Job Description

• Company Name: Alberta Innovates
• Company Website:
• Opening Date: 2023-05-15
• Closing Date: 2023-08-11
• Location: Edmonton

This position is a part of the Environmental Services Division and is responsible for business development; technical proposals and contracts; project and program development and management; analysis, interpretation, and communication of experimental results; and collaboration and interaction with colleagues, clients, and external experts. This position is primarily related to environmental genomics (e.g., eDNA/bulk tissue samples, 16S microbial analysis, qrtPCR analysis, metabarcoding, bioinformatics, etc.) to support environmental questions, including rare and elusive species detection, microbial community analysis, invasive species monitoring, and impact and recovery assessment.

Are you our next Researcher for Environmental Services? You would be a good fit for this position if this describes you:

Highly motivated, results-oriented Molecular Biologist.
Collaborative by nature and able to work as part of a multi-disciplinary team.
Enjoy tackling new technical challenges and developing innovative solutions to problems.
Are resourceful, creative, and forward thinking.
Able to adapt to a dynamic schedule and to work independently.

We are game changers

InnoTech Alberta, a subsidiary of Alberta Innovates, is a leading research and technology organization serving the needs of industry, entrepreneurs and the public sector. Our leading-edge expertise and industrial-scale research and demonstration facilities accelerate and de-risk technology development and deployment for our clients with a focus on industrial solutions and commercial application. With over 230 employees, InnoTech operates within several locations across the province, including Vegreville, Edmonton, Devon, and Calgary. We are Alberta\'s innovation engine - with 100 years of bold ideas that feed, grow, fuel, and build Alberta\'s agriculture, energy, environment, and forestry sectors. Visit us at: InnoTechAlberta.ca

Intrigued? Here\'s some more information about the position:

The Experienced Researcher is accountable for project development, management, and execution within the Environmental Services division of InnoTech. The Environmental Services Division strives to be the preferred partner for addressing complex environmental, natural resource management and greenhouse gas management challenges. Our collaborative work with the Government of Alberta and industry has contributed to the province\'s reputation as a world leader in integrated environmental monitoring and data analysis, risk analysis, and carbon capture and storage technology. Our teams develop and validate processes and technologies that enable more efficient, effective, and economical environmental monitoring and management. We achieve this through identification, evaluation, monitoring and validation of solutions to address industry needs in environmental impacts and risk evaluation, integrated monitoring, asset retirement and environmental management. We support industrial decarbonization toward net-zero emissions through development, validation, and demonstration of carbon capture and utilization and methane reduction technologies.

Key areas of interest for the Environmental Services division relevant to this position include: contaminant fate and behaviour in the environment; de-risking of technologies and processes for remediation and environmental monitoring; site assessment, remediation, and reclamation; and restoration and sustainability. We incorporate leading edge approaches into our projects, including the development and de-risking of genomic and digital tools.

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to the following:

Project Management and Technical Expertise

Develop and manage execution of applied research and development programs and projects including:

Create and monitor project schedule, budget, and scope of work.

Manage projects and forecast project workforce and asset allocation to ensure effective and optimal scheduling and delegation of tasks.

Manage project outcomes to achieve high-quality deliverables.

Prepare and present client reports and publish results in the scientific literature.

Engage with clients and project stakeholders to validate scope of work and change orders, provide progress updates, and manage expectations.

Collect environmental or bulk samples for molecular analysis to characterize and monitor micro/macro-organism communities and/or targeted species to support environmental management.

Complete project development, study design, data collection, sample and statistical analysis and report writing.

Use and apply innovative technical expertise and capabilities to:

Employ molecular tools (e.g., PCR, qrtPCR, dPCR, high throughput sequencing) to answer environmental monitoring and assessment questions to inform appropriate management. Examples of current projects include detection of microorganisms and invasive species, monitoring of rare and/or elusive species, community-level analysis, and assessment of impact.
Perform lab tasks related to molecular analysis, as needed, to support projects, including both those you develop and ones developed by colleagues.

Collaborate with colleagues to complete projects, including brainstorming project ideas, developing/adapting/assessing methods, and engaging with prospective clients, funders, and collaborators.

