Program and Lab Coordinator

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Job Summary

Reporting to Prof. Dr. Bhavin Shastri, Principal Investigator (PI) and Prof. Dr. Nir Rotenberg, Quantum Nanophotonics the Program and Lab coordinator supports the Network for Ultrafast Computing with Light on Emerging Unconventional Semiconductors (NUCLEUS) Collaborative Research and Training Experience (CREATE) program. Position supports Laboratory Coordination in the Quantum Nanophotonic Lab. The position is based at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ontario, and will involve regular interaction with a nationwide network of partners.

The NUCLEUS Program role will support the PI with program operations, data management, partner engagement, and sharing program outcomes with key audiences, including funding agencies such as NSERC. The Program Officer will manage the day-to-day operations of the NUCLEUS CREATE grant, including organizing activities, tracking progress, maintaining records, and preparing reports. The position will also support project, financial, and administrative processes to ensure training goals are met in line with the funding application and reporting requirements. The Program Officer will work with NUCLEUS committees, help identify and prioritize opportunities, strengthen partnerships, and support the PI in advancing training initiatives.

The Program and Lab Coordinator will support the PIs with financial projections, grant management, personnel management, laboratory operations, and day-to-day administration.

Altogether, the applicant will provide crucial support for a growing photonics initiative at Queen’s, which is currently establishing a Tier II institute in scalable photonics, and contributing to a broader research effort. With the longer-term vision of establishing Queen’s as a destination for photonics research and development, we anticipate future growth in the support team, with this position offering corresponding opportunities for growth.

Job Description

Program Administration
•Manage day-to-day program administration, including administrative, logistical, scheduling, and operational functions.
•Set up and maintain program, project, student, and trainee tracking systems, including databases, schedules, records, and documentation.
•Coordinate onboarding for new trainees at Queen’s and partner institutions, distribute program requirements and award correspondence, and liaise with current trainees and prospective applicants.
•Coordinate committees and working groups by scheduling meetings, preparing agendas and materials, taking minutes, assigning action items, and tracking progress.
•Organize program events, including annual symposia, conferences, workshops, seminars, site visits, and other training activities.
•Support the coordination of mentorship programs, internships, research exchanges, trainee placements, and partner-based opportunities.
•Coordinate internship opportunities by communicating with external partners and trainees, sharing announcements, tracking available positions, and supporting placement logistics.
•Maintain relationships with local, national, and international academic and industry partners involved in the NUCLEUS program.
•Work with Queen’s communications teams to promote NUCLEUS and affiliated research news, including maintaining and updating the program website and social media accounts.
•Communicate day-to-day priorities and ensure program policies, practices, procedures, and deadlines are clearly understood by trainees, partners, and program stakeholders.
•Prepare correspondence, meeting materials, presentations, briefing notes, and other documents, including sensitive and confidential materials.
•Support scheduling for the PIs and research groups, including local meetings and travel-related coordination.
•Undertake other administrative duties and special projects in support of the program.

Research Administration
•Serve as a key point of contact for the PI, co-applicants, collaborators, trainees, postdoctoral fellows, and external partners.
•Support research reporting by collecting, tracking, and organizing information on trainee participation, research projects, publications, scholarships, fellowships, internships, exchanges, site visits, and partner engagement.
•Compile information from funding applications, trainee reports, annual reports, and other sources into formats suitable for NSERC and other reporting requirements.
•Coordinate the preparation and review of reports to NSERC and other funders, including distributing drafts, collecting feedback, tracking revisions, and supporting final submission.
•Maintain accurate records of research outputs, program outcomes, trainee awards, and project-related activities.
•Support the preparation of manuscripts, briefing notes, presentations, strategic communications, and other research-related materials, including gathering data from public sources and providing basic graphic design support as needed.
•Support special research-related projects by gathering data, organizing information, maintaining resources, and ensuring materials are accessible and up to date.

Financial Administration
•Manage program and lab budgets, including financial commitments, projections, expenditures, reconciliations, and reporting to the PI and relevant committees.
•Maintain accurate financial records using spreadsheets, institutional tools, and NSERC systems, ensuring compliance with Queen’s, Tri-Council, NSERC, and other funding requirements.
•Coordinate lab purchases and expenses, including purchase orders, grant-budget alignment, expense reimbursements, financial journal entries, and HQP salary-related processes.
•Review and process expense and reimbursement submissions from students, staff, faculty, co-investigators, visiting researchers, and guest lecturers, including travel-related expenses.
•Support the reconciliation of accounts and coordination of funds with co-applicant universities.
•Liaise with the department to support visa applications and other documentation for research group members and visitors, as required.
•Undertake other duties and special projects as assigned in support of the program and labs.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS:
•University degree in science or another quantitative, data-driven discipline, such as economics or business.
•Minimum of 3–5 years of relevant experience in scientific research program administration, project coordination, or management within a university or research environment.
•Demonstrated experience organizing and delivering complex projects, events, training programs, and research-related activities.
•Experience with project management, program development, risk analysis, governance, reporting frameworks, and operational planning.
•Proven ability to liaise effectively with diverse partners, including trainees, principal investigators, university staff, corporate partners, non-profit organizations, and external stakeholders.
•Understanding of academic research operations, including the recruitment, organization, funding, scheduling, and support of HQP.
•Knowledge of university procedures, policies, and regulations,
•Familiarity with national and international research funding agencies is considered an asset.
•Strong software skills, including proficiency with Microsoft Office and experience using databases or other tracking systems.
•Consideration may be given to an equivalent combination of education and experience.


SPECIAL SKILLS:
•Excellent interpersonal and teamwork skills are necessary. Incumbent must be able to interact effectively with a wide variety of people.
•Strong project management skills – ensures projects are delivered on schedule, on budget and within scope.
•Excellent written and oral communication skills with the ability to motivate colleagues and collaborators to create a positive work environment.
•Demonstrated experience in a fast-paced environment requiring quick and appropriate decision-making skills.
•Excellent organizational and planning skills and with attention to detail.
•Analytical, interpretive, and problem-solving skills. Incumbent should be able to assess and solve unexpected problems as they arise, referring extremely complex problems to the Managing Director.
•Ability to work autonomously with minimal oversight.

DECISION MAKING:
•Display sound judgment and prioritize which action requires the most attention among several competing actions with deadlines.
•Identifies relationships and linkages between different information sources. Anticipates issues that are not readily apparent. Develops solutions needed to resolve them.
•Work closely with PIs to ensure proper documentation and coordination of activities, events, and communications for the NUCLEUS Program.
•Determine the type and level of information needed by PIs to support decision-making, or when and if to escalate if needed.
•Determines the most appropriate means of collecting, retrieving, analyzing, and presenting data and information.
•Make recommendations regarding administration procedures; suggest and help implement changes.
•Make decisions to support the NUCLEUS committees’ function.

Employment Equity and Accessibility Statement

The University invites applications from all qualified individuals. Queen's is strongly committed to employment equity, diversity, and inclusion in the workplace and encourages applications from Black, racialized persons, Indigenous people, women, persons with disabilities, and 2SLGBTQI+ persons. In accordance with Canadian Immigration requirements, priority will be given to those who are legally eligible to work in Canada.

The University provides support in its recruitment processes to all applicants who require accommodation due to a protected ground under the Ontario Human Rights Code, including those with disabilities.