Research Project Coordinator

at  Queens University

Research Project Coordinator
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.
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Job Summary
Reporting to the Principal Investigator, the Research Project Coordinator will be responsible for the overall management of a four-year $3.2M NSERC-SSHRC Sustainable Agriculture Research Initiative (NSERC SARI) grant. The project is focused on extracting biomass from canola meal to create high-value products for use within the agriculture sector and beyond. The project has multiple stakeholders including investigators within the Natural Sciences and Social Sciences disciplines across 4 Canadian Universities and several industrial partners.
The Research Project Coordinator will be responsible for overseeing the initial implementation of the project, along with managing day to day activities related to the project including budget management, financial accountability, reporting, events and meeting coordination, logistics, scheduling, and communications. The incumbent will contribute to the successful completion of project milestones and deliverables and ensure regular and effective communication across the research team and stakeholders. The incumbent will be expected to track project deliverables and research progress, and draft update reports as mandated by NSERC. Working closely with the Principal Investigator, the Research Project Coordinator will provide valuable management expertise by adapting procedures, making recommendations, and implementing changes to ensure overall success of the project.
Job Description

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:

• A Bachelor’s degree with preferred certification with a focus in Project Management or a Master’s in a relevant field.
• Minimum of (5) years relevant experience in a coordination role managing complex projects.
• Knowledge of university structure, accounting and financial systems, policies and procedures, with proven expertise managing budgets, reporting and navigating policy compliance.
• Familiarity with academic research environments and experience conducting research/ working in a chemistry laboratory setting is considered an asset
• Consideration may be given to an equivalent combination of education and experience.

SPECIAL SKILLS:

• Promote equity, diversity and inclusion within the workplace.
• Self-directed to take initiative, with effective independent decision making and judgement abilities in addressing complex and sensitive issues regarding research plans.
• Ability to manage and prioritize multiple competing tasks to achieve results on time.
• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail with a high degree of accuracy.
• Demonstrated excellent project management skills and ability to manage multiple priorities.
• Demonstrated expertise in financial budgeting and reporting. Ability to perform accounting and financial management duties, including analysis and presentation of financial data.
• Sound judgment and proactive in identifying and initiating activities that require attention.
• Excellent time management and problem-solving skills with strong analytical capabilities.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including a proven capacity to present information clearly and communicate effectively with diverse stakeholders and researchers.
• Ability to work collaboratively with a range of research stakeholders.
• Strong computer skills including word processing, spreadsheets, PowerPoint and data analysis.
• Proven ability to work effectively as a team member.

• Within the guidelines provided by the PI, co-PI and Project Activity Co-leads, plan, manage and monitor a detailed project management timeline, priorities, and objectives for the NSERC SARI Research Program.
• Identify and implement risk mitigation strategies using a variety of root cause and problem-solving techniques to resolve problems that arise, referring major issues to the PI.
• Serve as project communications lead and primary contact, facilitating communication with research partners for efficient data collection. Coordinate with funding agencies and participating institutions (academic and industry) to gather project-related information and organize meetings. Evaluate and manage project communications, handling complex issues directly or escalating to the PI as needed.
• Provide senior-level administrative support to the PI and Project Activity Leads by participating in research team meetings, scheduling meetings, drafting agendas, minutes, and briefing notes, delivering updates at executive team meetings, and preparing visual scientific materials for presentations and peer-reviewed publications.
• Coordinate information management processes, including data collection, assessment, distribution, dissemination of research findings, maintaining information repositories, and prepare performance and progress reports for timely submission to funding agencies and stakeholders.
• Under the direction of the P.I., coordinate the development of project communication activities including website maintenance, newsletters and social media, assist with developing project presentations and publications, and developing and executing new communications opportunities.
• Implement a framework to ensure articles and other project outputs comply with funding agency policies on legal agreements, intellectual property (open science), and funder acknowledgment. Use reference management tools like Mendeley or EndNote to maintain a repository for citations, manuscripts, reports, grant applications, and research outputs tracking.
• Manage project finances including processing all financial transactions, account administration and reconciliation, budget monitoring, and maintenance of expenses for the project. Assist the PI with planning and forecasting the project’s budgets and financial resources.
• Prepare and develop financial statements for the PI and external funding agencies, as mandated.
• Coordinate the purchasing of scientific equipment/services with the department purchasing personnel.
• Organize and coordinate research seminars, workshops, and annual conferences for the Research Program in collaboration with the Canola Council of Canada and other stakeholders. Responsibilities include scheduling events, arranging venues and catering, coordinating speakers, hiring event support staff, attending relevant meetings, and managing project member participation at other major conferences.
• Liaise and communicate with other departmental staff, labs, and outside agencies to stay aware of developments and foster collaborative research. Identify, recommend, and draft applications for funding opportunities that are within the scope of the project’s activities.
• Undertake other duties as delegated in support of the successful conduct of the project.