Program Officer, Scholarly Book Awards

Program Officer, Scholarly Book Awards (ASPP)

We have an immediate opening for a dedicated individual to join our team in the position of Program Officer, Scholarly Book Awards (ASPP). The successful candidate will join a dynamic group of skilled individuals working together in a collegial, respectful and inclusive environment.

The Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences promotes research and teaching for the advancement of an inclusive, democratic and prosperous society. With a membership now comprising over 160 universities, colleges and scholarly associations, the Federation represents a diverse community of 91,000 researchers and graduate students across Canada.

The annual Congress of the Humanities and Social Sciences is the convergence of over 70 scholarly associations, each holding their annual conference under one umbrella, and is Canada’s largest gathering of scholars. Typically held in late May and early June, Congress is organized by the Federation each year. For more information about the Federation, visit www.federationhss.ca.

Job Summary

The Program Officer, Scholarly Book Awards is responsible for coordinating and administering the Awards to Scholarly Publications Program. Reporting to the Programs Lead, the Program Officer plans, organizes and delivers engaging activities associated with the program, including the Canada Prizes, and liaises with a broader community of scholarly publishers and authors.

As a member of the Federation team, the Program Officer, Scholarly Book Awards will also provide support to other Federation activities as required and requested by the Programs Lead.

The position comes with a great compensation package including health/dental benefits, participation in the employer’s pension plan, and a generous vacation and holiday policy. There is also the ability to work in a fun, collegial and supportive work environment, where work-life balance is highly valued

There will be travel required up to two weeks during the annual Congress event.

Remote Work

The Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences is based in Ottawa, but there is no requirement for the successful candidate in this role to relocate to Ottawa. However, having reliable internet and a home office that provides for a productive, professional, and safe work environment during regular working hours is a requirement of this role. To be successful as a remote staff person, the candidate will need to be a proactive communicator, have a self-starter attitude, and possess strong time and organizational management skills.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Assess eligibility of incoming grant applications against established guidelines, communicate with applicants, manage the peer review process, and follow up with publishers and authors
• Liaise and consult with scholarly associations and publishers to ensure there is adequate and appropriate involvement with the program, including finding suitable peer reviewers and ensuring there is good representation on program committees
• Monitor and report on actual and projected application results; prepare and advise on additional statistics as required
• Under the direction of the Programs Lead:
• Coordinate monthly approval process for applications to receive funding
• Draft, recommend and implement appropriate policies and procedures
• Liaise with the Academic Council on matters of policy
• Support the activities of the Academic Council
• Monitor the results and effectiveness of program activities
• Organize meetings with stakeholders as needed
• Record and update data in the database and provide support to applicants as they navigate the application process and software system
• Regularly disseminating information about updates to the program with publishers and other stakeholders (including information about Open Access (OA) and Equity, Diversity, and Decolonization (EDID))
• Coordinate the Canada Prizes, plan the ceremony and contribute to promotional and communication plans
• Keep abreast of emerging trends and issues to ensure the Scholarly Book Awards and the Canada Prizes remain current and effective
• Support in reporting on project progress and targets as needed
• Work closely with other functional areas within the Federation as required

Job Requirements

• As the ideal candidate, you will have at least two years of relevant experience supporting a grant program
• You are technology savvy and have strong computer skills including familiarity with MS Office for a Windows-based environment, word, spreadsheet (excel), database management, and email
• You have excellent communication skills that you can utilize and adapt to reach out to and follow up with stakeholders
• You have solid time management and organizational skills which allows you to plan your schedule, manage your workflow, and track your responsibilities
• A continuous improvement mindset and a curiosity of how technology can improve manual processes. Experience with technology implementations will be an asset
• Your experience in an academic environment or comparable non-profit organization will serve you well
• You value work-life balance and a collaborative office culture, and you believe in the importance of universities and the value of the humanities and social sciences
• A passion, understanding and enthusiasm for the importance of scholarly books
• You thrive in an environment where details and organizational skills are engrained in everything you do all day. In your current or prior role(s), you are praised for your ability to do things right, and on time – all the time.
• Your communication and presentation skills and your ability to have a confident presence in front of our members, award presenters and award finalists will be important. English writing and editing skills and a fluency in French (written and oral) is a definite mandatory requirement to be able to support our member’s needs.
• You love to tackle projects in a proactive manner, and have a strong sense of time sensitive deadlines, so you’re able to easily and effectively multitask to prioritize the program requirements.
• You can work independently and love focusing on the organization, administration, planning and follow-up aspect of your role.
• You exude tact and diplomacy in dealing with staff, publishers, authors and other members of the scholarly community.
• You are adaptable to change and flexible to move in new directions as needed.

What success looks like

• You can learn the role and deliver on existing priorities and deliverables.
• You create strong working relationships with the team at the Federation as well as publishers, authors and other members of the scholarly community.
• You have good attention to detail and consistently produce high quality deliverables.
• You lead the way in transitioning the program to a completely digital process, via the implementation of new software.
• You champion the integrity of the Scholarly Book Awards by monitoring and reporting on the applicant success rates, and by ensuring that the distribution of the grants is equitable.
• You are able to communicate clearly with colleagues and stakeholders to ensure the effectiveness, efficiency, and timely completion of deliverables.

Compensation

• Starting salary range: $48,300 to $54, 600 (commensurate with experience)

To apply

If this opportunity intrigues you and relates to your experience, then we want to hear from you. Please take the time to tell us about yourself in a cover letter – we want to hear your story – your background, your accomplishments, and why this role is a good fit for you, and your career at this time.

Your application should consist of: Your resume or CV, including your name, email and phone number and a cover letter outlining why your experience fits our requirements.

The Federation for Humanities and Social Sciences is committed to diversity within its community and especially welcomes applications from racialized persons / persons of colour, women, Indigenous / Aboriginal People of North America, persons with disabilities, LGBTQ2S+ persons, and others who may contribute to the further diversification of ideas.

You must be legally allowed to work in Canada in order to be eligible for this position. Those selected for an interview will be contacted directly. The posting will remain active on our website until our search process is complete.

Please contact us in confidence and provide notice in advance if you require accommodation(s) at any stage of the recruitment process. All requests for accommodation will be considered in a fair and objective manner that will ensure applicants are treated with respect and dignity.

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