Senior Specialist, Community Engagement and Experiential Learning

About the Faculty of Social Sciences

The FSS comprises nine departments, schools and institutes, which offer undergraduate, masters and doctoral programs in both English and French. With its 10,000 students, 260 full-time professors, and wide array of programs and research centres, the Faculty of Social Sciences plays a key role at the heart of the University of Ottawa. Its graduate students are supervised by excellent researchers and undertake cutting-edge research in the Faculty's masters and Ph.D. programs. Along with its complement of about 100 administrative employees, the faculty is proud to provide a collaborative working environment that inspires new ideas, encourages creative ingenuity, and promotes excellence.

Position Purpose

Ensure the coordination of all community engagement activities, educational placements (internships), practical training opportunities, and administrative activities in order to deliver an innovative learning program and promote the retention and success of students and established partnerships.

Responsibilities

Academic Responsibilities

• Plan and organize administrative and academic activities related to the Knowledge Facilitation Hub in Contexts of Deprivation of Liberty ("the Hub"), and propose improvements and educational tools to enhance training programs. In this capacity, manage all stages related to the preparation, matching, and delivery of internships and training opportunities within the Hub.
• Identify, select, and evaluate internships and training opportunities to ensure strategic alignment and academic relevance, and maintain quality according to the standards of the Department of Criminology and the Hub.
• Provide training and support to the Hub and to students to facilitate reflection on personalized learning objectives related to training programs, as well as risk management and appropriate evaluation measures.

Community Partner Responsibilities

• Explore, engage, and formalize collaborations with a diverse range of community partners.
• Prepare and deliver information sessions, group meetings with students and community partners, follow-up meetings, and recognition activities to strengthen and maintain relationships with these partners.
• Collaborate with the Committee for Decolonization and Indigenous Resurgence (CDIR) to promote respectful and reciprocal partnerships with Indigenous communities and support Indigenous resurgence initiatives.
• Identify external funding opportunities (e.g., CEWIL, SSHRC, Mitacs) and support the preparation of applications. Coordinate documentation to meet reporting requirements. Identify and pursue scholarship and donor opportunities to support students in the program.

Communication and Networking

• Develop national and international connections within the criminology community to attract high-caliber guest speakers and visitors. Represent the Department of Criminology at various networking events, fairs, and university committees.
• Design and implement communication and promotional strategies to increase the visibility of the Hub and the Department of Criminology among students, partners, and the broader community. Create and maintain a web presence. Organize and promote events (collective activities, communities of practice meetings, annual gatherings).

What You Will Bring

• Strong theoretical and practical knowledge of criminology, normally acquired through a Master's degree.
• Five (5) years of experience in the field.
• In-depth knowledge of community, institutional, and public organizations working in the fields of criminal and social justice.
• Experience in strategic planning to manage all stages of internships and training programs in the short and medium term.
• Experience in the design and delivery of university-level courses.
• Ability to analyze and identify the needs of students and community partners and assist them in developing their learning and training plans.
• Knowledge of personal, social, academic, and systemic barriers that affect participation and social inclusion.
• Ability to supervise students individually and in groups.
• Excellent organizational and problem-solving skills.
• Sound judgment, autonomy, diplomacy, and discretion.
• Strong interpersonal communication skills.
• Ability to speak in public and prepare and deliver presentations to diverse audiences.
• Experience writing in both official languages.
• Experience using a variety of software applications, including word processing, spreadsheets, PowerPoint, email, and the Internet.
• Advanced proficiency in both French and English (oral and written communication)

Key Competencies at uOttawa

Here are the required competencies for all of our employees at uOttawa:

• Planning: Organize in time a series of actions or events in order to realize an objective or a project. Plan and organize own work and priorities in regular daily activities.
• Initiative: Demonstrate creativity and initiative to suggest improvements and encourage positive results. Is proactive and self-starting. Show availability and willingness to go above and beyond whenever it is possible.
• Client Service Orientation: Help or serve others to meet their needs. This implies anticipating and identifying the needs of internal and external clients and finding solutions on how to meet them.
• Teamwork and Cooperation: Cooperate and work well with other members of the team to reach common goal(s). Accept and give constructive feedback. Able to adjust own behaviour to reach the goals of the team.

Equity and Inclusion

The University of Ottawa embraces diversity and inclusion in the workplace. We are passionate about our people and committed to employment equity. We foster a culture of respect, teamwork and inclusion, where collaboration, innovation, and creativity fuel our quest for research and teaching excellence. While all qualified persons are invited to apply, we welcome applications from qualified Indigenous persons, racialized persons, persons with disabilities, women and LGBTQIA2S+ persons. The University is committed to creating and maintaining an accessible, barrier-free work environment. The University is also committed to working with applicants with disabilities requesting accommodation during the recruitment, assessment and selection processes. Applicants with disabilities may contact hrtalentmanagement@uottawa.ca to communicate the accommodation need. All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority.

Additional Information

Note: The hiring process will be governed by the current collective agreement related to the SSUO union affiliation.

If this is a front-line position with responsibilities to interact with students, selected candidates must be rated at the Low Advanced proficiency level or higher for both oral comprehension and reading comprehension in their second official language. The rating is determined by a proficiency test designed by the Official Languages and Bilingualism Institute.

Prior to May 1, 2022, the University required all students, faculty, staff, and visitors (including contractors) to be fully vaccinated against Covid-19 as defined in Policy 129 – Covid-19 Vaccination. This policy was suspended effective May 1, 2022 but may be reinstated at any point in the future depending on public health guidelines and the recommendations of experts.

Position Type: Temporary replacement of a regular position

Duration: 10 months

Hours per week: 35

Location: Main Campus

Department: Department of Criminology

Union Affiliation: SSUO