University of British Columbia

JOB SUMMARY

BACKGROUND - FACULTY RELATIONS AND SUPPORT SERVICES

The Faculty Relations and Support Services Unit within Human Resources is positioned to include the delivery of services to support academic units and UBC on faculty relations matters, and oversees UBC faculty and staff housing, relocation, and immigration services, as well as analytical services to support the Academic Renewal Program and Housing Action Plan priorities:

Specifically, Housing & Relocation Services is responsible for delivering exemplary and wide-ranging housing and relocation services and programs to support strategic employee recruitment and retention. It provides an enhanced, high- touch, integrated one-stop-shop and personalized service model, intended to make the welcoming difference for people considering employment offers at UBC; to help them navigate their housing and relocation journey with ease.

Housing and Relocation Services is a consolidated service centre comprising 3 integrated sections (previously distributed across campus) each with distinct yet synergistic specialties, services, programs, accountabilities and relationships, all related to housing and relocation services. UBC housing inventory and demand for services is growing quickly in all 3 areas. Services offered in sub-units within the office include:

- Work Life Relocation, providing concierge type, all-round information and support services to help faculty or senior staff and their families being recruited from afar to make the adjustment from their former home, to life at UBC, addressing questions regarding immigration, healthcare, social and cultural questions, daycare and schools etc.

- General Housing Programs, providing all-round welcome and orientation to housing programs and options both on- campus and off-campus in Metro Vancouver, as well as servicing and processing applications for all on-campus housing programs. The office is also the steward of UBC’s multi-faceted 30 year Housing Action Plan, monitoring and coordinating its implementation, subject to ongoing Board of Governors approvals, over the next 30 years.

- Financial Assistance Programs, providing financial support initiatives such as faculty down payment or mortgage assistance programs, or others that may arise.

The Manager, Faculty-Staff Housing Support Programs supports the University's strategic recruitment and retention priorities for its faculty and staff by developing and facilitating extraordinary housing relocation customer service for both on and off-campus. It offers an important welcome and orientation service to excite people about living in Vancouver in general; to be an expert in all UBC- offered faculty staff housing programs on-campus; to help people understand interesting local options off-campus that they might not otherwise know to explore. This position is also responsible for managing the application process for on-campus housing programs such as the Faculty Home Ownership Program, the Rent-Geared to-Income rental program for staff, and other initiatives in the Housing Action Plan. This service becomes extremely important in the context of Vancouver's challenging real estate market.

ORGANIZATIONAL STATUS

This position reports to the Director, Housing & Relocation Services (HRS). The Manager, Faculty-Staff Housing Support Programs will foster very close working relationships with other HRS unit Managers and will manage the Housing Programs Coordinator (additional support may be added in time). The Manager, Faculty-Staff Housing Support Programs will also contribute to and oversee projects involving external consultants from time to time.

WORK PERFORMED

The Manager, Faculty-Staff Housing Programs is responsible for:

- Ongoing designing, developing and overseeing implementation of the high-touch, premium faculty and staff customer service delivery for all existing and new faculty staff housing programs offered under the UBC Housing Action Plan. This will include:

o Designing, developing and overseeing application processes, and ongoing analysis of results to evaluate future policy and procedural refinements for these programs.

o Offering expert interpretation and information on all programs, including but not limited to the Faculty Home Ownership Program, the Rent-Geared to Income for staff with household incomes of less than $73,500, etc.

- Designing, developing and overseeing implementation of a newly enhanced high-touch, premium faculty staff orientation system to housing lifestyle options in neighbourhoods and precincts off-campus in Metro Vancouver including

o Designing, developing and determining suitable publication materials

o Continuing to develop the housing education information series

o Designing and developing exemplary website resources of off-campus housing - particularly for prospective new faculty staff from far-away.

- Providing leadership in the set-up of this campus-wide specialty service area including setting tone and style of service, and managing staff (this may grow over time);

- Recognizing and identifying issues and solutions in this growing area of customer service, while inviting, monitoring and making use of feedback from customer groups to ensure services are meeting the needs of eligible faculty and staff members.

- Representing HRS office, contributing strategic voice on behalf of Provost Office and Human Resources recruiting and retention interests, into internal UBC housing program conversations, capital project working committees, design guidelines development, etc.;

- Assessing current and alternative program suitability and affordability on behalf of UBC workforce needs, for HRS office, through ongoing research and modeling (in-house and/ or via consultants as needed);

- Overseeing the development and maintenance of a database and network of housing resources, and information that will assist relocating Faculty and Staff members and their families.

- Overseeing the development and maintenance of a database and network of housing resources, programs, and best- practices amongst peer universities or towns in similarly challenged housing markets, that will assist UBC in monitoring and reviewing its own housing programs and customer service delivery. Missing services critical to delivering results are to be identified.

- Collaborating with other Managers in the Housing & Relocation Services office to ensure mutual support, optimal efficiency, and consistency in service is provided across the department in context of university recruiting cycles, and our faculty/staff unique service needs. Redundant bureaucracy is eliminated. This requires awareness of how programs interrelate and complement those run by other managers in Housing & Relocation Services.

- Developing collaborative partnership with a wide range of internal and external groups, as it relates to provision of excellent housing information services and bridging access that can benefit UBC faculty and staff.

- Performing other related duties as assigned by the Director, Housing & Relocation Services in support of department mission and objectives.

 

QUALIFICATIONS

Undergraduate degree in a relevant discipline. Minimum of seven to eight years of related experience and 3 years in area of specialization or the equivalent combination of education and experience. Experience in a leadership position with managerial responsibility preferred; Realtor or Real Estate Experience; property development or management experience; Background in economics, or urban planning an asset; Comfort working with numbers and financial aspects of real estate an asset; Familiarity with the Metro Vancouver housing market; Familiarity with UBC Housing developments and Housing Action Plan an asset; Familiarity with UBC or other large complex organizational culture and working environment an asset; Experience in customer service, and evaluation, is an asset; Ability to analyze problems, identify key information and issues, and effectively resolve; Ability to communicate effectively verbally and in writing; Ability to work within a variety of cultural environments, faculty, staff and the UBC community; Ability to exercise tact and discretion; Demonstrated ability to work well in a team, form partnerships with internal and external groups; Ability to prioritize and work effectively under pressure to meet deadlines; Ability to work effectively with minimal supervision - strong initiative. May be required to work outside of normal working hours.

Please send your Resume & Cover letter to Leah.Kim@ubc.ca (Job ID 36845).