Executive Director, Ancillary Operations (Interim)

Term: 6 to 9 months, commencing January 2026

Reports to: Vice-President, Operations and Finance

McMaster University, one of Canada’s most research-intensive and student-focused universities, is seeking an accomplished and strategic leader to serve as Executive Director, Ancillary Operations for an interim term of 6 to 9 months.

This new role provides strategic leadership and operational oversight for McMaster’s ancillary and revenue-generating services including Parking Services, the Campus Store, Hospitality Services, Media Production Services, and Housing and Conference Services (dual reporting with Student Affairs). Together, these units generate over $90 million annually and play a vital role in enhancing the student experience and contributing to the University’s financial sustainability.

Reporting to the Vice-President, Operations and Finance, the Executive Director will ensure that McMaster’s ancillary operations deliver exceptional service, operational excellence, and strong financial performance. The successful candidate will work collaboratively with senior leaders to optimize revenues, identify efficiencies, and support the University’s academic and research mission.

As a seasoned people leader, the Executive Director will oversee a large and diverse team of over 800 employees, fostering a culture of inclusion, innovation, and service excellence. The role requires a leader with strong financial acumen, strategic foresight, and a demonstrated ability to manage complex, multi-unit operations in a unionized environment.

Qualifications:

• Graduate degree in business, higher education leadership, finance, or public administration (or equivalent).
• Minimum of 10 years of progressive leadership experience in large, complex organizations.
• Proven success in managing significant budgets, driving operational improvements, and delivering strong financial results.
• Experience in student housing, hospitality, or conference operations is an asset.
• Commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion, sustainability, and student success.

This is an exciting opportunity to make an immediate impact in a high-profile leadership role, supporting the next phase of operational excellence and innovation at McMaster University.

 

How To Apply

To explore this opportunity further in confidence, please submit your resume online.

For further information, please contact Sam Mofti, Consultant, at sam.mofti@odgers.com.

We would like to thank all applicants but regret that we are only able to personally contact those individuals whose backgrounds best match the requirements for the role.

 

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion 

Odgers is deeply committed to diversity, equity, and inclusion in all the work that we do. As part of our efforts to better understand our ability to reach as broad a pool of candidates as possible for our searches, our DEI team would like to encourage you to take a moment and access our Self-Declaration Form.