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Job Requisition ID:

2026-00001

Time Type:

Full time

Employee Group:

Staff

Job Category:

Admissions

Employment Type:

Temporary

Department:

Associate Vice-President, Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs - Admissions Operations

Hiring Range:

$65,973.33 - $82,466.66

Posting Information:

This position is being offered as an external contract or internal secondment. The internal deadline is January 15, 2026 at 11:59pm. Contract end date is April 30, 2027.

This posting is for an existing vacancy

Job Description:

Primary Purpose

The Graduate Admission Specialist is the key liaison with the Departments and Faculties for the evaluation of admission recommendations, production of offers of admission, tracking conditions of admission and decisions, management of admission records and communications with prospective students and applicants, monitoring special applications and admissions sanctioned through University agreements with international institutions or governments and collaborative or joint programs with other universities. The incumbent is responsible for preparing procedures, and training and mentoring administrative departmental staff and faculty on best business practices for application and admission requirements, programs and agreements, and on the use of complex and evolving student system.

Key Accountabilities

Assessment, verification and final decision on recommendation for Offer of Admission

· Assesses the application file, verifying adherence to Senate regulations and guidelines pertaining to graduate studies, and has final signing authority on the recommendation for admission on behalf of the Associate Director, Graduate Admissions. These decisions are impactful and binding, and require extensive and comprehensive knowledge of a vast number of education systems, complex combinations of qualifications (education/work experience/test scores) for non-standard admissions, as well as the exercise of sound and unbiased judgment. Due to the variety of programs, international agreements and funding schemes, the Specialist must carefully review the unique Department details of the Offer of Admission contract letter for accuracy, to protect the student, department and University.

· Detect potentially fraudulent documentation submitted as part of the application/admission process. These potentially fraudulent documents are investigated in a confidential and professional manner, and involve contacting source institutions and referees.

Management of admissions records and communications in a complex student database

· The application and admission records management and systems are complex for applying rules for admission, interpreting appropriate changes of status and conditions for admission for final decisions, establishing accurate data, identifying, testing and resolving systems issues. Data at the application and admission stage has an impact on the University as coding affects the Graduate Records and Graduate Financial Aid areas, and externally, the Ontario Ministry of Advanced Education and Skills Development (MAESD) and Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC). Application and admission data are utilized for planning and reporting purposes by: Departments, Faculties, Graduate Studies and Postdoctoral Affairs, Enrolment Growth Working Group, Institutional Analysis and Planning and external agencies.

Training and Advisement

· Provides effective direction and leadership to faculty and administrative staff on an ongoing basis throughout the year. This includes expert advice to a group or one-on-one training regarding academic regulations, application/admission procedures and use of the student system.

· Initiates, builds, and maintains documentation of current and new business practices related to the processing of applications and admissions. Updates and maintains admissions resources and procedures for departmental use.

· Attends webinars and off-campus workshops designed for admissions personnel for training with international credential evaluation and document analysis.

· Stays informed and knowledgeable about all aspects of programs, applications, admissions, student life and other issues related to counselling graduate applicants, admitted students and departments.

· Provides superior, empathetic customer service in all oral and written communications, relaying negative decisions, managing confidential issues, and providing appropriate, equitable and informed decisions.

Business Process and Improvements/Research & Policy Development

· With consideration of the highly competitive interuniversity academic environment, the Specialist reviews policy, procedural and system initiatives, provides input and recommends progressive improvements to the management of admissions. The activities for admissions require meticulous attention to the application and recommendation evaluation processes, approval of admission offers and communications, ensuring that quality standards are achieved. This includes planning and implementing strategies for continuous improvement of processes in admissions. Research from credential workshops may result in changes to admission policies and procedures.

Required Qualifications

Education

· University degree is required, but in select cases, equivalent education and experience may be considered.

Experience

· Knowledge and experience with applications, admissions and self-service, document retrieval and workflow in a complex student-software system.

· Previous customer service experience required in a fast-paced environment.

· Proven expertise on international education systems, degree and grade equivalencies, and document verification processes.

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities

· Proven attention to detail and ability to follow established processes.

· Ability to exercise sound and impartial judgment, sensitive to the wide array of cultural and socioeconomic backgrounds of applicants and students.

· Embraces supportive mentorship, professional quality, respectful communication, creativity, positive energy, and synergy in their work.

· Demonstrates effective and professional communication skills such as email correspondence as well as verbal communication with students, staff and faculty.

· Ability to prepare and present technical instructions (write or create technical instructions, verbal instruction: train and teach, produce instructional videos).

· Excellent interpersonal and relationship building skills with the ability to relate to faculty and staff.

· Aptitude to support students from various cultural backgrounds with tact and diplomacy

· Exhibits ability to work within a team structure, and negotiate and manage conflict.

· High degree of organizational skill, interpersonal acumen and problem solving ability is required to provide oversight in balancing multiple priorities and deadlines.

· Capacity to work with confidential and sensitive information.

· Ability to troubleshoot and problem solve independently as well as part of a team.

· Demonstrated ability to adapt to new technologies.

· Advocate for change: Facilitates groups or teams through the problem-solving and creative-thinking processes related to implementation of new approaches, systems, structures, and methods.

· Extensive knowledge of University policies and Graduate Studies regulations and practices related to applications and admissions.

· Technical skills required include Advanced MS Word, Advanced Excel, Intermediate PowerPoint, PeopleSoft Quest, OnBase, SharePoint.

Equity Statement

The University of Waterloo acknowledges that much of our work takes place on the traditional territory of the Neutral, Anishinaabeg, and Haudenosaunee peoples. Our main campus is situated on the Haldimand Tract, the land granted to the Six Nations that includes six miles on each side of the Grand River. Our active work toward reconciliation takes place across our campuses through research, learning, teaching, and community building, and is coordinated within the Office of Indigenous Relations.

The University values the diverse and intersectional identities of its students, faculty, and staff. The University regards equity and diversity as an integral part of academic excellence and is committed to accessibility for all employees. The University of Waterloo seeks applicants who embrace our values of equity, anti-racism and inclusion. As such, we encourage applications from candidates who have been historically disadvantaged and marginalized, including applicants who identify as First Nations, Métis and/or Inuk (Inuit), Black, racialized, a person with a disability, women and/or 2SLGBTQ+.

Positions are open to qualified candidates who are legally entitled to work in Canada.

The University of Waterloo is committed to accessibility for persons with disabilities. If you have any application, interview, or workplace accommodation requests, please contact Human Resources at hrhelp@uwaterloo.ca or 519-888-4567, ext. 45935.