Research Assistant/technician 3

Staff - Non Union

Job Category

Non Union Technicians and Research Assistants

Job Profile

Non Union Hourly - Research Assistant /Technician 3

Job Title

Research Assistant/Technician 3

Department

Azar Laboratory | Department of Psychiatry | Faculty of Medicine

Compensation Range

$28.10 - $33.14 CAD Hourly

Posting End Date

October 9, 2025

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

Job End Date

September 30, 2026

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

Dr. Azar’s research lab at Vancouver General Hospital’s Complex Pain and Addiction Service (CPAS) and UBC Department of Psychiatry, Faculty of Medicine, conducts clinical and translational research focusing on the development and evaluation of novel opioid agonist treatment protocols and medical devices to improve the health outcomes for patients with mental health and substance use disorders.

Organizational Status
The Research Assistant 3 will report to the Principal Investigator, Research Manager, Coordinator and Scientist directly. Additionally, the Research Assistant will support and direct any junior-level research assistants, students, and volunteers in their areas of study or work.

Work Performed
- Provides support in developing and implementing recruitment and data collection procedures, which include screening study participants for eligibility, designing data collection tools and storing protocols, and training team members on data collection and secure storing.
- Provide weekly report of the project's progress to the Research Coordinator.
- Support Research Coordinator in providing mentorship and guidance to junior research assistants and volunteers which includes providing supervision in conducting primarily randomized controlled trials and chart reviews and performing regular check-ins with team members to discuss progress and address concerns where needed.
- Maintain a project tracking system and report to Research Coordinator if there are deviations from original plan.
- Troubleshoots problems including but not limited to regularly reviewing team’s reports, updates, and performance, investigating the problems, engaging experts, brainstorm potential solutions, as well as implementing and tracking the impact of the proposed solutions.
- Works closely with the Research Coordinator in monitoring the acquisition of research samples and overseeing the accessibility and analysis of data, ensuring compliance with established protocols, such as for a randomized controlled trial to test new induction protocols.
- Provides recommendations aiming to improve the research workflow.
- Writes research publications and involves in other knowledge translation efforts, such as developing poster abstracts and presents at conferences.
- Facilitates the collaborations between the research team and internal and external partners.
- Performs other duties as needed.

Consequence of Error/Judgement
Accountability and responsibility of this position is high. The consequence of error could result in lost data, inefficient workflow, compromised integrity and success of research projects and the research lab.

Supervision Received
The incumbent will be supervised by Dr. Azar and is expected to be self-directed, taking initiative as a collaborative team member. Teamwork is a backbone of the work. This individual will follow established policies, procedures and employee standards of UBC and VCH.

Supervision Given
This position will supervise up to five junior-level research assistants, students, and volunteers at any given time.

Minimum Qualifications
Completion of a relevant technical program or a university degree in a relevant discipline and a minimum three years of related experience or an 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
- Degree in Psychology, Health Sciences, or Statistics preferred.
- Experience in qualitative and quantitative epidemiologic research methods.
- Experience in data collection and management, supervision, and administration, especially in supporting clinician-scientists preferred.
- Experience in patient-facing roles in the field of Addiction Medicine is an asset.
- Experience conducting clinical research at and have knowledge on health authority is an asset.
- Ability t