City : Vancouver

Category : Full time

Industry : Educational Services

Employer : University of British Columbia

Job Category

Job Profile

Job Title

Department

Compensation Range

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

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

Job End Date

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 Advanced Therapeutics Manufacturing Facility (ATMF) is part of Canada’s Immuno-Engineering and Biomanufacturing Hub (CIEBH), a UBC-led national research hub that aims to align the critical mass of immune-engineering expertise with biomanufacturing and public health strengths concentrated in BC. It is also a key part of the BC MS Cell Therapies Translational Research Network, with the goal of accelerating novel cell therapies for neurological and autoimmune diseases. The ATMF, when operational, will be a Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) biomanufacturing core facility to produce advanced therapeutics - such as cells, mRNA vaccines, and ancillary plasmid DNA - essential for early-phase clinical trials, addressing current health challenges, and strengthening Canada’s pandemic preparedness

The Research Manager will contribute to the development and management and of a wide scope of projects and contracts, including multi-investigator, multi-institutional, partnered, and industry projects. The Research Manager works at both the pre-award/contract and post award/contract stages. At the pre-award stage, they identify project and funding opportunities, and work with stakeholders to develop initiatives and seek funding opportunities. Relevant ATMF stakeholders include, but are not limited to, Faculty at UBC and other post-secondary institutions, health authorities, and industry. For post award projects and contracts, they manage progress, budgets and lead reporting back to funders and other relevant stakeholder. The Research Manager communicates and coordinates with ATMF staff to monitor and adjust milestones and deliverables.

The position is based at the ATMF Process Development lab at the UBC Vancouver Campus. Travel will be required between multiple laboratory sites, including the BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute and the BC Cancer Research Institute.

Organizational Status
The University of British Columbia is a global centre for research and teaching, consistently ranked among the top 20 public universities in the world. Since 1915, UBC’s entrepreneurial spirit has embraced innovation and challenged the status quo. UBC encourages its students, staff and faculty to challenge convention, lead discovery and explore new ways of learning. At UBC, bold thinking is given a place to develop into ideas that can change the world.

Our Vision: To Transform Health for Everyone

Ranked among the world’s top medical schools with the fifth-largest MD enrollment in North America, the UBC Faculty of Medicine is a leader in both the science and the practice of medicine. Across British Columbia, more than 12,000 faculty and staff are training the next generation of doctors and health care professionals, making remarkable discoveries, and helping to create the pathways to better health for our communities at home and around the world.

The Faculty—comprised of approximately 2,200 administrative support, technical/research and management and professional staff, as well approximately 650 full-time academic and over 10,000 clinical faculty members—is composed of 19 academic basic science and/or clinical departments, 3 schools, and 25 research centres and institutes. Together with its University and Health Authority partners, the Faculty delivers innovative programs and conducts research in the areas of health and life sciences. Faculty, staff and trainees are located at university campuses, clinical academic campuses in hospital settings and other regionally based centres across the province.

The UBC Vancouver Campus is located on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) people. The City of Vancouver is located on Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh First Nations territory.

For pre-award/contract and general activities, the Research Manager reports directly to the ATMF Project Lead. For management of post-award/contract activities, the Research Manager reports to the ATMF Head of Operations, who in turn reports to the ATMF Project Lead. This position will work closely with the Manager, Process Development to ensure project activities progress according to the expectations of funders and clients.

Work Performed
Pre-award activities:

• Manages the preparation of grant applications on behalf of the ATMF Project Lead, Co-Lead and in collaboration with other partners. Provides strategic input into the proposal drafts and design, develops research plans, and develops budgets, as well as supporting other appropriate sections of the application. Programs may include Genome BC, Genome Canada, Canada Foundation for Innovation, Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council, Canadian Institute for Advanced Research, Western Economic Diversification, and other UBC, local, provincial, federal and international programs.

• Proactively identifies and analyzes upcoming funding competitions and provides key recommendations, such as deadlines and budgetary parameters, to faculty members regarding competitiveness, alignment, and strategic positioning.

• Expands the ATMF project portfolio through active networking and outreach to identify new multi-investigator, multi-institutional, and industry-partnered projects.

