Manager, Co-op

The Compensation Range is the span between the minimum and maximum base salary for a 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 salary range for a job.

Note: Applications will be accepted until 11:59 PM on the Posting End Date.

Job End Date

At UBC, we believe that attracting and sustaining a diverse workforce is key to the successful pursuit of excellence in research, innovation, and learning for all faculty, staff and students. Our commitment to employment equity helps achieve inclusion and fairness, brings rich diversity to UBC as a workplace, and creates the necessary conditions for a rewarding career. 

Job Summary
The Manager, Co-op & Careers provides leadership, strategic direction, and operational oversight for the Faculty of Management's integrated Co-operative Education and Career Development portfolio. This role manages the delivery of high-quality co-op programming, career education, employer engagement, and student advising services for undergraduate and graduate students.

The Manager supervises the Co-op & Career Strategist(s) and leads program planning, accreditation compliance, curriculum oversight, employer partnership development, and outcome reporting. The role ensures alignment with Faculty and institutional priorities, CEWIL accreditation requirements, and evolving labour market trends. The Manager represents the Faculty in campus-wide Co-op & WIL as welll as career-related committees and contributes to strategic initiatives that enhance student employability and experiential learning outcomes.
Organizational Status
Reports to: Director, Student Development

• Supervises: Co-op & Career Strategists, student staff, and temporary or contract support staff.

• Collaboration: Works closely with Faculty leadership, faculty members, Employers & Community Engagement staff, Business Development Manager, campus partners (e.g., Advising, WIL, HR, Risk Management, Sauder/central career services), external employers, alumni, and professional associations (CEWIL, ACE-WIL BC, BC WIL Council).

Work Performed
Leadership & Team Management

• Provides leadership, coaching, and performance management for Co-op & Career Strategist(s) and student/temporary staff.

• Sets team priorities, allocates workloads, and ensures consistent, high-quality student advising and employer service.

• Oversees training, onboarding, and ongoing professional development for team members.

• Implements service standards and ensures a consistent student experience across co-op and career programming.

• Leads operational planning and resource allocation to support program scaling and continuous improvement.

Strategic Planning & Program Oversight

• Leads the planning, development, and evaluation of the Faculty's Co-op & Career portfolio.

• Ensures alignment with Faculty of Management strategic priorities, academic program development, and accreditation requirements.

• Oversees the development and continual improvement of co-op pre-employment and career curriculum.

• Monitors labour market trends to inform program direction and respond to emerging employer needs.

• Leads data-informed decision-making through analysis of student outcomes, employer engagement data, and evaluation metrics.

Accreditation, Risk Management & Quality Assurance

• Ensures all co-op programming complies with CEWIL Canada accreditation requirements.

• Develops, updates, and enforces co-op program policies, procedures, and standards.

• Oversees student eligibility, progression, and work term adjudication processes.

• Provides guidance on escalated workplace concerns, risk issues, and conflict resolution; liaises with Faculty leadership, HR, and Risk Management as needed.

• Supports quality assurance through documentation, monitoring, and reporting.

Employer & Industry Relations

• Provides leadership in developing and stewarding employer relationships to expand co-op positions and career opportunities.

• Works closely with the Business Development Manager to coordinate outreach, job development, and partnership strategies.

• Represents the Faculty at industry events, advisory committees, and external networks.

• Ensures employers understand program requirements, recruitment timelines, and student competencies.

• Oversees review and approval of job postings to ensure academic relevance and alignment with accreditation standards.

Curriculum, Teaching & Student Learning

• Oversees the design, delivery, and evaluation of co-op pre-employment training and career curriculum across courses and workshops.

• Ensures curriculum and teaching practices reflect current research, industry expectations, and learner needs.

• Supports integration of Work-Integrated Learning within the Faculty (internships, applied projects, community-engaged learning).

• Leads development and integration of digital and AI-enabled career tools.

Administration, Reporting & Budget

• Leads data management, reporting, and analysis related to co-op accreditation, student outcomes, and employer engagement.

• Oversees budgets for career/co-op initiatives, events, and programming; contributes to annual budgeting processes.

• Ensures administrative systems (e.g., co-op databases, career platforms) are optimized and effectively used by staff and students.

• Prepares reports for accreditation, Faculty leadership, and University committees.

• Represents the Faculty on University-wide committees related to WIL, career development, and student success.

• Collaborates with campus units to align programming and enhance cross-faculty student support.

• Cultivates connections with CEWIL, ACE-WIL BC, and BC WIL Council to ensure best practices and sector alignment.

Consequence of Error/Judgement
Decisions made by the Manager have significant impact on program reputation, employer relationships, student outcomes, accreditation standing, and Faculty strategic goals. Errors in judgment, policy interpretation, or workplace issue management can result in reputational harm, loss of employer partnerships, student academic consequences, or accreditation risk.
Supervision Received
Works independently within broadly defined directions from the Director, Student Development. Evaluated based on program outcomes, operational effectiveness, quality of employer partnerships, accreditation status, and contributions to Faculty strategy.
Supervision Given
Directly supervises professional staff (Co-op & Career Strategists) and student/temporary staff. Provides leadership, coaching, hiring input, performance feedback, and training.
Minimum Qualifications

• Undergraduate degree in a relevant discipline. Minimum of five years of related experience, or the equivalent combination of education and experience.

• Willingness to respect diverse perspectives, including perspectives in conflict with one's own

• Demonstrates a commitment to enhancing one's own awareness, knowledge, and skills related to equity, diversity, and inclusion

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's degree preferred.

• Supervisory experience required.

• Experience managing career services or co-op/WIL programs.

• Experience supervising professional staff.

• Strong knowledge of accreditation standards, labour markets, and student development theory.

• Experience working with employers and developing industry partnerships.

• Demonstrated ability in conflict resolution, risk management, and program evaluation.

• Strong data analysis, communication, presentation, and project management skills.