Research Program Manager

Job Summary

This position is responsible for high level research management and leadership of the Endometriosis and Pelvic Pain Laboratory, a research facility located at the BC Women’s Hospital, reporting to Dr. Paul Yong.

The Research Program Manager will be integral in overseeing multiple on-going research studies spanning clinical, biomedical, population health, health economics, COVID-19, health services, patient-oriented research and knowledge translation, and will contribute to strategic planning for the Endometriosis and Pelvic Pain Laboratory, including overseeing the operational management of all research projects, directing research administration activities, communicating with stakeholders both internally and external to UBC, managing communications, preparing reports and sourcing funds from research grants and donors. The Program Manager would be responsible for aligning the team to build out future research opportunities by work with the researchers in identifying funding sources and overseeing the development of their proposals, budgets and funding applications, work plans and timelines. The Program Manager will also make professional decisions and recommendations on most aspects of existing research work and will be responsible for the quality of research activities, human resource management, and financial management.

This position will be hybrid with on-site work located at BC Women’s hospital, Vancouver BC.

Organizational Status

This position will report directly to Dr Paul Yong, who is an Associate Professor at UBC and leads the Endometriosis and Pelvic Pain Laboratory. This position will manage and directly supervise managers, coordinators, assistants, students and volunteers. This individual will work closely with other UBC and PHSA research and administrative staff in the Department of OBGYN, at the Women’s Health Research Institute (WHRI), and other research institutes such as the Gynecological Cancer Initiative (GCI), BC Children’s Research Institute (BCCHRI), Ovarian Cancer Research Institute (OvCare), and Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute (VCHRI). They will also facilitate and foster collaborations with academic faculties and industry partners locally, nationally and internationally.

Work Performed

Oversees the operations of the Endometriosis Pelvic Pain Laboratory (research facility at UBC) providing leadership to all research projects including clinical, biomedical, health services, population health, patient-oriented research and knowledge translation projects.

Provides leadership and strategic direction in collaboration with the Principal Investigator.

Supervises and provides direction to research staff, contractors and student hires including designing and implementing staff orientation resources and training. Supervises and provides direction to research staff and students on financial planning, management, and monitoring of multi-million dollar study budgets.

Ensures responsible financial practices in accordance with both the written UBC policies governing grant management, and the study funders.

Provides authoritative information on University, Faculty and funding agency administrative processes.

Provides leadership, direction, facilitates and manages multi-recipient research collaboration across institutions, participates in research excellence recommendations, human resources management, and strategic planning.

Builds relationships with granting agencies, academic, research, professional organizations, and government stakeholders such as policy makers, community leaders / organizers and Indigenous leaders. Provides direction and leadership regarding political, cultural, financial or attitudinal barriers to achieving study objectives.

Develops relationships with multiple institutional fund-raising organizations and fosters relationships with donors to support fundraising activities.

Plans and manages a large number of developing research proposals, works with the team for exploring and identifying funding sources and developing funding applications. Develops and writes research proposals and submits proposals to funding organizations and the research ethics board. Develops research project budget and prepares reports for funding agencies. Also, work with funding agencies for updates and resolving issues.

Develops reports and statistics to inform the strategic direction of the lab.

Ensures that grants are completed and that sub-grantees fulfill contract deliverables annually, including budget targets, timeline targets, and project activity targets.

Oversees the research team to ensure appropriate keeping of research records (protocols, data and back-up of this information). Keep these essential documents in a safe and secured place. Manages all source documents to be available upon request.

Recruits and interviews the job candidates (Research assistants, research coordinators, research managers, summer students, co-op students, flex students and professional consultants).

Oversees all aspects of human resources management including supervising, mentoring, training, managing and evaluating the research managers, research coordinators, research assistants and technicians, staff and students. Analyzes and outlines the human resource needs of the research team inclusive of initiating, increasing or decreasing of staffing levels based on the project needs.

Oversees the development of the Canadian Endometriosis Research Institute, a pan-Canadian initiative that aims to bring together clinician-scientists and research programs across Canada to provide strategic direction on endometriosis research priorities, collaborate on grant applications and establish a central coordinating centre that would provide dedicated research staff and research infrastructure.

Provides mentorship, advice and documentation to clinician-scientists across Canada who wish to develop their own endometriosis research programs.

Provides expertise on a wide range of research approaches.

Consequence of Error / Judgement

The Program Manager will exercise vision, direction, professional judgment, initiative, and cultural and political sensitivity in the leadership of the Endometriosis Pelvic Pain Laboratory. The incumbent is required to conduct all activities in an ethical manner. Patient confidentiality must be respected when dealing with research data. Errors made could cause the ethics approval to be withdrawn, which would stop the project. Errors could influence the ability of research staff to meet critical deadlines, as well as compromise the results of the research project, and therefore affect the credibility of the investigators and the Department. As data and results may be disseminated to other research partners; their results, credibility, and ability to secure more funding could be negatively influenced. Poor decisions may be damaging to the reputation of the university and cause financial loss.

Supervision Received

This position reports directly to Dr. Paul Yong. It will provide direction and will oversee performance and results of the studies within the Endometriosis Pelvic Pain Laboratory. This position works very independently and has considerable latitude. The Program Manager will be expected to develop a work plan and timelines and exercise a considerable amount of judgement and initiative in duties and supervisory responsibilities.

Supervision Given

The Program Manager will supervise staff and / or support colleagues in community-based partner organizations, Research Managers, Research Assistants and Research Coordinators. In conjunction with postdoctoral fellows and faculty will also supervise summer students, co-op students, undergraduate students and volunteers to ensure that the goals of various projects are met in a timely and efficient manner.

Minimum Qualifications

For research work, a post-graduate degree or equivalent professional designation with a minimum of four years of related experience, or an equivalent combination of education and experience. Otherwise, an undergraduate degree in a relevant discipline is required with a minimum of six years of related experience, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

• Willingness to respect diverse perspectives, including perspectives in conflict with one’s own
• Demonstrates a commitment to enhancing one’s own awareness, knowledge, and skills related to equity, diversity, and inclusion

Preferred Qualifications

Graduate degree in science is preferred; Masters in health sciences is ideal. Experience in clinical research and national / international project management, including established grant and peer review publication record experience. Ability to maintain accuracy and attention to detail. Ability to analyze and interpret data, determine implications, and provide recommendations. Ability to work effectively independently and in a team environment. Ability to analyze problems, identify key information and issues, and effectively resolve issues. Ability to communicate effectively verbally and in writing.