Dean, Lazaridis School of Business and Economics

Position Title: Dean, Lazaridis School of Business and Economics

Faculty/Academic Area: Lazaridis School of Bus. & Econ. 

Campus: Waterloo 

Employee Group: Management 

Requisition ID: 2885 

Wilfrid Laurier University is seeking an inspiring, engaging, visionary, leader with a deep commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion and Indigenization as its Dean, Lazaridis School of Business and Economics.

Wilfrid Laurier University and its campuses are located on the Haldimand Tract, 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.

The university’s 2019-2024 Strategy, Today. Tomorrow. Together. focuses on two distinct themes – thriving community and future-readiness – and positions Laurier to address societal and sector challenges and harness opportunities by leveraging foundational strengths in academic excellence, research, partnerships and community. In acknowledgement of its exemplary workplace policies and programs, and its commitment to sustainability and lifelong learning, Laurier was named one of the Waterloo Area’s Top Employers in 2019, 2020 and 2021. Laurier specializes in the humanities and social sciences, business and economics, music, science, social work, education and theology.

The Lazaridis School is one of Canada’s most selective and prestigious business and economics programs. With more than 33,000 alumni, 160 full-time faculty and 6,000 students, the Lazaridis School has the largest business-degree co-op program in Canada.
The mission of the Lazaridis School is to develop leaders with the skills in management and economics for a rapidly changing and complex global environment. We seek to advance knowledge and practices in these fields by supporting both theoretical and applied research. Furthermore, we strive to serve business and our community by fostering mutually beneficial alliances with leaders at local, national and international levels.

Located within one of the most vibrant start-up communities in Canada, the Lazaridis School which is accredited by AACSB offers undergraduate and graduate business and economics degrees along with a PhD in Management on Laurier’s Waterloo campus. Our Business Technology Management bachelor’s program is located on the university’s Brantford campus, and we offer a Master of Finance and MBA at our downtown Toronto location. In Kitchener, we operate an executive development program as part of the Lazaridis Institute for the Management of Technology Enterprises.

As Dean you are responsible, internally and externally, for advancing the Lazaridis School’s academic mission and goals, leading the overall strategic and organizational management; fostering an exceptional student experience; supporting academic programming; promoting inclusive excellence, innovation and operational efficiencies; increasing research intensity; and forging a strong sense of cohesion, belonging, collegiality, justice, transparency and community. Reporting to the Provost and Vice-President: Academic, the Dean empowers others within the Lazaridis School to ensure the current and future health, wellbeing and support of students, staff and faculty. Committed to decolonization and Indigenization, equity, diversity, and inclusion, the Dean ensures sustainable growth and competitiveness, provides coaching and development opportunities, seeks and develops links within the university and with industry and community partners, as well as the Lazaridis School alumni nationally and around the world, and enhances the external stature of the School.

As the ideal candidate, you are a visible, collaborative and approachable leader, forging cohesion and alignment within the school and with the Laurier community and encouraging strong links with alumni, industry and community partners. You display empathy, action, active listening, confidence, decisiveness, and sound judgement in leading within complex, multi-stakeholder environments. Your experience in strategic planning, budgeting and finance, resource allocation, internationalization, alumni and donor relations, and change management will serve the School well, as will your record in promoting fundraising, scholarly excellence, new technologies and innovative programming across disciplines.

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 (https://wlu.ca/about/working-at-laurier/employer-philosophy.html).

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 equity@wlu.ca. 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-/

For further information and the full executive briefing document, please contact Collin Ritch, Nick Chambers and Michael Naufal at critch@boyden.com.

All Laurier employees and students are required to comply with the University's Covid-19 mandatory vaccination policy. Prior to attending Laurier's campuses in-person, you must provide proof of your vaccination status. Prior to becoming fully vaccinated, you will be required to participate in and comply with the University's rapid testing program and follow all recommended additional health and safety protocols. Details about the mandatory vaccination requirements can be found on Laurier's website.

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.