Director, Research Acceleration and Strategic Initiatives

The University of Saskatchewan's (USask) main campus is located in the vibrant city of Saskatoon on Treaty 6 territory and the traditional homeland of the Métis. USask is one of the top research-intensive, medical doctoral universities in Canada, and is home to world-leading research  in areas of global importance, such as water and food security and infectious diseases.

The RASI Director oversees a multi-faceted portfolio including:

The RASI Director’s leadership plays an integral part in the research success of the university, ensuring that research administration and development processes and systems are innovative, relevant and compliant, and that the university’s highly qualified faculty, staff and students have the support and mentorship that provide the competitive edge needed to be successful.

Reporting directly to the Vice-President Research, the RASI Director maintains excellent collaborative relationships with external granting agencies (e.g. Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, Canadian Institute of Health Research, Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, etc.), government, industry partners, colleges, schools and centres within USask, and other research support units to ensure the proactive delivery of user-oriented services to a diverse research community and to ensure that our research development, programs, processes and information flow are of the highest level of excellence and consistently streamlined and efficient.

Nature of Work: The RASI Director’s responsibilities are highly complex and require long-term strategic planning, risk management, relationship management and people development in order to assist in the university’s research, scholarly and artistic endeavours, ensuring research security and compliance with relevant regulations and legislation and the contractual terms between the university and external granting agencies.

The RASI Director serves as a confidential and strategic advisor to the VP Research and the executive team. This position plays an integral role on the OVPR’s executive and leadership teams, ensuring OVPR unit collaboration, teamwork and mutual support. The position has minimal supervision, and the RASI Director’s activities have high impact on the university’s exposure to financial and reputational risk. This position also acts as the USask Chief Security Officer.

The work is highly challenging, fast-paced, multi-faceted, and makes competing calls on the Director’s time. The Director must use innovative approaches and problem solving on a daily basis. Tight deadlines and high volumes of work can be expected. The work is performed in an environment of continuous change and competing priorities but the rewards of creatively working on the leading edge of the institution are significant. The work is unstructured, and the incumbent will be expected to negotiate boundaries, mediate complex issues and navigate conflict to ensure successful outcomes for the university.

The RASI Director is responsible for a large staff complement within the OVPR. This requires excellent leadership, mentorship and mediation skills along with the ability to align the diverse priorities of the RASI with the strategic workflow of the OVPR.

This position requires vision, objectivity, accountability, and enthusiasm. The successful candidate needs an exceptional collaborative ability to build superior working relationships with various campus stakeholders (e.g. Deans, Associate Deans of Research, Centre Directors, members of research teams and group leaders, research chairs, OVPR units as well as other units including the Vice-Provost Faculty Relations, Finance and Resources, Vice-Provost Indigenous Engagement, University Relations, Information and Communications Technology (ICT), Institutional Planning and Assessment), and international, national, and provincial stakeholders.

The Director will create and expand partnerships and collaboration opportunities for the University of Saskatchewan and its researchers. The Director will support the university’s success by developing and implementing strategies related to research, scholarly and artistic work that will enhance the University of Saskatchewan signature research areas. The advice, development and enhancement of new and existing partnerships and programs by this position will guide resource allocation with respect to highly qualified personnel (HQP), investments in physical and nonphysical infrastructure, and where necessary, disinvestment.

Typical Duties or Accountabilities:

Strategic Planning

• Develop, promote and ensure alignment of the research support and strategic goals with the university’s strategic research directions.
• Design, implement and deliver innovative programs, services and supports to give USask researchers a competitive edge and advance the university’s overall research enterprise, which builds an inclusive culture of engagement in RSAW.
• Monitor and report on strategic and operational plans.
• Interpret the university’s and external agency policies and procedures, navigate complex influence and authority structures and inform and develop institutional policies to ensure they remain relevant and effective.
• Provide confidential and strategic advice and information to the VPR to support decision making.
• Act on behalf of the VPR as requested, and positively influence the direction of the OVPR through active participation on the leadership team.
• Act as an Institutional Signing Authority on behalf of the Chair of the Board of Governors.

Risk Management

• Advance the image of RASI as a supportive and proactive unit for USask researchers.
• Develop comprehensive budgets, budget summaries and forecasts.
• Monitor business performance and influence the development of policies and procedures to support best practices.
• Build a culture of responsible risk management and ensure sound practices and due diligence to minimize risks to the university associated with research projects.
• Provide consultation and guidance on policy matters where risk is involved related to individuals, units and the institution.

Research Security and Research Data Integrity

• Ensure continual adoption of leading practices in research data-management plans and research-data security.
• Coordinate research security hub activities and services to researchers in alignment with these practices.
• Ensure the institution’s research funding and contractual relationships are managed in accordance with best practices specific to research security, data integrity, and conflict of interest concerns.

Relationships

• Collaborate, communicate and co-ordinate with appropriate stakeholders when necessary to ensure that program initiatives, objectives, direction and outcomes are clearly understood by all.
• Build a reputation for success and integrity through development of productive, principled, professional relationships with local, national and international funding agencies, researchers and institutional partners.
• Foster excellent collaborations and alliances locally, regionally, nationally and internationally with internal and external clients, stakeholders and partners.
• Develop and maintain effective intra- and inter-institutional relationships that will contribute to the university’s ability to attract and secure large scale funding including liaising with funding agencies, government, industry, NGO’s and other post-secondary institutions to align initiatives and increase research engagement.
• Collaborate with university academic and administrative units to provide information, support, advice and encouragement for engagement in large-scale and institutional programs and other aspects of the portfolio.
• Liaise with colleges, schools and centres; other units of the OVPR, ICT, Finance & Administration, Vice-Provost Faculty Relations, University Relations, Vice President Indigenous Engagement, Chief Financial Officer, and Connection Point to ensure seamless research administrative processes and support for faculty.

Operations / People Management

• Recruit, select and manage RASI staff.
• Support the success of direct reports through knowledge transfer and mentorship, building their capacity to comply with policies, processes, and regulatory requirements.
• Prioritize projects and activities and appropriately delegate responsibility and allocate work among staff members.
• Direct, coordinate and provide advice to ensure day-to-day operations are conducted effectively and provide hands-on leadership to ensure compliance with all applicable internal policies and external requirements.
• Plan and direct a progressive, effective and effective client-oriented environment and deliver the accompanying services, while working collaboratively with other key administrative units, colleges, centres, and schools to harmonize resources and services where appropriate.
• Develop and maintain expert knowledge of granting agencies and their programs.
• Ensure proper due diligence is completed before institutional submission of applications and execution of research agreements.
• Liaise with the USask research system (UnivRS) team and ICT to ensure the achievement of desired results and operational requirements.

Education: Minimum of a graduate/master’s degree in a related field. A PhD in a related field is preferred.

Licenses: None

Experience:

• A minimum of 10 years of progressive experience in leadership roles within an academic and research environment.
• An in-depth understanding of the national research environment.
• Ability to obtain and hold a security clearance.
• Demonstrated success in:
  • Managing and motivating a diverse team;
  • Undertaking rigorous policy analysis, development, interpretation and implementation;
  • Policy and program development and implementation;
  • Managing diverse and complex projects in a high-pressure environment; and
  • Working with and advising senior academic leaders.

Skills:

• Visionary leadership, outstanding interpersonal skills, and a demonstrated ability to build and nurture successful collaborations and partnerships.
• Ability to think strategically, facilitate dialogue, collaborate, build consensus, and develop synergies with a broad range of constituencies in order to achieve common goals.
• Proven experience in strategic planning, budget management, issues management and decision-making processes in a university environment or related public sector organization.
• Strategic and tactical planning with a particular emphasis on community building to support research enhancement or delivery.
• Competency in determining information needs, identifying sources of information, analyzing data, and communicating findings to audiences of all levels and degrees of interest.
• A commitment to providing excellent service.
• Proven ability to make decisions at high levels where the risks are significant.
• Ability to simultaneously manage a diverse range of complex projects and activities.
• Exceptional interpersonal, mentoring, organizational, and financial skills and experience.
• Proven ability to work both independently and as a collaborative team member.
• Demonstrated ability to lead a team as a mentor and motivator to diverse professional staff.
• Strong negotiation and partnership-building skills and experience in change management.
• Demonstration of the effective promotion of innovation and collaboration.
• Political savvy, creativity, and intuitive thinking.

This position is exempt from any bargaining unit. 

Department: Rsrch Acceler'n&StragicInitves
Status: Permanent
Employment Group: Exempt
Full Time Equivalent (FTE): 1.0
Salary: The salary range, based on 1.0 FTE, is $115,770.00 - 193,800.00 per annum. The starting salary will be commensurate with education and experience.
Salary Phase/Band: Salary Band 5
Posted Date: 12/22/2023
Closing Date: 1/18/2024 at 6:00 pm CST
Number of Openings: 1
Work Location: May be eligible for hybrid work under the terms of USask's Alternative Workspace Guidelines

The successful applicant will be required to provide the following current verification(s) where 'Yes' is indicated below. Further information is available at: https://careers.usask.ca/tips-for-applying.php

Criminal Record Check: Not Applicable
Driver's License and Abstract Check: Not Applicable
Education/Credential Verification: Not Applicable
Vulnerable Sector Check: Not Applicable