Staff - Non Union
Job Category
M&P - AAPS
Job Profile
AAPS Salaried - Research and Facilitation, Level F
Job Title
Director, Support Programs to Advance Research Capacity
Department
Leadership | Portfolio B | AVP Research and Innovation
Compensation Range
$12,755.08 - $19,905.67 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
August 8, 2025
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.
UBC is a leading global research university. The Director will play a significant role in providing direction and strengthening UBC faculty members’ success in major external research funding competitions, and in a diverse range of external research awards and prizes The Director will also monitor standards and processes to increase the societal impact of UBC research.
The Director provides leadership in the management of a range of programs and services pertaining to research funding development (Support Programs to Advance Research Capacity), and nomination development for major external research prizes and awards (Office of Research Prizes & Awards) as well as services and programs to facilitate the exchange of knowledge and expertise between UBC researchers and external partners and users (Knowledge Exchange Unit). The Director leads the strategic planning of service delivery, is a primary point of contact for the unit, and proactively establishes new relationships with faculty members and other partners.
Organizational Status
The Director reports to the Assistant Vice-President, Research (Vancouver). The Director works in a highly collaborative manner with units in the VPRI portfolio, in the Provost and VP Academic’s Office and the President’s Office, the network of grants facilitators, the Research Advisors, Deans, and Associate Deans, Research across the two campuses (UBC Vancouver and UBC Okanagan), and is a point of contact for external agencies.
Work Performed
Research Funding, Prizes and Awards Management
Provides leadership in the planning, development and implementation of programs, policies and services to support the University’s research community. Seeks out, develops and implements proactive measures in order that UBC achieve best practices in research development by working in collaboration with UBC faculties, departments, and institutes and external agencies and professional associations in Canada and internationally.
Provides leadership in the management of programs and services provided by Support Programs to Advance Research Capacity (SPARC), Office of Research Prizes & Awards (ORPA) and the Knowledge Exchange Unit (Kx) and ensures strategic alignment with Faculties.
Directs and oversees grant review and grant development services for faculty from across UBC V.
Directs and oversees the development of nominations for research prizes and awards in collaboration with faculty, staff and leaders in Faculties and departments from across UBCV. Leads the establishment of robust and transparent nomination processes grounded in best Equity, Diversity and Inclusion practices.
Directs and oversees the development and delivery of educational programs such as workshops, expert panels, online resources and other appropriate approaches to support the development of competitive research funding applications and award nomination and to build capacity in knowledge exchange.
Establishes, monitors and acts upon metrics and key performance indicators to ensure the services of SPARC, ORPA and Kx meet the needs of the UBC community.
Leads decision making on priorities for SPARC, ORPA and Kx that are consistent with the University’s strategic plan, and those for local, national, and international funding agencies.
Within the scope of the Director’s responsibilities, and in collaboration with the Office of Research Services, ensures compliance with funding agency policy.
Creates and maintains effective communication channels with leadership in Faculties and academic departments.
Provides strategic advice on events to recognize faculty achievements.
Establishes and is accountable for metrics that demonstrate the impact of SPARC and ORPA, and which ultimately show an increase in UBC’s success in funding competitions and faculty prizes and awards.
Provides strategic advice to faculty members on appropriate, relevant, and timely funding and nominations opportunities.
Keeps up-to-date and responds to changing Canadian and international research funding agency, Foundations, Charities etc. policies, guidelines, rules/regulations and disseminates information of changes that affect the University.
Administration & Leadership
Works closely with the VPRI Communications team to optimize opportunities to promote the unit’s programs and services to faculty researchers from across UBCV.
Through ongoing consultation with key stakeholders including academic leadership, ensures the unit is offering the right suite of services to the right group of stakeholders at UBC.
Directs and oversees SPARC and ORPA involvement in Tri-Agency, Foundations, Charities, etc. visits by spearheading events, meetings and referrals.
Is responsible and accountable for the SPARC and ORPA annual budget and forecast.
Creates a workplace of choice for staff by enabling meaningful professional development, fostering an open and transparent approach to decision making, and providing ongoing coaching and mentorship.
Performs other duties as assigned
Consequence of Error/Judgement
The Director, SPARC, is a high-profile leader at UBC, whose team’s core mission is to improve the profile and success of UBC researchers. A keen sense of how to effectively manage complexity - political and otherwise - will help ensure the Director makes strategically sound decisions that benefit UBC researchers and reflect well on the VP Research & Innovation. Poor discretion and less than expert decision making could result in a lack of support from key stakeholders, reduced success in important research funding competitions, and a disengaged staff.
Supervision Received
Works with full latitude. Work reviewed in terms of achievement of long-term goals.
Supervision Given
Manages professional staff in the delivery of quality services pertaining to research applications.
Minimum Qualifications
University degree in business or science, or the equivalent combination of education and experience. Minimum 9 years of experience in a research environment.
- 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
Advanced degree, preferably a PhD, in a relevant field preferred
Demonstrated success in the development and review of competitive peer-reviewed research funding proposals
Experience supporting faculty researchers in a research-intensive university
In-depth knowledge of national research funding landscape and federal funding opportunities
Experience establishing and managing faculty peer review committees and institutional grant and award selection processes
Familiarity with national and international research awards landscape including major national award sponsors and programs (Royal Society of Canada, National Killam Program etc.).
Demonstrated ability to manage diverse teams including expert people-management skills,
Strong project management skills
Expert verbal and written communication skills, with a keen attention to detail;
Proven ability to work collaboratively with university stakeholders such as faculty members, senior administrators, and executive leaders
Ability to foster the long-term learning and development of staff through coaching, managing performance, and mentoring
Ability to prioritize and work effectively under pressure to meet deadlines
Ability to make decisions and recommendations involving highly complex and ambiguous issues.
Ability to work independently with minimal supervision as well as part of a team
Proactive and analytical problem solver with the ability to use creative, conceptual, or inductive reasoning or thought processes to identify patterns in complex data, and identify key or underlying issues in complex situations
