Description
The Department of Community Health Sciences in the Cumming School of Medicine invites applications for a Senior Research Program Manager. This Full-time Fixed Term position is for approximately 12 month (based on length of grant funding), with the possibility of extension.
The research program is one of the most substantial and nationally visible programs of its kind in Canada, with six active grants totaling $6.6 million from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC), the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR), Alberta Innovates, and the Canadian Cancer Society.
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The program operates across three integrated research streams - Child, Youth and Community Health; Health Systems and Cancer; and Precision Nutrition and currently includes seven postdoctoral fellows, five graduate students, multiple research coordinators, an epidemiologist, and a Research Associate. The program maintains a national network of 42 scholars across four continents, the Black Youth Mentorship and Leadership Program, and active policy engagement at the federal and provincial levels.
This role is expected to work in person, with no remote work.
Reporting to the Principal Investigator.
Summary of Key Responsibilities (job functions include but are not limited to):
Program Operations & Compliance
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Oversee the day-to-day operations of the full research program across all three streams and six active grants, ensuring alignment with funder requirements, institutional policies, and the CRC Director's strategic priorities
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Maintain a master operational dashboard timelines, deliverable schedules, ethics renewal dates, reporting deadlines, and personnel contract end dates ‿ across all grants simultaneously
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Lead the preparation and submission of all funder progress reports and final reports, coordinating inputs from postdocs, coordinators, and the Director
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Manage all research ethics board (REB) submissions, amendments, renewals, and closures across all active protocols, ensuring no lapses in ethics approval
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Develop, document, and maintain standard operating procedures for all program functions - onboarding, data management, ethics processes, purchasing, and reporting
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Liaise with the University of Calgary's Research Services Office, Faculty research administration, and institutional HR on all operational and compliance matters
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Identify and manage operational risks across the program, escalating to the Director when decisions exceed operational authority
Coordinate logistics for community partner meetings, stakeholder engagements, national network activities, and knowledge mobilization events
Financial Stewardship
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Financial oversight is a primary accountability of this role. The program manages six concurrent grants from four funders, each with distinct budget structures, eligible expense categories, and reporting requirements. The Research Program Manager holds direct responsibility for the financial integrity of this portfolio
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Maintain a consolidated, real-time view of budgets, commitments, and actual expenditures across all active grants, ensuring the Director has accurate financial intelligence at all times
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Monitor expenditure against approved budget lines for each grant, identifying variances early and advising the Director on corrective action or budget amendments\
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Manage and document the allocation of personnel costs across grants including postdocs, graduate students, and coordinators funded from multiple sources ensuring accuracy and audit readiness
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Prepare financial forecasts and multi-year spending projections, flagging funding cliffs and personnel funding gaps in advance to enable proactive hiring and transition planning
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Oversee procurement and purchasing for all research activities, ensuring expenses are correctly authorized, eligible under the relevant grant, and coded to the appropriate account
Develop budget justifications for new grant applications in collaboration with the CRC Director, accurately projecting personnel, research, and indirect costs aligned with funder guidelines
People Management
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Hold formal managerial scope and supervisory responsibility for all program operational staff, including research coordinators (SP2), administrative support, and the Research Associate, in accordance with University of Calgary People and Culture (P&C) policies
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Lead all hiring processes for program staff developing job profiles, posting positions, coordinating shortlisting and interviews, and completing offer and onboarding documentation
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Conduct annual performance reviews for direct reports and support the Director in providing structured feedback to postdoctoral fellows on operational and program matters
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Manage all staff contracts, renewals, and extensions across the program, tracking end dates and initiating renewal processes with appropriate lead time
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Coordinate onboarding for new postdocs, graduate students, and staff ‿ including system access, ethics training, orientation to program procedures, and introductions to community partners
Research Development Support
Qualifications / Requirements:
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PhD degree in a relevant field - public health, health sciences, social sciences, research administration, or a related discipline
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Minimum five to seven years of progressive experience managing complex, multi-funded research programs or research operations in an academic, hospital, or health sector environment
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Extensive experience with research in Black communities in Canada including at least four years focused experience in research with Black communities in Canada is required (strong preference for individuals whose Master or PhD thesis or postdoctoral work was with Black communities in Canada)
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Demonstrated experience overseeing multiple concurrent research grants from federal or provincial funders, including budget management, financial reporting, and compliance
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Proven people management experience including hiring, performance management, onboarding, and HR processes in a unionized or policy-governed environment
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Experience supervising a large team
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Direct experience with various granting agencies especially the Canadian tri-agency (SSHRC, CIHR, NSERC) grant administration, reporting requirements, and eligible expense policies
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Demonstrated experience with research ethics board processes, including protocol submission, amendment, and renewal
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Strong financial literacy ability to read and manage research budgets, track expenditures across multiple accounts, produce forecasts, and identify variances
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Excellent written communication skills ability to draft clear reports, policy documents, correspondence, and grant application sections
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Advanced proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite; experience with university research management systems (e.g. PeopleSoft, RMS, Tri-agency portals) is a strong asset
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Demonstrated ability to manage multiple competing priorities simultaneously, work independently with minimal supervision, and exercise sound judgment in ambiguous situations
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Strong diplomatic skills
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Familiarity with community-engaged and participatory research approaches and the operational requirements they entail
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Experience managing Alberta Innovates or Canadian Cancer Society grant requirements
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Experience working with community partner organizations, including partnership agreement management and co-produced research coordination
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Experience supporting CRC or other major research chair renewal or reporting processes
Familiarity with knowledge mobilization and policy engagement activities in a research context
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Application Deadline: June 12, 2026
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 Management Career Band, Level 2 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 ii' taa'poh'to'p 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.
The university's commitment to the Indigenous Strategy is evident through the oversight of 18 Elders serving on the Circle of Advisors and the many unit-based circles working towards implementation of the strategy including the Faculty Advisory Circle and teams such as the Office of Indigenous Engagement, the Writing Symbols Lodge, and the Indigenous Research Support Team. Many Indigenous-based events and processes are impacting curriculum, programming and polices at the University of Calgary.
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 ([email protected]) and requests for accommodations can be sent to People & Culture ([email protected]).
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.
