Coordinator, Off-Campus Initiatives

Department: Dean of Students Office - Waterloo 

Job Type: Limited Term

Full-time/Part-time: Full Time (>=1249 hrs/year) 

Campus: Waterloo 

Reports to: Manager, Off-Campus Initiatives

Employee Group: WLUSA 

Application Deadline: July 5, 2026

Requisition ID: 11541 

Wilfrid Laurier University is a leading multi-campus university that excels at educating with purpose. Through its exceptional employees, students, researchers, leaders, and educators, Laurier has built a reputation as a world-class institution known for its rich student experience, academic excellence, and global impact. With a commitment to Indigenization and commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion, Laurier’s thriving community has a place for everyone.

Laurier has more than 21,000 students and 2,100 faculty and staff across campuses in Waterloo and Brantford, as well locations in Kitchener and Milton. The university is committed to providing an inclusive workplace, a flexible work policy and employing a workforce that is reflective of local and national demographics. Laurier's Waterloo, Kitchener, and Brantford campuses are located on the shared traditional territory of the Neutral, Anishnaabe, and Haudenosaunee 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. Laurier's Milton campus is located on the traditional territory of the Mississaugas of the Credit, and part of the Nanfan Treaty of 1701 between the British Crown and the Haudenosaunee Confederacy.

This job posting is for a current vacancy.

Position Summary

Reporting to the Manager, Off-Campus Initiatives, the Coordinator, Off-Campus Initiatives is responsible for the coordination of staff, programs, projects, and resources designed to enhance the student experience for off-campus students on the Waterloo campus. The incumbent is responsible for providing leadership and guidance to a team of student staff and volunteers. They will focus on implementing programming and services related to off-campus living, including the Laurier Off-Campus University Student (LOCUS) program, and the off-campus housing support program. 

This role is based on the Waterloo campus but will require occasional travel to Brantford and Milton. This role also requires regular evening and weekend work.

Accountabilities

Student Leadership Development 

• Recruit, hire, train, develop, support, evaluate, appreciate, and coordinate LOCUS student staff and Student Housing Ambassadors.
• Foster a positive and inclusive team environment that promotes collaboration, creativity, and professional growth.
• Chair regular student staff meetings and coordinate frequent one-on-ones to increase communication, and staff development.
• Coordinate a successful onboarding of all student staff, including a summer program.
• Coordinate meaningful opportunities for student staff and volunteers to build upon their skillset and develop as a student leader at Laurier.
• Focus on the leadership and personal development of off-campus students by providing targeted support, mentorship, and resources.
• Support the well-being of all student staff and volunteers and triage/elevate to coordinated care support when appropriate.
• Coordinate the development and implementation of a first year off-campus student council in collaboration with Residence Education.
• Work with the Manager, Off-Campus Initiatives to develop programs, workshops, and events that focus on developing student's skillset.
• Actively seek out new opportunities for students to gain leadership experience on campus.
• Develop and implement strategies to enhance the engagement and sense of community for off-campus students.

Orientation & Transition 

• Coordinate programming for off-campus first year students to transition to the program and transition out of the program at the end of each academic year.
• Consult with the Students' Union in planning orientation week, ensuring that the off-campus student experience is considered and represented in the planning stages.
• Coordinate the LOCUS programming, information, and representation with the Laurier 101 program.
• Coordinate, plan and facilitate the Off-Campus Welcome Day.
• In collaboration with key campus departments, host specific orientation. programming focused on the off-campus first year experience.
• In collaboration with the Coordinator, Student Life & Experience develops an opt-in process for mature and transfer students to join the LOCUS program.
• Be an active participant in the planning and coordination of Winter Orientation programming.

