Manager, Accommodations Advising

Location - This role is in-person. Work primarily takes place at North Campus, Edmonton.

The Manager of Accommodations Advising provides leadership, supervision, service oversight, and operational direction for the university’s accommodation advising function. The position is responsible for ensuring that students seeking academic accommodations receive timely, consistent, respectful, and legally compliant service from the point of intake through assessment, accommodation planning, implementation, review, and referral.

Operating within the office of Accessibility& Accommodations, the Manager oversees the work of accommodation specialist staff who support students with disabilities and other accommodation-related needs. The position provides day-to-day leadership for advising practices, staff development, workload management, case consultation, service standards, documentation practices, and continuous improvement. The Manager also supports appropriate interpretation and application of institutional policy, relevant legislation, procedural fairness, privacy requirements, and best practices in disability accommodation.

The position contributes to the university by supporting equitable access to academic participation, addressing legal risk, reducing barriers for students, promoting consistency in accommodation decision-making, and strengthening the quality, credibility, and responsiveness of accommodation services. The Manager works closely with students, instructors, faculties, staff, service partners, and other managers within Accessibility & Accommodations to ensure that accommodation processes are student-centred, administratively sound, and aligned with the university’s duty to accommodate.

Responsibilities

Staff Recruitment, Hiring, Supervision, and Performance Management

• The Manager provides direct supervision and operational leadership for accommodation specialist staff, including continuing full-time staff and, where applicable, temporary or casual staff. This includes responsibility for recruitment support, onboarding, training, supervision, workload distribution, performance management, and ongoing staff support.

Accommodation Advising Practice and Case Consultation

• The Manager provides leadership for the accommodations advising function, ensuring that students receive appropriate support and that accommodation-related decisions are consistent, well-documented, procedurally fair, and aligned with institutional obligations.

Service Standards, Student Experience, and Accessibility

• The Manager is responsible for ensuring that accommodations advising services are accessible, timely, consistent, and responsive to student needs. This includes oversight of advising workflows, appointment availability, communication practices, triage processes, and service expectations.

Policy, Procedure, Documentation, and Compliance

• The Manager supports the development, implementation, interpretation, and consistent application of accommodation-related policies, procedures, guidelines, and documentation standards. The position helps ensure that accommodation advising practices align with the university’s duty to accommodate and with relevant legal, privacy, and institutional requirements.

Stakeholder Engagement and Collaboration

• The Manager works collaboratively with students, instructors, faculties, departments, service units, and colleagues within Accessibility & Accommodations to support effective accommodation planning and implementation. The position plays a key role in building trust, clarifying processes, and supporting shared understanding of accommodation responsibilities.

Operational Planning, Risk Management, and Continuous Improvement

• The Manager leads operational planning and continuous improvement for accommodation advising services. The position identifies trends, assesses risks, improves workflows, and supports service planning in response to changing student needs, institutional priorities, and legal or policy developments.

Training, Best Practices, and Professional Development

• The Manager is responsible for supporting strong professional practice among accommodation advising staff and promoting current, evidence-informed, and legally sound approaches to disability accommodation in post-secondary education.

Qualifications

• Undergraduate degree required; graduate degree preferred in a relevant field such as education, disability studies, counselling, psychology, social work, rehabilitation, student affairs, public administration, social sciences, or a related discipline.
• Several years of progressively responsible experience in post-secondary accessibility services, student services, accommodation advising, disability support, case management, or a comparable complex service environment.
• Demonstrated knowledge of disability accommodation principles, duty to accommodate, accessibility, procedural fairness, privacy, confidentiality, and equitable student service in a post-secondary environment.
• Strong understanding of accommodation planning, documentation review, case management, student advising, academic requirements, and the operational risks associated with accommodation decision-making.
• Demonstrated experience supervising professional staff, including onboarding, training, coaching, workload management, performance management, and conflict resolution.
• Ability to provide sound guidance on complex, sensitive, urgent, or high-risk accommodation cases.
• Strong judgment and decision-making skills, particularly in matters involving disability, academic requirements, student vulnerability, privacy, competing interests, and institutional risk.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, including the ability to communicate clearly, respectfully, and effectively with students, instructors, staff, faculties, service partners, and senior administrators.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, including the ability to identify barriers, assess documentation, interpret policy, evaluate risk, and recommend reasonable solutions.
• Ability to develop, document, implement, and improve procedures, workflows, training materials, communication templates, and service standards.
• Demonstrated ability to manage confidential and sensitive information with discretion, professionalism, and care.
• Ability to work collaboratively across units and to support constructive problem-solving in situations involving disagreement, ambiguity, or urgency.
• Experience with student information systems, accommodation management platforms, case management systems, scheduling tools, spreadsheets, reporting tools, learning management systems, and standard office software.
• Commitment to accessibility, inclusion, student-centred service, academic integrity, procedural fairness, professional practice, and continuous improvement.

