DIRECTOR, STUDENT WELLNESS AND COUNSELLING CENTRE
Memorial University of Newfoundland
Memorial University’s Student Wellness and Counselling Centre (SWCC) invites applications from, or nominations of qualified candidates for the position of Director, Student Wellness and Counselling Centre. The Director position is for a renewable three (3) year term and will report to the Associate Vice-President (Academic) and Dean of Students.
This is an opportunity for an experienced academic, clinical, or health and wellness leader to provide strategic leadership for an integrated Centre dedicated to the health, wellbeing, development, and success of Memorial University students on the St. John’s campus. The Director will lead the continued development of SWCC as a collaborative, inclusive, accessible, and student-centered service within the broader academic mission of Memorial University. The incumbent will foster an environment grounded in EDI-AR and Indigenous-informed services.
This position will be guided by Memorial’s mission and values, its commitment to the Okanagan Charter, and will lead the development and oversight of clinical (medical and psychological) services, academic and career counselling, wellness programming, research/scholarship, and teaching/training activities. The Director will maintain effective collaborative relationships among interprofessional personnel in the SWCC and with key stakeholders, including student groups, Deans and Directors, and others in university administrative positions and community stakeholders.
The successful candidate will be an inclusive, collaborative, and strategic leader who can work effectively across professional disciplines and organizational boundaries. The successful candidate will possess excellent organizational and communication skills to support these efforts. They will demonstrate the ability to build relationships, navigate complexity, support innovation, develop people and teams, and translate strategic priorities into effective and sustainable services and programs.
The Director is a champion for the SWCC team’s development and professional growth and is responsible for building team capacity and fostering a supportive, collaborative culture with a commitment to positively impacting student health and wellness.
This search will be guided by Memorial’s Procedures Governing the Appointment, Review, Promotion and Tenure of Academic Administrators.
Key Responsibilities Include:
•Establishing a vision and strategic plan for the Centre that aligns with the overall mission of Memorial University. The strategic plan should present an overall approach to student wellness that facilitates interprofessional collaboration, prevention, early intervention, and care initiatives, and contributes to the quality of student life and student success.
•Providing leadership and support to academic and career counselling, clinical (medical and psychological), research/scholarship, teaching/training, and interprofessional and wellness activities of the Centre.
•Demonstrating leadership and oversight of mental and medical health services, providing strategic direction, supporting interdisciplinary teams, and ensuring the delivery of high quality, integrated student-centered care.
•Acting as Administrative Head for counselling faculty members at the SWCC.
•Providing oversight of the day-to-day administrative operations, including human resource management and budgeting for the Centre.
•Championing the professional development and growth of the SWCC team, fostering a supportive, respectful, collaborative, and productive organizational culture.
•Building strong and effective relationships and working collaboratively within the Centre and with key stakeholders internal and external to the university. This includes collaboration with student groups, Deans and Directors, academic and administrative leaders, professional and clinical partners, and community stakeholders.
•Ensuring service alignment, where appropriate, with relevant parties at Grenfell Campus and the Marine Institute.
•Maintaining compliance with accreditation standards at the site level:
•Canadian Psychological Association – Doctoral Programs and Internships in Professional Psychology Accreditation (2019 – 2022-23)
•International Accreditation of Counselling Services (IACS)
•Maintaining awareness of other professional training requirements.
•Demonstrating leadership in the integration of EDI-AR and Indigenization principles into the culture of the workplace and approach to services, including inclusive and anti-racist practices in intake, referral, and care, and support for Indigenous-led or Indigenous-informed services.
Key Selection Criteria:
As the ideal candidate, you would:
•have completed a doctorate in any discipline, mental or health profession, with a designation of Registered Psychologist strongly preferred;
•demonstrate a solid knowledge and understanding of university student health and wellness;
•have diverse experience working in a clinical setting with proven experience working collaboratively with diverse stakeholders to advance positive clinical outcomes and preferably be eligible for registration as a mental health professional;
•have exceptional interpersonal and conflict management skills that enable you to build rapport within and outside the Centre and across a range of stakeholder groups;
•have proven experience leading the alignment of health, wellness and counselling processes, policies and programs with interprofessional team goals and deliverables;
•have strong leadership skills to inspire and support the development, implementation and evaluation of innovative ideas in clinical practice, research/scholarship and teaching/training;
•have strong organizational skills and exceptional verbal and written communication skills;
•have a solid understanding of the challenges and opportunities related to combining research, training and clinical responsibilities within an integrated academic service model;
•have a demonstrated record of success (minimum three to five years) working in leadership roles within a complex academic and service organization. In past positions, you have consistently demonstrated a student-centered approach;
•adept in the use of technology (i.e., electronic records) preferred; and
•demonstrate experience or competence in advancing EDI-AR and culturally responsive approaches to student wellness and mental health services.
About the Student Wellness and Counselling Centre:
•The Student Wellness and Counselling Centre's mission is to provide integrated services that address students' holistic needs at Memorial University. The SWCC provides counselling, health, and wellness support, including primary health care, counselling, health promotion, disease prevention, and wellness education.
•The Centre helps students stay healthy and make informed choices as they pursue their academic goals. Through inclusive, integrated care, the SWCC supports Memorial students' emotional, physical, and personal well-being and contributes to their academic and personal success.
•The Director will play an important role in shaping the SWCC's continued development and strengthening its contribution to a healthy, supportive, inclusive, and accessible campus community guided by principals of EDI-AR and Indigenous-informed services.
Letters of application, including a detailed curriculum vitae, an Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion statement, and the names of three referees, should be sent to:
Chair, Search Committee for Director, Student Wellness and Counselling Centre,
Dr. April Pike
Faculty of Nursing, Office of the Dean
DeanNurse@mun.ca
Applications will be treated in confidence. The deadline for receipt of applications is November 20th, 2026.
Memorial University is committed to employment equity, diversity, inclusion and anti-racism, and encourages applications from all qualified candidates, including: women; people of any sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression; Indigenous Peoples; visible minorities, and racialized people; and people with disabilities. All applicants are invited to identify themselves as a member of an equity-deserving group(s) as appropriate. Applicants cannot be considered as a member of an equity-deserving group(s) unless they complete an employment equity survey. Memorial is committed to providing an inclusive learning and work environment. If there is anything we can do to ensure your full participation during the application process, please contact equity@mun.ca directly, and we will work with you to make appropriate arrangements.”
All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority.
We acknowledge that the lands on which Memorial University’s campuses are situated are in the traditional territories of diverse Indigenous groups, and we acknowledge with respect the diverse histories and cultures of the Beothuk, Mi’kmaq, Innu, and Inuit of this province.
