Academic Associate

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The Rosalind and Morris Goodman Cancer Institute at McGill University invites applications for a full-time Academic Associate position This will be a 3-year contract with possibility of renewal. 

Primary Responsibilities:

Scientific:

• Write grant proposals to support MIR and MIR infrastructure;
• Participate in team grants – writing elements of proposal, presentations at site visits (e.g. Terry Fox Foundation Program Project Grants, etc.);
• Support researchers that use the MIR facility – assist with writing sections of individual grant applications. Provide preliminary data, assemble figures and write descriptions of the methodologies that will be employed;
• Communicate MIR results to its users;
• Provide text for journal articles (materials and methods sections);
• Create workshops and individualised training/teaching programs for scientist interested in learning and using MIR technologies;
• Help users interpret metabolite profiling and stable isotope tracer data
• Maintain current MIR infrastructure and manage service contracts and instrument repairs;
• Maintain data and record keeping as required and distribute data to MIR users;
• Continue developing MIR technology and service offerings to the scientific community:
• Identify trends in the field and user needs;
• Propose and plan new method and technology development including cost assessments;
• Manage technology development projects in parallel to platform services;
• Write and publish technologies developed with users in analytical scientific journals or protocol publications;
• Write standard operating procedures;
• Share new technologies, coordinate method development across sister sites (University of Ottawa, Van Andel institute);
• Participate in international scientific meetings:
• Present new technologies via posters or talks;
• Promote MIR;
• Promote MIR by providing science focused applications and technologies at departmental retreats, seminar series and other avenues;
• Demonstrate commitment to continued professional development in the field of metabolomics: reading the scientific literature, attending scientific meetings and seminars, in order of keep abreast of latest developments in best practises and technologies.

Project Management:

• Meet with potential facility users to discuss project objectives, select optimal methods to employ and map out project timelines;
• Develop and manage agile style technology development at MIR and communicate timelines, milestones and budget to MIR oversight leadership on larger initiatives like lipidomics, single-cell technologies (these activities are tied to competitive funding secured for the facility);
• Develop and manage technology development with specific MIR collaborators on longer term projects with specific research groups that would ultimately benefit MIR and its users but require more dedication than standard MIR cost recovery-type projects;
• Manage and develop collaborative projects between McGill platforms (i.e. bioinformatics/MIR) – to develop data analysis workflows, facilitate communication;
• Coordinate projects with biotech/pharma – balance needs of academic researchers with industry projects, set priorities and establish timelines.
• MIR Staff Management:
• Supervise AMURE employees
• Assign staff to stakeholder projects;
• Assign staff to collaborative and larger technology development projects;
• Review all data analysis before communicating it to clients;
• Identify professional development opportunities for staff members to help improve platform knowledge base, efficiency, and development;
• Schedule and assign staff and instrumentation. Perform data collection and subsequent analysis;
• Manage staff vacation as to minimize impact of platform function;
• Manage staff summer Fridays to minimize impact on platform function;
• Manage training of staff to provide maximal coverage of skillsets, ensure knowledge transfer between all members of the platform.

Financial:

• Develop, implement, and keep up-to-date an evolving MIR business plan;
• Determine cost recovery for services provided to stakeholders (GCI, McGill, Other academic, industry). Assess landscape for fees to ensure that pricing at MIR is competitive;
• Work with SBMS financial team to recover costs;
• Plan budgets;
• Prepare annual reports.

Required qualifications and skills

Education/experience

• PhD in a related field;

Other Qualifying Skills and/or Abilities:

• Extensive experience in the natural sciences such as chemistry, analytical chemistry, biochemistry or related area. Demonstrated expertise in mass spectrometry including LC-MS and GC-MS, as well as NMR. 10 or more years of experience in managing of a metabolomics facility and demonstrated success.
• Highly motivated and proactive person with extensive expertise in applying and optimizing NMR and MS based techniques. An individual with a problem-solving approach to research questions, with a desire to find solutions to challenging problems. A superior track record in assisting platform users achieve their scientific goals and publications in high impact journals. The demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously and to effectively supervise and train staff and graduate students. The ability to work towards deadlines and prioritize projects accordingly.
• Excellent interpersonal skills necessary to interact effectively with researchers at all levels of training (undergraduate, graduate students, research staff and PIs) and consult on experimental design, manage expectations and maintain effective communication regarding timelines, problems encountered and data interpretation.

Faculty/Department/Unit: Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Rosalind and Morris Goodman Cancer Institute 
Title: Academic Associate
Salary:  Salary will be commensurate with qualifications and experience
Job Status: Full-time

A Curriculum Vitae is required for application. Please note that you must use a personal email address when creating an account to submit your application. Do not use @mail.mcgill.ca or @mcgill.ca email accounts to apply.

McGill University is committed to equity and diversity within its community and values academic rigour and excellence. We welcome and encourage applications from racialized persons/visible minorities, women, Indigenous persons, persons with disabilities, ethnic minorities, and persons of minority sexual orientations and gender identities, as well as from all qualified candidates with the skills and knowledge to engage productively with diverse communities.

At McGill, research that reflects diverse intellectual traditions, methodologies, and modes of dissemination and translation is valued and encouraged. Candidates are invited to demonstrate their research impact both within and across academic disciplines and in other sectors, such as government, communities, or industry.

McGill further recognizes and fairly considers the impact of leaves (e.g., family care or health-related) that may contribute to career interruptions or slowdowns. Candidates are encouraged to signal any leave that affected productivity, or that may have had an effect on their career path. This information will be considered to ensure the equitable assessment of the candidate’s record.

McGill implements an employment equity program and encourages members of designated equity groups to self-identify. It further seeks to ensure the equitable treatment and full inclusion of persons with disabilities by striving for the implementation of universal design principles transversally, across all facets of the University community, and through accommodation policies and procedures . Persons with disabilities who anticipate needing accommodations for any part of the application process may contact, in confidence, [email protected] .

All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply; however, in accordance with Canadian immigration requirements, Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority.