Senior Specialist, Field Placement and Education

Follow us on LinkedIn

Posting Reason:

Job Type:

Anticipated Duration in Months (for contracts and temporary assignments):

Job Family:

# of Open Positions:

Faculty/Service - Department:

Campus:

Union Affiliation:

Date Posted (YYYY/MM/DD):

Applications must be receivedBEFORE (YYYY/MM/DD):

Hours per week:

Salary Grade:

Salary Range:

The FSS comprises nine departments, schools and institutes, which offer undergraduate, masters and doctoral programs in both English and French. With its 10,000 students, 260 full-time professors, and wide array of programs and research centres, the Faculty of Social Sciences plays a key role at the heart of the University of Ottawa. Its graduate students are supervised by excellent researchers and undertake cutting-edge research in the Faculty's masters and Ph.D. programs. Along with its complement of about 100 administrative employees, the faculty is proud to provide a collaborative working environment that inspires new ideas, encourages creative ingenuity, and promotes excellence.

Position Purpose

Ensures the coordination of all field education and practicum activities, including the teaching of integration seminars, as well as related administrative functions, in order to provide a high-quality learning experience and promote the retention and success of students in the Honours Bachelor of Social Work program and the Indigenous Family and Child Services Development microprograms.

In this role, your responsibilities will include:

• Develop and implement policies and procedures related to undergraduate practicum programs (Honours Bachelor’s and microprograms), and recommend modifications to enhance field education and ensure alignment between practical training and all undergraduate social work programs.

• Design and teach courses related to field education (credit courses) to support the analysis of professional practice, reflection on individualized learning objectives, and examination of the links between theory and practice (6 undergraduate teaching credits).

• Ensure the success of undergraduate practicum placements by assigning final grades for the two practicum courses in the Bachelor’s program, continuously evaluating placements, and providing support and guidance to professors teaching Practicum Experience Integration courses.

• Identify, develop, and evaluate partnerships with community and institutional organizations operating in the field of social work, particularly those serving Indigenous communities, in order to establish affiliation agreements for field education.

• Manage all stages of the practicum process, including preparation, matching, and placement completion, to ensure successful student placements in both Indigenous and non-Indigenous settings.

• Identify, select, and evaluate practicum placements to promote strategic alignment and academic relevance, and ensure quality in accordance with the standards of the School of Social Work and the Canadian Association for Social Work Education (CASWE).

• Train and support practicum supervisors and organizational representatives, providing guidance in their supervisory roles to ensure the achievement of field education objectives established by the School of Social Work.

• Provide training and guidance to students to facilitate reflection on individualized learning objectives related to field education, the development of learning contracts, and the implementation of appropriate evaluation measures.

• Share information about practicum programs with faculty members teaching in the Honours Bachelor’s and microprograms, and collaborate with them to strengthen connections between field education and theoretical instruction.

• Participate in the recruitment and admission of students into the microprograms, as well as in promotional activities within First Nations and Inuit organizations and communities.

• Provide individualized, culturally safe, and responsive support to Indigenous students enrolled in the microprograms to promote their success, persistence, and well-being throughout their university studies.

• Participate in the programming, planning, and coordination of continuing education activities within the School of Social Work, as well as accreditation processes and the School’s recognition and promotional initiatives, in collaboration with Indigenous and non-Indigenous partners.

What you will bring:

• Master’s degree in Social Work or a related discipline; or a university degree in Social Work or a related discipline combined with relevant experience and knowledge related to social intervention in Indigenous contexts.

• Five (5) years of progressively responsible and relevant experience.

• Extensive knowledge of the operations of community resources and Indigenous and non-Indigenous organizations within the social services and health care systems of Ontario and Quebec.

• Experience in strategic planning to manage all stages of practicum activities in the short and medium term.

• Experience designing and teaching university-level courses.

• Ability to analyze and identify the needs of Indigenous and non-Indigenous students and assist them in developing their field education plans.

• Ability to supervise Indigenous and non-Indigenous students on both an individual and group basis.

• Knowledge of cultural safety principles.

• Knowledge and understanding of contemporary Indigenous realities and the ongoing impacts of colonization.

• Ability to incorporate Indigenous knowledge systems within a university environment.

• Excellent organizational and problem-solving skills.

• Strong interpersonal communication skills.

• Ability to speak publicly and prepare and deliver presentations to diverse audiences.

• Experience using various software applications, including word processing, spreadsheets, PowerPoint, email, and the Internet.

• Excellent proficiency in both French and English, orally and in writing.

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 [email protected] 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.