• Works with ATMF leadership staff to develop budgets, timelines and workflows for projects.

• Manages and oversees the implementation of research projects to ensure that funding agency and Research Ethics Board (REB) requirements are met.

• Analyzes relevant literature to assess the scientific validity of new project topics, and alignment with research priorities.

Post-award activities:

• In collaboration with the ATMF staff, manages and oversees the onboarding of new projects, including the development and submission of biosafety and ethics applications.

• Provides oversight of all reports, documentation and funding progress updates for funders and partners; advises on performance trends and mitigation strategies where required, working collaboratively with ATMF staff.

• Leads the planning, execution, monitoring, and reporting of funded projects to ensure all milestones and objectives are achieved. Responsible for providing regular updates to the ATMF Head of Operations.

• Ensures funds are spent within UBC policies and guidelines. Monitors expenditures of assigned grants to ensure funds are spent as planned and within budget.

General activities

• Manages outreach activities, including the management and executing of seminars, training sessions, and internal or international conference presentations.

• Collaborates with the ATMF Lead and Head of Operations to track and report on facility metrics, such as partnership growth, funding levels, and Highly Qualified Personnel (HQP) training.

• Fosters a collaborative and inclusive working environment that supports excellence

• Acts on behalf of ATMF as delegated/requested by the Head, Operations and Lead, AMTF Project.

• Performs other related duties as required by the ATMF Lead and Head of Operations.

Consequence of Error/Judgement
The incumbent will be expected to use professional judgement and initiative in the overall management of multiple projects. Inappropriate judgement could damage the facility’s reputation amongst the research community and with industry partners, which could directly affect the facility activities and growth potential. These outcomes could, in turn, negatively impact the reputation of the ATMF and UBC as a centre of research excellence. Poor attention to detail will negatively impact on the progress and direction of research projects. Exercising poor judgment can adversely affect the viability and validity of ATMF’s projects or programs and may compromise UBC’s ability to secure grant-based funding or contracts for future ATMF projects. The incumbent will work independently and will need to exercise a high degree of judgment and initiative. A lack of judgment could harm the team and organizations' research and funding. Disseminating incorrect information would greatly impact the reputation of the Faculty and the University as a whole.

Supervision Received
This position works under the general supervision of the ATMF Lead and Head of Operations. Work is reviewed periodically to assess the validity of recommendations or the achievement of defined goals.

Supervision Given
This position does not have direct supervisory responsibilities.

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

-          The preferred candidate will have a PhD in an area relevant to ATMF activities

-          The preferred candidate will have scientific expertise in at least one area of relevant to the ATMF, for example, cell therapy, mRNA/LNP therapy, gene therapy, regenerative medicine, biomanufacturing, chemical engineering

-          Project Management Professional (PMP) certification would be an asset

-          The successful candidate will be self-driven and capable of independent thinking with excellent organizational skills and strong attention to detail.

-          Strong oral and written communication, and interpersonal skills

-          Strong problem-solving skills.

-          Demonstrated experience in grant writing and development

-          Computer competency with knowledge of spreadsheet, database, graphics editing and word processing applications.

-          Demonstrated experience in project management, including planning, execution, monitoring and reporting of complex projects.

-          Experience in wet lab research environments is an asset.

-          Proven ability to liaise with funding agencies and other internal and external partners to gather further program information.

-          Proven ability to develop and maintain cooperative and productive working relationships with groups and individuals such as researchers and funding agencies is essential.

-          Proven ability to effectively manage multiple tasks and priorities.

-          Proven ability to work effectively both independently and in a team environment.

-          Proven ability to prioritize and work effectively under pressure to meet deadlines.

-          Proven ability to understand and apply policies, procedures and instructions.

-          Ability to prepare clear, concise, and accurate research reports.

-          Ability to work a flexible schedule, including occasional weekends, evenings, and early mornings, as required.

-          Ability to work both independently and collaboratively in a team environment.

-          Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively and interact with empathy, understanding, and humility with people from diverse backgrounds and with diverse identities, perspectives, and behaviors. Excellent political acuity, tact, judgment and discretion.

-          Demonstrated ability to work in a fast-paced, collaborative research environment.