Application Instructions

Click “Apply Now” and submit the following documents:

• Resume
• Cover Letter
• Access, Community, and Belonging Philosophy

This position has a comprehensive benefits package and an annual salary range of $71,191 to $118,659.

The terms and conditions of this appointment are governed by Schedule F of the collective agreement between the Board of Governors of the University of Alberta and the Association of Academic Staff of the University of Alberta.

The University of Alberta, its buildings, labs and research stations are primarily located on the territory of Néhiyaw (Cree), Niitsitapi (Blackfoot), Métis, Nakoda (Stoney), Dene, Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) and Anishinaabe (Ojibway/Saulteaux), lands that are now known as part of Treaties 6, 7 and 8 and homeland of the Métis. The University of Alberta respects the sovereignty, lands, histories, languages, knowledge systems and cultures of all First Nations, Métis, and Inuit.

The University of Alberta is a community of knowledge seekers, change makers and world shapers who lead with purpose each and every day. We are home to over 14,000 faculty and staff, more than 40,000 students and a growing community of 300,000 alumni worldwide.

Your work will have a meaningful influence on a fascinating cross-section of people - from our students and community members, to our renowned researchers and innovators, making discoveries and generating solutions that make the world healthier, safer, stronger and more just. Learn more.

At the University of Alberta, we are committed to creating an inclusive and accessible hiring process for all candidates. If you require accommodations to participate in the interview process, please let us know at the time of booking your interview and we will make every effort to accommodate your needs.

We thank all applicants for their interest; however, only those individuals selected for an interview will be contacted.

All University employees have a responsibility to foster a workplace that prioritizes safety in all its forms - physical, cultural, and psychological. This is achieved by promoting a safe environment, adhering to all safety laws, policies and procedures, completing all required safety training, identifying hazards and implementing controls, reporting incidents, and contributing to a culture of belonging and respect, while endeavoring to ensure that all colleagues feel valued and safe to express their thoughts, perspectives and concerns.

The University of Alberta is committed to creating a university community where everyone feels valued, barriers to success are removed, and thriving connections are fostered. We welcome applications from all qualified persons. We encourage women, First Nations, Métis and Inuit persons, members of visible minority groups, persons with disabilities, persons of any sexual orientation or gender identity and expression, and all those who may contribute to the further diversification of ideas and the University to apply.

L’Université de l’Alberta s’engage à créer une communauté universitaire où chaque personne se sent valorisée, où les obstacles à la réussite sont éliminés et où des connexions enrichissantes peuvent se développer. Nous accueillons les demandes de toutes les personnes qualifiées. Nous encourageons les femmes; Premières nations, Métis et Inuits; membres des groupes minoritaires visibles; personnes handicapées; personnes de toute orientation sexuelle ou identité et expression de genre; et toutes les personnes qui peuvent contribuer à la diversification des idées et à l'université à postuler.

Student Success and Experience (formerly Office of the Dean of Students) holds student support at the heart of everything we do. We provide services focused on student well-being and flourishing both in the classroom and beyond. We offer a wide range of services, including career guidance, health and wellness resources, academic support, and assistance for students facing unexpected challenges or personal difficulties. We also work closely with faculty and staff across campus to ensure students receive coordinated support when they need it most.