Department: Office of Indigenous Initiatives

Job Type: Continuing

Full-time/Part-time: Full Time (>=1249 hrs/year)

Campus: Waterloo

Reports to: Manager, Indigenous Student Support

Employee Group: WLUSA

Application Deadline: September 12, 2025

Requisition ID: 10162

Wilfrid Laurier University is a leading multi-campus university that excels at educating with purpose. Through its exceptional employees, students, researchers, leaders, and educators, Laurier has built a reputation as a world-class institution known for its rich student experience, academic excellence, and global impact. With a commitment to Indigenization and commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion, Laurier’s thriving community has a place for everyone.

Laurier has more than 21,000 students and 2,100 faculty and staff across campuses in Waterloo and Brantford, as well locations in Kitchener and Milton. The university is committed to providing an inclusive workplace, a flexible work policy and employing a workforce that is reflective of local and national demographics. Laurier's Waterloo, Kitchener, and Brantford campuses are located on the shared traditional territory of the Neutral, Anishnaabe, and Haudenosaunee peoples. This land is part of the Dish with One Spoon Treaty between the Haudenosaunee and Anishnaabe peoples and symbolizes the agreement to share, protect our resources, and not to engage in conflict. Laurier's Milton campus is located on the traditional territory of the Mississaugas of the Credit, and part of the Nanfan Treaty of 1701 between the British Crown and the Haudenosaunee Confederacy.

Position Summary

The Indigenous Student Recruitment and Access Coordinator supports Laurier’s institutional commitment to reconciliation and inclusive excellence. This role leads initiatives to engage Indigenous learners to increase the number of First Nations, Inuit and Métis students enrolled at the university. As the first point of contact in the continuum of care for Indigenous students, this role is instrumental in building trusting, culturally grounded relationships with Indigenous learners, their families, community members and educational stakeholders. This collaborative work will include student outreach via electronic tools, community visits (urban and rural), open houses and orientation sessions, campus visits, and working with potential students during the Laurier application and admissions process.

In this role, the incumbent will deliver and coordinate a wholistic outreach and recruitment strategy that integrates community-based engagement, on-campus events, relationship building, and proactive support throughout the admissions cycle. Working in collaboration with institutional departments including Recruitment and Admissions, academic departments, and student support services, the incumbent will ensure Indigenous student recruitment and early engagement is grounded in community priorities, access, and is culturally relevant.

This work requires extensive travel within Ontario as a member of the Aboriginal Post-Secondary Information Program and other community visits in urban, rural and remote areas. It also requires participation in community-based initiatives such as cultural events, education conferences and workshops that promote pathways to post-secondary education. This position is based on the Waterloo campus and may be required to occasionally travel to Laurier’s other campuses including Brantford, Kitchener and Milton.

The incumbent reports to the Manager, Indigenous Student Support.

Accountabilities Indigenous Student Recruitment and Engagement

• Establish meaningful connections with prospective Indigenous learners and key support people such as parents and families, community, high school grad coaches, and post-secondary advisors
• Represent Laurier at the Aboriginal Post-Secondary Information Program’s local and regional events, contributing actively to the collective’s strategy and operational planning
• Travel regularly to local Indigenous communities (Brantford, Kitchener-Waterloo, Milton, GTA etc.) to attend education and career fairs, conferences, community events, and deliver presentations to share Laurier’s academic programs and admissions pathways
• Participate in Fall and Spring open houses across all Laurier campuses
• Attend information meetings and trainings with key university stakeholders to develop an extensive knowledge base of the university, including programs and student services
• Liaise with potential students, families, and local groups to provide campus tours and connect them with existing events on campus (Open house, Experience Fair, etc.)
• Coordinate and host application clinics on reserve and in urban communities
• Track and maintain student leads by monitoring application, acceptance, and enrollment progression throughout the admission cycle

Community Outreach and Relationship Building

• Act as the primary liaison for Indigenous communities, organizations and education partners, fostering long-term relationships that support early engagement, recruitment and admissions
• Build meaningful relationships and sustain community trust by attending and supporting celebrations, awareness events, and cultural events
• Organize and host campus visits for diverse groups including prospective students and their families, school groups, Indigenous educators, and community-based organizations
• Develop and implement two early engagement events annually focused on introducing middle school and high school students to Laurier and post-secondary education through faculty, campus and community partnerships and culturally relevant activities

Admissions Support

• Primary instutional contact for prospective students and provides individualized and on-going guidance to prospective students by assessing academic and non-academic needs and offering tailored admissions support via various communications channels
• Lead 1:1 and group informational sessions to help students navigate the application process, including alternative admission pathways
• Collaborate with Enrollment Services and Indigenous Student Services to identify and address systemic barriers, including financial aid, alternative pathways and solutions, academic performance and non-academic challenges
• Leads and manages difficult conversations regarding admissions, financial aid and other systemic barriers conversations in person and virtually
• Facilitate and support the Indigenous Admissions Policy (IAP), including the Indigenous verification process in partnership with Laurier’s Admissions coordinators
• Maintain active support for transfer, mature, and students with complex admissions circumstances throughout the admission cycle by helping them navigate institutional processes including transfer credits and appeals and transition supports
• Advocate for prospective Indigenous students institutionally
• Assists Indigenous Student Services team with transition programming for incoming students

