Commonwealth of Learning (COL) helps governments, institutions and organizations expand the scale, efficiency and quality of learning by using appropriate open, distance and technology-based approaches. It is financed by voluntary contributions from Commonwealth Member States.

COL was established in 1987 by Commonwealth Heads of Government “… to create and widen access to opportunities for learning, making use of the potential offered by distance education and by the application of communication technologies to education.” (Memorandum of Understanding on the Commonwealth of Learning).

Hosted by the Government of Canada with headquarters in Burnaby, British Columbia, COL is the world’s only intergovernmental organisation solely concerned with the promotion and development of distance education and open learning.

The organisation is governed by a distinguished Board of Governors whose membership of up to 17 hail from around the Commonwealth and bring leadership and expertise in a wide range of areas.

COL’s greatest impact is in supporting efforts to provide Commonwealth citizens greater access to quality education and training through open, distance and technology-enabled learning, thereby allowing them to benefit from improved livelihoods, greater gender equity and overall economic, social and cultural development leading to sustainable development.

COL is committed to promoting equitable access to quality lifelong learning for all – believing, in effect, that access to learning opportunities will lead to progress in achieving sustainable development.

COL values and maintains an organisational culture that is respectful, ethical and fair. In line with this commitment, COL has in place a policy on Safeguarding to help keep all persons with whom it works and comes into contact with through its work safe from any form of sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment. COL’s Anti-Fraud Policy sets out the commitment to promoting a culture of integrity and transparency throughout the organisation where fraud and corruption will not be tolerated. COL enables individuals to report illegal, dishonest, or fraudulent activity in good faith and will be protected against retaliation or fear of retribution as outlined in COL’s Policy on Whistle Blowing.

Reporting to the President & Chief Executive Officer, the Director, Management Services (DMS) is the executive responsible for a diverse portfolio of management support services comprising finance, human resources, information technology services, enterprise risk management, governance, and facilities management. With the mandate to enable, lead, and advance the health, efficiency, and effectiveness of COL's comprehensive resources (financial, people, and information technology) and processes, the DMS provides proactive strategic leadership to deliver client-centric, service-oriented services that facilitate and enable the successful achievement of COL's mission and vision.

Core competencies support COL's mission, vision and values. COL strives to model a high performing culture supported by leaders with the following competencies:

1. Envision

This role requires the competency of strategic thinking. It requires the ability to create and communicate a clear vision and develop strategies to achieve that vision. This requires proficiency in the analysis of the external environment including trends, competitors, and education/learning sector developments to make informed decisions that drive the organisation forward.

2. Engage

This role requires the ability to fully engage employees. Our leaders both inspire a high sense of trust and demonstrate their trust in employees. Organisational processes evidence such trust through the delegation of authority and shared knowledge and data. You lead by example and sets standards for professional behaviour, earning others' trust and respect through consistent honesty, integrity, and professionalism in all interactions. As a leader you foster: a sense of team; the importance of collaboration – both within and across teams; and highly interactive internal communication. You influence others to be excited and committed to furthering the organisation's objectives.

3. Empower

As a leader, you understand your role in supporting your staff to succeed. Empowerment aims to equip employees with the autonomy to perform their roles more efficiently and make decisions that align with organisational goals. You are predisposed to respecting and relying on the expertise of your staff and colleagues. With a focus on innovation, you inspire creativity and create a safe environment for employees to stretch beyond past practice and seek opportunities to test their ideas. Your error tolerance combined with a strong emphasis on risk management, fosters a culture of continuous learning and improvement.

4. Enable

As a leader, you aim to support organisational success through the success of your employees by providing staff with the resources, skills, and confidence they need to succeed in performing their jobs. You enable co-workers to grow and succeed through feedback, instruction, and encouragement. You ensure others grasp the purpose and benefits of the program, strategy, goal or objective, tailoring messages to specific audiences to develop interest and endorsement. You build constructive working relationships characterised by a high level of acceptance, cooperation, and mutual respect – helping to create a work environment that embraces and appreciates diversity.

5. Execute

Our leaders effectively translate strategy into tangible results. This requires:

This role offers a salary range of $150,000 to $192,000, based on experience and qualifications.