Description

The Cumming School of Medicine invites applications for a Senior Director. This Full-time Fixed Term position is for approximately 1 year (based on length of grant funding), with the possibility of extension.

The Senior Director, Centres for Health Evidence, Data, and Applied Research (CEDAR), reports to the Senior Associate Dean, Health Research. The position carries a broad and complex mandate, requiring the integration of multiple research centres ("œthe integrated centres") while enabling the distinct nature of each of the centers and maintaining continuity of ongoing research programs and external partnerships. The role operates with a high degree of autonomy and requires the ability to navigate complex, multi-party environments, influence without direct authority, understand and manage inter-related complex budgets, and make strategic decisions with significant institutional impact. Periods of elevated intensity coincide with major grant application cycles, strategic planning milestones, and key governance and partner engagement activities.

Summary of Key Responsibilities (job functions include but are not limited to):

Strategic Leadership & Integration Execution:

• Leads the implementation, ongoing evolution, and evaluation of the integrated centres model, ensuring strategic alignment and clear roles and responsibilities across all constituent units
• Implements over multiple years the strategic plan of the Centres for Health Evidence, Data, and Applied Research, including the strategic priorities, performance indicators, and operational frameworks for the integrated centres
• Champions shared services, common intake systems, and coordinated research support functions that reduce fragmentation and improve researcher experience
• Develops and implements change management strategies to build interested party confidence and shared organizational identity

Fund Development & Financial Sustainability:

• Leads and coordinates fund development strategies to ensure the long-term financial sustainability of the integrated centres across federal (e.g., CFI, CIHR, NFRF), provincial, and private sector sources
• Oversees the preparation of complex, high-value funding proposals and applications
• Manages operating and project-based budgets, including financial planning, forecasting, variance management, and reporting
• Builds and maintains relationships with key funders; represent the integrated centres in critical funding and partnership negotiations
• Develops and implements overhead and cost-recovery frameworks to ensure sustainable revenue models across the integrated centres portfolio

Partnership Development:

• Works with the integrated centers to cultivate and sustain relationships with faculty, CSM research institutes, government, healthcare system, industry, and community partners to generate buy-in and strategic alignment with the integrated centres' mission
• Acts as an ambassador for the integrated model with internal and external audiences, articulating its value proposition and translational impact
• Facilitates advisory structures, governance tables, and partner engagement forums to ensure ongoing accountability and shared investment
• Represents the centres at national and international forums relevant to health informatics, learning health systems, and research innovation

Organizational Leadership & People Management:

• Designs and builds the organizational structure and team required to deliver on the CEDAR's strategic mandate, including identifying gaps, defining roles, and leading recruitment for new positions
• Engages and works with existing leadership from across the constituent centres, fostering a shared sense of purpose, identity, and accountability within the integrated model
• Establishes clear performance expectations, accountability frameworks, and development pathways for staff transitioning into and supporting the integrated structure
• Fosters a high-performance, inclusive, and psychologically safe team culture that reflects the University's values and EDIA commitments
• Leads succession planning and talent development to build long-term organizational resilience within and across the integrated centres

Research Strategy & Knowledge Translation:

• Supports the development and execution of a unified research strategy for CEDAR, with a focus on data science, health informatics, and applied clinical research
• Facilitates knowledge translation and mobilization activities that connect research outputs to health system policy and practice
• Advances the centres' profile as a national collective for health data governance, Learning Health Systems research, and AI-enabled clinical research infrastructure
• Identifies and cultivates emerging thematic areas and strategic partnerships that position the integrated entity for future funding and impact

Qualifications / Requirements:

• Graduate degree (Master's level or higher) in Health Sciences, Public Health, Health Informatics, Business Administration, or a related discipline
• Project Management Professional (PMP) designation or equivalent experience considered an asset
• Minimum 10-12 years of progressively responsible experience in strategic planning, business development, or research administration in academic health care or innovation settings, with at least 5 years in a senior management role
• Proven experience managing multi-million-dollar budgets and complex, multi-party organizational environments
• Experienced leader who is able to lead through change, and supervise and mentor senior staff
• Track record of leading organizational change, integration planning, and strategy implementation within a complex academic or research institution
• Experience working within or alongside academic, government, and healthcare system environments
• Familiarity with Canadian health research funding landscapes (e.g., CIHR, CFI, NFRF, provincial funding agencies), and experience working in fund development, including securing grants and cultivating funder and partner relationships at the federal, and provincial levels, and working with philanthropy, and industry
• Knowledge of and experience with Learning Health Systems, health data governance, clinical research, quality improvement, health informatics, data science, and health system innovation
• Familiarity in use cases for AI in health care is an asset

Application Deadline: July 31, 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 3 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 .