Job Description

This position has a term length of one year with a possibility of extension beginning in May 2023 and offers a benefits package found at .

Location - North Campus Edmonton. This role is hybrid with a mix of remote and in-person

Working for the University of Alberta

The University of Alberta acknowledges that we are located on Treaty 6 territory, and respects the histories, languages and cultures of First Nations, M\xc3\xa9tis, Inuit and all First Peoples of Canada, whose presence continues to enrich our vibrant community.

The University of Alberta is teeming with change makers, community builders, and world shapers who lead with purpose each and every day. We are home to more than 40,000 students in 200+ undergraduate and 500+ graduate programs, over 13,000 faculty and staff, 260,000 alumni worldwide and have been recognized as one of Canada\'s Greenest Employers for over a decade.

Your work will have a meaningful influence on a fascinating cross section of people-from our students and stakeholders, to our renowned researchers and innovators who are quite literally curing diseases, making discoveries and generating solutions that make the world healthier, safer, stronger, and more just.

Department/Faculty Summary

The at the University of Alberta is a unique collaboration of researchers, practitioners, community organizations, funders, and policy makers across Alberta. The is a SSHRC funded national interdisciplinary and intersectoral partnership, housed within CUP, that aims to advance evaluation practices within the early childhood field, and social sector more broadly. The ECN bridges community-university evaluation gaps, serving as a central space where students, researchers, government, and community organizations can share and access evaluation expertise, resources, capacity building opportunities, and networks.

Position Summary

The ECN is recruiting a Postdoctoral Fellow in Evaluation (PDF) who is interested in exploring a program of research related to one or more of the partnership\'s four thematic areas:

• i) community-driven and culturally responsive evaluation;
• ii) innovations in evaluation capacity building;
• iii) decolonization of evaluation, and
• iv) evidence for action (i.e., increasing the value and use of evidence for decision making to improve practice, programs and policy).

The PDF will participate fully in research and related scholarly activities including community engagement dialogues, partnership development and maintenance, student mentorship, leading research and evaluation initiatives, grant writing, evaluation training, knowledge mobilization (e.g., publications, presentations), and project management. The PDF will be offered a supportive environment under the supervision of Dr. Rebecca Gokiert (ECN Project Director & CUP Associate Director), that emphasizes gaining and enhancing skills, critical and innovative thinking, while working independently and collaboratively within the team. With quality training and career development being a top priority of the ECN, the postdoctoral fellow will have access to opportunities that build skills and networks that will make them employable in postsecondary, government, and social sectors.

Duties

Research and Evaluation

• Provides expertise in community-based participatory research and evaluation design and methodology.
• Develops and implements capacity-building opportunities in evaluation.
• Co-creates partnership evaluation frameworks and monitors partnership impact.
• Leads knowledge mobilization activities with a strong focus on co-publishing and co-presenting.
• Organizes and co-facilitates public dialogues, online forums, and symposiums.

Partner Engagement

• Supports and monitors collaborative work with partners, and assists with communication between governance committees (community, government, and/or academic).
• Monitors the environment of public policy, trends, and issues relevant to evaluation and the partners.
• Builds a network of municipal, provincial, and national practitioners, researchers, and thought leaders in evaluation and/or early childhood.

Funding and Mentorship

• Secure funding opportunities in order to enhance capacity building initiatives and innovative projects aligning with the project\'s thematic areas.
• Provides guidance and mentorship to graduate/undergraduate research assistants, thesis and practicum/internship students, and research volunteers.

Minimum Qualifications

• Applicants must possess a doctoral degree (PhD) in a relevant discipline (e.g., psychology, education, public health, sociology).
• Experience as an engaged scholar with research interests related to children, youth, families and/or communities.
• Experience in community-based research and/or evaluation.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills; exceptional writing skills.
• Experience teaching and/or facilitating workshops.
• Strong quantitative and qualitative research and analytical skills.

Preferred Qualifications

• Able to work to tight timeframes and highly organized.
• Able to work in a team environment with extensive collaboration and interaction with students and other community partners.
• Strong computer skills, with expertise in statistical analysis and software platforms.
• Candidates should have an excellent academic record, the beginning of a publication record, and a planned research program
• Experience writing grants, budgeting, and project management.

To apply, please submit a cover letter describing your interest in the position, relevant background, statement of career goals, research interests and research track record; and a current CV.

Questions should be directed to ecninfo@ualberta.ca Subject line: Postdoctoral Fellowship 2023.

How to Apply

Note: Online applications are accepted until midnight Mountain Standard Time of the closing date.

All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority. If suitable Canadian citizens or permanent residents cannot be found, other individuals will be considered. The University of Alberta is committed to an equitable, diverse, and inclusive workforce. We welcome applications from all qualified persons. We encourage women; First Nations, M\xc3\xa9tis and Inuit persons; members of visible minority groups; persons with disabilities; persons of any sexual orientation or gender identity and expression; and all those who may contribute to the further diversification of ideas and the University to apply.

University of Alberta