Vice-President, Francophonie and External and Community Relations

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Purpose

The vice-presidency Francophonie and external and community relations reflects the vision of a university rooted in the community meeting the latters needs and deriving the benefits.

The University builds on its unique identity and outstanding ecosystem to offer its students a world-class education maintain its research intensity and make a transformational impact.

Reporting to the president and vice-chancellor the vice-presidency Francophonie and external and community relations has two essential components.

The first is promoting Francophone culture growing the relationships with the diverse Francophone communities and strengthening the Universitys leadership in terms of the Francophonie. The latter is historically rooted on both sides of the Ottawa River in French Ontario as much as in Québec and has an extended reach to the Francophone minority communities in the rest of Canada as well as to international Francophone organizations.

The Vice-Presidents mandate will include implementing a Francophonie-related vision and action plan along with the community.

The second component deals with external and community relations. This includes the relationships with Francophone partners but it goes beyond this to include relations with government - municipal provincial and federal - and with community groups and public- and private-sector partners in the National Capital Region and more broadly in Ontario and the rest of Canada.

Key responsibilities

The new Vice-President will work with the various stakeholders to identify potential new strategic partnerships and facilitate the implementation of initiatives to enrich our teaching and research to raise the Universitys profile but also to best meet the needs of the society in which we live. The incumbent will thus be expected to create synergies with University leadership and all academic and administrative units. These synergies will lead to innovative projects initiatives policies and programs that will heighten the Universitys reputation and positioning locally provincially nationally and internationally.

As well this vice-presidency will help strengthen uOttawas leadership within the Francophonie enhance its links with Francophone minority communities across Canada as well in Quebec and abroad and raise the Universitys profile beyond the campus. It will also be an opportunity to act on its commitment to an inclusive bold university deeply rooted in and committed to the Francophonie and the community.

Target candidate profile

The vice-president Francophonie and external and community relations will have proven management expertise in complex settings as well as a keen understanding of the diversity of Francophone communities in Ontario and across Canada. The vice-president will be comfortable with the workings of strategic positioning reputation management and government and community relations and able to motivate through compelling narratives. This person will excel in establishing lasting and productive partnerships will a wide range of interested parties. Through the ability to inspire persuade and motivate people the incumbent will help strengthen the University communitys cohesion and support an institution responsive to its milieu.

Driven by a deep commitment towards a diverse Francophonie and the Universitys mission the incumbent will be appreciated for diplomacy good judgment and unimpeachable integrity. Guided by a strategic equity-seeking approach this person will contribute to the growth of an inclusive caring and welcoming workplace where respect and recognition are an essential foundation. Finally with advanced skills in communication in both official languages and in interpersonal relations the incumbent will know how to navigate the institutional and political complexities of the university environment with sensitivity and to cultivate mutually beneficial relationships with governments community partners and the broader community.

A committed inclusive workplace

The University of Ottawa is committed to diversity and inclusion in the workplace. As an institution it is passionate about its people and dedicated to employment equity. It fosters a culture of respect collaboration and inclusion where teamwork innovation and creativity fuel its quest for excellence in both teaching and research.

The University of Ottawa and Boyden will strive to offer applicants a barrier-free process and do whatever is possible to meet their individual needs. Accommodations are thus available on request. A request for accommodation will not affect a persons candidacy. If you are selected to participate in the recruitment process please email Marie-Hélène Gaudreault at to inform her of the types of accommodations you might need to ensure you can participate equitably.

To apply

Interested persons are invited to email their CV and all other relevant documents to by Friday February 6 2026 indicating the position title in the subject line of your message.

We thank all applicants for their interest. However only candidates selected for an interview will be contacted.

Key Competencies at uOttawa:
Here are the required competencies for all or our employees at uOttawa:

Planning: Organize in time a series of actions or events in order to realize an objective or a project. Plan and organize own work and priorities in regular daily activities.
Initiative: Demonstrate creativity and initiative to suggest improvements and encourage positive results. Is proactive and self-starting. Show availability and willingness to go above and beyond whenever it is possible.
Client Service Orientation: Help or serve others to meet their needs. This implies anticipating and identifying the needs of internal and external clients and finding solutions on how to meet them.
Teamwork and Cooperation: Cooperate and work well with other members of the team to reach common goal(s). Accept and give constructive feedback. Able to adjust own behaviour to reach the goals of the team.

The University of Ottawa embraces diversity and inclusion in the workplace. We are passionate about our people and committed to employment equity. We foster a culture of respect teamwork and inclusion where collaboration innovation and creativity fuel our quest for research and teaching excellence. While all qualified persons are invited to apply we welcome applications from qualified Indigenous persons racialized persons persons with disabilities women and LGBTQIA2S persons. The University is committed to creating and maintaining an accessible barrier-free work environment. The University is also committed to working with applicants with disabilities requesting accommodation during the recruitment assessment and selection processes. Applicants with disabilities may contact to communicate the accommodation need. All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority.

Note: if this is a union position: The hiring process will be governed by the current collective agreement related to the union affiliation noted above; you can click here to find out more.

If this is a front-line position with responsibilities to interact with students selected candidates must be rated at the Low Advanced proficiency level or higher for both oral comprehension and reading comprehension in their second official language. The rating is determined by a proficiency test designed by the Official Languages and Bilingualism Institute.

Prior to May 1 2022 the University required all students faculty staff and visitors (including contractors) to be fully vaccinated against Covid-19 as defined in Policy 129 Covid-19 Vaccination. This policy was suspended effective May 1 2022 but may be reinstated at any point in the future depending on public health guidelines and the recommendations of experts.