Job Description

POSITION: Research Associate I, Institute of Cancer Research, CIHR

Reports to: Scientific Director and Assistant Director, Institute of Cancer Research, CIHR

DEPARTMENT: Institute of Cancer Research, CIHR

COMPENSATION: $34.46 per hour to $43.08 per hour

STATUS: Permanent Full-time

University Health Network (UHN) is looking for an experienced professional to fill the key role of Research Associate I in our Princess Margaret Cancer Center.

Transforming lives and communities through excellence in care, discovery and learning

The University Health Network, where \xe2\x80\x9cabove all else the needs of patients come first\xe2\x80\x9d, encompasses Toronto Rehabilitation Institute, Toronto General Hospital, Toronto Western Hospital, Princess Margaret Cancer Centre and the Michener Institute of Education at UHN. The breadth of research, the complexity of the cases treated, and the magnitude of its educational enterprise has made UHN a national and international resource for patient care, research and education. With a long tradition of ground breaking firsts and a purpose of \xe2\x80\x9cTransforming lives and communities through excellence in care, discovery and learning\xe2\x80\x9d, the University Health Network (UHN), Canada\xe2\x80\x99s largest research teaching hospital, brings together over 16,000 employees, more than 1,200 physicians, 8,000+ students, and many volunteers. UHN is a caring, creative place where amazing people are amazing the world.

University Health Network (UHN) is a research hospital affiliated with the University of Toronto and a member of the Toronto Academic Health Science Network. The scope of research and complexity of cases at UHN have made it a national and international source for discovery, education and patient care. Research across UHN\'s five research institutes spans the full spectrum of diseases and disciplines, including cancer, cardiovascular sciences, transplantation, neural and sensory sciences, musculoskeletal health, rehabilitation sciences, and community and population health.

Position Overview:

The Institute of Cancer Research (ICR), headquartered at the University Health Network (UHN) in Toronto is one of the thirteen institutes of the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR). ICR enhances ongoing cancer research by creating new cancer research programs, and by coordinating Canada-wide cancer research efforts supported by different national and provincial agencies.

As part of the ICR Team, the Research Associate will be responsible for providing strategic support and fostering and promoting programs and initiatives under the general direction of the ICR Scientific Director and Assistant Director. This position has a high degree of administrative responsibilities and less emphasis on hands-on laboratory/research work. The ICR Research Associate must have scientific training, highly developed analytical skills, outstanding written and oral communication skills, and have the ability to learn new skills and adapt to a fast-paced environment. The position requires highly developed problem-solving skills, discretion, discernment, and confidentiality.

The position is located at the ICR office at UHN. Some travel will be required for attending national and international conferences/workshops, as well as to provide support for ICR-specific events/meetings. The position may require some evening or weekend work.

Summary of Key Responsibilities (Job functions include but are not limited to):

• Provide administrative support and coordination to ICR staff, including scheduling meetings, preparing meeting materials (e.g., agendas, meeting minutes, scientific reports), and general clerical duties, as required.
• Conduct literature reviews and environmental scans in support of institute initiatives, acquiring data for Ministerial requests, and preparing publications.
• Query large datasets, conduct data analysis, and translate into effective data visualization using various tools (e.g., Microsoft Power BI, Tableau) to guide strategic decisions and support institute initiatives.
• Develop briefing notes and slide decks for the Scientific Director and Assistant Director.
• Comprehensive management of institute records, updating the funding database, internal and external stakeholders list, grant reviewers list, etc.
• Provide expertise in optimizing existing data management systems and processes.
• Support the Assistant Director and Scientific Director in writing concept papers and business cases to support the implementation of strategic research priorities, the development of funding opportunities, and other documents as required.
• Support the Assistant Director in drafting funding announcements and increasing awareness of programs and funding opportunities.
• Assist in conducting relevance reviews, project validation, and procuring reviewers for ICR funding opportunities.
• Participate in peer reviews and CIHR committees and working groups, as required.
• Liaise with stakeholders to develop partnerships that support ICR research priorities.
• Support institute communications by providing data/content for newsletters and social media.
• Remain current on research by attending workshops and scientific meetings, as required (some travel may be required).
• Provide support to ICR staff in the planning and coordination of event logistics (e.g., local and large pan-Canadian workshops, meetings, conferences).
• Contribute/participate in the implementation of special projects that support the strategic directions of the institute in collaboration with ICR and CIHR staff.

Qualifications/Requirements:

• Completion of a Bachelor\xe2\x80\x99s or Master\xe2\x80\x99s Degree in a health- or science-related discipline.
• A minimum of 2 years (for Master\xe2\x80\x99s) or 5 years (for Bachelor\xe2\x80\x99s) related experience in academic health research required.
• Excellent ability to critically think through and analyze complex information, identify issues, and formulate recommendations.
• Excellent written communication skills as demonstrated by publications, reports, etc.
• Strong computer skills, including expert level proficiency in Microsoft Office (e.g., Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, SharePoint, Forms, Teams) and digital scientific repositories (e.g., PubMed, Science Direct, Google Scholar, reference manager software).
• Excellent oral and written communication skills to draft clear, concise correspondence, as well as to respond to enquiries with tact, confidentiality, and discretion.
• Must be highly organized and detail-oriented and possess excellent interpersonal skills for liaising with institute stakeholders, senior leadership, and representatives from partner organizations.
• Must be able to work both independently and within a team environment and balance competing priorities to meet deadlines.
• Strong problem-solving skills and ability to learn new technologies and techniques quickly.
• Demonstrated knowledge and experience with programming languages used for data analytics (e.g., Python, SQL, R) and data visualization tools (e.g., Microsoft Power BI, Tableau) would be a strong asset.
• Demonstrated knowledge and experience with building and managing efficient and reliable databases and data pipelines to store, move, and transform data would be a strong asset.
• Strong ability for self-direction, organization, project and time management.
• Bilingualism (French/English) would be considered an asset.
• Exceptional attention to detail, nuance, sensitivity, and assurance of accuracy in communicating health and research information.
• Knowledge of the Canadian cancer research landscape and its stakeholders is an asset.
• May occasionally require travel and flexibility in hours of work to attend and support meetings/events.

Vaccines (COVID-19 and others) are a requirement of the job unless you have an exemption on a medical ground pursuant to the Ontario Human Rights Code.

Posting Date: April 5, 2023 Ending Date: April 24, 2023

For current UHN employees, only those who have successfully completed their probationary period, have a good employee record along with satisfactory attendance in accordance with UHN\'s attendance management program, and possess all the required experience and qualifications should apply.

University Health Network thanks all applicants, however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

UHN is a respectful, caring, and inclusive workplace. We are committed to championing accessibility, diversity and equal opportunity and welcomes all applicants including but not limited to: all religions and ethnicities, LGBTQ2s+, BIPOC, persons with disabilities and all others who may contribute to the further diversification of ideas. Requests for accommodation can be made at any stage of the recruitment process providing the applicant has met the Bona-fide requirements for the open position. Applicants need to make their requirements known when contacted.

University Health Network