Senior Advisor, Research Chairs

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Position Purpose
Reporting to the Director, Strategic Services, the incumbent develops, manages and implements the institutional portfolio of Research Chairs Programs. Provides expert high-level advice to the leadership team within the Office of the Vice-President, Research and Innovation (OVPRI) to support strategy and decision making. Key liaison to Faculty administrators and researchers in the recruitment of Research Chairs and in development and submission of competitive proposals to improve the success rate of Chair funding requests and increase the University’s research intensity. Manage all Research Chair-related operations and institutional reporting for the Canada Research Chairs Program.

In this role you will:

• Participate to the design and planning of strategies around targeted research initiatives and work closely with the VPRI and AVP to implement strategic recruitment plans for the University Research Chairs and externally-funded research chairs. Monitor internal and external trends in research activities to identify priorities and recommend new initiatives. 
• Conduct discussions with Faculties and researchers to guide them on the institution’s strategic research priorities and to ensure that their research programs are aligned with the strategic areas of development in research as well as those of the funding organizations. Provide advice, guidance and strategies in a timely manner to researchers preparing proposals for major funding opportunities (more specifically Research Chair nominations) to ensure their applications meet the evaluation criteria, the requirements of the Programs and are competitive. 
• Connect researchers, faculty-based Research Advisors and their teams to potential partners and networks to improve the team’s capacity and, thus, their competitive advantage in major Chair competitions.  
• Keep abreast of the challenges and opportunities inherent in the funding environment, specifically for the Canada Research Chair Program and Canada Excellence Research Chair Program, such as EDI requirements and best practices and make recommendations to support decision-making of senior university administrators.  
• Design and implement strategies in collaboration with OVPRI senior management to ensure that our Canada Research chairs allocation is maximized and our recruitments meet the EDI equity targets and CRC program requirements.

What you will bring:

• Master’s degree, preferably with a strong research background or equivalent experience. PhD an asset.
• Minimum of 7 years of experience in similar or equivalent positions or responsibilities.
• Knowledge of policies, guidelines and granting/contracting practices of federal and provincial funding agencies and departments, as well as granting foundations.  
• Demonstrated experience in a university, research administration or research environment and direct involvement and experience in preparing major research proposals. 
• Excellent written and oral communication skills in English and French. 
• Experience in project management. 
• Strong analytical and critical-thinking skills.
• Excellent organizational, administrative and communications skills. 
• Demonstrated ability to think strategically about complex issues, leading to thoughtful recommendations and action plans.
• Ability to work independently, manage overlapping deadline and shifting priorities while exercising excellent judgment at all times. 
• Exercise foresight, tact and diplomacy when interacting with university administrators and researchers of varying rank, as well as in liaising with granting agency personnel and key stakeholders.
• Experience in using computer systems and software such as Windows, PowerPoint, word processors, spreadsheets, databases, e-mail, Internet.

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Key Competencies at uOttawa:
Here are the required competencies for all or our employees at uOttawa: 
Planning: Organize in time a series of actions or events in order to realize an objective or a project. Plan and organize own work and priorities in regular daily activities.
Initiative: Demonstrate creativity and initiative to suggest improvements and encourage positive results. Is proactive and self-starting. Show availability and willingness to go above and beyond whenever it is possible.
Client Service Orientation: Help or serve others to meet their needs. This implies anticipating and identifying the needs of internal and external clients and finding solutions on how to meet them.
Teamwork and Cooperation: Cooperate and work well with other members of the team to reach common goal(s). Accept and give constructive feedback. Able to adjust own behaviour to reach the goals of the team.
The University of Ottawa embraces diversity and inclusion in the workplace. We are passionate about our people and committed to employment equity. We foster a culture of respect, teamwork and inclusion, where collaboration, innovation, and creativity fuel our quest for research and teaching excellence. While all qualified persons are invited to apply, we welcome applications from qualified Indigenous persons, racialized persons, persons with disabilities, women and LGBTQIA2S+ persons. The University is committed to creating and maintaining an accessible, barrier-free work environment. The University is also committed to working with applicants with disabilities requesting accommodation during the recruitment, assessment and selection processes. Applicants with disabilities may contact [email protected] to communicate the accommodation need. All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority.
Note: if this is a union position: The hiring process will be governed by the current collective agreement related to the union affiliation noted above; you can click here to find out more.
If this is a front-line position with responsibilities to interact with students, selected candidates must be rated at the Low Advanced proficiency level or higher for both oral comprehension and reading comprehension in their second official language. The rating is determined by a proficiency test designed by the Official Languages and Bilingualism Institute.

Prior to May 1, 2022, the University required all students, faculty, staff, and visitors (including contractors) to be fully vaccinated against Covid-19 as defined in Policy 129 – Covid-19 Vaccination. This policy was suspended effective May 1, 2022 but may be reinstated at any point in the future depending on public health guidelines and the recommendations of experts.