DIRECTOR, RESEARCH OPERATIONS (Contract)

Reporting to the VP, Research Operations & Academic Partnerships (ROAP), the Director, Research Operations leads a high-performing team to deliver a seamless and positive researcher experience and efficient operations in the following areas: researcher workflows from onboarding to offboarding, research programming, and funding programs for both researchers and trainees. In this 12-month contract, the incumbent is responsible for stewarding reporting requirements related to research, stewarding institutional agreements, establishing an alumni program, and overseeing research security at the Vector Institute.

Key Responsibilities Administrative and Operational Leadership and Team Management

• In conjunction with the Vice President, ROAP, establish annual performance goals and strategic priorities for the Research Operations portfolio;
• Effectively manage the Research Operations team: foster a culture of continuous learning and improvement and ensure a high-performing team is in place and resourced to deliver against objectives. Support the team by helping to remove barriers and proactively address staffing or performance gaps.
• Develop and maintain policies and procedures related to various programs and manage cross-work stream dependencies in a timely and organized manner;
• Ensure strategic program goals translate into measurable plans and deliverables; communicate and implement action plans that ensure the smooth rollout of research operations and funding streams critical to the achievement of Vector’s vision and mission;
• Execute Vector's various research programs while respecting Vector's various accountability agreements;
• Provide input for, review, and approve marketing plans and strategies proposed by the Marketing & Communications team to increase awareness of programs, awards, events, etc.;
• Develop and implement plans, KPIs, and best practices to support the review of new and existing research programs;
• Proactively monitor changes in the environment and opportunities to further optimize research operations to drive value to Vector’s community of researchers;
• Lead continuous improvement initiatives to further automate workflows and processes for research operations, including data collection, tracking, and reporting.

Operations and Finance

• Lead strategic planning for financial and resource management and provide leadership to the Research Operations team in implementing and dispersing student funding programs, inclusive of the Research Grant Policy, the Vector Scholarship in AI, the Graduate Student Funding Program for Junior Faculty, etc.;
• Ensure corporate reporting requirements for researchers are met including year-end and future-year targets to funding partners, risk reporting, metrics reporting, annual reports, etc.;
• Work closely with the Finance team to provide timely and accurate information to process financial transactions related to research activities, including audit and records retention requirements;
• Link Vector's research programs back to institutional and stakeholder agreements to ensure appropriate oversight, mitigate risks, and report back on deliverables, progress, and milestones;
• Lead initiatives on behalf of the ROAP team to strengthen the researcher value proposition, such as working with the technical computing and AI Engineering team on processes for priority access to compute and engineering resources; and,
• Monitor and track formal notification requirements, agreement expiry dates, and other corporate requirements and commitments as they relate to research operations; track institutional agreements, protocols, and requirements across a number of institutions, work streams, and research programs.

Research Security

• Lead institutional research security planning and execution, working across various work streams to ensure compliance with federal guidelines;
• Ensure research security protocols and educational initiatives are in place to contribute to the advancement of research activities in a secure manner;
• Stay abreast of research security issues in Canada and maintain strong relationships with research security counterparts at partner institutions; and,
• Other duties may be assigned from time to time.

Program and Community Engagement

• Provide leadership support to the Student Engagement and Research Programming Manager, who plan and deliver research, student, professional development programming and community events;
• Represent ROAP on the Space Planning Committee to drive continuous improvement to the physical environment and culture of the Institute; and,
• Build an Alumni program for Vector researchers to foster loyalty and long-term relationships with past students and researchers with the end goal of a highly engaged alumni community.

KEY SUCCESS MEASURES

• The highly functioning and motivated Research Operations team achieves all objectives for its annual performance plans;
• ROAP’s core business and technical processes for the research community and funding are successfully transformed for greater efficiency, accuracy, and overall impact;
• Vector-affiliated researchers have high levels of service and satisfaction during their time at the institute and have opportunities to continue their engagement as alumni;
• Institutional agreements and reporting metrics are accurate and up to date, with insights gleaned from the data collected and shared organizationally for continuous improvement;
• Excellence in research programming and researcher engagement with strong coordination in service delivery for researchers across the across the institution; and,
• Strong research security posture for the organization

PROFILE OF THE IDEAL CANDIDATE

• 7+ years of progressive experience in roles in research operations or academic or financial administration with demonstrated managerial experience;
• Undergraduate degree in business administration, human resources, information systems, or a related field. A post-graduate diploma or graduate degree is an asset;
• Strong understanding and interest in leveraging information technology solutions to transform business processes, drive data insights, and automate workflows – technical certifications are a strong asset;
• Collaborative and a team player with an inclusive and influential leadership style that motivates team members around common goals;
• Excellent communication skills (both written and verbal);
• Exceptional organizational skills and ability to work across multiple work streams with multiple concurrent priorities;
• A data-driven mindset, and the ability to translate data into actionable insights, a keen eye for detail and the ability to quickly identify and troubleshoot problems that arise;
• Ability to effectively collaborate with a diverse range of individuals and perspectives across a broad range of sectors and stakeholders, including researchers and post-secondary institutions;
• Solid operational acumen and an impressive track record of delivering results.

At the Vector Institute, we are committed to driving excellence and leadership in Canada’s knowledge, creation, and use of AI to foster economic growth and improve the lives of Canadians. We strive for greater inclusion in the programs and culture that we build by welcoming and encouraging applications from all qualified candidates. This includes, but is not limited to, applicants who are Indigenous, 2SLGBTQIA+, racialized persons/visible minorities, women, and people with disabilities.

If you require an accommodation at any point throughout the recruitment and selection process, please contact hr@vectorinstitute.ai and we will happily work with you to meet your needs.