Statement on Building an Inclusive Community with a Shared Purpose, McMaster University strives to embody the values of respect, collaboration and diversity, and has a strong commitment to employment equity.

The University seeks qualified candidates who share our commitment to equity and inclusion, who will contribute to the diversification of ideas and perspectives, and especially welcomes applications from indigenous (First Nations, Métis or Inuit) peoples, members of racialized communities, persons with disabilities, women, and persons who identify as 2SLGBTQ+.

As part of McMaster’s commitment, all applicants are invited to complete a confidential Applicant Diversity Survey through the online application submission process. The Survey questionnaire requests voluntary self-identification in relation to equity-seeking groups that have historically faced and continue to face barriers in employment. Please refer to the Applicant Diversity Survey - Statement of Collection for additional information.

Job applicants requiring accommodation to participate in the hiring process should contact:

• Human Resources Service Centre at 905-525-9140 ext. 222-HR (22247), or
• Faculty of Health Sciences HR Office at ext. 22207, or
• School of Graduate Studies at ext. 23679

to communicate accommodation needs.

Hybrid Work Language

To ensure an ongoing and vibrant University community that meets the needs of our students, staff and faculty and supports the University mission, ability to work on-site continues to be a requirement for most University positions. The University is supportive of exploring flexible work arrangements that effectively balance operational needs and employee interests.

Interview Experience

At McMaster University, we believe in a comprehensive and inclusive interview process. Our interview methods encompass a variety of approaches that allow our hiring teams to provide a flexible and accessible experience for engaging with our candidates. Throughout your recruitment process at McMaster, you may be requested to participate in a variety of formats, that may include in-person, virtual or recorded interviews. If you have any questions as you move through the hiring process, please reach out to talent@mcmaster.ca or the HR contact associated with your position of interest.

AI Statement

McMaster and its third-party partners may use AI tools to screen, assess, or select applicants during the hiring process. Please note that currently our recruitment platform does not use AI nor is it part of our current recommended recruitment process.