VICE PRESIDENT, SHARED SERVICES

Reporting to the President and CEO, the Vice President, Shared Services is a key member of the Senior Leadership Team (SLT) who plays a critical and active role in setting the strategic direction for the organization, demonstrating behaviours and decision-making aligned to our core values, and effectively leading operations and overall fiduciary accountability. Specifically, this role provides SLT with the financial expertise, analysis and guidance to make sound, strategic decisions to advance the organization in its mandate. As an executive leader, this position requires an empathetic, ethical, inspiring, results-oriented people leader. In addition, this role also plays a crucial role in reporting progress to Explore Edmonton’s Board of Directors, the shareholder (City of Edmonton) and our community.

Leading a team of up to six direct reports, this role is accountable for providing strategic oversight and leadership to the following business units: Finance; Business Systems, including business planning and risk management; People & Culture, Strategic Communications & Partnerships; and Technology. The Business Administration Manager reports to and works directly with the Vice President, Shared Services. Alongside the SLT, this Vice President is crucial to supporting the executive team’s focus on ensuring the financial health and sustainability of the organization and supporting the other critical shared services.

KEY ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES:

Strategic Leadership

• Actively participates to define the future and chart Explore Edmonton’s path forward.
• Communicates vision and priorities with clarity.
• Understands, considers, and communicates economic, social and political context accordingly.
• Engages others toward a compelling vision.
• Champions a culture that challenges the status quo and encourages responsible risk-taking in support of continuous improvement.
• Manages organizational scope and pace of change.
• Brings an external perspective, gained through interactions with community, industry and other external stakeholders, to the strategy process.
• Represents Explore Edmonton at various internal events and throughout the community and is respected as a face of the organization.
• Supports strategies that develop new investment partners in the visitor economy as well as Explore Edmonton’s products and attracted events.

Operational Leadership

• Builds a team across the entire shared services portfolio that is committed to the vision, goals and priorities of Explore Edmonton.
• Creates the social and human systems necessary to deliver the technical work of the areas of the Shared Services portfolio.
• Effective and focused execution of Explore Edmonton’s business plan and finance actions.
• Provides strategic leadership and oversight of all financial functions, including strategic planning, accounting and processes, financial reporting, financial planning & analysis, budgeting/forecasting, internal controls/audit, treasury and investment.
• Develops solutions to address the financial health, impact and performance of the organization.
• Identifies and communicates priorities and measures of success while building a culture of accountability.
• Works with Explore Edmonton Leadership Teams to ensure that financial implications of business decisions are understood and considered.

Stakeholder Relationships and Governance

• Responsible for reporting organizational financial health to the Audit, Risk and Finance Committee and Board.
• Manages key business relationships, including City of Edmonton Administration (Finance/Legal/Insurance); financial institutions; and other businesses as required.
• Acts as a role model of professional conduct, pursuing excellence in execution and seeking opportunities for continuous improvement.

THE PERSON

QUALIFICATIONS & EDUCATION REQUIREMENTS

The ideal candidate will possess an entrepreneurial spirit and be committed to innovation and leading through change. They will be a confident leader who demonstrates commitment to the values of Explore Edmonton and operates with an innate sense of honesty, integrity and fairness. In addition, the ideal candidate will have proven accomplishments in the following areas:

• Broad and diverse experience in senior leadership of large and complex organizations within the public and/or private sectors, preferably while leading a diverse portfolio, including financial stewardship, information technology, people and culture, and stakeholder relations.
• Solid, relevant academic preparation. There is a strong preference for the candidate to have a relevant Chartered Professional Accounting designation (CPA). An MBA in finance and/or accounting will also be considered.
• A focus on the future with the ability to lead through change and ambiguity by taking initiative to create opportunities that transform Explore Edmonton, strongly impacting community well-being and Edmonton’s economic prosperity.
• Execution of plans and driving key business processes to optimize business performance.
• Demonstration of sound judgment and business and financial acumen at all levels of decision-making and leadership coaching and inspiring others throughout the organization to do the same.
• Innovator and change leader who questions the status quo and makes changes to improve processes and systems across the organization. They will support a culture of research and inquiry, showing openness and building excitement around new possibilities and opportunities.
• Natural connector and collaborator who builds strong relationships both internally and externally.

GENERAL KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & ATTRIBUTES

Visionary Leadership Skills—Demonstrates a progressive, transformational and visionary leadership style while giving guidance and support to staff and leadership as required. A mentor and positive role model who can communicate potential opportunities to departments while empowering team members and incorporating the views of others. Uses a practical and common-sense approach.

Financial Management—Has a proven ability to manage in all fiscal environments, leads with a strong sense of service and is efficient in budgeting, financing and information reporting.

Change Management—Energetic and able to lead in a changing environment; experienced in evaluating organizational structure and effectively implementing required changes to elevate the skill level and improve the efficiency of an organization. Can alter course/direction when necessary while maintaining a clear and consistent vision; enjoys and embraces new challenges.

Collaboration–Promotes and enables cooperation across the organization; anticipates, understands and responds to the needs of the various internal and external stakeholders to meet or exceed their expectations within the organizational parameters.

Diversity and Inclusiveness— A leader who respects and appreciates staff diversity, including, but not limited to, age, gender, ethnicity, religion, disability, sexual orientation and education.

Courage—Steps up to address difficult issues, saying what needs to be said; champions an idea or position despite dissent or political risk; faces difficult issues and supports others to do the same; and translates a position into actionable feedback.

