Job Description

Description

The

Department of Physiology and Pharmacology

in the

Cumming School of Medicine

invites applications for a

Specialist - Living Medicines Initiative

. This Full-time Fixed Term position is for approximately 12 months (based on length of grant funding), with the possibility of extension.


The Cumming School of Medicine (CSM) is poised to become leaders in this new and exciting area of precision medicine. Owing to past investments in the International Microbiome Centre (IMC) and Wild Microbiome & Immunology Centre within the Snyder Institute, the Arthur Child Precision Oncology Initiative and Riddell Centre for Cancer Immunotherapy within the Charbonneau Cancer Institute, gene therapy research for rare disease at the Alberta Children's Hospital Research Institute, and stem cell research at the Hotchkiss and McCaig Institutes, our scientists have gained renown for elucidating the biology of commensal microbes and the human immune system, and understanding their relationships with health and disease. More recent investments in genome editing technologies and clinical research capabilities have set the stage for knowledge translation into human medicines.


A cross-cutting multidisciplinary initiative in 'Living Medicines' will build upon these key programs, utilizing the most advanced technologies available and catalyzing our research institutes and many research teams across campus to develop innovative microbial and human cell therapies for a spectrum of devastating diseases. A Specialist of Living Medicines is being sought to coordinate this new initiative.


Reporting to the Scientific co-leads, the Specialist, Living Medicines provides strategic management and coordination of the Living Medicines Initiative

Summary of Key Responsibilities

(job functions include but are not limited to):


Strategic Planning

Working closely with the leadership team, partners and stakeholders, the Specialist, Living Medicines is responsible for implementing a detailed strategic and operational plan to enable the vision and mission of the Living Medicines Initiative

Program Management

Oversee the implementation of the Living Medicines Initiative, guided by its values and strategic plan Support our existing centers and facilities (e.g., IMC, Riddell) and work closely with scientific leads to plan, build, commission and operate new programs, centers and facilities needed to achieve our vision Support talent recruitment throughout the initiative and provide leadership and direction to new and core staff who are supporting Living Medicines activity, including oversight of responsibilities, training and career development, mentoring, and performance reviews Create and oversee an annual Living Medicines Symposium, and other educational opportunities within the Initiative (visiting speakers, research rounds, work-in-progress sessions, etc.) Develop and oversee instruments to enable effective and sustainable collaboration among the inter-connected research themes, centers, facilities and stakeholders Create a culture of continuous improvement and foster communication and collaboration among all Living Medicines programs, centers, facilities and stakeholders Continuously cultivate strategic and operational partnership with participating CSM institutes Full scope of managerial discretion on hiring, performance reviews, and discipline up to and including termination, of direct reports

Financial Management and Sustainability

Oversee Living Medicines research funding envelopes through a comprehensive financial management approach with clear financial objectives, funding sources, budgeting, expenditure tracking and reporting Establish funding and expenditure communication channels with all funding partners and stakeholders to ensure transparency and alignment, leveraging CSM research and trust accounting management practices Working with the Vice-President (Research) Office and other institutional resources, build out systems and tools to enable processing, tracking and reporting of funding as part of the Living Medicines operational model As part of enhancing research capabilities and broadening Living Medicines impact, develop a partnership or outreach strategy that proactively engages potential provincial, national and global funders as part of growth and sustainability strategies Support the development and implementation of large team grants by the institute's constituents

Governance/Organizational Structures

Strengthen and oversee governance structures to enable strong oversight, including an International Scientific Advisory Committee (ISAC) and a CSM Strategic Oversite Committee (SOC) Aligned with institutional strategies, and working with the EDI Council, support the engagement approaches with national and global EDI experts to Living Medicines EDI Action Plan and its implementation Establish a Patient and Family Advisory Council to facilitate research and knowledge mobilization locally, nationally and internationally Working with the Leadership Team, establish and oversee a systematic and collaborative decision-making framework aligned with the institution and driven by our guiding principles Develop approach to translating and distilling perspectives and guidance from governance bodies to the Scientific Committee and facilitate exchange of information as needed to review, prioritize and enable our research plan and build sustainability strategies

