Job Description

This position has an initial appointment of 1 year plus 1 day, with the possibility of extension up to 3 years.

Location - This role is hybrid with a mix of remote and in-person. Work primarily takes place at North Campus, Edmonton.

The Core Facilities Strategy and Operations Lead will conduct a comprehensive institutional review of the university's core facilities and shared research platforms, assess current operational and financial models, identify opportunities for improved coordination and administrative efficiency, and develop a long-term strategic roadmap for institutional implementation.

Operating in a highly decentralized environment, the successful candidate will work closely with researchers, facility managers, faculty and college leadership, and central administrative units to build a shared vision for research infrastructure that supports institutional priorities and future growth.

Responsibilities

Strategic Institutional Environmental Scan & Infrastructure Mapping (Weight: 25%)

• Design and administer surveys, interview protocols, and consultation tools tailored for facility directors, department chairs, and administrative stakeholders.
• Establish, validate and maintain the official institutional inventory of Core Facilities, detailing their scale, scope, administrative homes, and operational capabilities.
• Classify facilities to determine which functions serve as departmental, faculty-level, or institutional Shared Research Platforms.
• Evaluate how effectively current facilities support the university's overarching strategic research goals (e.g., Forward with Purpose and SHAPE).

Operational, Governance, & Administrative Systems Review (Weight: 20%)

• Drive consistency, transparency, and accountability across decentralized operating models while minimizing administrative duplication and risks.
• Assess current oversight, reporting, and decision-making structures to identify operational gaps and administrative vulnerabilities.
• Perform comparative benchmarking against promising management practices at peer U15 institutions and research-intensive universities.
• Evaluate current facility transactional software (booking, billing, tracking) and recommend scalable, shared management systems (e.g., PPMS Stratocore, LMACS).
• Support the creation of standardized tools, such as annual reporting templates and performance indicator frameworks.

Financial Sustainability & Resource Optimization Analysis (Weight: 20%)

• Enhance financial viability, maximize the impact of external and internal funding, and develop equitable options for central financial support.
• Conduct a comprehensive financial review analyzing varied revenue streams, including user fees, service contracts, grants, and institutional allocations.
• Audit expenditure structures encompassing staffing, maintenance agreements, consumables, and equipment replacement or repair costs.
• Identify operational risks tied to sunsetting external support, such as expiring CFI Infrastructure Operating Fund (IOF) grants.
• Review the impact of federal and institutional fund allocations (e.g., RSF, IPG) to find opportunities for higher-yield strategic investments.

Space Utilization, Shared Services, & Synergy Identification (Weight: 15%)

• Document and evaluate dedicated spaces utilized by Core Facilities, noting constraints, safety compliance, and requirements for renovation.
• Review access barriers to ensure equitable internal, external, and cross-departmental booking and training procedures.
• Pinpoint redundancies in equipment, administrative support, staffing, or procurement across the university.
• Design collaborative service frameworks, joint procurement strategies, and networked facility models where physical consolidation is unfeasible.

Stakeholder Engagement, Visibility, & Strategic Implementation (Weight: 20%)

• Act as the primary institutional hub connecting decentralized operators with senior leadership, cultivating shared understanding, and positioning the university's facilities for external prominence.
• Convene multi-stakeholder consultations across colleges, Finance, Facilities & Operations, IST, and Research Administrative Services.
• Synthesize complex survey, financial, and operational data into briefing notes, presentations, and comprehensive reports for senior administration.
• Promote facilities internally and externally while managing profiles on national networks (e.g., CFI Research Facilities Navigator, U15 Cognit, CNSP).
• Produce the final strategic implementation roadmap outlining priority actions, resource needs, and timelines.

Qualifications

• A minimum of a Master's degree or an equivalent combination of advanced education and high-level project management experience in a complex research environment is required.
• Project Management & Tool Design: Proven experience executing large-scale institutional environmental scans, developing organizational templates, and drafting long-term strategic roadmaps.
• Analytical & Conceptual Capacity: Exceptional ability to synthesize complex financial, spatial, and operational data into clear, evidence-based business cases, briefing notes, and strategic reports.
• Practical & Technical Expertise: Advanced understanding of university research environments, funding models (CFI, IOF, RSF), fee-for-service compliance, and operational governance. Familiarity with facility transactional platforms (e.g., Stratocore, LMACS) is highly desirable.
• Interaction & Communication Skills: Exceptional interpersonal, consultation, and stakeholder-management skills. Ability to build trust, resolve institutional friction, and facilitate collaboration among highly decentralized academic, technical, and administrative groups.

Application Instructions

Click "Apply Now" to submit your resume and cover letter.

This position offers a comprehensive benefits package with an annual salary range of $95,082 to $130,739.

The terms and conditions of this appointment are governed by Schedule E of the Collective Agreement between the Board of Governors of the University of Alberta and the Association of the Academic Staff of the University of Alberta.