Faculty/Academic Area: Faculty of Social Work 

Department: N/A 

Campus: Kitchener 

Employee Group: WLUFA 

Requisition ID: 10641 

WILFRID LAURIER UNIVERSITY

FACULTY OF SOCIAL WORK

Tenure-Track Assistant Professor

MASTER OF SOCIAL WORK PROGRAM

Kitchener, Ontario

The Lyle S. Hallman Faculty of Social Work (FSW) at Wilfrid Laurier University invites applications for one Assistant Professor tenure-track faculty position commencing July 1, 2026, subject to budgetary approval. Candidates with expertise in micro-level practice in the areas of aging, mental health and wellbeing, child welfare, and/or child, youth, and family wellbeing are preferred. This position is located at the Kitchener site in the Master of Social Work (MSW) program. The FSW is located on the traditional territory of the Neutral, Anishnawbe, and Haudenosaunee peoples. As a Faculty, we are continuously working to decolonize social work practice and education and expect the successful candidate to support this ongoing growth and development.

The FSW offers professional social work programs at the bachelor’s and master’s levels, and a research- focused doctoral program. We are devoted to excellence in research, creative and critical thinking, and reflexive practice. The MSW program includes full-time on-campus and part-time online programs. The Indigenous Field of Study in the MSW program embraces Indigenous-based learning. We encourage students at all levels to become active citizens of an increasingly complex and interconnected world. We fulfill our mission by advancing multi-disciplinary and marginalized forms of knowledge. Our graduates are committed to constructively engaging and working toward transforming oppressive conditions and structures and promoting the well-being of individuals, families, groups, organizations, and communities.

Position Description

We are seeking one scholar-practitioner with direct practice social work experience, an emerging program of research, and demonstrated teaching effectiveness. The ideal candidate will meet the following criteria:

Social Work Practice Experience: Micro-practice experience (at least 3 years or more) in social work settings is required. All applicants must be able to reflect a deep understanding of the complexities involved in direct practice social work and demonstrate an ability to apply evidence-based interventions effectively. This might include reflection on their integration of a social justice praxis in their direct practice.

Research Expertise: We are seeking a candidate with preferred research expertise in the following substantive areas: 1) critical approaches to aging; 2) mental health and wellbeing or 3) child welfare, and/or child, youth, and family wellbeing. Expertise in either intervention research and/or quantitative research design as it relates to these social work practice and research areas, especially alongside equity-deserving communities, would be considered an asset.

Social Work Teaching Experience: The teaching load for this position is a maximum of four courses during an academic year (Fall, Winter, and Spring/Summer terms). These courses will be taught at the graduate level and will be part of our on-campus MSW program, though opportunities to teach within the MSW Online program, the doctoral program, and/or the BSW program also exist.

We are interested in applicants who have expertise in contemporary critical approaches to teaching and pedagogies that reflect the FSW’s emphasis on anti-racism, integrative practices, empowerment, and social justice principles. Both the on-campus and online MSW curricula emphasize the integration of knowledge, theory, and practice within a framework that promotes the advancement of equity, inclusivity, reflexivity, and social justice, including the ways that lived experience of Indigenous identity, race, class, culture, gender, (dis)ability, sexual identity, and other social locations are produced and shaped by systemic, cultural, and interpersonal experiences and inequalities. The successful candidate must demonstrate teaching experience and effectiveness in courses exploring practice with individuals, families, or groups, and/or Indigenous [FMNI] social work pedagogies. Online teaching experience will be considered an asset. An ability to teach doctoral courses in survey research and quantitative data analysis would be considered an asset.

Community Building and Service: We are seeking a colleague who is excited to join us in our engagement and community building within Laurier and the broader community. The successful candidate will be expected to serve on MSW, FSW, and university standing committees, and participate in supervising and/or mentoring undergraduate and graduate students engaged in research.

Qualifications

The successful applicant will (1) hold at least one social work degree (BSW or MSW), (2) hold a PhD, completed or ABD with a clear path to completion; applicants who have not yet completed their PhD are expected to be within 1 year of completing their degree, and, are encouraged to describe their stage of study in the cover letter (e.g., time until defence, defence date.), (3) have a minimum of 3 years professional, employment-based social work experience, (4) have an active and/or promising program of research, with a record of publication and knowledge dissemination/translation consistent with career stage and goals, and (5) have at least one year or equivalent post-secondary teaching experience in social work, with a demonstrated record of excellence.

Application package

Applicants should send:

1. Letter of application highlighting accomplishments and strengths in relation to the position description and requirements, as well as a list of MSW courses the applicant could teach given their teaching interests and expertise;
2. Curriculum vitae;
3. Statement of research (up to 2 pages) highlighting current and future research program, noting evidence of research outcomes and works in progress (i.e., publications, knowledge mobilization, conference presentations, community scholarly engagement, etc.), grants, and/or methodological training;
4. Teaching dossier consisting of a teaching philosophy (up to 2 pages), two samples of course syllabi (please note if developed by the candidate), and evidence of teaching effectiveness (e.g., peer teaching evaluations, unsolicited student feedback, contextualized student teaching evaluations, and/or examples of professional teaching development). If submitting student teaching evaluations as evidence of effective teaching, applicants are encouraged to provide context and critical commentary of any raw data provided; we recognize these measures can be biased or flawed; and
5. One-page statement reflecting how the candidate’s positionalities, commitments, and actions seek to promote EDI and decolonization through their teaching/pedagogy, practice, research, and service; and
6. Two academic letters of reference should be sent in confidence by the candidate’s referees to fswrecruit@wlu.ca by the application deadline, March 15, 2026. Candidates can direct their referees to send their letter to the attention of the FSW Faculty Search Committee Chair, Dr. Jennifer Root.

