Associate Vice‑President Research (Research Talent & Development) (Internal Posting)
City : Halifax
Category : Other
Industry : Education
Employer : Dalhousie University
Reporting to the Vice‑President Research & Innovation, the Associate Vice‑President Research (Research Talent & Development) is a 0.5 FTE, three-year term, senior academic leadership role providing strategic oversight of researcher development and scholarly talent programs across the university. The AVPR leads academic direction for initiatives supporting researchers across career stages, including research chairs, internal awards, mentorship, and inclusive pathways for emerging scholars.
The AVPR also leads institution‑wide initiatives assigned by the VPRI that require cross‑faculty collaboration, and long‑term strategic perspective.
Key Responsibilities
- Guide the academic direction and governance of research chairs and scholarly talent programs, including Canada Research Chairs, Killam Chairs, Impact+ Chairs, and internal awards.
- Provide academic leadership for institutional researcher development, focusing on early career and emerging scholars, while collaborating with Faculties and the Faculty of Graduate Studies to strengthen support for PhD students and postdoctoral fellows.
- Support the development of strong, equitable, and transparent nomination and mentorship pipelines for major awards, chair programs and scholarly recognition.
- Provide governance oversight and strategic alignment for research Centres and Institutes.
- Lead major VPRI‑assigned initiatives that require academic leadership, cross‑faculty collaboration, and institutional coordination.
- Chair the Research Integrity Committee.
The ideal candidate is a respected scholar with a strong commitment to developing research talent and advancing scholarly excellence. They are recognized for their collegial leadership style, credibility across disciplines, and ability to work collaboratively with faculty, academic units, and central administration. They bring a strategic, systems‑level understanding of the research talent lifecycle and are motivated to strengthen mentorship, opportunity, and recognition for researchers at all career stages.
Required Qualifications
- An established record of scholarly achievement and research impact appropriate for a senior academic leadership role.
- Demonstrated experience in academic administration or research leadership, including strategic planning and program development.
- Strong understanding of the Canadian research funding ecosystem and major talent programs.
- Experience supporting researcher development, mentorship, and academic career progression.
- Demonstrated commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility.
- Strong communication and relationship-building skills, with the ability to build trust across disciplines and units.
Assets:
- Experience with major research chair programs and internal or national award nomination processes.
- Experience supporting doctoral education and postdoctoral training.
- Demonstrated success leading cross‑faculty or institution‑wide academic initiatives.
- A record of interdisciplinary research or cross‑disciplinary collaboration.
Competencies:
Like all senior leaders at Dalhousie, the AVP, RTD will be expected to demonstrate the core and leadership competencies that make up the Dalhousie Competencies. Of particular interest to the committee will be the following competencies:
Like all senior leaders at Dalhousie, the AVP, RTD will be expected to demonstrate the core and leadership competencies that make up the Dalhousie Competencies. Of particular interest to the committee will be the following competencies:
- Respect & Inclusion
- Thinking and Acting Strategically
- Relationship Building
- Resource and Process Management
- Change and Innovation
Applications for this position are restricted to current employees of Dalhousie University as described in the Internal Posting Guidelines.
Dalhousie University commits to achieving inclusive excellence through continually championing equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility. The university encourages applications from Indigenous Peoples of Turtle Island (especially Mi’kmaq), persons of Black/African descent (especially African Nova Scotians), and members of other racialized groups, persons with disabilities, women, persons identifying as members of 2SLGBTQIA+ communities, and all candidates who would contribute to the diversity of our community. In accordance with our Employment Equity Policy, preference will be given in hiring processes to candidates who self-identify as members of one or more of the equity-deserving groups listed above. For more information, including details related to our Employment Equity Policy and Plan and definitions of equity-deserving groups please review our Employment Equity information.
If you require any support for the purpose of accommodation, such as technical aids or alternative arrangements, please let us know of these needs and how we can be of assistance. Dalhousie University is committed to ensuring all candidates have full, fair, and equitable participation in the hiring process. Our complete Accommodation Policy can be viewed here.