Senior Operations Manager - Beaty Biodiversity Museum

Staff - Non Union

Job Category

M&P - AAPS

Job Profile

AAPS Salaried - Administration, Level C

Job Title

Senior Operations Manager - Beaty Biodiversity Museum

Department

Administrative Leadership | Directorship | Beaty Biodiversity Museum | Faculty of Science

Compensation Range

$7,622.83 - $11,886.67 CAD Monthly

The Compensation Range is the span between the minimum and maximum base salary for a position. The midpoint of the range is approximately halfway between the minimum and the maximum and represents an employee that possesses full job knowledge, qualifications and experience for the position. In the normal course, employees will be hired, transferred or promoted between the minimum and midpoint of the salary range for a job.

Posting End Date

May 24, 2026

Note: Applications will be accepted until 11:59 PM on the Posting End Date.

This position is subject to the satisfactory completion of required background checks

Job End Date

Ongoing

 

 

At UBC, we believe that attracting and sustaining a diverse workforce is key to the successful pursuit of excellence in research, innovation, and learning for all faculty, staff and students. Our commitment to employment equity helps achieve inclusion and fairness, brings rich diversity to UBC as a workplace, and creates the necessary conditions for a rewarding career. 

Job Description Summary

The Beaty Biodiversity Museum, part of UBC's Beaty Biodiversity Centre, houses over 2.1 million natural history specimens, presents educational programs and exhibits and includes a teaching lab, auditorium, and a museum store. The Beaty Biodiversity Museum is divided into several major collections - Spencer Entomological Collection, Cowan Tetrapod Collection, Fossil Collection, Fish Collection, Marine Invertebrate Collection and the Herbarium which has several collections within itself.

The Museum is a major public outreach focus for the Faculty of Science and attracts in excess of 50,000 visitors per year.

Responsible for the day-to-day and longer term operational and strategic leadership of the Beaty Biodiversity Museum (The Museum) in support of the Museum Director's administrative, intellectual social and academic leadership. The position oversees the Museum's administrative activities for all museum functions and collections. The position is responsible for strategic and operational planning, finance and human resources.

Organizational Status
Reports to the Museum Director who is a faculty member appointed to an academic department (typically Botany or Zoology) and who typically is able to devote a minority of their time to The Museum operations. This position liaises with faculty members, university departments including Human Resources, Financial Operations, Building Operations, Campus and Community Planning, Access Control and IT, commercial, private, and volunteer groups. Works with the Office of the Dean and academic units in the Faculty of Science. Supervises staff and students directly and indirectly through subordinates, and oversees volunteers.

Work Performed

Strategic Leadership

• Chairs the Strategic Planning Committee and leads the annual operational planning cycle
• Oversees the development of institutional priorities and policies and brings recommendations to the Director for final approval
• Works closely with the Director to develop strategies to reach the Museum's short- and long-term operational goals
• Develops business/financial plans to meet specific operational initiatives
• Works with the Museum Director and staff to ensure institutional targets are being met

Operational Management

• Provides operational guidance to faculty and staff on all administrative, human resources and financial matters
• Oversees general administration of all museum collections and functions including teaching & learning, exhibitions, visitor services, marketing, communications & special events, and cross-collections care and directly supervises approximately15 staff under these functions
• Liaises with Faculty Collection Directors to ensure alignment of collections staff activities with strategic and operational plans
• On behalf of the Director, meets regularly and works closely with the  Managers and Collections Curators, providing operational guidance to ensure alignment of staff activities with strategic and operational plans
• Works closely with and advises the Director to ensure effective coordination between all operational core areas and alignment with strategic directions
• Overseas Project Management/Administration for all special projects, monitoring budgets and timelines, negotiating and preparing contracts with consultants and service providers in accordance to university polices and guidelines
   

Financial & Revenue Management

• Oversees and manages the complex fiscal environment of the Beaty Biodiversity Museum including the Museum's operating budget, developing annual and multi-year budgets and projects, setting revenue targets, and monitoring expenses and revenue
• Maintains multiple accounts including endowment and specific purpose funds; monitors expenditures and reconciliations
• Develops business plans, budget projections, statistical and financial reports as required. Prepares budgets relative to specific projects and grant applications. Manages a budget of approximately $2.5  million in general operating funds, revenues from admissions, memberships, and merchandise sales, and in specific purpose funds, grants, endowments & donations
• Oversees all financial activities and operations of the Museum Store
• Authorizes all payments and expenditures, and ensures that all financial activities adhere to University guidelines and policies
• Oversees all expenses and revenues that occur at the Beaty Biodiversity Museum and ensures that support staff are completing reconciliations of these financial accounts
• Develops and enforces policy for all Museum purchasing
• Responsible for oversight on all UBC Visa in the unit. Ensures compliance with Payment Card Industry Policy and Standards and reports to Central Finance on Compliance Status
• Provides monthly reports and updates to the Director. Prepares and analyzes materials for statistics and reports of various activities of the Beaty Biodiversity Museum including financial, visitor surveys/statistics, etc
• Develops and oversees the Museum's strategies for securing support from federal, provincial and private funding bodies
• Oversees the process of developing, writing and submitting Museum grants to funding agencies, including approving budgets and project schedules
• Serves as the Museum's liaison with funding agencies
• Prepares reports to granting agencies, Dean, President, and other bodies
• Prepares statistics for outside agencies (e.g. Museum Assistance Program, Canadian Heritage, BC Museums Association, Canadian Museums Association, etc.
• Works closely with the Science Development Office to develop initiatives and proposals for fund development, and donor stewardship. Responsible for gift management to ensure that donations received are administered and tracked accurately
• Oversees the Museum's earned revenue activities including the Store, Admissions, Membership and Facility Rentals
• Works with staff to set revenue targets and develop strategies for meeting these targets

