Research Manager

Staff - Non UnionJob CategoryM&P - AAPSJob ProfileAAPS Salaried - Research and Facilitation, Level BJob TitleResearch ManagerDepartmentResearch Group | Dr. Lianne Tomfohr-Madsen | Department of Educational and Counselling Psychology, and Special Education | Faculty of EducationCompensation Range$6, $9,701.42 CAD Monthly

The Compensation Range is the span between the minimum and maximum base salary for a position. The midpoint of the range is approximately halfway between the minimum and the maximum and represents an employee that possesses full job knowledge, qualifications and experience for the position. In the normal course, employees will be hired, transferred or promoted between the minimum and midpoint of the salary range for a job.

Posting End DateAugust 26, 2024

Note: Applications will be accepted until 11:59 PM on the Posting End Date.

Job End Date

Jun 30, 2025

This is a 80% FTE salaried position, with the term July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2025. The full-time salary range will be prorated accordingly.

This position is expected to be filled by promotion/reassignment and is included here to inform you of its vacancy at the University.

At UBC, we believe that attracting and sustaining a diverse workforce is key to the successful pursuit of excellence in research, innovation, and learning for all faculty, staff and students. Our commitment to employment equity helps achieve inclusion and fairness, brings rich diversity to UBC as a workplace, and creates the necessary conditions for a rewarding career.

Job Summary
The Research Manager provides managerial support and high-level administrative oversight of Dr. Lianne Tomfohr-Madsen's multimillion dollar research program. The lab is comprised of 2 postdoctoral fellows, 4 graduate trainees, and 3 staff. The successful candidate will provide supervision for the lab's junior research coordinators, research assistants, and trainees and will work directly with the Principal Investigator (PI), Dr. Lianne Tomfohr-Madsen, to plan a variety of cross-institutional studies, as well as providing day-to-day operational oversight of existing studies.

Organizational Status
Dr. Lianne Tomfohr-Madsen's research lab is housed in the Department of Educational & Counselling Psychology, and Special Education, Faculty of Education. The Lab Manager reports to Dr. Lianne Tomfohr-Madsen, supervises lab staff, and works collaboratively with the administration team of the department, the Univeristy and broad communities.

Work Performed

• Provide high-level research operations support and direction for each of the lab's new and ongoing studies, including BEAM, an app-based, multi-site randomized-control trial, the Pregnancy during the Pandemic longitudinal study, the Sleep Equity Reimagined team grant, and a forthcoming perinatal adaptation the BEAM trial.

• Recruit, train, manage, and provide leadership and mentorship to study coordinators, research assistants, and volunteers, always fostering a respectful, safe, and inclusive environment and identifying areas of concern for escalation to the PI, as necessary.

• Provide support to study coordinators in developing and implementing research protocols, ensuring adherence to established policies, procedures, and processes.

• Oversee the development of work plans and timelines for new and ongoing studies, in accordance with grant and project protocols.

• Guide study coordinators in preparing and submitting ethics applications, amendments, and renewals and assist in addressing any issues that arise.

• Advise study team members on ethical and operational requirements based on study-specific protocols.

• Responsible for financial administration of research activities, including developing lab and study budgets, budget forecasting, monitoring and tracking expenses, and preparing expense reports.

• Identify grant opportunities, provide writing and editing support for funding applications, develop budget justifications, and assist in preparing grant reports.

• Liaise with the VP Research Office, ORS, Faculty of Education finance team, funding agencies, and finance and research offices at collaborating institutions to resolve issues with existing studies and explore opportunities.

• Develop and implement overarching knowledge translation and dissemination plans and monitor study-specific implementation of the plan.

• Oversee organization, documentation, and storage of study data in compliance with research and privacy protocols.

• Anticipate and manage challenges to achieving research and lab goals and develop and implement strategies to mitigate them.

• Liaise with PIs and research staff across institutions and study sites to ensure studies are running according to schedule and study objectives are met on time.

• Ensure effective research lab operations, including but not limited to:
 developing agendas for and facilitating lab-wide meetings and activities;
 sourcing and ordering new software and equipment and ensuring proper maintenance;
 conducting study coordination work, as needed, depending on capacity and availability of other team members;
 overseeing building and maintenance of new lab, including managing lab moves.

Consequence of Error/Judgement

The successful applicant will be professional, thoughtful, reliable, and collaborative. They must be able to work independently and exercise extensive initiative and judgment in supervising staff and volunteers, developing policies and procedures, and in managing the research operations of the Healthy Families Lab. Furthermore, research at the Healthy Families Lab relies heavily on maintaining strong working relationships with diverse stakeholders, including adults and children with lived experience of mental health challenges. Therefore, a commitment to cultural humility, respect, and professionalism is critical. Errors or poor judgement could impact the reputation of the PI and research program, compromise research credibility, and/or jeopardize participant data and relationships with participants.

Supervision Received
Reports directly to the PI, Dr. Lianne Tomfohr-Madsen, and works closely with Co-Investigators at the University of Calgary and University of Manitoba as well as key stakeholders. However, the Lab Manager works with considerable latitude. The successful candidate must be able to identify circumstances that require consultation with the appropriate individual(s), whether Principal Investigators across institutions, study coordinators, faculty, or other staff and must be able to seek out that consultation in a timely and professional manner.

Supervision Given
Directly supervises, trains, and mentors study coordinators, student employees, and volunteers. Recruits and hires new research staff as needed.

Minimum Qualifications
Undergraduate degree in a relevant discipline. Minimum of three years of related experience, or the equivalent combination of education and experience.

- Willingness to respect diverse perspectives, including perspectives in conflict with one's own

Demonstrates a commitment to enhancing one's own awareness, knowledge, and skills related to equity, diversity, and inclusion

Preferred Qualifications

• Successful completion of the Tri-Council Policy Statement (TCPS-2) Certification

• Experience with MS Office (Word, Excel, Outlook, OneDrive), Dropbox, and Zoom

• Proven ability to create a safe and inclusive environment and to communicate tactfully with diverse and/or vulnerable populations

• Familiarity with research on intersectionality and inequity in mental health

• Experience supporting e-Health platforms, randomized control trials (RCTs), large cohort longitudinal studies, and/or neuroimaging studies an asset

• Ability to develop and monitor project budgets and knowledge of budget processing

• Experience using finance and HR tools on Workday is a plus

• Coordinating projects and/or studies from initiation to closing phases, as well as planning, developing, and implementing new processes

• Strong organizational skills and an ability to prioritize, coordinate and execute multiple, concurrent projects and initiatives while working under tight time constraints in a dynamic environment

• Ability to effectively facilitate groups to achieve study outcomes

• Demonstrated problem-solving skills

• Openness and willingness to learn new data management tools, applications, and study equipment

• Has received management training and meets staff with openness, encouragement, and adaptability

• Self-aware and eager to solicit and incorporate feedback

• Self-directed and able to complete projects with limited supervision

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