Dean, Faculty of Science

University of Winnipeg

Dean, Faculty of Science
Winnipeg, MB
The University of Winnipeg is currently seeking a student- focused, innovative, collaborative, and collegial leader as the next Dean, Faculty of Science. The initial appointment will be for a five-year term starting August 1, 2025, or as negotiated with the possibility of renewal.

About the University
The University of Winnipeg resides on ancestral lands, on Treaty One Territory. These lands are in the National Homeland of the Métis people. The University acknowledges that our water is sourced from Shoal Lake 40 First Nation to serve its campuses.

Located in the heart of the city, The University of Winnipeg is a diverse, multicultural campus committed to academic excellence, community engagement, and social and environmental sustainability. The University of Winnipeg is home to a faculty and staff of approximately 1,000 and more than 10,000 learners. As a student-centered research institution, the University combines a strong tradition of outstanding scholarship in teaching, research, and creative work with a unique sense of engagement with its community partners.

The University of Winnipeg places special importance upon liberal arts education, research excellence, and student access. The University fosters academic excellence by promoting student-centred programs, innovative research, and interdisciplinary collaborations, thereby enhancing the University’s intellectual capacity and socio-cultural and economic impact.

The Faculty of Science Dean's office area is located in the Richardson College for the Environment and Science Complex, a LEED certified building that features state-of-the-art teaching and research laboratories. The Faculty oversees 8 Departments (Anthropology, Applied Computer Science, Biology, Chemistry, Environmental Studies and Sciences, Geography, Mathematics and Statistics, and Physics), as well as several interdisciplinary programs. The Faculty of Science supports some of the most accomplished and innovative faculty members in Canada.

About the Role
The University of Winnipeg seeks a forward-thinking Dean to lead its Faculty of Science. Serving on the University's senior leadership team, the Dean contributes to institutional goals and priorities through leadership of the Faculty. Working with students, faculty, senior administration, and staff to foster excellence in teaching, research, and student success, the Dean also effectively represents the Faculty and the University to the external community.

Reporting to the Provost and Vice-President, Academic, the Dean of Science works cooperatively with the Deans of Arts, Business and Economics, Education, Kinesiology, Graduate Studies, Collegiate, and Library and with the broader university community, to advance the interests of the University. The Dean provides strong and effective leadership and guidance in all aspects of the Faculty’s operations, both academic and administrative. The Faculty is in a period of progression and development, and will be looking at ways of enhancing educational opportunities for our students to discover science in new and exciting ways and to expand scholarly work. The Faculty of Science is well known for its strong commitment to the community and for the active role that faculty and staff members play to reach out to potential Science students of all ages.

Key areas of responsibility:
• Build and maintain strong relationships with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders to advance the Faculty’s mission and strategic priorities.
• Foster a culture that values and supports excellence and innovation in teaching, research, and scholarly activity.
• Communicate with clarity, integrity, and transparency to cultivate trust across the Faculty and broader university community.
• Lead strategic initiatives that engage faculty, staff, students, and administrators, and encourage collaboration across disciplines to achieve institutional goals.
• Operate effectively within a shared-governance structure, promoting an inclusive and collegial environment where all community members feel valued and connected.
• Provide sound financial leadership, including overseeing budget planning, resource allocation, and fiscal management aligned with academic priorities.
• Monitor enrolment trends and align them with budgetary planning to ensure the Faculty’s sustainability and growth.
• Anticipate and respond to the infrastructure needs of a modern Faculty of Science, using creative problem-solving and strategic insight.
• Demonstrate effective leadership by mentoring and developing academic and administrative staff, delegating responsibilities appropriately, and fostering a supportive, high-performance environment.

About the Ideal Candidate

The ideal candidate will possess a distinguished academic record including teaching, research, and service. Strong operational administrative abilities and experience and demonstrated collaborative and responsive leadership qualities to steer the Faculty are essential. The ability to work externally in areas such as community outreach and university advancement will be considered an important asset.

• PhD in discipline relevant to the scholarship of the Faculty of Science.
• Minimum 10 years' experience as an academic in post-secondary education.
• Ideally at the rank of Full Professor with a strong record of teaching, research, and service achievements.
• Proven administrative leadership experience including significant experience in academic administration in positions such as Department Head/Chair, Associate Dean, Dean or equivalent.
• Experience working within a unionized environment with knowledge of collective agreements.
• Understanding of the instructional research, and creative needs of undergraduate and graduate programs in the Sciences, interdisciplinary studies, and professional disciplines.
• Experience fostering university and community relations.
• Forward-thinking innovator with a vision for science education and research.
• Ability to lead, mentor, and influence in a positive and constructive way.
• Excellent communication (oral and written) and interpersonal skills.
• Excellent analytical and critical thinking skills.
• Awareness of the role of technology in higher education and its relevance to the science disciplines.
• Ability to collaborate effectively with faculty, staff, administration, students and the community.
• Demonstrated effectiveness working in a diverse, multi-cultural environment.
• Strong commitment to the equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility goals of an urban university serving diverse populations.
• Commitment to Indigenization and Indigenous methodologies.

Support and accommodations will be provided to applicants with disabilities, upon request. Applicants in need of an accommodation in order to participate as a candidate in the recruitment process can contact accommodate@kbrs.ca or identify their needs to the recruitment professional named in the job description.

Candidates interested in this opportunity should contact Debra Clinton at dclinton@kbrs.ca, Kyle Steele at ksteele@kbrs.ca, Dr. Jennie Massey at jmassey@kbrs.ca, or submit your application including a CV and cover letter online at: https://www.kbrs.ca/Career/17395398714290000008sus

Review of applications will begin May 2, 2025.

Privacy Policy
The personal information of applicants is collected under the authority of the University of Winnipeg Act and 36(1)(b) of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. All personal information collected via the recruitment process is used to assess the applicant’s suitability, eligibility, and qualifications for employment, and to otherwise support recruitment activities. This information will be provided to participating members of the recruitment process.

By applying for employment, applicants consent to the University of Winnipeg conducting, at its discretion, a reference check in accordance with the provisions of The Personal Investigations Act. Reference checks are only conducted for the top candidate(s) identified after the interview process has been completed. The personal information collected from the supplied references will relate to the applicant’s current and/or past employment and may include applicant’s performance, professional demeanour, rehire potential, dates of employment, and employment history. This consent is effective upon application for employment and expires after one year.

Employment Equity

The University of Winnipeg is committed to equity, diversity and inclusion and recognizes that a diverse staff and faculty benefits and enriches the work, learning and research environments, and is essential to academic and institutional excellence. We welcome applications from all qualified individuals and encourage women, racialized persons, Indigenous persons, persons with disabilities, and 2SLGBTQ+ persons to confidentially self-identify at time of application.
All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadian citizens and permanent residents will be given priority.

The University of Winnipeg is committed to ensuring employment opportunities are accessible for all applicants. If you require accommodation supports during the recruitment process, please contact human_resources@uwinnipeg.ca.
The personal information of applicants is collected under the authority of the University of Winnipeg Act and 36(1)(b) of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. All personal information collected via the recruitment process is used to assess the applicant’s suitability, eligibility, and qualifications for employment, and to otherwise support recruitment activities. This information will be provided to participating members of the recruitment process. Questions regarding the collection of your personal information may be directed to the Director, HR Services, 515 Portage Avenue, Winnipeg, MB, R3B 2E9 or human_resources@uwinnipeg.ca.

Additional information on The University of Winnipeg is available at http://www.uwinnipeg.ca/.