The Vancouver Campus of The University of British Columbia (UBC) is located on the traditional, ancestral and unceded territory of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) people.

The School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture (SALA) within the Faculty of Applied Science at the University of British Columbia (UBC) Vancouver campus, invites applications for the next Director of the School. The successful candidate should qualify for appointment at the rank of Full Professor with tenure in the School. They must also bring a clear vision of the opportunities and challenges ahead for SALA, as well as the ability to inspire a diverse range of people in the evolution of the School’s vision to align with the Faculty of Applied Science’s strategic priorities and develop implementation strategies for the goals that support the vision. The anticipated start date is January 1st, 2025, or as mutually agreed.

The School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture (SALA) is a close-knit and collaborative academic community of approximately 500 students and 50 full-time and part-time faculty. SALA offers accredited professional degree programs in architecture and landscape architecture, post-professional graduate programs in research, urban design and high-performance buildings, and a pre-professional undergraduate program in design. SALA’s Strategic Directions provides a framework for professional design education and research directed toward impactful design responsive to the urgent human and environmental issues of our times. These include climate change, social justice, engagement with people and communities, and the integration of the built and natural environment across scales. Further information about SALA, its academic programs, faculty, and community is available here.

Reporting to UBC’s Dean of Applied Science, the Director will serve as a key member of the Faculty’s leadership team and will have overall responsibility for academic leadership and administration in the School. The Director will be a dedicated, visionary and collaborative academic leader with a distinguished record in teaching and research, a deep commitment to educational programs, a strong commitment to engaging with the professional community as well as an unwavering dedication to and proven track record of advancing the principles of equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) and Indigenization and Reconciliation. The successful candidate should  have experience recruiting and mentoring excellent faculty, experience leading and managing change in a university, demonstrated leadership abilities and proven skills in management, communication, consensus-building, advocacy, and strategic planning in an academic context. Candidates will hold a terminal degree in Architecture, Landscape Architecture, or Urban Design (PhD, or Master of Architecture, Master of Landscape Architecture, Master of Urban Design).

As part of the University’s response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s Calls to Action, UBC has begun to implement its Indigenous Strategic Plan, taking a leading role in the advancement of Indigenous peoples’ human rights. UBC is the first university in North America to commit to implementing the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and to take a human rights-based approach to our Indigenous strategic framework. The ideal candidate will therefore have a demonstrated commitment to advancing reconciliation with Indigenous peoples and contribute to the Indigenous strategic plan for the Faculty of Applied Science.

UBC is a global centre for research and teaching and seeks to recruit and retain a workforce that is representative of Vancouver's diversity, to maintain the excellence of the University, and to offer students richly varied disciplines, perspectives and ways of knowing and learning. UBC is consistently ranked among the 40 best universities in the world – and top 20 public universities. Its institutional values of excellence, integrity, respect, academic freedom, and accountability are the driving forces behind its goals to pursue excellence in research, learning and engagement to foster global citizenship and advance a sustainable and just society across British Columbia, Canada, and the world. With campuses in Vancouver and Kelowna, in the Okanagan, UBC has a sophisticated and deeply engaging intellectual environment and an unrivalled quality of life.

UBC’s Faculty of Applied Sciences comprises a unique constellation of disciplines across both campuses. Our core purpose is to discover, design, innovate, provide unwavering top-tier education, and champion a community of responsible and inclusive professionals. Our Faculty’s Strategic Plan, Transforming Tomorrow, prioritizes transforming ourselves, so our scholarship and learning is better able to address the urgent challenges facing communities and cities, near and far.

The expected salary range for the Professor position is $210,000 to $280,000 per annum. An additional compensation package specifically for the administrative role as Director of the School will also be provided.  The Faculty of Applied Science is committed to offering equitable and competitive salaries commensurate with the qualifications and experience of the candidate and with flexibility for negotiation. At UBC, in addition to a competitive salary, a generous benefit package as well as a highly valued pension plan and supportive leaves, are included. For more information about the various Faculty Benefits Packages available at UBC, please visit this website.

Applications should consist of a full CV detailing academic and professional qualifications and relevant achievements. It should be accompanied by a cover letter describing how the candidate meets the qualifications, why the appointment is of interest, and what they believe they can bring to the role.  

The University is committed to creating and maintaining an inclusive and equitable work environment for all members of its workforce. An inclusive work environment presumes an environment where differences are accepted, recognized and integrated into current structures, planning and decision-making modes. Within this hiring process, UBC will make efforts to create an inclusive and equitable process for all candidates (including but not limited to people with disabilities). To learn more about UBC’s Centre for Workplace Accessibility, please visit their website. Accommodations are available on request for all candidates taking part in the selection process. To confidentially request accommodations, please contact angela.licata@perrettlaver.com.

Equity and diversity are essential to academic excellence. An open and diverse community fosters the inclusion of voices that have been underrepresented or discouraged. We encourage applications from members of groups that have been marginalized on any grounds enumerated under the B.C. Human Rights Code, including sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, racialization, disability, political belief, religion, marital or family status, age, and/or status as a First Nation, Metis, Inuit, or Indigenous person. All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however Canadians and permanent residents of Canada will be given priority.

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