City : Vancouver

Category : Full time

Industry : Educational Services

Employer : University of British Columbia

Staff - Non Union

Job Category

M&P - AAPS

Job Profile

AAPS Salaried - Research and Facilitation, Level A

Job Title

Research Coordinator - Borgland Family Brain Tissue and DNA Bank

Department

Administrative Leadership | Centre for Brain Health | Faculty of Medicine

Compensation Range

$5,365.42 - $7,709.92 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

July 10, 2025

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

Job End Date

Sept 30, 2026

This posting is for a 12 month maternity leave replacement.

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

This posting is for a 12 month maternity leave replacement.

The Research Coordinator (RC) is the lead staff member of the Borgland Family Brain Tissue and DNA Bank core facility and is responsible for managing the operations, ethical protocols, and biobanking services of the DMCBH Biobank. The RC will work collaboratively as part of a team that includes DMCBH/UBC Hospital partner clinics, hospital support staff, research staff and trainees, and clinical investigators.

Under the direction of the DMCBH Biobank Director(s), the RC develops and implements organizational strategies for this facility in relation to the long-term strategic plans of the DMCBH and collaborators, and refines these strategies over time to ensure maximum responsiveness to the evolving user cohort. The RC will also work with and be the primary liaison to multiple external organizations across the Province of BC, Canada, and internationally.

Organizational Status

The Borgland Family Brain Tissue and DNA Bank (Biobank) is a well-established core facility dedicated to the collection, storage and distribution of the highest quality of human biospecimens. Located in the DM Centre for Brain Health (DMCBH) building, this facility is a valuable resource used by a broad range of investigators and clinics at the UBC Hospital site and beyond. It serves as a critical link between clinical and research teams, allowing for the acceleration of research projects that will lead to the development of new therapies and techniques.

The RC reports to the Director(s) of the DMCBH Biobank.

Work Performed

Planning & Ethical Protocols

Provides input to the Director(s) on long term strategic planning;

Oversees the ongoing development of a Biobank database, policies, and SOPs;

Develops a plan for inclusion of human brain samples (paraffin blocks);

Drafts ethics protocols and grant applications, and manages the ethics committee approval process;

Updates Biobank database and ethics protocols, under the direction of the Steering Committee and Director(s), to ensure security and confidentiality of Biobank specimens. 

Operations

Manages the day-to-day operations of the Biobank, including overseeing the operating budget, developing project plans, drafting contracts, invoicing for services, assigning resources, maintaining equipment, and ensuring occupation safety protocols are followed;

Oversees training and supervision of the research technician who obtains, processes, stores, and retrieves biospecimens;

Works in partnership with the UBC Hospital Clinic for Alzheimer Disease and Related Disorders (UBCH-CARD) and oversees the coordination and completion of consenting and processing of biospecimens and brain donations for the CARD research study;

Creates and executes activity work plans for the research assistant and revises as required;

Oversees facility card access of all users (e.g. technicians, coordinators from clinical research groups);

Refines data collection and storage using software packages such as OpenSpecimen and REDCap;

Drafts progress and financial reports on behalf of the Steering Committee/Director(s) and external granting agencies as required.

Communications

Willingness to respect diverse perspectives, including perspectives in conflict with one’s own beliefs;

Demonstrates a commitment to enhancing one’s own awareness, knowledge, and skills related to equity, diversity, and inclusion;

Facilitates ongoing interaction with clinicians and researchers to meet their Biobanking needs;

Coordinates Steering Committee and internal planning meetings;

Informs staff and Biobank user groups of operational changes, project work plans and milestones, and general updates;

Communicates Biobank best practices and high standards to local users and stakeholders;

Maintains awareness and working knowledge of new and emerging biobank technology and research.

Consequence of Error/Judgement

Errors could seriously jeopardize the DMCBH Biobank facility and collaborating Departments in the UBC Faculty of Medicine and potentially result in irrevocable loss of invaluable tissue samples.

Supervision Received

Works independently and consults and takes direction from the Director(s) and Steering Committee.

Supervision Given

Supervision given to a full-time Biobank Research Technician.

Minimum Qualifications

Undergraduate degree in a relevant discipline. Minimum of two years of related experience, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

- Willingness to respect diverse perspectives, including perspectives in conflict with one’s own

- Demonstrates a commitment to enhancing one’s own awareness, knowledge, and skills related to equity, diversity, and inclusion

Preferred Qualifications

Experience in project management and a combination of education or experience in biobanking and/or clinical projects involving biobanking preferred. Demonstrated strong interest in biobank/research administration, scientific/clinical research and ethical considerations an asset. Excellent oral and written communication, interpersonal, analytical, budgetary, judgment, supervisory, motivational, space planning, management and organizational skills. Ability to work effectively independently and in a team environment. Ability to exercise tact and discretion. Ability to prioritize and work effectively under pressure to meet deadlines.