Director, Operations Hub

Simon Fraser University

$132K — $170K *
Education, Government & Non-Profit
8 - 10 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in a related field with 8 years of relevant experience, or equivalent education and experience.
  • Proven strategic leadership and decision-making abilities for complex projects.
  • Advanced capabilities in financial, operational and risk management, including contingency planning.
  • Strong understanding of governance structures, accountability, and organizational design.
  • Exceptional relational and communication skills with senior stakeholders and partners.
  • Experience in leading multidisciplinary teams and managing high-priority initiatives under tight deadlines.

Responsibilities

  • Provide senior leadership for complex research infrastructure projects.
  • Advise senior research leaders on feasibility and long-term sustainability.
  • Mobilize expertise across functional areas to support major initiatives.
  • Develop scalable operational models for initiating and sustaining projects.
  • Strengthen the university's capacity to acquire major funding opportunities.
  • Ensure adherence to accountability, equity, and continuous improvement standards.

Benefits

  • 4 weeks' vacation (prorated for the first year)
  • Hybrid work program for eligible positions
  • Employer paid defined benefit pension plan
  • On-campus tuition waiver for employees and immediate family
  • Tuition reimbursement and professional development funds
  • Commitment to a healthy work-life balance and safe workplace.
Full Job Description
Union/Affiliation:

Administrative Professional Excluded Staff

Pay range:

$132,149 to $170,980 annually

SFU Department Descr:

VPRI - Research Operations

Position Grade:

15

# of openings:

1

Biweekly Hours:

72

About the Role

This is an opportunity to shape how SFU delivers its most ambitious research infrastructure and institutional research initiatives. As Director, Operations Hub, you will provide senior leadership for high-value, complex projects where strategic judgment, strong governance and disciplined execution matter. You will advise senior research leaders on feasibility, risk and long-term sustainability; mobilize cross-functional expertise across the university; and build scalable operating models that help major initiatives move from concept to launch to sustainable operations. Leading a multidisciplinary team, you will play a central role in strengthening SFU's capacity to pursue major funding opportunities and deliver research initiatives with lasting institutional impact.

You are a strategic, collaborative and credible leader who thrives in complex, high-stakes environments. You bring sound judgment, political acuity and the ability to turn ambiguity into practical plans, decisions and delivery models. You are comfortable advising senior executives, influencing across organizational boundaries and building trust with researchers, administrators, funders and partners. You are proactive, solutions-oriented and resilient under pressure, with a strong commitment to accountability, continuous improvement, equity, diversity and inclusion.

Full Job Description

Qualifications

Bachelor's degree in a relevant discipline (e.g., Business Administration, Public Administration, Engineering, or related field) and 8 years of directly related experience, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
  • Strategic leadership and decision-support skills, including the ability to assess feasibility, risk, institutional fit and long-term sustainability for complex initiatives.
  • Advanced financial, operational and risk management capability, including development of contingency strategies for high-value, multi-year projects.
  • Strong governance and organizational design skills, including the ability to establish decision structures, accountability mechanisms, operating models and performance measures.
  • Exceptional relationship-building, communication and influencing skills with senior leaders, researchers, administrative units, funders, partners and external stakeholders.
  • Demonstrated ability to lead multidisciplinary teams, mobilize matrixed institutional resources and deliver high-priority initiatives under compressed timelines.

What We Offer

At SFU, our goal is to ensure our people are valued and supported by promoting a healthy work-life balance, professional growth and development, as well as a safe and respectful workplace. We offer continuing employees who belong in the Administrative Professional Excluded Staff group (APEX):
  • 4 weeks' vacation (prorated for the first year)*
  • Hybrid-work program for eligible positions
  • Employer paid defined benefit pension plan
  • On-campus tuition waiver for employees and their immediate family members*
  • Off-campus tuition reimbursements and professional development funds*
  • And more! View our benefits brochure

*Prorated for part-time employees

Additional Information

The pay range is the span between the minimum and maximum base salary for the 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 pay range.

Please include your cover letter and resume in one attachment.

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