Academic
Faculty Bargaining
Professorship in Substance Use and Addiction Medicine Implementation Science and Evaluation Tenure-Track Assistant Professor
Faculty and Leadership | Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences (Lalitha Raman-Wilms)
June 29, 2026
Note: Applications will be accepted until 11:59 PM on the Posting End Date.
June 30, 2030
The expected salary range for this position is $145,000 - $165,000 CAD per annum. Salary is competitive, negotiable, and commensurate with experience and is subject to final budgetary approval.
The initial appointment will be for a four-year term with the possibility of reappointment and promotion subject to demonstrated excellence in teaching, scholarly activity and service.
The University of British Columbia (UBC) is a global centre for research and teaching, consistently ranked among the top universities in the world. 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, and is essential to fostering an outstanding work environment. 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.
In partnership with the British Columbia Centre for Substance Use (BCCSU), the UBC Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences is seeking an individual with expertise in implementation science and evaluation focusing on substance use and addiction medicine, spanning clinical and related programmatic and policy interventions. We now invite applications for a full-time tenure-track Assistant Professor in our health outcomes theme, specifically in Collaboration for Outcomes Research and Evaluation (CORE), where the research programs focus on many aspects of epidemiology and population health, health economics, and health policy. UBC CORE faculty members apply their methodological expertise across a range of conditions and therapeutic areas, collaborating both nationally and internationally with pharmaceutical and health outcomes researchers.
The BCCSU is a provincially networked organization with a mandate to develop, help implement, and evaluate evidence-based approaches to substance use and dependence. The BCCSU’s vision is to transform substance use policies and care in the province by translating research into education and evidence-based care guidance. By supporting the collaborative development of evidence-based policies, guidelines and standards, the BCCSU seeks to improve the integration of best practices and care across the continuum of substance use, thereby serving all British Columbians. The BCCSU seeks to achieve these goals through integrated activities of its three core functions: research and evaluation, education and training, and clinical care guidance.
The major focus of this position will be the development of a cutting-edge, externally-funded, world-class research program. Specifically, the successful candidate will be expected to:
Establish and maintain a successful research program in the area of substance use and addiction medicine, to generate evidence and optimize outcomes in people living with problematic substance use;
Design and test strategies to scale implementation of evidence-based practices and research; and
Synthesize research information and translate into recommendations for clinical and policy guidance to optimize outcomes in people with problematic substance use.
Other responsibilities will include teaching topic-appropriate areas in health outcomes and other related topics to students in the BPSc, PharmD, and MSc/PhD programs, as well as new programs under development.
There remains a massive gap in data on the implementation and application of evidence-based practices and evaluation of impactful health outcomes in substance use and addiction. The successful candidate’s program of research will be grounded in implementation science, aimed at accelerating the translation of evidence into practice and improving outcomes through scalable and sustainable interventions. In the context of substance use, this includes improving the delivery, scale-up, and impact of prevention, treatment, harm reduction, and recovery services, alongside rigorous evaluation of effectiveness and implementation processes. Genuine alliance and collaboration with communities, health care professionals and people living with problematic substance use will facilitate a robust integrated knowledge translation framework that accelerates the implementation of evidence-based practices and research with far-reaching impacts during the ongoing overdose crisis. The addition of a research scientist with expertise in implementation science focused on substance use and addiction medicine will facilitate the growth of rapidly emerging research in this area with the ability to help transform substance use care in BC and beyond.
Qualifications
The successful candidate will possess:
PhD in population and public health or other relevant health fields or equivalent doctoral qualification
Experience in implementation science and health service evaluation
Specific expertise in the area of substance use and addiction that will complement and broaden the current strengths in the Collaboration for Outcomes Research and Evaluation
Demonstrated record of success as an emerging leader in an academic setting, specifically in substance use and addiction-focused research, with a superlative record of novel and innovative scientific research and productivity
Genuine commitment to tackling the challenges of bridging the complexity of data into the applied setting, with a compelling vision to optimize outcomes in people living with problematic substance use
Experience in review and synthesis methodologies, applying special methods to the analysis of systems data, and global health are an asset.
Passion for working in a deeply interdisciplinary fashion and building relationships and collaborations with health system partners, affected communities and other organizations
Potential for excellence in teaching with a strong commitment to professional, graduate, and post-doctoral education
Well-developed mentoring and communication skills
Demonstrated commitment to advancing equity, diversity, inclusion, and Indigenous perspectives and the application of these principles in the design, implementation, and evaluation of substance use and addiction services and policies
Demonstrated commitment to collegial internal and external service
The Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences is located in a state-of-the-art facility on UBC's Vancouver campus underpinned by world-class infrastructure, equipment, and the UBC Pharmacists Clinic. The successful candidate can leverage UBC’s existing collaborative ties with health system partners, including the Provincial Health Services Authority, and will have opportunities for collaboration with researchers in the Faculty, the BC Centre for Substance Use, and other health science Faculties, clinical centres, and external partners.
The expected salary range for this position is $145,000 - $165,000 CAD per annum. Salary is competitive, negotiable, and commensurate with experience and is subject to final budgetary approval. UBC is committed to attracting outstanding faculty members and offers competitive compensation, a start-up package, and benefits packages, including support for housing and relocation.
Application Requirements
Applicants must include the following items in their applications:
Letter of application indicating interest in this position and relevant experience (1 page)
Curriculum vitae
Five-year research program plan (3 pages)
Statement of your philosophy relating to teaching, and the mentoring and supervision of research trainees (1 page)
Statement of commitment to Equity, Diversity, Inclusion, and Indigeneity best practices in research and teaching (1 page)
Copies of up to five key publications as well as a brief summary of each of these publications outlining the significance, impact, and your contribution (1 page)
Names and contact information of three referees
Review of Applications and Anticipated Start Date
Review of applications will begin on June 30, 2026 and will continue until the position is filled. The anticipated start date for this position is Sept 1, 2026 or upon a date to be mutually agreed. Inquiries about the position may be directed to [email protected].
Careful Consideration of Leaves
UBC acknowledges that certain circumstances may cause career interruptions that legitimately affect an applicant’s record of research or educational leadership achievement. We encourage applicants to note in their applications whether they would like consideration given to the impact of any circumstances, such as those due to health or family reasons, in order to allow for a fair assessment of their research productivity.
Commitment to Accessibility
The University is committed to creating and maintaining an accessible work environment for all members of its workforce. Within this hiring process we will make efforts to create an accessible process for all candidates (including but not limited to people with disabilities). Confidential accommodations are available on request by contacting [email protected]. For additional information regarding UBC’s accommodation and access policies and resources (for faculty and staff as well as students), please visit the Centre for Workplace Accessibility: https://hr.ubc.ca/CWA.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
Equity and diversity are essential to academic excellence. An open and diverse community fosters the inclusion of voices that have been underrepresented or discouraged. We encourage applications from members of groups that have been marginalized on any grounds enumerated under the B.C. Human Rights Code, including sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, racialization, disability, political belief, religion, marital or family status, age, and/or status as a First Nation, Metis, Inuit, or Indigenous person.
All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadians and permanent residents of Canada will be given priority.
