Job Description

Regular/Temporary

Regular

Job Title

RESEARCH ASSOCIATE (I)

Job ID

72679

Location

HSC- Central Campus

Open Date

11/04/2025

Job Type

Limited Term (>12 months)

Close Date

11/10/2025

Employee Group

Unifor Unit 1, Staff

Favorite Job

Department

FHS Health Evidence and Impact

Salary Grade/Band

Grade 12

Salary Range

$41.82 - $62.71 (hourly)

Contract Duration

36.5 Months

Hours per Week

35

Posting Details

Schedule

8:30am to 4:30pm, Monday to Friday

Education Level

Doctoral degree in a relevant field of study

Career Level

Requires 7 years of relevant experience

JD Number

JD 0550

Anticipated Start Date

As soon as possible

Should the successful applicant be a Unifor Unit 1 bargaining unit member, who meets the eligibility conditions of Article 19.02 of the Unifor Unit 1 Collective Agreement, then the Limited Term Assignment will be defined as a Career Growth Opportunity in accordance with Article 19 of the Unifor Local 5555 Unit 1 Collective Agreement.

Unit Description

The McMaster Health Forum's goal is to generate action on the pressing health and social issues of our time. We do this based on the best-available research evidence, as well as experiences and insights from citizens, professionals, organizational leaders, and government policymakers. www.mcmasterforum.org.


We are looking for an individual who can bring the experience, skills and drive required in our high-demand, fast paced environment - where multiple simultaneous (and often interdependent) projects and initiatives, interactions with numerous high profile health- and social-system stakeholders, and prompt responses to identified opportunities and to stakeholder needs are the norm. Working at the Forum has elements of what it's like to work in the highly visible office of a health minister, from the client-centered perspective of a consulting firm, and with the potential for innovation of a research institute. Candidates must demonstrate the highest degree of work ethic, dependability, and willingness to align with the Forum's culture and operational approaches.


This is a central position to the Forum's scientific team, supporting the Forum's Director, Scientific and Managing Directors, and Senior Scientific Lead, Evidence Support in the key areas described below in the additional information section.

Duties and Responsibilities

Initiate, design, and lead a research program. Formulate research questions and generate and test hypotheses. Make significant contributions to the design of a research program to answer questions and solve complex research problems. Publish results as first author in scientific peer-reviewed journals. Author scientific papers, funding proposals, and abstracts. Write research proposals, submit proposals to external funding agencies, and secure funding to conduct research through grants and contracts. Plan and coordinate all aspects of a major research program across multiple sites. Develop inter-disciplinary, inter-institutional, and inter-sectoral research collaborations. Negotiate research agreements and subcontracts to meet site and coordinating centre requirements. Develop budget for a research program. Implement and maintain a research program budget. Create financial projections and make adjustments to a research program budget throughout the fiscal year. Troubleshoot problems at all stages of program development and implementation and modify protocol or program procedures to address challenges. Participate with a team in the development and authoring of research protocols. Design a promotional strategy and related materials to encourage participation and support for a research program. Conduct quantitative and qualitative program participant interviews. Facilitate focus group sessions with program participants. Coordinate and manage the collection, delivery, entry, verification, analysis, and reporting of data. Oversee the design of data management systems. Apply specialized knowledge and scientific principles to review, critically appraise and interpret published literature. Develop estimates of time and resources for a research program. Use statistical software to analyze complex data and interpret results. Liaise between the program centre and remote program sites and personnel. Develop presentations and present at meetings, seminars, and conferences. Conduct literature searches.

Supervision

Provide lead hand supervision and is responsible for the quality and quantity of work of others. Ongoing responsibility for supervising up to 9 casual employees at any one time.

Qualifications

Doctoral degree in a relevant field of study. Requires 7 years of relevant experience.

Assets

Doctoral degree in health policy or closely related field (e.g., sociology, social policy) is an asset. Previous experience working with McMaster University is a definite asset. Previous experience with oral and written communication in one of the languages used by the Forum's international partners in South America (Spanish or Portuguese) is a definite asset. Previous experience working with international organizations that focus on addressing priority health- or social-systems policy issues. Doctoral degree in health policy or closely related field (e.g., sociology, social policy) is a definite asset.

Additional Information

The successful candidate must have the following qualifications:

Minimum five years of experience designing and conducting both quantitative and qualitative evidence syntheses of the best-available global research evidence about priority health- and social-system challenges (rather than about clinical or public-health issues), and ideally experience in designing and conducting living evidence syntheses. Minimum five years of experience designing and conducting contextualized evidence syntheses (including rapid evidence syntheses, rapid evidence profiles) to inform decision-making about health- and social-system priorities in national, provincial/regional and local jurisdictions, and in drawing on many forms of evidence - both local and global - in answering the many questions related to the priorities. Minimum five years of experience overseeing teams of research assistants (both part-time and full-time) including verifying and assuring the quality of the work they produce. Minimum five years of experience working on projects that have been requested by government policymakers and system and organizational leaders to respond to their requests for timely, demand-driven evidence-syntheses (and ideally demonstrated experience with helping to frame conversations with requestors in order to identify the question(s) they need answered, the types of evidence they're interested in having synthesized, and the product format(s) they're most interested in receiving). Experience maintaining repositories of research products that are tailored to the needs of health- and social-system decision-makers. Experience contributing to online resources and multi-media communications.

The successful candidate must also demonstrate the following:

Ability to work independently and collaborate within a team environment. Strong organizational and administrative abilities. Excellent interpersonal, written, and oral communication skills.

How To Apply

To apply for this job, please submit your application online.

Employment Equity Statement

McMaster University is located on the traditional territories of the Haudenosaunee and Mississauga Nations and within the lands protected by the "Dish With One Spoon" wampum agreement.


The diversity of our workforce is at the core of our innovation and creativity and strengthens our research and teaching excellence. In keeping with its Statement on Building an Inclusive Community with a Shared Purpose, McMaster University strives to embody the values of respect, collaboration and diversity, and has a strong commitment to employment equity.


The University seeks qualified candidates who share our commitment to equity and inclusion, who will contribute to the diversification of ideas and perspectives, and especially welcomes applications from indigenous (First Nations, Metis or Inuit) peoples, members of racialized communities, persons with disabilities, women, and persons who identify as 2SLGBTQ+.


As part of McMaster's commitment, all applicants are invited to complete a confidential Applicant Diversity Survey through the online application submission process. The Survey questionnaire requests voluntary self-identification in relation to equity-seeking groups that have historically faced and continue to face barriers in employment. Please refer to the Applicant Diversity Survey - Statement of Collection for additional information.


Job applicants requiring accommodation to participate in the hiring process should contact the following to communicate accomodation needs:

Human Resources Service Centre at 905-525-9140 ext. 222-HR (22247), or Faculty of Health Sciences HR Office at ext. 22207, or School of Graduate Studies at ext. 23679

Interview Experience

At McMaster University, we believe in a comprehensive and inclusive interview process. Our interview methods encompass a variety of approaches that allow our hiring teams to provide a flexible and accessible experience for engaging with our candidates. Throughout your recruitment process at McMaster, you may be requested to participate in a variety of formats, that may include in-person, virtual or recorded interviews. If you have any questions as you move through the hiring process, please reach out to talent@mcmaster.ca or the HR contact associated with your position of interest.