Dean, International

Position Title

Dean, International

The Dean, International is a senior academic and administrative leader who advances Red Deer Polytechnic’s vision through integrated strategic, academic, and operational leadership for international education. As a member of the Polytechnic Leadership Team, the Dean contributes to enterprise-level decision-making and drives alignment between international strategy, institutional priorities, and global and regional labour market demands. The Dean is accountable for the strategic direction, delivery, and continual enhancement of international recruitment, global partnerships, and international student services, ensuring a high-quality, responsive, holistic learner experience for prospective and current international students.

Strategic & Institutional Leadership

• Provide strategic and enterprise leadership to advance Red Deer Polytechnic’s internationalization priorities, aligning global recruitment, partnerships, and international student services within RDP’s polytechnic and entrepreneurial model.
• Cultivate and steward strategic international partnerships with academic institutions, government agencies, industry, and community organizations to enhance global engagement, mobility pathways, applied learning opportunities, and workforce‑aligned outcomes for international learners.
• Represent Red Deer Polytechnic as a senior leader in international education engagements, ensuring effective advocacy, regulatory compliance, risk management, and alignment with policy, immigration, and funding frameworks.
• Lead transparent, data‑informed communication with senior leadership on international education performance, enrollment trends, market intelligence, risk factors, and emerging global opportunities to inform institutional planning and decision making.
• Drive cross‑institutional collaboration to advance integrated learner pathways, operational effectiveness, and a cohesive approach to international recruitment, student support, and global engagement across academic Schools and service divisions.
• Provide strategic leadership for recruitment, development, performance management, and where required, dismissal, within International Education, ensuring alignment with institutional priorities and collective agreements.
• Establish and continuously optimize organizational structures, processes, and teams to enable effective delegation, collaboration, and operational agility.
• Foster and sustain a culture of professionalism, innovation, accountability, and continuous improvement that empowers teams to respond to global market dynamics and deliver high‑quality service and learner experiences.
• Provide accountability for multi‑year financial planning, budgeting, and resource allocation to ensure the sustainability, risk management, and financial performance of the International Education portfolio.

Academic & Learner Success

• Provide strategic oversight of international recruitment, onboarding, retention, and services to ensure a high‑quality learner experience aligned with institutional standards and regulatory requirements.
• Champion a learner‑centred approach that advances access, inclusion, retention, and success for international learners by integrating academic pathways, student services, and support mechanisms that respond to diverse learner needs and global contexts.

Global Engagement, Partnerships, and Market Development

• Establish and lead a multi‑year Business Plan that aligns with institutional priorities, enrollment sustainability, and risk diversification.
• Build and sustain strategic international partnerships with academic institutions, government bodies, sector organizations, and community stakeholders to enhance global visibility, learner pathways, and institutional reputation.
• Ensure strong financial oversight and accountability for international recruitment and partnership activity, including revenue generation, market risk management, and sustainable growth.

• A graduate degree from a recognized institution is required; a terminal degree is preferred.
• 5–10 years of progressively responsible senior leadership experience in…