External Partnerships

There are extensive existing and potential new partners in academia, government, public sector, non- for-profit sector and industry. Living Medicines is dependent upon successful partnerships to deliver on its vision and develop a sustainable, cohesive and strategic translational research program in Living Medicines Contribute to the development of external partnerships to strengthen scientific strategies across inter-connected themes and cross-cutting programs, centers and facilities Continue to develop and advance the partnership with CSM advancement office and its donor community in health and wellness research and impact Cultivate provincial and federal government relationships as part of partnership framework and sustainability models Facilitate the creation of a partnership platform to enable collaboration, networking, communication, knowledge exchange, access to funding, community engagement and data sharing

Qualifications / Requirements:

A PhD degree in a related scientific field; experience in health or business administration is an asset A strong understanding of living medicines (microbial and/or eukaryotic), including the current research, translation and clinical landscape, and opportunities and challenges for impact creation 5 years+ of experience in health research or implementation, post-secondary, non-profit or industry A proven track record in building and maintaining partnerships or collaborations with stakeholders from academia, government, public sector, non-profit sector, or industry Excellent communication skills to foster a culture of continuous improvement and collaboration among all stakeholders. Proven record of writing scientific documents Experience in developing and implementing governance and organizational structures to enable operational efficiency and institutional oversight, such as working with or participating on organizational boards, scientific committees, advisory governance models, EDI councils, or patient and family councils The ability to understand and appreciate the differences between people of all cultures and be committed to shaping shared EDI goals

Application Deadline:

October 14, 2025

We would like to thank all applicants in advance for submitting their resumes. Please note, only those candidates chosen to continue on through the selection process will be contacted.


This position is classified in the

Research Career Band, Level 4

of the Management and Professional Staff Career Framework.


For a listing of all management and staff opportunities at the University of Calgary, view our

Management and Staff Careers website

.

About the University of Calgary

UCalgary is Canada's entrepreneurial university, located in Canada's most enterprising city. It is a top research university and one of the highest-ranked universities of its age. Founded in 1966, its 36,000 students experience an innovative learning environment, made rich by research, hands-on experiences and entrepreneurial thinking. It is Canada's leader in the creation of start-ups. Start something today at the University of Calgary. For more information, visit ucalgary.ca.


The University of Calgary has launched an institution-wide Indigenous Strategy committing to creating a rich, vibrant, and culturally competent campus that welcomes and supports Indigenous Peoples, encourages Indigenous community partnerships, is inclusive of Indigenous perspectives in all that we do.

As an equitable and inclusive employer, the University of Calgary recognizes that a diverse staff/faculty benefits and enriches the work, learning and research experiences of the entire campus and greater community. We are committed to removing barriers that have been historically encountered by some people in our society. We strive to recruit individuals who will further enhance our diversity and will support their academic and professional success while they are here. In particular, we encourage members of the designated groups (women, Indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities, members of visible/racialized minorities, and diverse sexual orientation and gender identities) to apply. To ensure a fair and equitable assessment, we offer accommodation at any stage during the recruitment process to applicants with disabilities. Questions regarding [diversity] EDI at UCalgary can be sent to the Office of Institutional Commitments

(

equity@ucalgary.ca

) and requests for accommodations can be sent to Human Resources (

hrhire@ucalgary.ca).

Do you have most but not all the qualifications? Research show that women, racialized and visible minorities, and persons with disabilities are less likely to apply for jobs unless they meet every single qualification. At UCalgary we are committed to achieving equitable, diverse, inclusive and accessible employment practices and workplaces and encourage you to apply if you believe you are right for this role.

We encourage all qualified applicants to apply, however preference will be given to Canadian citizens and permanent residents of Canada.