Department: Office of Research Services
Job Type: Continuing
Full-time/Part-time: Full Time (>=1249 hrs/year)
Campus: Brantford
Reports to: Manager, Research Partnerships
Employee Group: PAG
Application Deadline: April 10, 2023
Requisition ID: 5504
Wilfrid Laurier University is a leading multi-campus university that excels at educating with purpose. Through its exceptional employees, students, researchers, leaders, and educators, Laurier has built a reputation as a world-class institution known for its rich student experience, academic excellence, and global impact. With a commitment to Indigenization and commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion, Laurier’s thriving community has a place for everyone.
Laurier has more than 19,000 students and 2,100 faculty and staff across campuses in Waterloo and Brantford, as well locations in Kitchener and Milton. The university is committed to providing an inclusive workplace, a flexible work policy and employing a workforce that is reflective of local and national demographics. Our locations are situated on the traditional territories of the Neutral, Anishnawbe, and Haudenosaunee peoples. We recognize the unique heritages of Indigenous peoples and support their intentions to preserve and express their distinctive Indigenous cultures, histories, and knowledge through academic programming and co-curricular activities. Laurier’s Centre for Indigegogy is one example of how Laurier honours Indigenous knowledge.
The Research Partnerships Officer is responsible for enhancing the development of strategic collaborative relationships between Wilfrid Laurier University (Laurier) faculty and municipal and non-governmental organizations within the communities that are home to Laurier’s campuses and locations (Brantford, Waterloo, Kitchener, and Milton), in support of the university’s social innovation activities. Reporting to the Manager, Research Partnerships, the incumbent will proactively approach community organizations to develop meaningful research relationships between university researchers and community partners. The incumbent will identify collaborative funding opportunities to support partnered work, including but not limited to those offered through the Tri-Agencies, Ontario Centres of Excellence, and Mitacs. The incumbent will support proposal development and ensure adherence to University and partnering organizations’ policies throughout the pre-award process. The incumbent will also support the negotiation and administration of research contracts and contribution agreements associated with community research projects. This will include negotiations of financial and legal terms; milestones and deliverable dates; publication, research dissemination, and student participation requirements. The incumbent plays a critical role in problem resolution during the life of the contract and/or funded project to ensure that the terms, conditions and requirements of the contract or grant are carried out to the satisfaction of all parties.
In addition, the incumbent will have a leading role in the operations and development of the Laurier Hub for Community Solutions (LHCS), a research facilitation hub located within Laurier’s Brantford campus that acts as an intake point for groups seeking expertise to address community-based challenges and opportunities. The incumbent will support the development and implementation of strategic plans for the LHCS. As part the LHCS team, the incumbent will coordinate and support collaborative research projects by triaging and matching projects identified by the community (e.g., municipal partners, not-for-profit organizations) to the appropriate group within Laurier (e.g., university’s faculty, researchers, students and 23 research centres, etc.). A key mandate of the LHCS will be ensuring that knowledge produced is shared with other municipalities through the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) and other organizations. The LHCS will seek to lead and evaluate novel research and partnership approaches, in addition to providing evaluation and strategic planning services to the community.
This position has a university-wide mandate and is based at the Brantford Campus.
- Support the Manager, Research Partnerships in developing and implementing an ongoing strategy for the identification, prospecting, and stewardship of external partners that will lead to community-engaged research with Laurier faculty and students
- Proactively initiate and facilitate connections with not-for-profit organizations, municipalities, and other public sector entities where there is high potential for research collaboration with faculty members and students
- Attend meetings and events to promote Laurier’s research capabilities and to interact with potential sponsors
- Initiate and organize engagements with internal and external stakeholders in support of existing and potential projects such as expert panels, committees, and team meetings
- Facilitate the uptake of knowledge by local decision-makers across Ontario through the presentation of findings, education sessions, and one-on-one interactions as required
- Work with the Innovation and Entrepreneurship team within the Office of Research Services and Community Based Research Canada to advance Laurier’s activities in social innovation
- Design and develop promotional strategies and products, including newsletters and letters to community organizations
- Keep abreast of emerging trends and policies relevant to the communities that are home to Laurier’s campuses and communicate these trends and policies to research team members
- Proactively identify funding opportunities to support collaborative research projects between Laurier faculty members and community organizations
- Negotiate, in conjunction with the faculty member and the community partner(s), on terms and conditions of a contract or research agreement
- Work with the Research Facilitators to consult and assist faculty members in all aspects of the development and preparation of proposals to potential community research sponsors
- Review and advise, in consultation with university legal counsel, on Non-Disclosure and Confidentiality agreements prior to the faculty members discussing new proposals/ideas with potential sponsors
- Maintain departmental database(s) pertaining to grant and contract applications from client faculty
- Support Laurier’s leadership team in strategic planning for the LHCS
- Act as the LHCS point-of-contact for municipal partners and non-governmental organizations within the communities
- Work closely with the appointed contacts from partnership organizations to share information and initiate collaborative research projects
- Initiate activities to increase community awareness of opportunities for research participation with the LHCS and engage community members to ensure understanding of the benefits (and costs) of participating in research within the facilitated LHCS model
- Develop a registry consisting of community members who may be interested in the research expertise available through Laurier; maintain and update the registry as a tool for facilitating research collaborations within the LHCS
- When required assume responsibility for planning, developing, editing, and disseminating project reports and presentations, as well as other project information and communications for funders
- Provide oversight of the day-to-day duties of administrative support staff
- Graduate degree plus a minimum of three years of experience in fostering community partnerships and/or community research experience in university, municipal government, not-for-profit, or other relevant experience;
- Demonstrated knowledge of the development of research grant proposals;
- Demonstrated knowledge of external grant funding guidelines and university research policies;
- Superior facilitation experience;
- Proven ability to negotiate contracts and agreements;
- Knowledge of community research policies and trends;
- Excellent interpersonal and communications skills.
Hours of Work: This is a full-time, continuing position. The normal hours of work are 8:30 am to 4:30 pm, Monday to Friday. Flexibility in hours will be required, including evening and/or weekend work due to periods of high volume. When possible, the manager will adjust the work schedule so that no more than 35 hours are worked in a week.
Compensation:
Grade: EX-H
Rate of Pay: $65,048 - $81,310
Wilfrid Laurier University endeavors to fill positions with qualified candidates who have a combination of education, experience, skills and abilities to successfully perform the duties of the position while demonstrating Laurier's Employee Success Factors.
Equity, diversity and creating a culture of inclusion are part of Laurier’s core values and central to the Laurier Strategy. Laurier is committed to increasing the diversity of faculty and staff and welcomes applications from candidates who identify as Indigenous, racialized, having disabilities, and from persons of any minority sexual and gender identities. Indigenous candidates who would like to learn more about equity and inclusive programing at Laurier are welcomed to contact the Office of Indigenous Initiatives. Candidates from other equity deserving groups who would like to learn more about equity and inclusive programing at Laurier are welcomed to contact Equity & Accessibility. We have strived to make our application process accessible, however if you require any assistance applying for a position or would like this job posting in an alternative format, please contact Human Resources. Contact information can be found at careers.wlu.ca/content/How-to-apply/
Should you be interested in learning more about this opportunity, please visit www.wlu.ca/careers for additional information and the online application system. All applications must be submitted online. Please note, a resume and cover letter will be required in electronic form.
