Job Description

Staff - Non Union

Job Category M&P - AAPS

Job Profile AAPS Salaried - Research and Facilitation, Level C

Job Title Research Project Leader

Department Prystajecky Laboratory | Centre for Disease Control | Faculty of Medicine

Compensation Range $6,551.00 - $9,418.83 CAD Monthly

The Compensation Range is the span between the minimum and maximum base salary for a position. The midpoint of the range is approximately halfway between the minimum and the maximum and represents an employee that possesses full job knowledge, qualifications and experience for the position. In the normal course, employees will be hired, transferred or promoted between the minimum and midpoint of the salary range for a job.

Posting End Date January 2, 2024

Note: Applications will be accepted until 11:59 PM on the day prior to the Posting End Date above.

Job End Date Jan 31, 2025

This position is located within a health-care facility, therefore, the successful candidate will be required to provide verification of full vaccination against Covid-19 provided prior to the start date, as required by a provincial health mandate.

At UBC, we believe that attracting and sustaining a diverse workforce is key to the successful pursuit of excellence in research, innovation, and learning for all faculty, staff and students. Our commitment to employment equity helps achieve inclusion and fairness, brings rich diversity to UBC as a workplace, and creates the necessary conditions for a rewarding career.

Job Summary
The UBC CDC is seeking a highly motivated, qualified and ambitious individual to work as a research project leader on various projects related to detection and sequencing of pathogens in wastewater, and related to One Health Genomics projects. The successful applicant will be responsible for leading and contributing to a number of existing funded projects. The ideal applicant will possess a curiosity and passion for science, a talent for independent and team-based research, and extensive knowledge and experience in molecular laboratory methods relevant to medical microbiology.

Organizational Status
This position will report directly to the study Principal Investigators overseeing the projects. They will work collaboratively with other research team members, including research assistants, graduate student trainees, and other research personnel. The position will provide supervision and mentorship to trainees, technicians and graduate students, and interact with local, national, and international collaborators on a regular basis. The position is based at the BCCDC Public Health Laboratory. Remote work is possible on a limited basis; however, the applicant will mostly work on-site due to the technical nature of the position.

Work Performed
- Plans and oversees research projects pertaining to detection, quantification and characterization of pathogens in wastewater, as well as other One Health Genomics projects. Testing methods used in the laboratory include qPCR, digital PCR and next-generation sequencing;
- Oversees multiple ongoing research projects and is responsible for planning and setting priorities and goals for projects on a weekly, monthly and quarterly basis;
- Performs literature reviews and analysis to provide background information to support the validation new tests, writing of reports, and development of new grant applications;
- Plans comprehensive validation activities for new wastewater surveillance tests and writes validation reports and standard operating procedures;

- Identifies opportunities for developing new initiatives, grants, contracts and projects that enhance funding of laboratory trials or grants by collaborating with stakeholders to enhance current and potential future studies. This includes liaising with funders including external organizations such as Michael Smith Foundation for Health Research, Canadian Institutes for Health Research, Genome Canada, Canadian Foundation for Innovation, the provincial and federal governments and industry;
- Writes significant portions of grants in association with senior staff, trainees and support staff including but not limited to the background, methodology, budget and bibliography. This also includes liaising with co-investigators, seeking matching funds, drafting letters of support and acquiring budget support documents;
- Contributes to project administration and management, including project milestones, reporting to funders on a quarterly basis, providing project updates to stakeholders (written reports, PowerPoints and posters), and budgeting/financial support;
- Oversees project budgets, including reviewing expenditures and forecasting spending. Generates internal monthly budget updates;
- Provides quarterly, annual and final reports to granting agencies as required. Prepares PowerPoint and poster presentations describing results of research;
- Provides leadership by liaising with senior scientists, post-doctoral fellows and graduate students, as well as academic and government collaborators to provide scientific and laboratory support to the various projects;
- Creates and manages university Research Ethics Board and biosafety applications;
- Is responsible for drafting collaborative research agreements and other documentation to support research and collaboration;
- Liaises with international and national collaborators to facilitate data or sample sharing and resolve any problems;
- Assists in the recruitment of research staff and trainees;
- Performs other administrative and related duties in the lab

Consequence of Error/Judgement
The incumbent will make important decisions affecting the productivity of the lab. Poor judgment could result in loss of experimental data and delay in conducting research, which could impact collaborations, publications, and future funding. Studies may be jeopardized if not conducted according to ethical requirements as laid out by the University and by regulatory authorities. Study files must be kept secured to ensure that patient confidentiality is not compromised. An error within the realm of a research study may result in biased or incomplete data and skewed study results. Errors made and poor decisions may be damaging to the reputation of the Principal Investigator, the BCCDC, and the University and could lead to incorrect or inappropriate policy recommendations being made.

Supervision Received
Direction is provided by the Principal Investigators; however, the position requires a strong independent work ethic and a candidate capable of setting their own directions and priorities within a given framework and working within agreed-upon milestones and timelines.

Supervision Given
Manages and oversees research assistants, junior staff and students as required. Assists and provides guidelines to other research members as required.

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\xe2\x80\x99s own

- Demonstrates a commitment to enhancing one\xe2\x80\x99s own awareness, knowledge, and skills related to equity, diversity, and inclusion

Preferred Qualifications

- Master\xe2\x80\x99s degree in Microbiology, Molecular Biology, or related fields (PhD preferred).
- Experience in laboratory research involving ethics and biosafety approvals, with knowledge and extensive experience in wastewater surveillance, One Health Genomics or other related areas of work.
- Demonstrated ability to collaborate in the preparation and/or presentation of research
- Ability to effectively manage multiple tasks and priorities. Ability to prioritize and work effectively under pressure to meet deadlines.
- Word, MS Excel, MS PowerPoint at an intermediate level. Excellent programming skills and mastery in one or more high level programming language (R preferred).
- Ability to troubleshoot and optimize bench-side experiments with high efficiency. Ability to resolve technical problems in an innovative manner.
- Excellent record-keeping skills.
- Ability to accurately create and maintain records.
- Ability to communicate effectively verbally and in writing.
- Ability to work effectively independently and in a team environment.
- Ability to develop and maintain cooperative and productive working relationships.
- Ability to deal with a diversity of people in a calm, courteous, and effective manner. Ability to effectively train, supervise, and motivate employees.
- Excellent leadership skills and experience leading small teams.

- Ability to validate data.

- Ability to keep abreast of current developments and trends in the field of information technology.

- Must conduct all activities in an ethical manner and treat funding information and research data confidentially.

University of British Columbia