Assistant Vice-President, Research

Executive

Job Category

Senior Executive

Job Profile

Associate Vice President

Job Title

Assistant Vice-President, Research

Department

Leadership | VP Research and Innovation

Compensation Range

$1.00 - $500,000.00 CAD Monthly

Posting End Date

April 21, 2025

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

Job End Date

The expected pay range for this position is $200,000 - $240,000 annual.

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 Assistant Vice-President, Research is a senior leadership role within the Vice-President, Research and Innovation (VPRI) portfolio, responsible for supporting and advancing research excellence at a strategic level. This includes developing and overseeing strategies to enhance research funding opportunities, promoting institutional research impacts, and supporting compliance with federal and international standards. The incumbent provides strategic direction for key institutional programs and policies, ensures alignment with institutional goals, and leads a team of managers and directors to facilitate collaborative and impactful research initiatives. The role also involves developing a unified communications strategy for the portfolio and representing the VPRI portfolio and the university to both internal and external stakeholders on institutional and strategic issues.

Organizational Status
Reports to the Vice-President, Research and Innovation and works collaboratively with senior leaders across the institution, including faculty, department heads, and external stakeholders. This role has significant responsibility for enabling research directions, enhancing institutional collaborations, and maintaining the university's reputation for research excellence and integrity.

Work Performed

• Develops and leads strategies to enhance research funding opportunities and promote institutional research impacts.

• Provides strategic direction and oversight for major federal research funding programs, including the Canada Research Chairs (CRC), Canada Excellence Research Chairs (CERC), and Canada First Research Excellence Fund (CFREF). In collaboration with the Associate Vice-Presidents, Research and Innovation, oversees and manages selection procedures for institutional selection processes for these programs.

• Oversees international research funding opportunities and fosters global collaborations and partnerships.

• Leads a range of programs and services pertaining to research funding development, and nominations development for major internal and external research prizes and awards.

• Leads the communications strategy for the VPRI portfolio, ensuring alignment with institutional objectives and effective engagement with internal and external audiences. Collaborates with the Vice-President, External Relations office to ensure a unified communications approach.

• Provides strategic leadership to the research security team, ensuring compliance with relevant policies and safeguarding institutional research integrity.

• Represents the VPRI portfolio on institutional and strategic matters. Acts as a liaison to federal government offices and other external stakeholders on research-related issues.

• Leads the administration and the application of the university's scholarly integrity policy.

• In collaboration with the Associate Vice-Presidents, Research and Innovation, oversees and manages internal research funding competitions run by the VPRI portfolio, ensuring transparency, fairness, and alignment with institutional priorities.

• Provides strategic support for interdisciplinary and collaborative research initiatives, ensuring institutional capacity and alignment with national and international research priorities. This includes developing and executing strategies to position the university competitively for funding opportunities, ensuring a proactive approach to addressing and anticipating funding trends.

• Advises VPRI leadership on the development of policies and frameworks to promote and sustain institutional research excellence.

• Collaborates with academic and administrative leaders to identify and address emerging research opportunities and challenges. Fosters collaboration across multiple disciplines to ensure a holistic and comprehensive approach to grant proposals and other funding opportunities.

• Builds relationships with internal and external stakeholders, including representing the portfolio on standing committees, search committees, policy committees, and ad hoc working groups.

Consequence of Error/Judgement
Errors in judgment or decision-making could result in significant financial loss, reputational damage, or missed opportunities for the institution. Poor management of research funding programs or security protocols could lead to non-compliance with federal and international regulations, affecting institutional credibility and future funding opportunities. Failure to foster effective collaboration or secure funding could negatively impact the institution's ability to conduct leading-edge research.

Supervision Received
Reports to the Vice-President, Research and Innovation, and works independently under broad direction.

Supervision Given

The role oversees a team of professionals, senior managers and directors, including Director, SPARC; Director, Research Security; Manager, Communications (VPRI); Manager, Strategic Initiatives (VPRI); Manager, Institutional Programs (VPRI); Manager, Special Projects; Manager, International (50% shared position), Manager, Scholarly Integrity; and Data Analyst.

The incumbent provides mentorship, strategic direction, and performance oversight to ensure effective team operations and achievement of portfolio goals.

Minimum Qualifications

• Advanced degree, preferably a PhD, in a relevant field.

• Over ten years of related experience including established grant and peer-review publication record 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

• Demonstrated experience in research administration, with a strong understanding of research funding mechanisms, compliance, and policy.

• Demonstrated expertise in strategic planning and program implementation for large-scale research initiatives.

• Proven leadership and team management skills with experience supervising senior managers or directors.

• Strong influencing and negotiation abilities to navigate complex organizational dynamics.

• Exceptional writing, communication, and presentation skills, with the ability to convey complex ideas to diverse audiences effectively.

• Deep understanding and respect for the university's culture and environment, with the ability to operate effectively within its unique context.

• Demonstrated ability to build, manage and maintain high-quality and productive relationships across cultural difference.

• Demonstrated ability to effectively communicate and interact with empathy, understanding and, respect of diverse and divergent perspectives and behaviors.

• Works in a collaborative and inclusive manner, fostering equitable experiences and a respectful environment for all staff.

• Acknowledges, reflects upon and challenges one’s own biases and assumptions.

• Recognizes and addresses personal and institutional assumptions and behaviors that create barriers to inclusion

• Proactive and solution-focused problem solver with advanced analytical and critical thinking skills.

• Proven success in building consensus and fostering collaborative relationships across diverse stakeholder groups.

• Demonstrated ability to build, enable, and lead engaged and high-performing teams.

• In-depth knowledge of federal research funding programs (e.g., CRC, CERC, CFREF) and international research collaboration opportunities.

• Experience contributing to the academic research community through committee work or editorial responsibilities.

• Experience in research security and scholarly integrity policies is highly desirable.