"Vice-President, External"

Brock University is seeking a collaborative, strategic leader to serve as its next Vice-President, External. This is a unique opportunity to shape and elevate the University’s reputation and relationships across government, community, alumni, and global partners. The successful candidate will lead an integrated portfolio focused on enhancing Brock’s visibility, influence, and support at the local, national, and international levels.

The University

Brock University is a comprehensive teaching and research institution with rich academic programs and world-class scholarship. Located on the traditional lands of the Haudenosaunee and Anishinaabe peoples covered by the Upper Canada Treaties and protected by the Dish with One Spoon Wampum Agreement, with its main campus located in the historic Niagara region, Brock offers all the benefits of a young and modern university in a safe, community-minded region with beautiful natural surroundings. With more than 19,000 students in seven diverse Faculties, 600 faculty members, and over 124,000 accomplished alumni, Brock has earned a reputation as one of Canada’s top post-secondary institutions. The university continues to be an important regional presence and is about to open a new campus in Burlington, further growing connections to the community through this new, dynamic space.

Brock was recently named one of Canada's best employers for Company Culture by Forbes as well as ranked top 10 as one of Canada’s Best Employers for Diversity in 2024, through an independent survey of more than 40,000 Canadian employees working for companies with more than 500 employees. Brock is also home to fourteen 3M Teaching Fellowship Award Winners, Canada’s most prestigious recognition of excellence in educational leadership and teaching at the post-secondary level, and eight Canada Research Chairs.

The Role

Reporting to the President, the Vice-President, External is a key member of Brock University’s senior executive team and is responsible for shaping and executing the institution’s external engagement strategy. This role brings together government relations, community partnerships, marketing & communications, event planning, advancement and alumni engagement, and donor relations into a unified portfolio designed to elevate Brock’s reputation, expand its influence, and attract support. The VP External plays a vital role in building and sustaining relationships that align with and advance the University’s academic, strategic, and civic priorities. The nature of this role requires occasional national and international travel.

Key Responsibilities:

• Government and Community Relations – Lead proactive engagement with municipal, provincial, and federal governments to advocate for policies, funding, and initiatives that support Brock’s mission and strategic direction. Serve as a key liaison to regional partners and civic leaders, ensuring Brock remains an anchor institution in Niagara.
• Advancement, Alumni, and Donor Engagement – Oversee the development and execution of institutional fundraising strategies, including major gift and planned giving programs. Deepen alumni engagement and cultivate a culture of philanthropy that contributes to the long-term financial sustainability of the University.
• Marketing and Communications – Enhance Brock’s reputation and partnerships through strategic marketing, communications, and major events that engage the community, elevate the University’s brand in key markets, and foster partnerships aligned with Brock’s academic mission.
• Strategic Integration and Executive Collaboration – Align external affairs efforts across departments to ensure cohesive messaging, relationship management, and consistent institutional reputation-building. Collaborate closely with other members of the executive team to ensure external strategies reflect and reinforce Brock’s institutional priorities.

The Ideal Candidate

As the ideal candidate, you are a strategic and relationship-focused executive with a proven record of success in advancing organizational priorities through external engagement. You bring deep experience in one or more of the core portfolio areas (government relations, advancement, alumni engagement, marketing and communications) and are known for your ability to lead high-performing teams, build strong relationships, and navigate complex political and institutional environments with diplomacy and vision. You possess a strong understanding of the higher education sector and its potential within the Niagara region, as well as in national and global settings. With a focus on collaborative leadership, you will bring innovative ideas to enhance Brock’s operations. You bring a high level of energy, capable of sustaining work at a high pace and outside of regular hours when needed.

Qualifications and Demonstrated Success:

• A graduate degree in a relevant field (e.g., public policy, business, communications, marketing) or equivalent combination of education and leadership experience.
• A minimum of 10 years of progressively senior leadership experience in a large, complex organization, ideally in post-secondary education, government, or the non-profit/public sector.
• Relationship-building with government, community leaders, donors, alumni, or key partners.
• Advocacy at the municipal, provincial, and federal levels, with a good understanding of best practices in public policy development.
• Leading advancement and donor engagement strategies, with an understanding of fundraising best practices.
• Building a high-performing team and fostering positive workplace culture.
• Working with governing bodies such as boards, councils, senates, etc.

Skills and Attributes:

• Strategic and integrative thinking, able to connect diverse portfolios and partners to institutional goals.
• Exceptional relationship-building skills with a collaborative and diplomatic leadership style.
• Political acuity and sound judgment in navigating complex and high-profile environments.
• Excellent communication, public presentation, and negotiation skills.
• Commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion, and reconciliation in leadership and partnership-building.
• A passion for public education and a deep appreciation for Brock’s mission and community impact.

The Search Committee will begin reviewing applications on October 3, 2025.

Candidates interested in this opportunity should contact Abbey MacLeod at amacleod@kbrs.ca, Kyle Steele at ksteele@kbrs.ca, or Dr. Jennie Massey at jmassey@kbrs.ca, or submit a full application package online at: https://www.kbrs.ca/Career/17546728271920000008knd