Program Manager

at  University of Waterloo

Overview:
The Program Manager is accountable to the Principal Investigator and is responsible for coordination of all aspects of the development, implementation, and reporting of several research projects, for making substantive contributions to scientific papers and research proposals, for managing and forecasting project budgets and expenses, and for participation in the overall management of the activities of the research group. The Program Manager will collaborate with the Principal Investigator toward achieving major project objectives, following research and ethics protocols, within specified budgets

THIS POSITION IS CONTINGENT ON FUNDING.

Responsibilities:

Research Administration

• Has primary responsibility for overseeing data collection of several concurrent research studies conducted across multiple sites, including international
• Supports Principal Investigator in all aspects of planning, day-to-day implementation, and maintenance of research projects
• Develops data collection protocols, tools and instruments required for large research studies
• Leads development of adult and child/youth surveys and administers structured interviews
• Develops qualitative research protocols, leads focus groups, conducts and transcribes qualitative interviews
• Designs and codes surveys using various commercial platforms; responsible for accuracy of collected data and testing of surveys
• Prepares research ethics applications and obtains ethics approval for research projects from University of Waterloo and other institutions
• Ensures ethics protocols remain current, submits amendments as needed

Data Management and Analysis

• Has primary responsibility for data management of multiple different research projects in multiple jurisdictions
• Coordinates and implements data cleaning protocols in collaboration with the data analyst
• Has primary responsibility for the collection of biological data, including physical activity data using accelerometry, cortisol through hair sampling, and inflammatory markers via blood sampling
• Identifies and addresses data integrity/reliability issues and uses data cleaning processes to achieve required data quality standards
• In collaboration with the data analyst, coordinates access to datasets for co-investigators, postdoctoral fellows, and students
• Conducts descriptive and inferential statistical analyses
• Designs and manages numerous study databases; creates queries, produces reports

Knowledge Translation and Communication

• Leads the development of technical and lay reports
• Organizes the co-development of outputs with the family advisory board
• Ensures that project websites are kept up-to-date with relevant and accurate information
• Manages Social Media accounts
• Prepares and delivers scientific presentations
• Leads and supports scientific manuscripts for publication
• Attends regular team meetings, provides feedback, and updates during meetings when required

Supervision and Mentorship

• Recruits, trains, and deploys staff, graduate students, and research assistants to effectively meet research goals and objectives of multiple projects
• Creates job descriptions and staffing forecasts to ensure that resources are in place and productive, for relevant milestones in accordance with UW staff policies
• Provides functional guidance and oversight of other program staff to further the goals and objectives of the overall research program.
• Oversees day-to-day operations of the lab
• Has primary responsibility for supervising research assistants, research students and casual staff
• Tracks and submits causal pay

Fiscal Responsibility

• Oversees budget for multiple grants, in excess of one million dollars
• Leads financial administration and planning for multiple projects
• Writes and submits financial and milestone progress reports to project funders to ensure the timely and efficient completion of project goals
• Leads the activities associated with data sharing and confidentiality agreements with external partners and stakeholders
• Tracks and submits project expenses

Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in public health, child studies, or a related field
• 7+ years of experience and training in survey research and project management in an academic setting is required
• Prior experience supervising research assistants and other research staff is required
• Experience with interviewing and survey methods; planning and implementation of multiple, simultaneous research projects is required
• An extensive background in child mental health research is required
• Previous experience with data management using SPSS is required, with a working knowledge of relevant statistical concepts and methods
• Previous experience collecting biological specimens, specifically hair cortisol and dried blood spots is required
• Experience collecting, cleaning and analyzing accelerometry data is required
• Extensive experience administering the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI) and the Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview for Children and Adolescents (MINI-KID) structured interviews is required
• Experience submitting research ethics applications and amendments is required
• Ability to manage and clean large datasets is an asset
• Experience coordinating interdisciplinary research teams is an asset
• The position requires the ability to think critically and analytically, drawing upon a sound basis of health research education and experience
• Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office, including Access and Excel, is required
• Advanced skills with survey software, including Qualtrics and MediaLab, is required
• Previous experience with website maintenance, content writing and social media management is required
• Experience working with Clinical Trials Ontario for multisite research ethics submissions is an asset
• Proficiency in statistical analysis software such as SPSS
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team; ability to take initiative and be proactive
• Ability to think critically and analytically, drawing upon a sound basis of health science education and experience, managing and adjusting to multiple competing priorities
• Excellent organizational and time management skills and ability to meet deadlines
• Strong verbal and written communication skills with the ability to effectively communicate research results and implications to a variety of audiences
• Excellent capacity to maintain collaborative working relationships with numerous investigators
• Ability to work on multiple research projects concurrently
• Initiative to acquire new skills and remain current with new developments as required

Equity Statement:
The University of Waterloo acknowledges that much of our work takes place on the traditional territory of the Neutral, Anishinaabeg, and Haudenosaunee peoples. Our main campus is situated on the Haldimand Tract, the land granted to the Six Nations that includes six miles on each side of the Grand River. Our active work toward reconciliation takes place across our campuses through research, learning, teaching, and community building, and is co-ordinated within the Office of Indigenous Relations.
The University values the diverse and intersectional identities of its students, faculty, and staff. The University regards equity and diversity as an integral part of academic excellence and is committed to accessibility for all employees. The University of Waterloo seeks applicants who embrace our values of equity, anti-racism and inclusion. As such, we encourage applications from candidates who have been historically disadvantaged and marginalized, including applicants who identify as First Nations, Métis and/or Inuk (Inuit), Black, racialized, a person with a disability, women and/or 2SLGBTQ+.
Positions are open to qualified candidates who are legally entitled to work in Canada.
The University of Waterloo is committed to accessibility for persons with disabilities. If you have any application, interview, or workplace accommodation requests, please contact Human Resources at hrhelp@uwaterloo.ca or 519-888-4567, ext. 45935

Please refer the Job description for details