Student Programming 

• Oversee the planning, development, and execution of programs and initiatives designed to enhance the student experience for off-campus students.
• Support the development of programming to meet the needs of off-campus first-year students.
• Supervise the LOCUS student-led programming ensuring responsible spending, risk management processes, and general programming support as required.
• Coordinate LOCUS' involvement in larger-scale programming initiatives like volunteer appreciation, Thrive Week events, Keep Calm & Study On programs.
• Track and monitor student staff programming expenses and spending as outlined by the manager.
• Create and update documents and reports to monitor program growth, challenges, and successes.
• Foster a collaborative partnership with Residence Education to strengthen and enhance the programming and experience for off-campus students within the First Year Leadership Program.

Off-Campus Housing Support

• Create awareness and an on-campus presence focused on supporting students with off-campus housing needs.
• Develop and facilitate international onboarding to advise students on off-campus housing best practices. 
• Maintain partnerships with Legal Care, Department of Residence, and Regional Legal Clinics and coordinate strategic ways to educate and inform the Laurier community about living off-campus.
• Develop and facilitate one-on-one support, workshops, campaigns, and programming to offer undergraduate and graduate support as it relates to off-campus housing.
• Develop a series of programs and campaigns focused on educating off-campus students’ rights and responsibilities while living in the Kitchener-Waterloo community.

Special Projects & Initiatives

• Work with Manager to advocate for on-campus space for off-campus students.
• Develop partnerships and education campaigns to promote and advocate for the off-campus student experience.
• Coordinate the marketing of LOCUS and off-campus housing support to incoming first year students and families at recruitment & transition events (ie. Open House, Laurier 101, Ontario Universities Fair etc.) 

Assessment & Evaluation

• Develop assessment measures to learn more about the needs, experiences, challenges, barriers, and preferences of off-campus students.
• Coordinate and implement continual, creative evaluative measures within all aspects of the LOCUS program to ensure student needs are being met (experience surveys, focus groups, etc).
• Create project/program briefs that summarize the successes, challenges and goals for the LOCUS program and the off-campus housing program to share with management.

Administrative & Communication

• In collaboration with the Coordinator, Off-Campus Initiatives on the Brantford/Milton campus, regularly monitor the shared locus@wlu.ca and offcampushousing@wlu.ca email accounts and regularly monitor the shared LOCUS and Off-Campus Housing social media accounts.
• Regularly update and generate content on the students.wlu.ca webpages for both LOCUS and Off-Campus Housing.
• Develop effective communication strategies to promote programs and services to off-campus students, ensuring wide-reaching participation.
• Maintain regular communication and collaboration with Brantford and Milton campus counterparts to ensure programming and service delivery is equitable across each campus.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree, and minimum 2 years related work experience.
• Excellent interpersonal communication skills, sensitivity, and responsiveness.
• Effective organization, time management, and problem-solving skills. 
• Proven ability to deal with high pressure situations.
• Proven ability to facilitate large- and small-scale programming for undergraduate students.
• Excellent word-processing and data-entry skills using appropriate computer. software including Excel & Word.
• Demonstrated creativity, initiative, and experience in completing independent and team tasks.
• Experience coaching/mentoring students; handling confidential information and developing and teaching training sessions and workshops.
• Agree to regularly work weekday evenings and weekdays for programs and events

Hours of Work: This is full-time, limited term role with an approximate end date of January 29, 2027. The normal hours of work are 8:30 am to 4:30 pm, Monday to Friday. Flexibility in hours will be required, including evening and/or weekend work due to student schedules and programming needs. When possible, the manager will adjust the work schedule so that no more than 35 hours are worked in a week.

This role offers limited flexibility regarding flexible work arrangements. Please see Policy 8.14 (Flexible Work Policy) for more information. All arrangement must be approved by the direct manager. On occasion, this schedule may need to be adjusted to meet operational requirements.

Compensation:

Level: E

Rate of Pay: $42.83 to $45.28 per hour with an annual step progression on anniversary date up to $48.95 per hour.

Considerations for new hire step placements include, qualifications and length/depth of required experience, relevant market rates for similar jobs, internal equity, and estimated learning curve in starting the job.

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 resume and cover letter will be required in electronic form.

Please note, when pre-screening questions are used as part of the application process, AI is utilized to score responses. All other aspects of the hiring process are reviewed by our Talent Acquisition team.