Senior Manager, Academic Accomodations (SAS) JO 79252

Job Description

Student Affairs reports to the Associate Vice-President, Students and operates as a strategic partner to academic units, providing co-curricular and support infrastructure that complements the academic mission and advances the whole-student experience. Student Accessibility Services (SAS) ensures the University meets its legal obligations to students with disabilities under the Ontario Human Rights Code (OHRC) and the Accessibility for Ontarians with

Disabilities Act (AODA). SAS supports approximately 5,800 students annually - roughly 15% of total university enrolment - through academic accommodation planning, assistive technology, learning strategy support, and accommodated testing services. The unit is undergoing a transformation toward an accessible-education-by-design model, embedding inclusive practice across the institution rather than delivering accommodations solely through an individualized service model. We have an exciting new opportunity for a Senior Manager, Academic Accommodations (SAS) to join our team.

The Senior Manager, Academic Accommodations holds primary operational accountability for the delivery of accessible services that meet the University’s obligations under the Ontario Human Rights Code and AODA. Reporting to the Director, SAS, the Senior Manager leads a service-delivery team of professionals - spanning academic accommodation, assistive technology, and learning strategy - and is responsible for exercising significant judgment in complex, contested, and precedent-setting accommodation decisions. The role oversees the design, implementation, and continuous improvement of accommodation frameworks, service standards, and operational processes that govern how accessibility services are delivered across a high-volume environment. The Senior Manager collaborates with the Operations Manager on accommodated testing and examination services (approximately 35,000 tests/exams per year) to ensure seamless, compliant, student-centred delivery.

Strategic & Operational Leadership

• Provide strategic leadership for the timely, consistent, and student-centred delivery of

accommodation services to approximately 5,800 students annually.

• Lead long-term operational planning, service-demand forecasting, staffing models, and service optimization initiatives across SAS.

• Contribute to SAS strategic planning and institutional initiatives, translating legislative and policy direction into sustainable operational practice.

Compliance & Legal Accountability

• Hold operational accountability for SAS’s compliance with the Ontario Human Rights Code (procedural and substantive duty to accommodate) and AODA service-delivery standards.

• Assess and approve accommodation determinations in complex, contested, and precedent-setting cases where legislation, institutional policy, competing obligations, and finite resources intersect - exercising independent judgment without clear precedent.

• Identify systemic accommodation risks and emerging legal exposure, resolving them at the

operational level and escalating institutional or policy-level matters to the Director with analysis and recommended action.

• Ensure accommodation decisions, documentation, and rationale withstand human-rights, legal, and audit scrutiny.

Systems, Frameworks & Continuous Improvement

• Develop recommendations and lead the implementation and ongoing improvement of

accommodation frameworks, service standards, procedures, and reporting structures that govern unit-wide practice.

• Analyze operational data, service trends, utilization patterns, and workload indicators to inform decision-making, resource planning, and evidence-based improvement.

• Proactively identify service gaps and process-improvement opportunities, designing scalable, solutions-focused responses that balance efficiency, accessibility, and service quality.

• Oversee the development of operational procedures, documentation, and reporting frameworks.

• Support the integration of technology and systems solutions that improve operational effectiveness and student experience.

• Ensure operational practices align with university priorities, accessibility legislation, institutional policies, and student success goals.

Collaboration & Communication

• Build collaborative relationships with faculty, students, academic departments, and campus partners, providing expert consultation on accommodation and accessibility processes.

• Collaborate with the Operations Manager to ensure accommodated testing and examination services (~35,000 tests/exams annually) align with accommodation requirements and service standards.

• Represent SAS on institutional committees, operational working groups, and cross-functional initiatives as required.

• Support effective communication and coordination across departments to ensure seamless service delivery.

People Leadership & HR Management

• Lead, develop, and manage a team of diverse team of professional unionized staff

• Partner with Human Resources and Employee & Labour Relations on labour-relations matters, grievances, and workforce planning.

• Apply strong managerial acumen to performance management, hiring, onboarding, progressive discipline, and conflict resolution.

• Build a collaborative, inclusive, and high-performing team culture, and lead change-management efforts through service-delivery transitions.

• Support staff development and promote best practices in individualized accommodation planning and Universal Design for Learning

Education - Master’s degree in Education, Disability Studies, Rehab Sciences, Social Work or a related field.

Experience - Minimum 7 years of progressive leadership experience in higher education, accessibility services, or student services.

• Demonstrated experience leading service-delivery teams and large-scale operational processes in high-volume, deadline-driven environments.

• Experience supervising unionized staff, including collective agreement interpretation and labour-relations practice.

• Experience with accessibility accommodation processes and post-secondary student support services.

• Experience leading operational improvement and change management initiatives.

Knowledge and Skills - Strong understanding of accessibility legislation (OHRC, AODA), academic accommodation processes, and post-secondary operational

environments.

• Demonstrated judgment in navigating complex, ambiguous, and contested decisions involving competing obligations and finite resources.

• Exceptional operational leadership, organizational, and process management skills.

• Strong HR acumen, including collective-agreement interpretation, labour relations, performance management, and conflict resolution.

• Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making abilities, including the use of data to inform service planning.

• Strong communication and collaboration skills.

• Commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion, accessibility, and student

success.

How To Apply

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