Communication—Exceptional listening, verbal, written and presentation skills; highly effective internal and external communication skills. Uses a clear, concise and positive style; builds trust through presenting ideas clearly and effectively listening to others. Is a straightforward, tactful and respectful communicator.

Interpersonal Savvy—Relates openly and comfortably with diverse groups of people. Treats staff, colleagues, partners and others with respect; resolves conflicts respectfully and in a timely manner; negotiates effectively; and provides effective feedback to colleagues/employees.

Demonstrates Character—Displays a quality guided by noble principles with the conviction and courage to do the right thing always; demonstrates integrity, ethics, responsibility, character and virtue; and has a developed personal and progressive value system based on a high sense of integrity and desire to treat others as he or she would expect to be treated.

Customer Service—Helps define a service delivery process and implements changes to improve the quality of results. Has functional and operational knowledge of all key service areas under their portfolio. Recognizes the value of operational planning and technology integration in providing customer service. Ensures customer needs are identified and addressed and ensures appropriate consultation with all stakeholders is timely, cost-effective and of quality service.

Pragmatic Decision Maker—Believes in involving people in processes to establish priorities and shows sensitivity to changing approaches. Shows strong common sense and intuitive judgment abilities.

COMPENSATION

A competitive compensation package will be provided, including an attractive base salary and excellent benefits. Further details will be discussed in a personal interview.

TO APPLY

For more details or to further explore this important strategic leadership opportunity, please contact:

Ardyce Kouri, Wendy Romanko, or Deepthi Koshy

Leaders International

Suite 501 Fox One

10226 – 104 Street

Edmonton, AB T5J 1B8

Phone: 780-420-9900 Email: Edmonton@Leadersinternational.com

To apply, please submit a Cover Letter and Resume directly to edmonton@leadersinternational.com outlining your interest, qualifications and experience.

About our Community Initiatives & Agriculture Group

The Community Initiatives and Agriculture team is the arm of Explore Edmonton Corporation that stewards legacy events like K-Days, Farmfair International, and Canadian Finals Rodeo. We are also a team of urban agriculture experts and enthusiasts that continue to make an impact with projects and programs geared to agriculture education, community partnerships, and sustainability.

About our Venue Management Group

Managed by Explore Edmonton Corporation, the Edmonton Convention Centre and Edmonton EXPO Centre both work toward a vision of being among North America’s top-performing venues and achieve that vision through a commitment to positive social, environmental, and economic impact. As two of Edmonton’s largest and busiest venues, the Edmonton Convention Centre and Edmonton EXPO Centre have a combined 672,000 square feet and welcome more than 1.8 million visitors every year.

About the Position

The Community Initiative & Agriculture Team is looking for a Sponsorship Account Manager to join the team.

Reporting to the Senior Manager, Sponsorship and Partner Development, this position is responsible for fostering strong relationships with current and potential sponsors at various levels of investment. The Sponsorship Account Manager will be responsible for managing, developing, and guiding the execution of sponsorship programs with corporate clients. This role will have primary accountability to drive increased sponsorship revenue for signature events (Farmfair International, K Days, the Canadian Finals Rodeo) and leveraging opportunities for sponsorship at the Edmonton Convention Centre and Edmonton Expo Centre.

Additionally, this role is responsible for developing creative and compelling sales collateral, researching and prospecting potential sponsors and negotiating and stewarding relationships. The Account Manager, Sponsorship will be required to support the Fulfillment Coordinator, Sponsorship to ensure sponsorship expectations are exceeded from start to finish.

The successful candidate will be responsible for:

• Working closely with the Fulfillment Coordinator to ensure sponsorship agreements are understood and executed successfully.
• Brainstorming and developing new and exciting ways to provide sponsorship opportunities during signature events and at the venues.
• Generating and retaining incremental revenue with existing sponsors, and secure new sponsors.
• Building strong business relationships with current and prospective sponsors through continuous communication and engagement, always looking to elevate sponsor relations to increase revenue.
• Researching, identifying, and prioritizing prospective sponsors who align with Explore Edmonton’s vision.
• Building and maintaining a strong sales pipeline with the ability to successfully close opportunities.
• Collaborating with internal departments and committees to develop and maximize sponsor exposure and opportunity.
• Understanding the sellable assets and marketing resources and continuously bring forward unique and creative sellable opportunities.
• Advocating for sponsors throughout the term of partnership to ensure all contractual obligations are met and expectations are exceeded.
• Working collaboratively with the marketing team to design professional proposals and presentations for sales packages.
• Developing and presenting tailormade sponsorship packages that include pricing and customized benefits aligned to each prospective sponsors objective.

The successful candidate will have:

• Post-secondary education in a related field.
• 5-years sponsorship experience.
• 6-months experience supporting contractors or administrative staff.
• Ability to work nights, weekends and holidays as required.
• Extensive experience developing strong corporate contacts and relationships.
• Experience negotiating and writing contracts.
• Experience with CRM systems and event planning software.
• Exceptional client communication skills, presentation skills and time management skills with the ability to prioritize and adapt to changing situations.
• The ability to obtain buy-in at a variety of levels and across a variety of departments.

How to Apply

If this role piques your interest, please submit your cover letter to let us know how you feel you could make an impact along with your resume. Please submit your interest no later than December 12, 2024.

Explore Edmonton encourages, supports, and celebrates a diverse and inclusive work environment. We strive to create a workplace that reflects the city we promote and where our employees feel safe and supported every day.