Posting Expiry
Job Summary
The Office of the Vice-President Research & Innovation (VPRI) seeks a Strategist with expertise in the principles and practice of the responsible conduct of research, adult education, and communications. The Strategist will be responsible for developing educational and promotional material for the University to help enable the research culture and support the core values expressed in the University's strategic plan. Research Culture is a core strategy in UBC's Next Century, and this role will contribute to a strong and diverse research culture that embraces the highest standards of integrity, collegiality and service.
Responsible Conduct of Research is a term used in Canada to refer to policies and practice related to research or scholarly integrity. The Secretariat for the Responsible Conduct of Research administers the Tri-Agency Framework for the Responsible Conduct of Research. Institutions in Canada which receive research funding from the Tri-Agencies must comply with this Framework, and implement policies which enable that compliance. "Promoting education on and awareness of the importance of the responsible conduct of research " is good practice in any scholarly environment, and is a responsibility for institutions under this Framework. The purpose of this term position will be to develop UBC's program to promote and raise awareness of the responsible conduct of research.
Organizational Status
The Strategist will report to the Director in the Office of the Vice-President Research & Innovation. This role will have an important external component, and will work closely with colleagues in the VPRI Portfolio, in the Faculty of Graduate & Postdoctoral Studies, and with those in similar roles at other Canadian institutions.
Work Performed
The Strategist will be responsible for working with internal (to UBC) and external stakeholders to conduct needs assessments and to identify appropriate learning approaches for training and programming related to scholarly integrity and the responsible conduct of research. The major deliverable for this position is a suite of online material that will be available to the Community.
Consultation
- Establishing an approach to consulting with the UBC community to establish the scope of the suite of programmes. This will include creation of an advisory group with representation from graduate students and postdoctoral fellows, faculty, and staff.
- Developing a framework for a suite of training and educational material that reflects best practices in terms of the variety of formats (online, workshops, lectures, self-study);
- Accessing professional networks to seek advice on the framework and content for the online platform;
Program Creation & Management
- Develops a suite of educational and promotional materials for UBC that are consistent with the institution's needs, culture and values.
- Makes recommendations for program elements that should be publicly available vs. those which should be available only to the UBC community;
- Researches, curates and maintains an extensive, library of relevant educational tools and resources that can be used directly or which can inform the new online platform at UBC;
- Ensures a learner-centric experience for the delivery of this suite of programs and tools;
- Creates and adopts a wide range of material that will be available through the online environment. This may include slide presentations, case studies, FAQ documents, videos, a curated, annotated reference list that includes material from the scientific literature, and mainstream media.
- Develops and implements 'train-the-trainer' modules that UBC people would be expected to complete before gaining access to certain resources in the online environment;
- Engages with and manages external vendors as needed; liaises with University partners such as UBC Studios and UBC-IT;
Program Evaluation & Maintenance
- Proposes mechanisms to evaluate all elements of the online suite of tools;
- Ensures a viable plan for maintaining the online environment beyond the end of this term position;
Performs other duties as required.
Supervision Received
The Strategist will work independently with general direction from the Director in the Office of the Vice-President Research & Innovation.
Supervision Given
The Strategist will not have any direct reports. They may provide project-specific supervision to Work-Learn Students who support the VPRI Office from time to time, or to external vendors engaged as part of this initiative.
Consequence of Error/Judgement
The material that the Strategist develops must be compliant with various policies and regulations. Errors in content can result in misinformation being circulated for which the VPRI is ultimately accountable. Errors in judgement may result in the inefficient use of resources, and may damage the image and reputation of the VPRI Office and the University.
Qualifications
Master's degree in Education. Minimum of six years experience or the equivalent combination of education and experience. Prior experience in the design, development and delivery of mixed-mode education courses and programs is required; Experience working with faculty, staff and students in a research-intensive university; Up-to-date knowledge of federal, provincial, international and local rules and regulations regarding institutional compliance, responsible conduct of research, scientific misconduct, breaches and conflict of interest; Proven ability and natural inclination to develop relationships by interacting with people in a professional, respectful and diplomatic manner; Experience in a post-secondary institution setting that is governed by the Tri-Agency Framework for the Responsible Conduct of Research, ideally as a research integrity officer (or equivalent); Demonstrated success in using a variety of technologies to deliver programming, including blogs, wikis, social media, etc. Exceptional verbal and written communication skills are essential, along with demonstrated success in formal presentations and group facilitation; Candidates will be asked to provide writing samples which demonstrate their ability to present complex technical information to a lay audience. Strong project-management and critical thinking skills, with demonstrated success managing situations with competing priorities; Exquisite attention to detail; Experience in a large, complex organization, and demonstrated success in situations requiring a high degree of diplomacy and discretion;.
Equity and diversity are essential to academic excellence. An open and diverse community fosters the inclusion of voices that have been underrepresented or discouraged. We encourage applications from members of groups that have been marginalized on any grounds enumerated under the B.C. Human Rights Code, including sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, racialization, disability, political belief, religion, marital or family status, age, and/or status as a First Nation, Metis, Inuit, or Indigenous person.
All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority.
To apply
Please apply through the UBC Human Resources website: https://www.hr.ubc.ca/jobs/staff.php?job_id=33625