Faculty/Unit: VP Research – Western Research
Department: Research Development & Services
Job Reference: 33933
Employee Group PMA – Professional and Managerial Association; Salary Grade: 15
Hours per Week: 35

About Western

With an international reputation for success, Western ranks as one of Canada’s top research-intensive universities. Our research excellence expands knowledge and drives discovery with real-world application. Western also provides an exceptional employment experience, offering competitive salaries, a wide range of employment opportunities and one of Canada’s most beautiful campuses.

About Us

Western ranks as one of Canada’s top research-intensive universities. With contributions that range from fundamental research to applied discovery, its researchers advance knowledge and provide tangible benefits for the economic, social, health and cultural development of citizens in London, in Canada, and around the world. Western Research provides strategic and comprehensive support to foster a culture of research excellence that enhances Western University’s profile on the global stage.

Responsibilities

The Knowledge Mobilization & Research Impact Specialist’s primary mandate is to maximize Western’s research impact by building capacity, connections, and a community that prioritizes excellence in discovery with innovation in research mobilization and dissemination. The role will support strategic initiatives to build a framework and culture of inclusive research assessment that better profile the breadth of research and research impact at Western. The Specialist will identify and develop strategic relationships locally, nationally and internationally that increase the reach of research and elevate Western’s profile. The Specialist will facilitate the removal of barriers to research knowledge by training, empowering and supporting Western faculty, staff and students on the implementation of strategic plans for mobilizing research outcomes and supporting research partnerships. The role will assist directly with knowledge user and partner identification and engagement, funding opportunity dissemination and support, research proposal development, implementation of internal initiatives and programming, and the curation of resources to support innovative mobilization, research co-creation, and research impact. The overarching purpose of the role is to enhance Western’s research success and funding performance.

Qualifications

Education:

• 4 year undergraduate thesis-based degree
• Certificate in knowledge translation/mobilization
• Graduate degree in a research-based discipline preferred
• Courses in quantitative and qualitative analysis preferred

Experience:

• 5 years’ experience supporting knowledge mobilization and research assessment practices within a post-secondary environment
• 1 year experience supporting grant proposals
• Proven experience writing successful proposals and working with major government research programs is preferred
• Experience preparing presentations, workshops, toolkits and/or resources related to knowledge mobilization and research impact assessment is preferred
• Knowledge of open access, open science, inclusive and responsible research assessment practices, bibliometrics preferred
• Certificate and/or completed training related to cultural safety preferred

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:

• In-depth knowledge of best practices for knowledge mobilization and inclusive research assessment
• In-depth knowledge of Canadian peer-review granting systems, funding landscape and knowledge mobilization requirements
• Demonstrated ability to develop and deliver educational sessions and resources to diverse stakeholders to increase their awareness of, and capacity for, knowledge mobilization, research dissemination, partnered research and research impact assessment
• Persuasive oral and written communication skills, plain language skills and critical thinking skills to translate information into easily understood terms, summarize information, and provide a rationale for action
• Passion for supporting and elevating research Proficiency in program management and mixed-methods evaluation
• Experience in event planning and coordination
• Advanced computer skills in Microsoft Office Suite
• Ability to research new avenues of funding from federal granting agencies, industry and other funding sources
• Strong editing and proofreading abilities with attention to detail with emphasis on requirements for proposal development, reports and presentations
• Superior time management and organizational skills to create and maintain required processes and meet deliverables
• Influential interpersonal skills to interface with stakeholders, build relationships and network
• Ability to analyze and synthesize sizable amounts of detail/data with an ability to communicate information to academic and non-academic audiences using different approaches
• Ability to work collaboratively with diverse stakeholders to inform work goals, advance work independently, and share openly
• A well-defined sense of diplomacy, solid negotiation and facilitation skills
• Proven ability to work well with diverse groups at all levels within the institution and external parties, exercising appropriate judgment in decision making
• A desire to grow and advance skills, which is demonstrated by attending conferences, workshops and other professional developmental opportunities to enhance performance

Western Values Diversity

The University invites applications from all qualified individuals. Western is committed to employment equity and diversity in the workplace and welcomes applications from women, members of racialized groups/visible minorities, Indigenous persons, persons with disabilities, persons of any sexual orientation, and persons of any gender identity or gender expression.

Accommodations are available for applicants with disabilities throughout the recruitment process. If you require accommodations for interviews or other meetings, please contact Human Resources at hrhelp@uwo.ca or phone 519-661-2194.

Please Note:

We thank all applicants for their interest; however, only those chosen for an interview will be contacted.