Business Insights & Operations Lead

Athabasca University

$85K — $100K *
Education, Government & Non-Profit
5 - 7 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in business administration, commerce, or related area required; advanced degrees or certifications preferred.
  • 5-7 years of relevant experience in strategic management and process improvement required.
  • Strong financial analysis and forecasting skills required.
  • Proficiency in contract procurement and management essential, including risk assessment.
  • Capable of data analysis and deriving actionable insights, familiar with analytics tools.
  • Excellent communication and leadership skills needed for effective collaboration.
  • Strong problem-solving and strategic thinking abilities required, especially in higher education context.

Responsibilities

  • Lead financial performance initiatives to support product strategy and life-cycle decisions.
  • Deliver exceptional client experiences through effective operations management.
  • Analyze data to identify insights that drive decision-making and process improvements.
  • Manage contract negotiations and oversee compliance with contractual obligations.
  • Develop and implement procurement strategies that align with organizational goals.
  • Motivate and lead teams to enhance productivity and collaboration.
  • Engage with university stakeholders to align product strategies with institutional objectives.

Benefits

  • Defined benefits pension plan available to employees.
  • Comprehensive Alberta Health Care and extended health care coverage offered.
  • Life insurance and accidental death & dismemberment insurance included.
  • Disability coverage provided for employees.
  • Generous vacation entitlements and paid office closure between Christmas and New Year.
  • Discretionary benefit fund and AU course allowance available for employee development.
  • Various leave options such as maternity/parental/adoption and compassionate care leave.
  • Access to an Employee & Family Assistance Program (EFAP) for support.
Full Job Description
Athabasca University's PowerED is recruiting for a permanent full-time Business Insights & Operations Lead.

The Position:

The Business Insights and Operations Lead will play a crucial leadership role in ensuring the success of PowerED's financial performance which drives our product strategy and product life-cycle decisions. The Business Insights and Operations Lead is passionate about delivering exceptional client experiences, is detail-oriented, possesses strong analytical skills, has a deep understanding of contract management and procurement and process improvement through optimal financial performance.

Qualifications:
  • Education: A bachelor's degree in a relevant field such as business administration, commerce, or a related discipline is required. Higher education qualifications, such as an MBA, postgraduate degree or certifications aligned to the specific competency areas defined by the role are advantageous.
  • Experience: Minimum 5-7 years of experience in similar role or related role is typically expected. This involves managing internal strategic relationships, developing, and implementing process improvements, and analyzing data to derive insights.
  • Financial Analysis and Forecasting: Strong skills in financial modelling and forecasting are important. The ability to understand and address business unit needs, build and maintain strong relationships, and provide excellent customer service is crucial.
  • Contract Procurement and Management: Proficiency in contract management practices is essential. This includes experience in developing, drafting and conveying contact terms; ensuring contracts remain compliant, experience in procurement strategy and a strong sense of risk assessment and mitigation.
  • Data Analysis and Insights: An understanding of data analysis and the ability to derive actionable insights from data is valuable. Familiarity with analytics tools, data visualization, and reporting techniques is important.
  • Communication and Leadership: Excellent communication skills, both written and verbal, are necessary to effectively interact with clients, stakeholders, and team members. Leadership abilities, including the capacity to motivate and collaborate with others, are important for this managerial role.
  • Problem-Solving and Strategic Thinking: Strong analytical and problem-solving skills are crucial to identify challenges, propose innovative solutions, and make informed decisions. Strategic thinking is also important to align client success and product strategies with the university's goals.
  • Knowledge of Higher Education: Familiarity with the higher education sector, including the challenges and trends in online education, can be advantageous for understanding the unique requirements of Athabasca University's clientele.

A detailed job description can be viewed at: Business Insights and Operations Lead.

Contact Information:
For more information regarding this role, please contact Ian Stephenson, Director, PowerED, at [redacted].

Athabasca First

Wherever possible, AU seeks to attract and hire qualified team members to reside in the Athabasca region of Alberta, Canada. We will offer relocation assistance for the right candidate should you decide to relocate to Athabasca. As a resident of the town or county of Athabasca, you can choose to work on and from our beautiful campus in Athabasca.

To discover the Town and Region of Athabasca, go to: Visit Athabasca.

What AU Offers

Benefits and Pension eligibility differs based on employee group and may include:
  • Defined Benefits Pension Plan
  • Alberta Health Care
  • Extended Health Care
  • Life Insurance, Accidental Death & Dismemberment Insurance
  • Disability Coverage
  • Vacation
  • Office Closure between Christmas and New Year's Day
  • Discretionary Benefit Fund
  • AU Course Allowance
  • A Variety of Leaves (e.g., Maternity/Parental/Adoption, Compassionate Care, etc.)
  • Employee & Family Assistance Program (EFAP)

An offer of employment is conditional upon verification of educational credentials. All educational credentials must be recognized in Canada.

E-Transcripts shared directly from your Post-Secondary Institution via email are acceptable.

WES https://www.wes.org/ca/ may be used to verify international educational credentials. Processing time for verification of international qualifications may take up to one month; please plan accordingly.

While all eligible applicants are encouraged to apply, Canadian Citizens and Permanent Residents will be given priority. Where applicants have equal skills, abilities, and experience, candidates residing within or willing to relocate to the County of Athabasca will be given preference. Successful applicants must reside in Alberta, Canada. Working outside of Canada is not supported by AU. You are legally not permitted to work for AU if you are living outside of Canada.

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