Associate Director, Operations (Research Centres and Institutes)

at  Queens University

ABOUT QUEEN’S UNIVERSITY

Queen’s University is the Canadian research intensive university with a transformative student learning experience. Here the employment experience is as diverse as it is interesting. We have opportunities in multiple areas of globally recognized research, faculty administration, engineering & construction, athletics & recreation, power generation, corporate shared services, and many more.
We are committed to employment equity and diversity in the workplace and welcome applications from individuals from equity seeking groups such as women, racialized/visible minorities, Indigenous/Aboriginal peoples, persons with a disability, persons who identify in the LGBTQ+ community and others who reflect the diversity of Canadian society.
Come work with us!

JOB SUMMARY

Reporting to the Director Strategic Initiative and Institutional Program (Director), the Associate Director Operations (Research Centres and Institutes) (Associate Director) will provide administrative and operational leadership to a diverse team of staff that are directly supporting the Vice-Principal Research Tier 1 Research Institutes (Institutes). This role will provide administrative support to a wide range of leading-edge research fields currently including astroparticle physics and material science, with the potential to grow to support a greater number of strategic research areas.
As a member of the Office of the Vice Principal Research (VPR) portfolio, the Associate Director can leverage centralized administrative resources to support the strategic directions of the Institutes. The Associate Director role supports other initiatives with the purview of VPR in a similar capacity based on operational needs. This opportunity has the potential to evolve as the VPR Strategic Initiative portfolio expands over time.
If you are a collaborative, strategic, science research professional with a people first approach to management, we encourage you to apply.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• University degree in business or science and will possess five to seven years of experience in scientific/research program administration and management, or other relevant.
• Demonstrated experience in working with multiple stakeholders and providing high-quality and tailored service.
• Operations experience within the academic research sector, developing and implementing innovative policies and practices.
• Strong project management and leadership skills.
• Demonstrated ability to effectively manage budgets and personnel.
• Ability to speak both official languages, English and French, would be assets in this role.
• Consideration may be given to an equivalent combination of education and experience.

SPECIAL SKILLS:

• Excellent communication (both verbal and written) and interpersonal skills, demonstrating tact and diplomacy when interacting with individuals at every level and from many different perspectives.
• Ability to work in a complex environment, in a collaborative and collegial manner, using well developed relationship-building, influencing and negotiating skills to secure commitment and achieve results.

Ability to lead the development of strategic and operational planning processes, monitor progress and performance targets.

• Excellent leadership ability to manage a team of professionals and work effectively with diverse stakeholders (e.g. academic researchers, government representatives, senior administrators) internal

/ external to the University.

• Strong attention to detail with a commitment to quality and best practices combined with exceptional writing and review skills to prepare reports and make presentations, adjusting communication style to diverse audiences.
• Strong interpretative and problem-solving skills. Ability to synthesize information from a wide variety of sources.
• Strategic planning, analytical, budgeting and financial management skills.
• Strong organizational skills to coordinate and direct the work of the institutes. Ability to cope with multiple demands, resolve priority conflicts and operate effectively in a deadline-driven environment.

FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT AND ACCOUNTABILITY

Working with the Director and scientific leadership:

• Contribute to the develop and management of Institute budgets in all areas of responsibility.
• Support all agency statistical, operational, and financial reporting.
• Support all agency financial and compliance audits.
• Ensure ethical conduct, integrity and a high degree of professionalism and accountability in all business, financial and research activities.