Willowbank is hiring a Director of School
The Willowbank School of Restoration Arts is an internationally acclaimed, not for profit, private career college in Queenston, Canada located on the Willowbank Estate. Willowbank School’s mission as an innovative institution is to shape new approaches to the stewardship of historic places and sustainable communities. The school has been on the vanguard of heritage conservation and the adaptive reuse of existing buildings since 2006. We are the Canadian headquarters of INTBAU, (the International Network for Traditional Building, Architecture & Urbanism, a global network promoting traditional building, architecture, and urbanism). The patron of Willowbank is HM King Charles III.
The Willowbank School of Restoration Arts is seeking a seasoned academic leader skilled in Advanced Education Operations and Curriculum Development with a knowledge of and passion for Heritage Conservation. The successful candidate will provide academic leadership to the storied School to enhance its vision of relevance to the heritage community, evolving our programs to ensure on-going impact and aligning them with evolving markets. Curriculum is based on a model balancing the theoretical and practical, where multi-disciplinary, experiential curriculum educates a new generation of leaders in the field of heritage conservation who are able to understand complex challenges across disciplines. The incumbent will be a key resource for a renewed strategic plan, with redevelopment of the School’s curriculum and diploma program a major driver for the strategic plan for both the School and Willowbank Estate.
Reporting to the Chair of the Board of Directors, the Director will become the leader of the school and have responsibility for all aspects of the operation of the School to ensure the maintenance or enhancement of the Willowbank reputation in Heritage Conservation including but not limited to the facilitation of:
• Academic Quality and Curriculum
• Student Recruitment and Relations
• Facilities requirements and Scheduling
• Retaining and Supervising Faculty
• Fulfilling all requirements of the Ontario Private Career Colleges Act
• Liaison with the Willowbank Estate Operations
This position will be of interest to individuals with the following qualifications and background:
• Demonstrated successful experience in a Senior Academic Leadership Role at a Post Secondary College or University
• Demonstrated Experience in Post Secondary Curriculum Development
• An understanding of Heritage Conservation
• A graduate degree in an appropriate discipline
The requirements of the position dictate that the Director of School must operate from the Willowbank facilities in Queenston. While challenging, this position offers substantial flexibility in both time and scheduling. Willowbank will offer a competitive compensation package to the successful applicant.
Learn more about Willowbank, visit willowbank.ca
Applicants may apply in confidence to:
John F.T. Scott, Chair
Willowbank School of Restoration Arts
Humanresources@willowbank.ca
14487 Niagara Parkway, PO Box 212,
Queenston, Ontario
L0S1L0
Willowbank will accept applications for this position until June 15, 2023
(Please note that Willowbank will not respond to applicants who do not possess the stipulated qualifications for this position.)
Willowbank does not discriminate in employment based on race, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, political affiliation, disability, age, marital status, medical history, parental status or genetic information.
Our staff are dedicated to making Willowbank a wonderful place to learn about and experience our cultural heritage. Come and meet us for a tour, or give us a call for more information regarding the school program or upcoming events.
Katie Houghton
Director, Willowbank School of Restoration Arts (Interim)
Katie has fifteen years’ experience in marketing and business roles across a range of industries, from marketing agencies, to not for profit, to Fortune 500 companies. Her greatest professional achievement was facilitating the marketing for Alzheimer’s Society and UK grocery store, TESCO. This partnership shone a much needed spotlight on dementia and won the 2012 UK Business Charity Award.
Katie is passionate about the role history and the arts play in shaping our future and applied this curiosity to her undergraduate degree at Royal Holloway University of London, where she graduated with a BA in Ancient History. Katie is personally committed to cultural heritage, sustainability and design and is applying these values as she restores one of the oldest brick homes in Ontario.
Contact
905 - 262 - 1239 ext. 200
John F.T. Scott
Vice Chair
John F.T. Scott serves as Vice Chair with specific responsibility for management oversight at the Willowbank School of Restoration Arts. He previously served six years (including three as Chair) on the Board of Governors of Niagara College. During this period, he developed a deep affinity for the students in the College system – a passion which has led him to become intensively involved in the operations of Willowbank. A retired long-serving CEO of Canada’s largest retail grocery association, he is pleased to donate his time and expertise to the well-being, growth and sustainability of this unique and important school of heritage restoration.
John is an experienced Director and holds the ICD.D designation from the Canadian Institute of Corporate Directors. He is the Immediate Past Chair of the Board of Directors of the Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute (CAPI). During its formative years, he served as Chair of the acclaimed Vineland Research and Innovation Centre. John is a former Director of the Alberta Livestock and Meat Agency (ALMA) and a Past Chair of Markham Stouffville Hospital. He currently serves on several industry Boards including Food Retail Firms in Ontario and British Columbia and Chairs the North American Division of Monaghan Mushrooms.
John has been awarded an Honourary Membership by the Canadian Agri-Food Policy Institute and is one of only four individuals to have received both of the highest recognitions in Canada’s retail food industry – the Golden Pencil (Hall of Fame) and the Spirit of the Independent Award (Inspiration to Entrepreneurs in the Grocery Industry). He is a graduate of Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario.
Contact:
647- 403 - 9099
jftscott@willowbank.ca