Director, Research Ethics

Director, Research Ethics

The Director, Research Ethics provides leadership, direction and project management of ethics programs focused on processes, systems and platforms that support research and innovation projects in Alberta.  Primary responsibilities include leading the identification, development, implementation, evaluation and ongoing operations of ethics, training, and other initiatives to build infrastructure, capacity building, support common platforms and streamline ethics review processes in Alberta.

Are you our next Director, Research Ethics? You would be a good fit for this position if you:

• Enjoy building collaborative relationships with external stakeholders and have demonstrated experience in translating research into innovation.
• Have the ability to problem solve and provide creative solutions
• Have knowledge in emerging health issues, trends, and technological advances and their application across the health continuum.

We are game changers

Alberta Innovates is a provincially funded corporation with a mandate to deliver 21st-century solutions for the most compelling challenges facing Albertans. We do this by building on our province’s research and technology development strengths in the core sectors of health, environment, energy, food and fibre, and platforms such as artificial intelligence, nanotechnology and omics. We are working with our partners to diversify Alberta’s economy, improve our environmental performance and enhance the well-being of Albertans through research and innovation.

Our subsidiary, InnoTech Alberta, offers a diversified range of scientific engineering and technological research and testing capabilities, and the facilities to support technology scale-up. Our multidisciplinary team has the depth of experience to work across all sectors, from energy to health to food and fibre. InnoTech Alberta offers you access to research talent, technical expertise, and unique facilities that can help accelerate technology development that serves both the private and public sector.

Intrigued? Here’s some more information about the position:

• Lead the strategy and implementation of identified programs to build a provincial infrastructure and capacity development in support of ethics initiatives in Alberta.  Assist sponsors in identifying and mitigating ethics concerns in projects. Expected outcomes include incorporation of ethics into projects and organizations, better designed projects, streamlined processes that enable and supports ethical projects, and protection of individuals and their information that builds public trust.
• Provide leadership, oversight and management to the assigned ethics programs to create a streamlined, effective, regulatory compliant, and integrated provincial system for project ethics in Alberta.
• Provides resources and facilitates and/or project management including business strategy/planning, project strategy/planning, communication and change management and continuous improvement:
  • development of policies, common procedures for program operations;
  • supportive platforms to capture appropriate information related to ethics reviews;
  • Common application processes and reporting that facilitates seamless information flow and appropriate information sharing and
  • system-level (provincial, aggregated) metrics for ongoing monitoring and improvement of ethics processes
• Work closely with program partners and stakeholders including Alberta Health Services, the College of Physicians & Surgeons of Alberta, the University of Alberta, the University of Calgary, the University of Lethbridge and Alberta innovates to develop harmonized policies and processes.
• Consult stakeholders; manages conflict and creates consensus
• Represents HREBA on the national stage ensuring alignment of HREBA with leading policies and practices in Ethics.
• Provide leadership and operations in building ethics competency that supports and promotes high quality ethics reviews, ethics considerations, compliance, accountability and integrity.

• Interpretation and compliance with the applicable regulations and guidelines
• Lead a team of professional staff to direct, monitor and evaluate the delivery of the assigned programs and policies within the province to ensure efficient, effective and economical delivery of services.
• Ensure the assigned staff have the knowledge, skills and resources needed to do their job effectively by:

• Identifying on-going technical and personal development training in line with core competencies and technical expertise.
• Develop business unit and individual action plans.  Direct ongoing activities, processes and procedures for implementing the unit’s operational plan.
• Managing budget and allocation of resources to ensure deliverables are met.
• Coaching and mentoring staff to ensure their success.

• Managing contracted, administrative and senior staff required for achievement of the business plan

• As part of the Health Leadership team, facilitate change that aligns with AI vision and goals. Ensure that the unit’s day-to-day operations conform to corporate business practices.
• Monitor programs/platforms to ensure they are up to date and relevant for the needs of stakeholders
• Direct the development of strategies for evaluating initiatives in collaboration with Performance Management

• Monitor targets for program performance to ensure goals are being achieved
• Manage ongoing reporting strategies

• Direct education programs and strategies to inform and enhance stakeholder ethics capacity and skills across the system in support of effective and efficient ethics oversight for research and applied projects that use knowledge to innovate.
• Ensure thought leadership on key concepts and evolving approaches to address emerging issues.
• Develop and monitor the unit initiatives’ structures and supports required to facilitate, respond to and manage implementation and evaluation processes.

• Lead committee and sub-committee development and management to accomplish agreed goals and objectives.
• Provide strategic leadership of the ongoing evolution of the assigned ethics programs.  This includes support to a growing network of organizations and entities across Canada that are collaborating to implement the assigned ethics programs.
• Act as a technical expert resource to government and executive; advise Management Team on emerging provincial, national and international issues, trends and leading edge concepts and initiatives in ethics, clinical trials and related topics. Provide interpretation and input to the ED on process development, direction, organizational requirements, and evaluation strategies / results for all ethics and clinical trial-related activities within AI.
• Cultivate relationships and promote stakeholder capacity and engagement on emerging ethics, clinical trials, and other topics related to the unit mission.  Foster environment of collaboration and consultation with, among and between partners involved in the business unit’s initiatives to maximize contributions.
• Build and participate in local, national and international networks.

Qualifications;

• Masters level in related field(s) plus a minimum of 5 - 10 years’ experience in development of major systems and processes in a health related environment.
• 8 years of experience in a managerial role managing teams and operations
• A minimum of 2 to 3 years’ experience in research ethics, project ethics, clinical trials and related topics .
• Demonstrated knowledge of about the health system generally and Alberta’s system specifically
• Understands the process of research and the ethics review process
• Knowledgeable and experienced in project management and in facilitating collaboration and partnerships
• Strong innovation management skills including creativity, problem solving and continuous improvement; risk management/risk taking skills; relationship building skills and implementation skills.
• Demonstrated strategic agility including ability to create a shared vision, critical listening skills; able to synthesize multiple streams of input and identify key issues.
• Skilled in systems thinking and problem solving
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills
• Comfortable with taking risks and demonstrates tolerance for ambiguity and set backs
• Highly developed interpersonal skills and an enthusiastic proactive thinker
• Comfortable and effective in dealing with people at all levels in various organizations
• Promotes strong team environment
• Part of established networks in the health sector (government, academia, industry, health delivery)

Why Alberta Innovates?

We offer our employees opportunities to work on projects that will expand their skill sets while witnessing the visible impacts of their efforts. We value the development of our employees and create opportunities for working in capacities that allow new skills to be learned. We know that the wellness of our team is the most important part of our business so we offer a strong benefits package and generous vacation and paid time off programs to promote work-life balance.  

The final candidate will be required to undergo a security clearance. All interviewees must be able to meet the requirement specified in the Physical Demand Analysis. This document will be supplied during the interview process to the successful candidate. This competition will remain open until a successful candidate is found.

ALBERTA INNOVATES IS COMMITTED TO THE PRINCIPLE OF EQUITY IN EMPLOYMENT AND ENCOURAGES APPLICATIONS FROM ALL QUALIFIED INDIVIDUALS. WE WISH TO THANK ALL APPLICANTS FOR THEIR INTEREST. HOWEVER, ONLY THOSE INVITED FOR AN INTERVIEW WILL BE CONTACTED.