Staff - Non Union
Job Category
M&P - AAPS
Job Profile
AAPS Salaried - Research and Facilitation, Level C
Job Title
Genetic Counsellor & Research Manager
Department
Wasserman Laboratory | Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics | Faculty of Medicine
Compensation Range
$7,622.83 - $11,886.67 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 7, 2025
Note:Applications will be accepted until 11:59 PM on the Posting End Date.
Job End Date
August 17, 2026
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 Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics at the University of British Columbia seeks an experienced genetic counsellor for a Head Genetic Counsellor and Research Management position in the Wasserman Lab working on the Silent Genomes Project. The Wasserman laboratory partners with a strong genetics community to develop and apply computational (bioinformatics) methods to improve diagnosis for individuals with rare genetic disorders caused by variations in genome sequences. The Silent Genomes Project is a national collaboration focused on the establishment of an Indigenous Background Variant Library under Indigenous governance and oversight.
Based on the campus of BC Children’s Hospital, the Wasserman laboratory is the lead laboratory for the oversight of access to and technical implementation of the Indigenous Background Variant Library. This is an interesting and varied leadership position, presenting a unique opportunity to plan, manage and coordinate key educational, recruitment, and genetic counselling activities of an international genomics research study, ‘Silent Genomes: Building a sustainable path to genetic/genomic care for Indigenous people of Canada and beyond’, funded by Genome Canada. The work also supports the CIHR-funded Team Grant: ‘The Pan-Canadian Genome Library (PCGL)’, which aims to provide long-term national infrastructure and resources for maintaining data and access to the output of genome sequencing projects, including the Silent Genomes Project.
The successful candidate will be responsible for planning and managing the development of genomic educational materials and tools for Indigenous families and communities considering genomic testing and research participation in Silent Genomes, facilitating engagement with First Nations, Metis and Inuit stakeholders, providing expertise and handling communications with genetic counsellors and genetics-focused clinicians across Canada and beyond who are or are considering working with data available in the Indigenous Background Variant Library. The successful candidate will work on developing study protocols and ethics submissions for British Columbia, and promoting educational resources and initiatives for users of the Indigenous Background Variant Library.
The successful candidate will be responsible for preparing and managing multi-institutional ethics applications (BC Children’s and Women’s Hospitals) for Silent Genomes, providing expertise to collaborating centres across Canada redevelopment of research ethics applications, enrolling Indigenous individuals and families in the Silent Genomes study, and handling phone and e-mail communications regarding Silent Genomes. In addition, the successful candidate will provide supervision to a number of staff members and University students working on Silent Genomes within the Wasserman lab, and providing leadership for genetic counsellor(s) across Canada using the data resources from the project.
Occasional travel within Canada is likely.
For more information. Please see the Silent Genomes Project website at:
https://www.bcchr.ca/silent-genomes-project
Organizational Status
This is a leadership role, requiring a high degree of independence, initiative and professional judgement. The successful candidate reports to and receives guidance from Dr. W. Wasserman (Professor, Medical Genetics, Project Leader), with input and advice from Dr. L. Arbour (Medical Geneticist, Co-Project Leader) and Dr. Nadine Caron (Co-Project Leader) as needed. The successful candidate will supervise staff members and possibly University students or volunteers working on Silent Genomes. They will prepare reports for oversight bodies and funding organizations, as well as participate in budget management for the Indigenous Background Variant Library.
Work Performed
- Plan, develop and lead efforts related to education about genetics concepts for participant recruitment key, partner development (e.g. First Nations considering participation) and clinician utilization of the project database (requires design and creation of educational and information resources) of the Silent Genomes project
- Design communication strategies and oversee development of information resources for First Nations, Metis, and Inuit organizations and individuals to empower informed choice for participation in the project
- Identify and evaluate educational tools available, through in-depth literature review and consultation with education experts about genetics concepts
- Set directions and goals and lead the development of genomic educational materials, based on input received from Indigenous partners, with consideration of long-term use by clinicians, researchers, and health systems integrating Indigenous genomic data
- Develop a strategic plan to deliver end products (educational tools/materials) within the required time frame, ensuring materials are adaptable for ongoing partnerships and emerging genomic initiatives
- Using genetic counseling expertise, design, implement and handle communications for genetic counsellors across Canada working with the Silent Genomes Indigenous Background Variant Library
- Manage and supervise staff members in the Wasserman lab working on governance, ethics, or policy work within Silent Genomes, including research assistant(s) and possibly undergraduate and/or post-graduate University students or volunteer(s). Mentor staff to support capacity building in Indigenous genomics policy and partnerships.
