Director, Student Engagement

Closing:
February 27, 2026 at 4:00pm

Reports To:

General Manager and CEO

Mission:
To create an environment that inspires a passion for student success.

Desired Results of the Position:

• A unified, trusted, and student-centred organizational voice across all platforms and touchpoints
• Strong alignment between strategic priorities, communications, brand expression, and student engagement initiatives
• Highly engaged students who understand, value, and participate in the Algonquin Students’ Association (SA)
• Consistent, inclusive, and effective student life programming across all campuses
• Department portfolios operating with clarity, cohesion, and measurable impact

The Director of Student Engagement is accountable for the strategic integration, oversight, and performance alignment of the SA’s communications, strategy, marketing, brand, and student life portfolios.

This role provides executive leadership to department leads and ensures that organizational strategy, messaging, engagement initiatives, and student programming function as a cohesive system. The Director establishes direction, standards, and accountability to ensure consistency, effectiveness, and strategic impact across departments.

The position operates in a complex, student-facing, multi-campus environment and requires strong executive judgment, systems thinking, and stakeholder leadership while taking the lead on important projects as needed.

• Provide strategic leadership to ensure alignment between organizational priorities, brand expression, communications, and student engagement initiatives
• Translate Board and General Manager priorities into an integrated strategic direction across all portfolios
• Lead cross-portfolio planning to ensure initiatives are prioritized, measurable, and aligned with long-term organizational goals

• Provide executive oversight of brand strategy, communications frameworks, and public relations approaches
• Ensure consistent organizational messaging, tone, and identity across internal and external channels
• Oversee reputation management, including crisis communications readiness and issues management in coordination with senior leadership

• Provide strategic oversight of student life programming to ensure inclusive, engaging, and high-impact student experiences
• Ensure student engagement initiatives align with organizational priorities, equity commitments, and institutional partnerships
• Champion student voice, feedback mechanisms, and data-informed engagement strategies

• Oversee organization-wide strategic planning processes in collaboration with the Communications and Strategy portfolio
• Ensure the development, monitoring, and evaluation of KPIs across brand, communications, and student engagement initiatives
• Use data insights to assess effectiveness, inform decision-making, and drive continuous improvement

• Lead, coach, and support departments to ensure accountability, collaboration, and high performance
• Ensure consistent leadership practices related to performance management, succession planning, and professional development
• Act as an escalation point for complex cross-departmental or reputational issues in collaboration with Human Resources

• Serve as a senior representative of the SA with Algonquin College, community partners, media, and external stakeholders
• Support Board visibility and engagement through coordinated communications and engagement strategies
• Foster strong internal collaboration across SA departments to strengthen institutional alignment

• Ensure compliance with organizational policies, legislative requirements, and accessibility standards related to communications and engagement
• Provide oversight of policies governing communications, social media, brand usage, and public engagement
• Identify and mitigate reputational, strategic, and engagement-related risks

• Ensure timely, accurate reporting on strategic…