Managing Director, Macdata

**Schedule**
Monday - Friday

**Education Level**
Graduate degree (preferable MSc or MA)

**Experience**
- 5-10 years experience working and developing roles
- Budgetary experience
- Experience administering complex projects with multiple stakeholders

**Department Description**:
MacData is a McMaster University Senate approved Research Institute that reports to the MacDATA Governing Board and ultimately up to the Vice-President, Research. MacDATA promotes the engagement of researchers and students within McMaster as well as externally with industry, government and the community to strengthen McMaster’s position as an international leader on all matters related to data science.

The Governing Board seeks to create a distinct “McMaster” identity while supporting all six faculties approach to data science. As data science activities are unique within each faculty, all with varying degrees of research and training, catering to all faculty needs has become complex and challenging which requires a new approach. Rather than appoint one Director for the Institute, the Governing Board has agreed to augment responsibility with a six-person Scientific Advisory Committee (with one representative from each faculty). Each representative will serve a one-year term as a joint Co-Director.

Proposed by the Scientific Advisory Committee, MacDATA’s thematic academic priorities look to focus on Data analytics, Healthcare Technology and Evidence-Based Medicine, Digital Humanities and Social Sciences, Automated Technologies and Renewable Energy, Reproducible Research, Social Impact of Technology.

MacData’s framework and foundational activities will support the above noted thematic academic priorities to encourage cross faculty collaboration and will ensure the Institute is not just a hub for data science but also a platform for fostering deep and wide-ranging interdisciplinary collaborations across the university.

**Job Summary**:
Reporting to the Vice-President, Research and working closely with the MacDATA Co-Directors and Scientific Advisory Committee, the Managing Director will lead all day-to-day administrative operations of MacDATA. The Co-Directors and Scientific Advisory Committee will set annual priorities based on the academic themes for which the Managing Director will implement on their behalf.

The Managing Director, will provide essential ongoing expertise, leadership and project management support by integrating each year’s priority academic theme(s) into MacDATA’s foundational activities a) operational research activities: cross-disciplinary research projects, mentorship programs, and symposiums; b) training: workshops, summer schools and collaborative teaching modules; c) data governance and literacy: shared data repositories, visualization and software.

The Managing Director will also develop and manage internal and external stakeholder connections and partnerships with all academic, private, non-profit and government agencies. The Managing Director will also manage annual budgets and pursue sustainable funding opportunities (e.g. prepare and submit grant proposals, develop industry partnerships, etc.), financial management, manage procurement, oversee the maintenance of IT infrastructure and services, participate substantively in the production and communication of research outputs (e.g. annual reporting, grant reports).

**Accountabilities**:
**_ Leadership_**:

- Supports the Scientific Co-Directors and Advisory Committee.
- Working with the Office of the Vice-President, Research, develop and implement a strategic communications plan to relaunch MacDATA to the community, update the website and promote achievements and ongoing strategic goals of the institute.
- Develop and oversee support opportunities for institute membership.
- Assist and support 8-10 students per round participating in the Fellowship Program and other foundational activities of the Institute.
- Support, plan and coordinate all aspects of Institute programs and projects across faculties.
- Assist with inter-disciplinary and inter-institutional collaborations.
- Negotiate applicable agreements and contracts to support the Institute’s requirements and priorities.
- Troubleshoot problems at all stages of program development and implementation and modify protocol or program procedures to address challenges.
- Oversee the data management systems and practices.
- Develop estimates of time and resources for programs and projects.

**_Operations Management_**:

- In collaboration with the Scientific Co-Directors and Advisory Committee, develop strategic plans to advance identified MacDATA thematic priorities and measure and communicate progress on those plans.
- Coordinate and facilitate logístical and administrative requirements to operate the foundational activities of MacDATA which include but are not limited to: MacDATA Fellowship Program, summer school, seminar series, research symposiums and public lectures.
- Provide ov