- Prepare and manage multi-institutional ethics applications, and provide expertise on ethics applications to other centres collaborating on Silent Genomes
- Act as a key liaison to national clinical and research stakeholders seeking to work with the Indigenous Background Variant Library, ensuring stakeholder relationships are built on trust, transparency, and shared benefit.
- Lead engagement with community organizations, Indigenous individuals and groups, and healthcare providers to develop a plan for recruitment of study participants, considering future scalability and long-term collaborative potential.
- Trouble-shoot and improve study protocols as needed, informed by feedback from both community partners and technical/research users of the database.
- Lead the preparation and submission of academic publications, emphasizing collaborative and ethical approaches to Indigenous genomic data use and stakeholder engagement.
- Give presentations on topics of high sensitivity to community members, stakeholders, and healthcare providers to communicate study activities and/or research results
- Travel to communities on occasion, including organizing travel and accommodation
Consequence of Error/Judgement
The successful candidate exercises professional judgment and initiative in the overall coordination and management of research activities. The successful candidate makes high-level decisions regarding the planning, coordination and communication of research activities.
Lack of careful attention to protocols and regulatory and ethical guidelines could suspend the Investigator and University as a site for further research and/or funding. Performance must strictly conform to research protocols, Tri-Council policy statement, and standard Canadian guidelines for health research involving Indigenous People.
A high level of cultural competency and sensitivity is necessary in this position, as any insensitive actions could jeopardize our longstanding research relationship with the Indigenous communities we work with.
Errors in the dissemination of DNA sequence data or any breach of confidentiality could jeopardize this research study and Dr. Wasserman’s research program. A confidentiality agreement must be signed, stating that any identifying and/or personal information will be held in the strictest confidence. Inaccuracies or incompleteness of data collection, or errors in the collection and handling of biological samples could result in erroneous data analysis and study results; therefore, it is imperative that the successful candidate is detail- oriented and very careful with their work.
Supervision Received
The incumbent works with wide latitude and demonstrates a high degree of independence. The successful candidate reports to and receives guidance from Dr. W. Wasserman (Professor, Medical Genetics, Project Leader), with input and advice from Dr. L. Arbour (Medical Geneticist, Co-Project Leader) and Dr. Nadine Caron (Co-Project Leader), as needed.
Supervision Given
The incumbent provides direction and expertise to project team members, including research assistants and, within their work on the project, University students and other trainees participating on the Silent Genomes project. The incumbent will also oversee work by external contractors working on the project.
Minimum Qualifications
For research work, a post-graduate degree or equivalent professional designation with a minimum of four years of related experience, or an equivalent combination of education and experience. Otherwise, an undergraduate degree in a relevant discipline is required with a minimum of six 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
- Master of Science degree in Genetic Counselling
- Current certification with the Canadian Association of Genetic Counsellors or American Board of Genetic Counselling or equivalent
- Previous genetic counselling or related work experience required
- Research experience in the field of genetics and/or healthcare
- Experience leading projects, teams, and/or project components in an environment involving multiple stakeholders
- Experience supervising other team members
- Experience and strong interest in teaching and education
- Experience in leading knowledge translation activities and developing educational tools
- Keen interest in Indigenous health and community-based research. Previous experience providing healthcare or conducting research within Indigenous communities is preferred.
- Demonstrated ability to provide culturally safe healthcare.Demonstrated knowledge, experience and/or training in the ethical, social, and cultural issues around conducting research in Indigenous communities is required.
- Excellent interpersonal manner and communication skills, including clear, concise writing skills
- Excellent organizational, time-management and problem-solving skills, with a strong attention to detail
- Proficiency with Word and Excel software is required
- Successful completion of Tri-Council Policy Statement (TCPS) online tutorial (may be completed upon hiring)
- Successful completion of an Indigenous Cultural Safety Course (may be completed upon hiring)
