Description The
Department of Medicine in the
Cumming School of Medicine invites applications for a
Research Manager. This Full-time Fixed Term position is for approximately 1 year (based on length of grant funding), with the possibility of extension.
Join a nationally and internationally recognized research program dedicated to improving care for people living with inflammatory arthritis and advancing sustainable healthcare. Reporting to the Principal Investigator, the Research Manager provides scientific, strategic, and operational leadership for a nationally collaborative research program focused on improving healthcare quality, outcomes, and sustainability. The program generates evidence to improve the quality, equity, and sustainability of healthcare delivery through innovative health services and outcomes research. Working in partnership with patients, clinicians, health system leaders, researchers, and policy makers across Canada, the team develops and applies quality measures, evaluates innovative models of care, and uses population-level health data to identify and address gaps in care.
The Principal Investigator also provides leadership in Planetary Health within the Department of Medicine, and the research program is closely aligned with advancing the principles of sustainable healthcare. The successful candidate will join a highly collaborative, supportive, and engaging team that is committed to conducting impactful research grounded in patient priorities and translating evidence into real-world improvements in healthcare delivery.
Summary of Key Responsibilities (job functions include but are not limited to):
RESEARCH LEADERSHIP AND METHODS:
- Works with the PI to develop and advance the scientific vision of the program across partner institutions, organizations and provinces
- Leads the design, implementation, and oversight of new research projects in partnership with the PI and investigators, including study design, data acquisition, analysis plans, and interpretation
- Serves as the program's methodological expert on health services and outcomes research. Provides scientific leadership across the lifecycle of health innovation projects, including planning, implementation, and evaluation of models of care, quality measurement initiatives, patient-reported outcome programs, and other strategies to improve healthcare delivery
- Routinely investigates and creates innovative approaches to methodological problems
- Recommends expansion or curtailment of lines of investigation based on study results and emerging evidence, contributing to the program's strategic direction
- Leads the development of methods sections, feasibility assessments, and budgets for grant applications, and contributes substantively to overall proposal writing
- Supports project design and supervision for summer students, graduate students, and postdoctoral fellows in collaboration with the PI
- Oversees ethics applications (with advanced support from existing skilled staff), amendments, and renewals, as well as data access requests and data sharing agreements across jurisdictions
- Ensures compliance with HIA, TCPS2, funder, and data custodian requirements
PROGRAM AND FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT:
- Works with the PI on program-level strategic and operational planning, aligning projects with program goals and provincial and national arthritis care priorities
- Develops and implements program policies, procedures, and standard operating procedures consistent with University of Calgary policies
- Manages budgets across multiple grants and funding sources. Monitors financial performance, recommends re-budgeting and cost savings, and plans for program sustainability
- Ensures fiscal stewardship across study activities, technology, external collaborations, and travel
- Identifies opportunities for program growth and develops proposals for new projects, funding, and partnerships
- Oversees research agreements and contracts in collaboration with Research Services
- Leads funder reporting and ensures milestones and deliverables are met across concurrent studies
- Contributes to divisional and departmental research activities (e.g., research rounds, seminar series, journal club)
TEAM LEADERSHIP:
- Works with the PI to determine the staffing complement needed to meet the program's strategic goals, and develops job profiles for new positions
- Manages the research team (research associates, analysts, coordinators, assistants, and students). Allocates staff across projects to maximize productivity and adapts plans as priorities change
- Holds full responsibility for recruitment, hiring, onboarding, performance management, and discipline, up to and including termination
- Sets clear performance expectations and leads staff through changes in project plans, approach, or scope
- Coaches team members in research methods and in developing and applying scientific judgment, and supports individual professional development plans
PARTNERSHIPS AND KNOWLEDGE MOBILIZATION:
- Serves as primary operational liaison with investigators, provincial and national arthritis organizations, health system partners, data custodians in partner provinces, and funders
- Works with patient partners and advisory groups to support meaningful engagement throughout the research cycle
- Supports the translation of research evidence into policy, clinical practice, quality improvement initiatives, and health system decision-making through engagement with clinicians, patient partners, health system leaders, and policy-makers
- Translates findings into formats suited to clinicians, health system decision-makers, and patient communities, including reports, performance dashboards, and briefings
- Represents the program at external meetings, conferences, and interest holder events
Qualifications / Requirements:- PhD in epidemiology, health services research, public health, or a related discipline, with a record of peer-reviewed publications
- Minimum of seven years of experience in health research, including at least 3â€5 years managing research projects and leading staff
- Demonstrated leadership in the design and conduct of health services or outcomes research, including observational studies using administrative health data
- Demonstrated track record of substantive contributions to successful peer-reviewed grant applications (e.g., CIHR). This includes leading methods sections and budget development
- Experience conducting pragmatic evaluations of models of care, or other health innovations is a strong asset
- Experience with health system data access is a strong asset
- Experience conducting qualitative and mixed-methods research with patient participants, including focus groups and semi-structured interviews is a strong asset
- Experience with patient-oriented research and meaningful engagement of patient partners
- Broad experience managing projects, staff allocation, and budgets across multiple funding sources
- Experience supervising or mentoring trainees (summer, graduate, or postdoctoral)
- Advanced knowledge of University of Calgary research administration policies and procedures, and of University business systems, including PeopleSoft and eFin considered an asset
- Experience hiring and managing staff in a unionized environment is an asset
- Advanced expertise in health services research methods, epidemiology, and the use of health administrative data
- Strong knowledge of Alberta and Canadian health data assets and the requirements and processes for accessing them
- Ability to apply a high level of scientific judgment to adapt existing methods or create new ones, and to coach others in developing and applying their own judgment
- Ability to make sound decisions in complex spanning multiple institutions, provinces, and data environments
Application Deadline: October 28, 2026
We would like to thank all applicants in advance for submitting their resumes. Please note, only those candidates chosen to continue on through the selection process will be contacted.
This position is classified in the
Management Career Band, Level 2 of the Management and Professional Staff Career Framework.
For a listing of all management and staff opportunities at the University of Calgary, view our
Management and Staff Careers website .