Prepare and deliver reports and presentations for clients, publish work in peer-reviewed journals as appropriate, and provide engagement materials for corporate initiatives (e.g., website).

Assist with developing and implementing strategic direction for environmental genomics within the Alberta context.
Contribute to development of standards and best practices to support client initiatives.

Enhance the team\'s capabilities and capacity to provide services to clients by pursuing professional development, procuring capital assets, and developing unique facilities.

Support and/or participate in field work, as appropriate.

Provide consultation on projects within the Environment Division, and with other Divisions within the organization, to enhance multi-disciplinary capabilities.

Provide coaching and mentoring to junior employees and project collaborators.

Adhere to corporate project management and workplace health and safety standards.

Business Development and Client Engagement

Provide support and apply technical expertise for business development efforts, including:
Engaging with external clients and stakeholders to identify business opportunities.

Monitoring and analyzing industry market intelligence, industry best practices, and emerging trends and championing identified business opportunities.

Preparing program and project proposals and budgets for presentation to external and internal clients to solicit funding support.
Facilitating client discussions and convening events to enable collaborative joint industry projects and multi-stakeholder initiatives to address common industry challenges.

Negotiating and arranging contractual agreements with clients.

Supporting Division\'s branding and market positioning initiatives including representing InnoTech Alberta at tradeshows, conferences, and workshops.

The position will be based at InnoTech Alberta\'s Edmonton Research Park and Vegreville locations, with some flexibility related to the number of days per week that would be spent at each facility. Note that our molecular lab, and supporting services, are housed at our Vegreville facility.

Qualifications and skills we are looking for:

Education and Experience Requirements:
Bachelor of Science or higher degree, with a specialization in molecular biology or related discipline.
3-5 years of experience working in the field of molecular biology/ecology, microbial genomics, environmental genomics.
We are especially interested in candidates with strong knowledge and experience with bioinformatics related to community analysis (micro/macro-organism community datasets).

Key Skills and Abilities:

Excellent problem-solving skills and ability to apply technical solutions from multiple industries and sectors to address client needs.
Strong project management and delivery skills.
Excellent interpersonal, verbal communication, and presentation skills.
Strong written communication skills, including technical writing skills demonstrated through technical reports and proposals.
Ability to facilitate and work collaboratively with internal and external stakeholders.
Strong organization skills and attention to detail that reflects ability to perform and prioritize multiple tasks, competing agendas, and heavy client demands.
Demonstrated ability to be self-motivated and proactive.
People leadership and interpersonal skills and ability to coach and mentor junior staff.
Negotiation, conflict management, and decision-making skills.
Basic understanding of contract elements and process.
Flexible to work and conduct research independently and as part of a multi-disciplinary collaborative team.
Willing to conduct field and/or lab work.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office programs.
Valid driver\'s license.

Why InnoTech Alberta?

We offer our employees opportunities to work on projects that will expand their skill sets while witnessing the visible impacts of their efforts. We value the development of our employees and create opportunities for working in capacities that allow new skills to be learned. We know that the wellness of our team is the most important part of our business, so we offer a strong benefits package and generous vacation and paid time off programs to promote work-life balance.

At InnoTech Alberta, we respect diversity and embrace an inclusive culture. We value uniqueness and different perspectives as they play a critical role in our success. To achieve this, individuals are selected based on qualifications, merit, and abilities and we encourage applications from all backgrounds to apply.

The final candidate will be required to undergo a security clearance. All interviewees must be able to meet the requirement specified in the Physical Demand Analysis. This document will be supplied during the interview process to the successful candidate. This competition will remain open until a successful candidate is found.

INNOTECH ALBERTA IS COMMITTED TO THE PRINCIPLE OF EQUITY IN EMPLOYMENT AND ENCOURAGES APPLICATIONS FROM ALL INDIVIDUALS. WE WISH TO THANK ALL APPLICANTS FOR THEIR INTEREST. HOWEVER, ONLY THOSE INVITED FOR AN INTERVIEW WILL BE CONTACTED.

Alberta Society of Professional Biologists