Job Description

Staff - Non Union

Job Category M&P - AAPS

Job Profile AAPS Salaried - Educational Programming, Level B

Job Title Science Education Specialist- Microbiology & Immunology

Department Administrative Leadership | Department of Microbiology | Faculty of Science

Compensation Range $6,068.92 - $8,724.25 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 November 19, 2023

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

Job End Date Jan 14, 2026

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 position is for a Science Education Specialist (SES) in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology. The successful applicants will have disciplinary expertise in microbiology, immunology, virology, biostatistics (or related life sciences discipline), and will bring expertise in pedagogy and evidence-based teaching practices. They will receive ongoing support, mentoring and training in science education, including through professional development workshops coordinated by the Faculty of Science Centre for Learning and Teaching (Skylight).

The successful candidate will coordinate and support the development and renewal of undergraduate programs by working closely with faculty to advise on innovative curriculum and course design, pedagogical practices, and assessments of teaching and learning effectiveness. The SES will also consult on Discipline-Based Education Research (DBER) projects or other Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) activities in the department. Overall, the primary role of this position will be to support faculty instructors and teaching assistants in the use of best practices related to teaching and learning, and to support the evaluation of the undergraduate program. Occasionally, the SES might participate in the instruction of specific undergraduate courses in order to support pedagogical advancement and the improvement of departmental instruction.

Organizational Status
This appointment will be made in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology in the Faculty of Science. This position reports to the Department Head of Microbiology and Immunology or designate. They will work closely with faculty instructors, teaching assistants, and students who may be hired to help with projects. They will interact with peers in their home department, in other departments and with Skylight personnel and the central teaching unit (CTLT). They may supervise teaching assistants and/or student research assistants.

Work Performed

Instructional guidance:

Advise and support faculty in developing and implementing new courses and course materials, transforming and improving existing courses, and revising and coordinating revision of curriculum at a course and/or program level

Advise and support faculty teaching activities and teaching and learning development projects; assist in developing, deploying and archiving instructional materials

Collect, distil, and communicate data to guide faculty/department efforts including the design of evaluation tools (concept questions, surveys, focus group questions, etc.)

Advise/collaborate with faculty on teaching and learning project proposal development (e.g., applications for UBC Teaching and Learning Enhancement Fund projects and Skylight development grants)

Liaise with members of Skylight and the UBC Centre for Teaching, Learning and Technology to coordinate relevant educational technology support and administrative assistance

Prepare and present departmental reports on pedagogical projects and/or initiatives

Coordinate departmental activities toward the achievement of the departmental vision around teaching and learning

Faculty Instructor and Teaching Assistant development:

Support faculty instructors in the use of evidence-based practices, possibly as part of a paired instruction arrangement

Serve as a resource for evidence-based teaching practice

Provide formative, informal expert feedback to faculty instructors on their teaching

Develop and deliver professional development workshops related to teaching for faculty instructors and teaching assistants

Facilitate the professional development of faculty instructors in the area of teaching and learning through workshops and one-on-one consultations, providing expertise and support in the planning, designing and implementing of evidence-based teaching practices and resources, and by measuring the effectiveness of such interventions.

Education research:

Consult and collaborate on scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL) and discipline-based education research (DBER) efforts undertaken by faculty instructors

Design educational research experiments and collect relevant data to evaluate curriculum renewal, and course projects

Disseminate scholarly work in collaboration with faculty instructors through presentations at national and international conferences and publishing in peer-reviewed journals

Community building:

Facilitate communication and consensus-building around teaching and learning within the department

Liaise across departments in the Faculty of Science and with colleagues at other institutions in the same discipline

Serve on committees related to departmental teaching and learning activities

Organize and participate in department activities related to instructional practice such as discussion series, science education seminars and reading groups

Participate in centrally-organized work and activities, including collaborating on Faculty of Science-wide projects, participating actively in the community of their peers across departments, attending/contributing to Skylight meetings, Supper Series and the Science Education Open House, and serving on committees as needed.

As part of the larger teaching improvement mission, may be asked occasionally to instruct in courses that are under development/study and have been identified as in need of pedagogical advancement. This would be less than one (up to three credits) course a year, at most twice (up to six credits) in a three year time span, and would be done under an Honorary Lecturer appointment.

Consequence of Error/Judgement
The incumbent will provide instructional expertise to improve the effectiveness of teaching by faculty instructors and teaching assistants in the department, and will advise on the development and improvement of organizational practices, and departmental teaching methods and materials. They will participate in assessing program offerings and may conduct formative peer reviews of teaching. Errors will impact the overall success of departmental teaching programs, and our ability to improve the teaching success of individual faculty instructors.

Supervision Received
The role reports to the Department Head, or designates. The incumbent will work under general guidelines. Work is reviewed in terms of achievement and effectiveness of the department\'s educational goals.

Supervision Given
This role provides guidance and advice to faculty instructors and teaching assistants on pedagogical skills, teaching practices and curriculum. It may include supervision of undergraduate/graduate teaching, research or academic assistants who may be hired to support course development and educational research projects.

Minimum Qualifications
Undergraduate degree in a relevant discipline. Minimum of four years of related experience, or the 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

Graduate degree in microbiology, immunology, virology or related life science field is preferred so that the incumbent will have sufficient knowledge of the discipline to better provide relevant pedagogical guidance for designing curriculum and developing course activities. Knowledge of evidence-informed pedagogical practices, and experience working in an instructional capacity (instructor or teaching assistant) with undergraduates are strongly preferred. Experience in curriculum development, evaluation, and educational research will be considered an asset.

Skills

• Ability to lead change by helping to implement a vision and taking appropriate action to ensure acceptance and support.
• Ability to instruct and provide training in pedagogical best practices.
• Ability to initiate and conduct research projects.
• Ability to analyze and interpret data, determine implications, and provide recommendations.
• Must have good assessment and evaluation skills.
• Must be able to give effective presentations.
• Must have excellent writing and verbal communication skills.
• Must have good management and organization skills.
• Ability to work effectively with minimal supervision.
• Ability to deal with a diversity of people in a calm, courteous, and effective manner.

University of British Columbia