Academic Leader, Program Development

SAIT's Centre for Teaching and Learning is a vibrant, inclusive and networked Academic Support Service that assists academic leaders and faculty to promote teaching excellence and enhance the student learning experience. The integrated areas of support include enhancing teaching and learning practice - as well as for digital learning, programme and curriculum development, quality enhancement and scholarly activity.

The Opportunity

We are seeking a dynamic and experienced Academic Leader, Program Development to join our team. This role provides strategic leadership in the design, development, and continuous improvement of academic programs. This role ensures programs meet institutional and industry standards, align with accreditation requirements, and address the evolving needs of learners and participants. The position plays a critical role in fostering collaboration among academic leaders, faculty, and industry partners to create innovative and high-quality programs.

The ideal candidate possesses a growth-focused, continuous improvement mindset and aligns with our institutional goals of enhancing quality, collaboration, and the student experience.

Note: For internal SAIT Faculty members, this position can be made available on a secondment basis, for a term that is mutually determined with your school.

The Role

• Develop and implement a comprehensive program development strategy that aligns with departmental priorities and supports academic excellence.
• Identify emerging trends and opportunities to ensure programs remain relevant, innovative, and aligned with workforce needs.
• Collaborate with the leadership team and other team members to drive program development strategy and direction.
• Guide the development of frameworks and processes to support faculty and academic leaders in program development.
• Provide strategic direction and oversight to ensure programs align with departmental goals and incorporate best practices in digital pedagogy.
• Oversee program development projects from conception to implementation, ensuring alignment with timelines, budgets, and institutional goals.
• Coordinate cross-functional teams to streamline program development.
• Establish and maintain quality assurance processes for program design and development, ensuring alignment with accreditation requirements, industry standards, and institutional goals.
• Conduct regular reviews of program development processes to identify and implement improvements.
• Propose recommendations for continuous improvement to ensure a consistent student experience.
• Build and sustain strong relationships with internal and external parties, including faculty, academic leaders, and industry partners.
• Advocate for program development initiatives and engage participants in designing programs that meet current and future needs.
• Oversee a team of direct reports, providing supervision, coaching, goal setting, performance reviews, and addressing performance concerns.
• Assign projects to team members based on capacity and skill alignment, providing ongoing performance feedback and support.
• Support the team's need for escalations by identifying prudent actions and steering necessary communication and collaboration.
• Develop work plans for each team member to ensure effective project execution and professional growth.

Qualifications and Skills

• Minimum of a Bachelor's Degree in a related field; a Master's in Curriculum Development, Program Planning, or a related area is preferred.
• At least 7 years of experience in program development, curriculum planning, or higher education.
• At least 3 years of experience leading, mentoring, and supervising small teams as direct reports, as well as overseeing projects and committees.
• Knowledge of accreditation standards and program development frameworks.
• Demonstrated success in leading complex program development projects.
• Broad expertise in managing program development.
• Demonstrated ability to steer cross-functional teams.
• Exceptional oral and written communication skills, along with strategic planning and project management competency.
• Skilled in aligning objectives to tasks, milestones, and metrics.
• Effective in defining and setting priorities.
• Proven track record of building relationships and collaborating with others.
• Quick to establish credibility.
• Capable of developing and maintaining a high profile and establishing effective two-way dialogue with a range of internal and external parties.
• Adept at managing perceptions and expectations in difficult situations.
• Proficient in identifying and escalating risks.

Job classification: Manager

Salary range: $100,000 - 130,000

Paid Leave: 4 Weeks Vacation / 14 Flex Days per year

# of positions: 1

Hours Per Week: 37.5

Posting closing date: March 14, 2025

About SAIT

SAIT is a global leader in applied education. Named one of Alberta's Top Employers, we offer the chance to work with a purpose - preparing the next generation of industry leaders, entrepreneurs, advocates and explorers.

Building on our 100+ year history, we're looking for innovative, bold and collaborative employees who embrace change and deliver world-class customer experiences. Your future starts now at SAIT.

Equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) 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 EDI at SAIT.

At SAIT, we understand that experience comes in many forms. We're dedicated to adding diverse perspectives to SAIT - so if your experience is close to what we're looking for, please consider applying.

SAIT is committed to supporting persons with disabilities throughout the recruitment process. We will work with applicants to provide accommodations upon request to the Talent Advisor.

Personal information that you provide is collected under the authority of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FOIP Act) section 33(c) and will be used for the purposes of managing the application, selection and interview process. Should you require further information about the collection, use and disclosure of personal information, please contact the SAIT FOIP Coordinator at foip.coordinator@sait.ca.

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