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.

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

Job End Date

Job Summary

Under the direction of the Project Lead Scientist at the University of British Columbia, the incumbent will act as the project manager for the Canadian GRravitational-wave Astrophysics Infrastructure Network (GRAIN). GRAIN is a multi-million-dollar project that will build detector hardware infrastructure and computing infrastructure to enable gravitational-wave astrophysics with current and near-future ground-based detectors and the LISA mission. The GRAIN project manager will have oversight of the technical and budgetary success of the project in partnership with the GRAIN Science Board and institutional partners McGill University, the Université de Montréal, Bishop’s University, the University of Manitoba, and the University of Lethbridge.

This multi-institutional national infrastructure project is funded by the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) led by the University of British Columbia. The GRAIN project manager will coordinate with GRAIN hardware and computing leads (including those at the Digital Research Alliance of Canada and those within the Canadian Astronomy Data Centre) to ensure that the priorities and directions set by the GRAIN Science Board are implemented.

The project manager will develop project schedules, including milestones, critical paths, timelines, and deliverables, and will be responsible for reporting and compliance with institutional, provincial, and national requirements. They will manage the project budget, facilitate purchasing and hiring, and schedule day-to-day project activities. They will interpret and apply policies and procedures when making independent decisions. They will write and edit reports on management aspects of GRAIN, maintain project records, generate specialized analyses and reports for financial planning, and report on project progress and budget to the GRAIN Science Board.

Organizational Status

The successful applicant will report directly to the Project Lead Scientist at the University of British Columbia (faculty). They will also interact with researchers, scientific staff, software developers, students, and other contributors at partner institutions (McGill University, the Université de Montréal, Bishop’s University, the University of Manitoba, and the University of Lethbridge) as well as stakeholders around the world (especially France and the United States).

This role is eligible for a hybrid work arrangement, including flexible work hours, pursuant to University policies and guidelines.

This is a two-year term position with renewal based on performance. 

Work performed

• Managing project schedules including milestones, critical path, timelines, deliverables and reporting.
• Liaising with granting agencies (CFI) and other institutions (McGill, Lethbridge, Bishop's, UManitoba, UdeM) and domestic/international partners (LIGO Lab in the US and the Laboratoire des Matériaux Avancés in France) regarding project progress and budgets. 
• Leading financial planning processes for GRAIN, including budget projections across 10 participating institutions and partners.
• Developing and implementing cross-institutional administrative policies and procedures for GRAIN, including procurement, hiring, and management of development, delivery and operation of GRAIN infrastructure. 
• Responsible for GRAIN project reports and management of GRAIN operations. 

Consequence of Error/Judgement

Good judgement by the candidate will result in a higher probability of on-time, under budget delivery of the detector instrumentation and computing infrastructure components of the GRAIN project. 

Errors or poor judgement may result in project delays, lack of coherence across development of different project elements, and suboptimal deployment of resources across the GRAIN project. 

Supervision Received

This is an autonomous position that will chair the Management Team of GRAIN and directly advise the multi-institution Science Board on governance of GRAIN.  

Much of the work will be performed in a team environment. The GRAIN Project Manager will report to the GRAIN Science Board. The successful applicant will also be expected to interact constructively with the GRAIN project team and user base. 

Supervision Given

The successful candidate will direct a small team of researchers and managers based at different Canadian and international institutions, including the GRAIN Hardware Development Lead based at the Université de Montréal and the GRAIN Computing Development Lead based at McGill. The GRAIN project manager will take primary responsibility for GRAIN project scheduling and workflow management. Manages staff and is responsible for hiring, discipline, evaluation (and termination, where applicable) for 2 deputy project managers and 13 staff (UBC, McGill, Lethbridge, Bishop's, UManitoba, UdeM) who report to those deputy project managers.

Minimum Qualifications:

Undergraduate degree in a relevant discipline. Minimum of three years of related experience, or the equivalent combination of education and experience.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Graduation from a program specializing in project management
• Formal designation as a Project Management Professional (PMP) or Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM) from the Project Management Institute (PMI)
• Expertise in the project management of large projects, preferably in an academic setting with members from a wide variety of backgrounds, and expertise in compliance with and reporting of Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) grants
• Expertise in managing scientific projects
  • 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
  • Master's Degree or an acceptable combination of equivalent education and experience.
  • Minimum five years of recent and relevant experience in project management (preferably in scientific or other related fields), including budget and grant management, strategic planning, reporting, and meeting logistics
  • Experience in providing direction and creating work plans to ensure project milestones are met
  • Experience with project management frameworks and software
  • Strong computer skills
  • Strong analytical, organizational, time-management, and problem-solving skills.
  • Ability to prioritize and handle multiple tasks at the same time
  • Good written and oral communication and interpersonal skills
  • Accuracy and attention to detail
  • Ability to work independently and in a team environment
  • Willingness to travel to partner organizations within Canada on occasion
  • Ability to communicate effectively across large international scientific collaborations and with GRAIN partners and stakeholders around the world. 

To be successful in this role you will be:

• Adaptable
• Communicator
• Efficient
• Organized
• Proactive
• Problem solver
• Self-directed
• Team player