Human Resources

• Provides leadership to approximately 46 staff and students directly and through direct reports, overseeing all HR and administrative matters
• Manages union and non-union staff and resolves employment conflicts as they arise.
• Provides leadership to staff in matters related towards achievements of strategic and operational goals
• Leads the recruitment process working with the Museum Director and Collections' Directors and hires, trains, disciplines and terminates staff
• Provides information and advice to faculty, management and staff regarding the interpretation of agreements governing conditions of employment
• Oversees performance review process for all unit staff with the Director and Collections' Directors as required. Develops and implements formal performance review procedures, leading or assisting in the facilitation of reviews as required
• Participates in the coordination of training programs and workshops for staff and volunteers.
• Manages compensation matters and advises on salary administration for all staff groups including progression to midpoint increases and annual approved merit increases

Academic/Public Facility & General Administration

• Researches & Develops safety and security procedures within the Museum considering the museum as a workplace and public facility and repository of collections
• Oversee museum facilities in partnership with the Biodiversity Research Centre Administrator who is responsible for the Beaty Biodiversity Centre facilities.
• Provides oversight of special projects such as capital projects, building and improvement projects.
• Researches and develops policies regarding the use of facility/grounds rentals by other UBC units, the public, and the entertainment/film industry
• Resolves facilities' problems as they arise and liaises with the Biodiversity Research Centre, Plant Operations, Campus Planning & Development, Access Control, and IT Services as necessary
• Manages space use and assignments within the museum building and related areas
• Oversees the assessment, development and implementation of administrative policies, practices and procedures to be observed by faculty and staff in the Museum
• Provides administrative guidance to Faculty, Staff & Volunteers
• Represents the Museum and serves on Faculty and University committees, regional & provincial and national organizations and committees as appropriate
• Liaises with Campus and Community Planning, University Neighbourhood Association, community groups and agencies to further the mission of the Museum as appropriate
• Reviews internal controls on a regular basis to ensure that staff are following appropriate procedures. Reviews and revises procedures as necessary for reconciling cash receipts at the Admissions desk
• Manages the retail function of the Museum Store and Admission Desk in conjunction with the admissions' staff and UBC Bookstore including inventory control, merchandising, marketing and security
• Other related duties

Consequence of Error/Judgement

Consequences of error rest with the incumbent who has to rectify her/his own errors. Accountable for making and executing Museum-wide administrative and operational decisions. Errors in judgment could negatively impact employees and visitors, collections, daily operations and effective and safe operation of the Museum Failure to properly oversee the Museum s financial resources would have severe ramifications for the Museum s ability to function as an institution. Poor planning would result in the Museum s ability to meet strategic goals. Failure to complete a project within the estimated budget would result in shortfalls in other areas of the Museum s budget. Failure in negotiations would negatively affect the Museum s reputation and standing with funding agencies. Errors in judgement or action could result in serious financial impact, union action, and negatively affect the reputation of the Museum, the Donor, the Faculty of Science and University in general.

Supervision Received

Works with considerable latitude under the part-time Director; Considerable personal initiative is expected and a wide latitude in decision making is permitted. Work is reviewed in terms of achievement of Museum goals and performance is judged by results (e.g. see consequences of error above).

Supervision Given

Manages all staff and students directly or indirectly and oversees volunteers

Minimum Qualifications

• Willingness to respect diverse perspectives, including perspectives in conflict with one’s own
• Demonstrates a commitment to enhancing one’s own awareness, knowledge, and skills related to equity, diversity, and inclusion

Preferred Qualifications

Undergraduate degree in a relevant discipline. Graduate degree in Business Administration or Cultural Management preferred. A minimum of 5 years of experience or the equivalent combination of education and experience. Relevant administrative experience including supervisory experience required.

• Knowledge of University policies and procedures, and accounting principles and practices.
• Ability to interpret, develop and implement policies and procedures.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with a variety of internal and external contacts and a diversity of people
• Ability to efficiently organize many projects within the same time frame and work under deadline pressures and budget limitations.
• Ability to identify, obtain, and effectively manage organizational resources (e.g., people, materials, assets, budgets).
• A high degree of independent decision-making and ability to exercise diplomacy and tact in sensitive situations
• Ability to manage complex financial arrangements and design and implement financial models
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Knowledge of marketing and communications and business practices.
• Ability to effectively market, promote, and sell products and services.
• Extensive experience working with human resource and labour relations issues.
• Ability to work with, train and supervise a variety of staff, students and volunteers.
• Ability to motivate employees.
• Ability to work effectively independently and in a team environment.