Research Officer

**Classification & Regular Hours**:
Hours per Week: 35

Salary Grade 15: $69,180 - $81,370, commensurate with experience.

**About Western**:
**About Us**:
WAFAR envisions, creates and invests in short-term world-leading interdisciplinary research programs, bringing together international experts from different disciplines with Western-based faculty and trainees coalescing around major global challenges, which require international and interdisciplinary collaboration and partnerships to find solutions that will have global impact.

**Responsibilities**:
The Research Officer will be responsible for the strategic identification and achievement of milestones and deliverables for the Western Academy for Advanced Research (WAFAR), including independently identifying, evaluating, and advancing national and international opportunities for research funding. The role will implement novel ways to increase efficiencies and productivity of WAFAR, while serving as a liaison between WAFAR programs and Western Research, Western International, Western Libraries, Faculties, Institutes, Centres, and other units on campus. The role will have responsibility for increasing research outcomes and ensuring the success of WAFAR-funded research programs by identifying and growing relationships among interdisciplinary research experts (faculty, students, and staff at Western) as well as national and international partners across academic, governmental, private foundation and industrial sectors.

The role will increase the international profile and visibility of previous, current, and planned WAFAR research programs, via direct interactions with the WAFAR governance committees. The role will contribute to overall WAFAR management, including working closely with WAFAR leadership and governance bodies in the development, execution, and implementation of WAFAR’s strategic plan to enhance interdisciplinary collaboration, expand funding potential, and strengthen Western’s international research presence. The role will work closely with the Director and WAFAR governance committees to envision, implement and manage special events to build consensus around WAFAR strategic priorities and to nurture collaborative teams of experts (internally and externally, academic and community-based).

**Qualifications**:
**Education**:

- Thesis or research-based Master’s Degree in a relevant research field (e.g., Science, Social Science, Health Sciences, Medicine, Engineering, or Interdisciplinary Research Studies)
- Thesis or research-based PhD in a relevant field is preferred

**Experience**:

- Demonstrated 5 years’ experience developing, writing, and coordinating major research funding proposals for philanthropy or national/provincial funders, ideally within an academic and research-intensive environment
- Demonstrated experience supporting or leading transformational, multi-investigator, multi-institutional, or international grants (e.g., Tri-Council, Horizon Europe, NIH, NSF, foundation, or industry)
- Experience collaborating with researchers to identify strategic funding opportunities and prepare competitive submissions

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:

- Knowledge of best practices for reviewing and writing grant proposals and with international, Canadian, Provincial and local peer-review granting systems, processes and procedures
- Ability to research new avenues of funding from granting agencies, industry and other funding sources
- Familiarity with intellectual property management, including copyrights and patents
- Ability to collaborate across internal and external boundaries to meet common objectives, improve outcomes and support work beyond one's own unit
- Demonstrated ability to synthesize complex scientific or interdisciplinary content into persuasive, funder-aligned proposals
- Strong analytical and critical-thinking skills to assess funding opportunities and align them with institutional priorities
- Advanced project management and coordination skills to lead complex proposal timelines and stakeholder inputs
- Strong emotional intelligence, diplomacy, and confidence engaging with senior academics and external partners
- Oral and written communication skills with an emphasis on proposal development, completing analytics and reports and delivering presentations
- Advanced project management skills using dedicated software packages to manage multiple projects simultaneously from conception to completion within tightly prescribed timelines
- Advanced computer skills in Microsoft Office Suite
- Ability to understand WAFAR partner needs and expectations and provide excellent service to directly and indirectly satisfy expectations
- A desire to grow and advance skills, which is demonstrated by attending conferences, workshops and other professional developmental opportunities to enhance performance
- Ability to understand, interpret, and effectively communicate University guidelines, policies and practices to key stakeholders

**Western Values