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

Job End Date

Job Summary

The Office of the Vice-President Research & Innovation (VPRI) seeks a Research Security Advisor with expertise in the principles and practice of safeguarding research, policy analysis, and effective communications.

The Research Security Advisor will be responsible for developing educational and promotional material for the university to help ensure understanding of federal guidance and requirements in regards to research security when applying to federal grant-funding agencies. The advisor will also be expected to be aware of new and emerging defence-related funding requirements from a security perspective.

Research security considerations are key in grant-funded research, and this role will help enable awareness, understanding, and compliance with these considerations. The Research Security Advisor’s work will contribute to a strong and diverse research culture that embraces the highest standards of integrity, collegiality and service.

The Research Security Advisor will be responsible for advising leadership, faculty, and staff members of research security-related risks, processes, and partnerships. The successful candidate will be expected to work with relevant university stakeholders (both within and outside UBC/VPRI) to formulate appropriate advice and guidance. Such advice and policy will necessarily include complex conversations on sensitive issues which require tact to navigate.

The Research Security Advisor will also be responsible for maintaining a high level of awareness regarding developments domestically and internationally that are relevant to the research security portfolio. At times, the Research Security Advisor will be required to use tools available to the university to conduct due diligence checks and create reports and/or briefings regarding research security issues of interest.

Under the supervision of the Director, the Research Security Advisor will engage with a range of external stakeholders while representing UBC and for the purpose of identifying and mitigating specific risks to the university. Some engagements will involve confidential or highly sensitive discussions that require discretion.

Organizational Status

The Research Security Advisor will report to the Director, Research Security in the Office of the Vice-President Research & Innovation. This role will have an important external component, and will work closely with colleagues in the VPRI Portfolio, with a range of offices and faculties across UBC, and with those in similar roles at other Canadian institutions.

Work Performed

The Research Security Advisor will be responsible for working with internal (to UBC) and external stakeholders to conduct assessments, provide advice, and identify appropriate learning approaches for training and programming related to research security.

Program Creation & Management

• Consults and uses a range of internal systems specific for the delivery of a research security program.
• Identifies and develops new processes to administer a research security program;
• Develops a suite of educational and promotional materials for UBC that are consistent with the institution’s needs, culture and values;
• Evaluates and recommends program elements that should be publicly available vs. available only to the UBC community;
• Researches and curates an extensive library of educational tools and resources that can be used directly or which can inform research security-related training and awareness material in UBC;
• Creates and adopts a wide range of learner-centric material that will be available through the online environment. This may include slide presentations, case studies, FAQ documents, videos, a curated, annotated reference list that includes material from the scientific literature, and mainstream media;
• Develops and implements train-the-trainer modules that UBC people would be expected to complete before gaining access to certain resources in the online environment; and
• Engages with and manages external vendors as needed; liaises with university partners such as UBC Studios and UBC-IT.

Research, Analysis and Advice

• Performs research and create analysis (reports, briefings, memos) on research security-related topics on an as-needed basis;
• Provides advice on complex files and cases using open-source information techniques to allow senior university officials to make informed decisions;
• Provides advise in relation to changing considerations in research security;
• Maintains a high level of awareness and knowledge of geopolitical trends and their impact to the University;
• Develops and maintains subject matter expertise on research security-related government policies; and
• Delivers training and awareness-building sessions to relevant stakeholders in UBC.

Consultation and Collaboration

• Works with internal and external stakeholders collaboratively to create value-added advice;
• Establishes effective relationships with counterparts in other universities;
• Proactively collects feedback on areas of high interest and adjusts training/advisory material accordingly;
• Establishes an approach to consulting with the UBC community to establish the scope of the suite of programmes;
• Develops a framework for a suite of training and educational material that reflects best practices in terms of the variety of formats (online, workshops, lectures, self-study); and
• Leverages relationships and professional networks to seek advice on the framework and content of research security advice.

Program Evaluation & Maintenance

• Proposes mechanisms to evaluate all elements of the tools; and
• Ensures a viable plan for maintaining evergreen and regularly updated resources.

Performs other duties as required.

Consequence of Error/Judgement

The material that the Research Security Advisor develops must be compliant with UBC policies and regulations. Errors in content can result in misinformation being circulated for which the VPRI is ultimately accountable. Errors in judgement may result in the inefficient use of resources, and may damage the image and reputation of the VPRI Office and the University.

Supervision Received

The Research Security Advisor will work independently with general direction from the Director, Research Security, in the Office of the Vice-President Research & Innovation.

Supervision Given

The Research Security Advisor will not have any direct reports. They may provide project-specific supervision to Work-Learn Students who support the VPRI Office from time to time, or to external vendors engaged as part of this initiative.

Minimum Qualifications

For research work, a post-graduate degree or equivalent professional designation with a minimum of four years of related experience, or an equivalent combination of education and experience. Otherwise, an undergraduate degree in a relevant discipline is required with a minimum of six years of related experience, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

• 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

Preferred Qualifications

Master’s Degree. Prior experience in the design, development and delivery of training courses and educational programs is also preferred. Preference will be given to candidates with experience in research administration at a large, complex research-intensive University or organization.

• Experience working with faculty, staff and students in a research-intensive university or organization;
• Recent experience with and demonstrated knowledge of Canadian public policy regarding research security and geopolitical risk;
• Up-to-date knowledge of federal, provincial, international and local rules and regulations regarding institutional compliance, responsible conduct of research, research security, defence, sanctions, export controls, scientific misconduct, breaches and conflict of interest;
• Proven ability and natural inclination to develop relationships by interacting with people in a professional, respectful and diplomatic manner;
• Experience in a post-secondary institution setting that is governed by the Tri-Agency Framework for the Responsible Conduct of Research, ideally as a research integrity officer (or equivalent);
• Demonstrated success in using a variety of technologies to deliver programming, including presentations, blogs, wikis, social media, etc.;
• Demonstrated success navigating complicated or contentious issues with stakeholder groups who may have competing or conflicting priorities;
• Comfortable in an ambiguous environment where diplomacy, discretion, and tact are paramount;
• Exceptional verbal and written communication skills are essential, along with demonstrated success in formal presentations and group facilitation;
• Candidates will be asked to provide writing samples which demonstrate their ability to present complex technical information to a lay audience.
• Strong project-management and critical thinking skills, with demonstrated success managing situations with competing priorities;
• Exquisite attention to detail; and
• Experience in a large, complex organization, and demonstrated success in situations requiring a high degree of diplomacy and discretion.