Communications and Knowledge Translation Officer

**Communications and Knowledge Translation Officer, Indigenous Health Research**:
In March 2020, Canada’s national health research funder, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, announced funding to establish nine Indigenous health research centres across the country under its Network Environments for Indigenous Health Research (NEIHR) program. This network of centres is intended to be funded from 2020 to 2035 (15 years), to create and sustain supportive research environments driven by and grounded in Indigenous communities in Canada.

The _nātawihowin_ and _mamawiikikayaahk_ Research, Training and Mentorship Networks that make up the Saskatchewan NEIHR (SK-NEIHR, skneihr.ca) are a dynamic, vibrant group of over 100 researchers and community partners, led by Indigenous academics, in partnership with Métis Nation-Saskatchewan, FSIN, and other community partners. Our community-post secondary network celebrates our diverse Indigenous identities, cultures, languages and traditional homelands, including the resistance and resilience of our ancestors to European colonization and Settler society. The majority of our network members are First Nations and Métis people of this territory, and as such our commitment to one another extends far beyond research partnerships and funding opportunities. Collectively, we, our parents, grandparents, and our children spent our childhoods in the families and communities this network serves.

**Our Network’s Vision**: For all First Nations and Métis people in Saskatchewan to experience optimal health and wellness across their lifespan. At the heart of our vision is a shared understanding that the knowledge, wisdom, resilience, and innovation of Métis and First Nations Peoples are foundational to the wellbeing of our families and communities, and are key to research and interventions aimed at eliminating endemic health disparities and structural inequities that contribute to poor health and social outcomes.

For more information about our network and its activities, we encourage you to visit our **website** and **Facebook page.**

**Primary Purpose**:
**Nature of Work**:
Officers report to Ms. Fleur Macqueen Smith, the SK-NEIHR’s Manager, and are accountable to Dr. Robert Henry, the nominated principal investigator who leads the SK-NEIHR.

The networks’ offices are located at Station 20 West in Saskatoon, with some travel to meet with researchers at University of Saskatchewan, University of Regina and First Nations University, people in First Nations and Métis communities throughout Saskatchewan, and staff of community organizations. The environment is dynamic and fast-paced, and will require occasional work in evenings and on weekends.

**Typical Duties or Accountabilities**:
Work will be undertaken with the direction, guidance, and support of the Saskatchewan NEIHR’s Manager, Nominated Principal Investigator, members of the Communications and KT Committee, and the Network’s Research Leads.

The Communications and KT Officers will be involved in a range of tasks, including:

- Lead all internal and external communications and knowledge translation activities across a wide span of audiences, involving content creation from idea generation, through to production of communication and knowledge translation products, and their dissemination and uptake.
- Use integrated knowledge translation methods, per CIHR, and community-engaged processes, for content creation and dissemination, in consultation with SK-NEIHR network members and guided by Metis and First Nations stakeholders.
- Develop sustainable communications, outreach and knowledge translation strategies for the SK-NEIHR, so that the Network’s messages are effectively and consistently communicated through various outlets to stakeholder audiences. Strategies would include social media, website (created in Cascade), newsletter, webinars, speaker series, research engagement events, and seeking out publicity through affiliated universities and provincial media outlets.
- Once developed and approved, plan and oversee yearly communications, outreach and knowledge translation activities, with the support of the SK-N
- EIHR Manager and other staff, Research Leads, and the Communications and Knowledge Translation Committee.
- Ensure activities are evaluated, both through internal means, and by working with the SK-NEIHR’s external evaluators to measure impact, and respond to evaluation feedback.
- Seek out and maintain an awareness of SK-NEIHR related news, events, and human-interest stories and use various platforms to communicate this information to internal and external stakeholders. Identify and capitalize on ongoing publicity opportunities
- Utilize skills in communications, graphic design, web design, photography, and videography to write, design, edit, produce and distribute relevant, significant and timely content through multiple media channels, such as social media, website, newsletters, in-person and o