Work in a purpose driven career with MaKami College, a public post-secondary college that has been helping students for over 20 years, with locations in Edmonton and Calgary, Alberta.
MaKami College offers students in-person, online, and blended programs in Massage Therapy, Health Care Aide, Business Administrative Assistant, Medical Office Assistant, and more. Rapidly growing, we are working to expand our campuses and are continuously working to add programs to our course catalogue. We work with our team to grow and develop in areas they are passionate about, focusing on our MaKami Pillars - Leadership, Professionalism, Helpfulness, and Inspiration. MaKami team members are provided with many opportunities for professional career growth in a fulfilling and dynamic work environment.
The MaKami team is passionate about creating generational change through education, and we provide the tools and a safe environment for our staff to change the lives of our students and their families.
The Vice President, Student Experience provides executive leadership for the end-to-end student journey, ensuring an exceptional, supportive, and student-centred experience from initial inquiry and enrollment through graduation and career readiness. As a member of the Executive Leadership Team, the Vice President is accountable for advancing student success, enrollment growth, retention, student wellbeing, accessibility, and graduate outcomes while ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements and institutional standards.
This role provides strategic oversight of Enrollment Management, Student Services, the Registrar's Office, and student-facing campus operations, ensuring an integrated approach to service delivery and student success across all campuses. Working collaboratively with academic and administrative leaders, the Vice President develops and implements strategies that enhance student engagement, persistence, completion, and employment outcomes while supporting MaKami College's mission, values, and growth objectives.
The Vice President champions a culture of service excellence, innovation, accountability, and continuous improvement, leveraging data-informed decision-making to enhance the student experience and institutional performance. Through leadership of cross-functional initiatives and strategic partnerships, this role ensures that every student has access to the resources, supports, and opportunities necessary to achieve their educational and career goals.
Strategic Collaboration
Collaborate closely with:
- VP Academic / Academic Leadership
- Director, People & Culture
- Director, Data Strategy & Analytics
to ensure alignment between recruitment, student support, academic delivery, technology, and operational functions.
Key Accountabilities (key duties & desired outcomes):
- Responsible for the entire student lifecycle: attraction, enrollment, persistence, graduation, and employment outcomes.
- Develop and execute a comprehensive student experience strategy aligned with institutional objectives.
- Champion a culture of student success, engagement, retention, and wellbeing.
- Identify opportunities to improve student satisfaction, persistence, completion, and graduate outcomes.
- Monitor emerging trends and best practices in post-secondary student services.
- Provide oversight of enrollment management and admissions functions.
- Ensure admissions processes are efficient, equitable, compliant, and student-centered.
- Establish enrollment targets and monitor progress toward strategic objectives.
- Collaborate with Marketing and Communications to optimize the student recruitment funnel.
- Analyze enrollment trends and implement strategies to enhance conversion and retention.
- Accountable for ensuring students have access to services that support their academic and personal success, including:
o Learning supports
o Accessibility services
o Student advising
o Student wellbeing services
o Work-Integrated Learning (WIL) administration
o Early intervention and student retention programs
o Student engagement initiatives
- Provide strategic oversight of the Registrar's Office, including:
o Student records management
o Academic records administration
o Prior Learning Assessment and Recognition (PLAR)
o Academic scheduling
o Academic calendar and catalogue development (shared responsibility)
o Compliance with provincial regulatory requirements and institutional policies
- Develop and monitor student retention initiatives.
- Support pathways that improve graduation and employment outcomes.
- Lead institution-wide efforts to identify and address barriers to student success.
- Utilize student feedback and performance data to continuously improve services.
- Ensure compliance with applicable post-secondary education regulations and accreditation requirements.
- Maintain policies and procedures governing student services functions.
- Support institutional audits, reporting requirements, and quality assurance initiatives.
- Manage risks related to student matters, records, accessibility, and service delivery.
- Lead, mentor, and develop leaders and teams within the Student Services portfolio.
- Foster a high-performance, service-oriented culture.
- Promote collaboration across campuses and departments.
- Support succession planning and talent development initiatives.
- Contribute to institutional strategic planning and risk management.
- Lead institution-wide initiatives supporting enrollment growth and student success.
- Present reports and recommendations to the Board and executive committees.
- Act as a key institutional representative with government, community, and external stakeholders.
Educational Qualifications:
- Master's degree in Higher Education, Educational Leadership, Business Administration, Student Affairs, Public Administration, or related field.
Other Qualifications to Consider an Asset:
- Project Management Professional (PMP)
- Prosci Change Management Certification
- Certified Higher Education Professional designations
- Mental Health First Aid or student wellbeing certifications
- Leadership development programs from recognized institutions
Experience:
- Minimum 10 years of progressively responsible leadership experience in post-secondary education or a comparable educational environment.
- Minimum 5 years of senior leadership experience overseeing multiple functional areas.
- Experience leading enrollment management, student affairs, student services, registrar functions, or related operations.
Demonstrated experience managing complex teams and institutional initiatives.
- Demonstrated understanding of the regulatory framework governing post-secondary institutions.
- Proven success managing significant operational budgets and resources.
- Strong capability in using institutional data and performance indicators to drive continuous improvement and evidence-based decision-making.
- Proven ability to develop, implement, and evaluate policies, procedures, and governance processes.
- Comprehensive knowledge of quality assurance, compliance, and accountability requirements within post-secondary education.
- Demonstrated success leading cross-functional teams and complex organizational initiatives.
- Demonstrated success developing and executing strategic enrollment and retention strategies that support institutional growth and student success.
- Proven leadership of integrated accessibility, wellbeing, inclusion, and student support services.
- Strong commitment to Indigenous engagement, reconciliation, and the advancement of Indigenous learner success.
- Successful leadership of student services within complex, multi-campus post-secondary environments.
- Extensive engagement with government ministries, external regulators, accreditation bodies, and quality assurance processes.
- Strategic leadership of technology-enabled student service delivery, including SIS, CRM, and other enterprise platforms supporting the learner journey.
Perks & Benefits:
- Health Spending & Lifestyle Accounts
-
Educational Allowance for Professional Development
-
Emergency Allowance for Unexpected Needs
-
Free Massages at Our Student Clinic
-
Discounts on College Programs & Courses
-
Staff Discount in College Store
-
On-Site Gym Access
-
Free Parking
Qualified candidates should reply to this ad with their cover letter and resume. This position will remain open until a suitable candidate is found. We thank all applicants for their interest, but only those who meet our criteria will be contacted to continue in our process.
