Dean, Sobey School of Business, St. Mary’s University

Located in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Saint Mary’s University is the province’s second largest university with a rich 215-year history. A primarily undergraduate university, with select, high-quality graduate programs, over 6,700 students enjoy a personal experience with average introductory class sizes of only 40 students. Saint Mary’s is a vibrant, diverse, and globally connected community; 71 per cent of students coming from Nova Scotia and Canada and 29 per cent of students hailing from more than 112 countries-among the highest proportion of international students compared to other universities in the country.

Saint Mary’s University is home to one of Canada’s leading business schools, a Science faculty widely recognized for its cutting-edge research, a comprehensive and innovative Arts faculty, and a vibrant Faculty of Graduate Studies and Research. With 29 graduate programs (including 5 PhD programs) across all three faculties in various areas of strength in the Social Sciences and Humanities, Business, and Natural Sciences and Engineering, research activity at Saint Mary’s continues to grow rapidly.

The Sobey School of Business (SSB) at Saint Mary’s University hosts 2650 students and is proud of its pivotal role as Atlantic Canada’s largest business school. The SSB mission statement states that “through active learning and the creation and mobilization of scholarship, we prepare citizens of the world to lead sustainable, entrepreneurial businesses and communities.” The Sobey School offers a comprehensive range of academic programs from a robust Bachelor of Commerce, rigorous Masters degrees and doctoral level programming, as well as a business-focused catalogue of executive and professional development programs.

At the SSB, 98% of the 84 full-time faculty have PhDs, and the School is proud to host several named research chairs and professorships including one current Canada Research Chair, four named Chairs, and five professorships. SSB academic programs are AACSB and EQUIS accredited, placing the School among the 5% of business schools in the world to have achieved this recognition. In addition to these accreditations, as PRME champions, SSB programs embed the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals with the goal of creating impact with purpose and to advance the broader cause of corporate social responsibility. The SSB has worked to weave the values of responsible and sustainable business practice through curriculum, research and scholarship, and in engagement with the community of practice.

Reporting to the Vice President, Academic & Research, the Dean of the Sobey School of Business provides strategic and operational leadership over the administrative and academic priorities of the Faculty. The Dean is responsible for the overall management of the Faculty and will serve as a collegial leader to faculty, staff, and students. Fostering a forward-thinking, inclusive, and respectful environment, the Dean develops and empowers a team of faculty, staff and administrators to ensure continuous improvement and evolution of a range of programs and services supporting students’ learning, needs, and success, as well as the growth and continued evolution of the Sobey School of Business.  The Dean will work in collaborative partnership with academic and administrative leaders across the University to ensure that the School’s strategies and services are aligned with the University’s strategic objectives and supportive of its academic mission. The Dean will also play an active role in the broader community, representing the Sobey School of Business with various constituents including potential students, alumni, and donors; corporate and institutional partners and potential partners; provincial and national government bodies; national and international academic and business organizations and associations; and other external groups.

As the senior leader of the Sobey School, the Dean will work to foster a culture of continuous improvement which encourages innovation in teaching and delivery methods to support student recruitment and engagement, and will encourage, support, and enable continuous academic program innovation and renewal. The Dean will provide effective oversight of the Sobey School of Business through a process of collegial governance and be a role model for and strive to create a culture that embraces and encourages diversity, equity, collegiality and academic freedom across the School.

The ideal candidate will be a collegial and consultative leader and administrator with outstanding communication and relationship building skills, and will possess a distinguished academic record as well as a record of experience in student recruitment and retention, particularly at the undergraduate level. The next Dean will possess educational credentials and career experience and achievements that indicate the candidate is a leader within both the university and the community, and will have eexperience working and leading within a complex, unionized environment. The ideal candidate will demonstrate a record of commitment to excellence in research, teaching and service, and will also have the ability to set priorities; to understand budget processes; make effective and fair use of resources; and to lead the development of effective process and policy. As a leader, the new Dean will have the ability to work with colleagues to articulate a shared vision, and the ability to motivate and inspire people to make this vision a reality. They will bring strong interpersonal skills, including a proven ability to listen well and to aII voices.

If you are interested in this opportunity, please apply online at www.kbrs.ca/career/17015

For more information, contact Katherine Frank (kfrank@kbrs.ca) or Abbey MacLeod (amacleod@kbrs.ca).

At Saint Mary’s University equity and diversity are integral to excellence and enrich our community. As an institution committed to fostering an environment of inclusion and respect, Saint Mary’s encourages applications from women, Indigenous peoples, racialized persons/visible minorities, persons with disabilities, persons of minority sexual orientation or gender identity, and others who might contribute to the growth and enrichment of our community.

All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, preference will be given to Canadian citizens and permanent residents.

Saint Mary’s University acknowledges that the university is located on the traditional land of the Mi’kmaq Nation. This territory is covered by the “Treaties of Peace and Friendship” which Mi’kmaq and Wolastoqiyik peoples first signed with the British Crown in 1725. The treaties did not deal with surrender of lands and resources but in fact, recognized Mi’kmaq and Wolastoqiyik title and established the rules for what was to be an ongoing relationship.

KBRS will provide support in the recruitment processes to applicants with disabilities, including accommodation that takes into account an applicant’s accessibility needs. If you require accommodation in order to participate as a candidate in the recruitment process, please contact accommodate@kbrs.ca.