Communications Development

• Develops and delivers comprehensive and engaging presentations for prospective students and other key stakeholders, both in person and virtually
• Support the communication strategy for recruitment activities including invitations, reminders, follow-ups and surveys
• Creates and curates promotional content for social media, print, and web that highlights Indigenous Student Services and Laurier’s academic programs to prospective students and Indigenous community
• Supports the development and execution of targeted communications strategies, including region-specific social media campaigns, direct mail, email newsletters and phone outreach to drive Indigenous student recruitment and conversion
• Maintain and update Indigenous student recruitment materials on Laurier’s Future Students website
• Collaborate with other campus departments regarding student recruitment-related marketing to ensure consistency and accuracy in Indigenous student recruitment messaging
• Draft and edit official documents including proposals, reports and event correspondence

Evaluation and Administration

• Collaboratively lead the development, revision, and implementation of both long-term and short-term recruitment and access strategies (undergraduate and graduate) to increase Indigenous enrolment, working closely with the Manager, Indigenous Student Services
• Create and maintain confidential electronic filing systems and handle all sensitive material in accordance with established policies.
• Conducts market research and surveys to monitor trends, to assess effectiveness of recruitment strategies and track trends
• Create and maintain a database for Indigenous recruitment statistics including the capture of applicant data, applications and acceptance rates for strategy refinement
• Support Laurier’s representation in national professional networks such as SEMM Forum and the Ontario University Registrar’s Association, when applicable, to stay informed of best practices and policy developments.
• Manages, and monitors the budget, including recruitment initiatives, outreach events, early engagement programming, and marketing activities, ensuring alignment with departmental and institutional financial policies
• Coordinates all travel logistics for recruitment and outreach, including booking accommodations, ground transportation, and related expenses, while adhering to university travel policies and maintaining detailed records for reporting and financial reconciliation.
• Support in the oversight and supervision of student employees

Qualifications

• An undergraduate degree plus 2-4 years of related work experience
• All candidates must be Indigenous (First Nations, Inuit, or Métis) and complete Laurier’s Indigenous identity verification process (https://www.wlu.ca/about/discover- laurier/indigenization/indigenous-identity-verification-process.html)

Experience

• Demonstrated experience working with Indigenous learners and communities at local, regional and national levels
• Deep understanding of the cultural, academic and systemic factors that impact Indigenous learners in post-secondary education
• Ability to acquire knowledge of best practices in recruitment and retention for First Nations, Inuit, and Métis students
• Knowledge of Indigenous student priorities and support strategies across the recruitment cycle, from early engagement through to transition
• Experience in student engagement through 1:1 conversations, presentations, communications and social media
• Experience in managing budgets, logistics and event planning
• Strong organizational skills with the ability to function with tight deadlines, changing priorities and the proven ability to manage several projects simultaneously while meeting deadlines
• Experience working directly with students in an advising and/or mentoring capacity regarding post-secondary education. Familiarity with the Undergraduate and Graduate student
• Familiarity with university guidelines/protocols regarding privacy and confidentiality
• Proven ability to work as a strong team player with the ability to work independently as required while recruiting
• Valid driver’s license and willingness to travel as required

Skills

• Ability to travel short and long distances for multiple days
• Ability to work evenings and weekends as required
• Demonstrated ability to successfully facilitate multiple projects simultaneously
• Excellent communication and public speaking skills with the ability to build a solid professional network of contacts
• Excellent oral, written, and technology-related skills including but not limited to: Microsoft Office Suite, Canva, and social media applications.

This position has been deemed eligible for Educational Equivalencies.

Hours of work: This is a full-time continuing position. The normal hours of work are 8:30 am to 4:30 pm, Monday to Friday. As Per Article 12.7.6 of the collective agreement, prior approval of a member’s manager is required to return to their previous position upon the completion of a Limited-Term Position. This role requires daily in person attendance and is not eligible for a flexible work arrangement as per Policy 8.14 (Flexible Work Policy).

Compensation:

Level: F

Rate of Pay: $46.70 to $49.38 per hour with an annual step progression on anniversary date up to $53.37 per hour.

Job Score Factors:

Wilfrid Laurier University endeavors to fill positions with qualified candidates who have a combination of education, experience, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position while demonstrating Laurier's Employee Success Factors.

Equity, diversity and creating a culture of inclusion are part of Laurier’s core values and central to the Laurier Strategy. Laurier is committed to increasing the diversity of faculty and staff and welcomes applications from candidates who identify as Indigenous, racialized, having disabilities, and from persons of any minority sexual and gender identities. Indigenous candidates who would like to learn more about equity and inclusive programing at Laurier are welcomed to contact the Office of Indigenous Initiatives. Candidates from other equity deserving groups who would like to learn more about equity and inclusive programing at Laurier are welcomed to contact Equity & Accessibility. We have strived to make our application process accessible, however if you require any assistance applying for a position or would like this job posting in an alternative format, please contact Human Resources. Contact information can be found at careers.wlu.ca/content/How-to-apply/

Should you be interested in learning more about this opportunity, please visit www.wlu.ca/careers for additional information and the online application system.

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