More Information

For more information about working at Laurier as well as the Faculty of Social Work, applicants are

encouraged to visit the institution’s web pages:

https://www.wlu.ca/academics/faculties/faculty-of-social-work/index.html; https://students.wlu.ca/programs/social-work/msw/course-offerings.html.

Further details related to duties and responsibilities of full-time faculty members are outlined in the Wilfrid Laurier University Faculty Association (WLUFA) Collective Agreement.

To Apply

Submit the application package through the Wilfrid Laurier University job portal by clicking on the APPLY NOW button (top right, bottom right). The full application package should also be sent to fswrecruit@wlu.ca no later than the deadline.

Applications will be accepted until 11:59 pm EST on March 15, 2026.

Anticipated Salary Range: $75,000 - $115,000. Actual salary to be commensurate with experience.

Diversity and creating a culture of inclusion is a key pillar of Wilfrid Laurier University’s Strategic Academic Plan and is one of Laurier’s core values. Laurier is committed to increasing the diversity of faculty and staff and welcomes applications from candidates who identify as Indigenous, racialized, having disabilities, and from persons of any sexual identities and gender identities. Indigenous candidates who would like to learn more about equity and inclusive programming at Laurier are welcome to contact the Office of Indigenous Initiatives at indigenous@wlu.ca. Candidates from other equity seeking groups who would like to learn more about equity and inclusive programming at Laurier are welcome to contact Equity and Accessibility at equity@wlu.ca.

All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, as per Canadian immigration laws, Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority. To comply with the Government of Canada’s reporting requirements, the University is obligated to gather information about applicants’ status as either Permanent Residents of Canada or Canadian citizens. Applicants need not identify their country of origin or current citizenships however, all applicants must include one of the following statements in their cover letter:

Yes, I am a current citizen or permanent resident of Canada

No, I am not a current citizen or permanent resident of Canada

Members of designated groups must self-identify to be considered for employment equity. Candidates may self-identify, in confidence, to Yumna Al-Adeimi, Senior Administrative Officer at the Faculty of Social Work (yaladeimi@wlu.ca). Further information on the equity policy can be found at https://www.wlu.ca/about/governance/assets/resources/8.4-employment-equity.html

Applicants are encouraged to address any career interruptions or special circumstances that may have affected their record of research and teaching, in accordance with SSHRC and NSERC definitions and guidelines. To obtain a copy of this job description in an accessible format, please contact Human Resources (HR@wlu.ca).

Wilfrid Laurier University

We acknowledge that Wilfrid Laurier University and its campuses are located on the shared traditional territory of the Neutral, Anishnaabe (Anish-nah-bay) and Haudenosaunee (Hoe-den-no- show-nee) peoples. This land is part of the Dish with One Spoon Treaty between the Haudenosaunee and Anishnaabe peoples and symbolizes the agreement to share, protect our resources and not to engage in conflict. From the Haldimand Proclamation of October 25, 1784 this territory is described as: “six miles deep from each side of the river (Grand River) beginning at Lake Erie and extending in the proportion to the Head of said river, which them and their posterity are to enjoy forever.” The proclamation was signed by the British with their allies, the Six Nations, after the American Revolution. Despite being the largest reserve demographically in Canada, those nations now reside on less than five percent of this original territory.

Wilfrid Laurier University is a leading Canadian university renowned for its learning environment and student-focused educational experience. As a comprehensive university with more

than 19,000 students, Laurier has grown rapidly in research intensity while at the same time preserving its well-earned reputation for undergraduate and graduate teaching and learning excellence. With a multi-campus and multi-community culture, Laurier offers students an exceptional range and depth of more than 100 academic programs taught by award-winning lecturers across nine faculties.

The FSW wishes to thank all applicants for their interest. All nominations and applications shall be reviewed and considered under a set of criteria established by the Search Committee, and a short list of candidates shall be interviewed. Only those applicants selected for the short list will be contacted.

Wilfrid Laurier University endeavors to fill positions with qualified candidates who have a combination of education, experience, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position while demonstrating Laurier's Employee Success Factors.

Equity, diversity and creating a culture of inclusion are part of Laurier’s core values and central to the Laurier Strategy. Laurier is committed to increasing the diversity of faculty and staff and welcomes applications from candidates who identify as Indigenous, racialized, having disabilities, and from persons of any minority sexual and gender identities. Indigenous candidates who would like to learn more about equity and inclusive programing at Laurier are welcomed to contact the Office of Indigenous Initiatives. Candidates from other equity deserving groups who would like to learn more about equity and inclusive programing at Laurier are welcomed to contact Equity & Accessibility. We have strived to make our application process accessible, however if you require any assistance applying for a position or would like this job posting in an alternative format, please contact Human Resources. Contact information can be found at careers.wlu.ca/content/How-to-apply/

Should you be interested in learning more about this opportunity, please visit www.wlu.ca/careers for additional information and the online application system. All applications must be submitted online. Please note, a CV and letter of introduction will be required in electronic form.