Manager, Research Infrastructure and Development

Manager, Research Infrastructure and Development

As a key member of the leadership team of the Canadian Research Knowledge Network (CRKN), the Manager, Research Infrastructure and Development (Manager) will contribute to CRKN’s innovative vision and ensure that the organization continues to evolve to meet the needs of our member community. Guided by our mission that the world’s knowledge is accessible by all, the Manager will oversee all of CRKN’s technical infrastructure and will enhance the contributions that CRKN members and other stakeholders have made in the development of the Canadiana platform to increase use, enhance tools and services, and ultimately enable research innovation.

The Manager is the lead product owner of the Canadiana platform which includes the Canadiana Trustworthy Digital Repository (TDR) and application (access) platform. The Canadiana platform is home to over 60 million pages of digitized documentary heritage and is a critical part of providing access to and preservation of Canadian cultural heritage material. The Manager leads a team of full-stack software developers and system administrators in building tools and features that enhance the platform for users and CRKN members, and oversees an innovative and agile technical development roadmap that is forward-looking, transparent, and prioritized by members and user needs. At CRKN, we believe that it is vital that the entire technical team develops an understanding of our members, the broader community, and their needs. The Manager will prioritize the development of member and user-driven short-term and long-term needs of CRKN’s heritage research infrastructure and actively initiate tools and services that mobilize Canadiana content within the research ecosystem. The Manager champions frameworks to ensure that members and users are up to date on recent, upcoming, and future developments of the platform. In doing so, the Manager works with other CRKN department heads and teams to identify and prioritize requirements and to plan and implement solutions.

The Manager is an innovative problem solver who keeps an eye to future opportunities and sees the vast potential of CRKN’s research infrastructure. The successful candidate will bring expertise managing a team of developers and IT specialists and will champion internal and external communications. The Manager will translate the technical development of the Canadiana platform and other research infrastructure to other team members and to CRKN’s governance structure. The Manager will also take an active role in defining projects and opportunities for funding proposals and partnerships.

Duties and Responsibilities

Canadiana Platform Management (50%)
§ Lead the development of the Canadiana platform by integrating member-driven and user priorities.
§ Ensure that Canadiana infrastructure services are reliable and responsive and able to evolve quickly to support new requirements and new services.
§ Lead the continued modernization of CRKN’s current software stack, infrastructure, and development processes, using open source/standards, community shared tools whenever possible, and ensure that the team contributes to the ongoing development and sustainability of these tools.
§ Mobilize the use of the Canadiana platform as part of the research ecosystem, investigating the ways in which platform tools can be developed for researchers.
§ Under the guidance of the Preservation and Access Committee and Researcher Council, act as the lead Canadiana Product Owner by identifying and prioritizing platform development goals and potential solutions and their associated costs, benefits, and trade-offs.
§ Identify short and long-term staffing, technology, and infrastructure requirements for the successful development and operation of the platform, and propose strategies to ensure these needs are addressed.

Research Infrastructure Leadership (20%)
• In collaboration with the Director, Strategy and Engagement, lead the development and scoping of projects and initiatives for funding opportunities by providing technical expertise and project planning, including but not limited to a CFI Innovation Fund application.
• In collaboration with the Director, Strategy and Engagement, identify partnership opportunities with other research infrastructure providers to avoid development duplication and collaborate to meet shared goals.
• Advise on CRKN’s broader research infrastructure initiatives from a technical lens, including persistent identifiers, open scholarship systems, tools, platforms and integrations, and heritage services.
• Contribute to CRKN’s governance by providing regular updates to the Board and Committees on CRKN’s technical infrastructure. Present to CRKN’s Board and Committees on the strategies and priorities of the research infrastructure program and platform development.
• Present at external conferences and meetings, as needed, identifying opportunities to connect with other individuals and organizations working on access to, and preservation of cultural and heritage material.
• Look to the future by identifying short, medium, and long-term goals for platform development, identifying opportunities to include new content formats, arrangements, and other tools and services.
• Participate in the review, development, and implementation of CRKN’s operating budgets and strategic plan.

Trustworthy Digital Repository (TDR) Oversight (20%)
• Monitor CRKN’s operating environment to ensure that it remains consistent with CRKN’s duties and obligations as a certified TDR, and with the needs and expectations of its members and stakeholders.
• Develop, evaluate, and monitor policies, practices, and procedures related to trustworthy preservation.
• Monitor the environment identifying changes in the needs and expectations of CRKN members and stakeholders regarding digital preservation and access, and for changes in standards and accepted best practices in these areas.
• Manage periodic internal and external reviews and audits of the TDR and the development and execution of action plans arising from any identified deficiencies or changes in the needs of CRKN’s members and stakeholders.
• Develop the framework to expand CRKN’s preservation infrastructure to meet the needs of members and stakeholders.

Information Technology Management (10%)
§ Oversee the management of CRKN’s internal use of information technology, including: personal computers, mobile devices, servers, cloud services, software, and related tools and technologies.
§ Identify the information technology needs of staff and, working with the Director of Finance and Administration, develop plans and budgets to ensure that these needs are met.
§ With the Director of Finance and Administration under the guidance of the Finance and Audit Committee develop, monitor, and revise information-technology and cybersecurity policies and practices.
§ Manage relationships with external vendors, service providers, and other partners.
§ Leverage CRKN’s in-house technical expertise to assist in the development and implementation of information technology and cybersecurity plans.

In a small team environment, each individual is expected to work towards overall CRKN goals, and at times, a team effort is required that may involve taking on tasks outside the normal or expected scope of their role. Other duties may be assigned as required.

Qualifications

The ideal candidate is a leader in research infrastructure and/or digital preservation and has a background in information technology, information management, library science, archival science, or other relevant discipline. Candidates should have five or more years experience managing high-performing professional teams and/or technical projects. Other relevant and desired education, experience and skills include:

• Demonstrated ability to lead, mentor, and support a variety of subject matter experts in an inderdisciplinary environment
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, including the ability to facilitate collaboration and manage conflicts between individuals with different communication styles
• A demonstrated commitment to software development that is driven by member and user needs
• A track record of leading teams through change and delivering projects using a variety of tools, frameworks, and development paradigms
• A commitment to open and collaborative decision-making processes
• Expertise in information technology, software development, systems administration, and networking technologies and practices
• Familiarity with evolving issues in maintaining information security and cybersecruity
• Experience contributing to open source and community governed software projects
• Demonstrated ability to translate technical concepts into a form that is accessible to a broad audience, and to translate user needs and business objectives into technical requirements
• Strong project management skills, including experience with agile methodologies and iterative development.
• Ability to plan and prioritize within an evolving environment
• Ability to take initiative and work with minimal direction and supervision
• Ability to obtain Government of Canada reliability status
• Ability to travel on occasion
• Bilingualism (English and French) is an asset
• Familiarity with the certification and operation of Trustworthy Digital Repositories is an asset

Term
Full-time permanent.

Salary
This position falls within CRKN’s Management 1 Salary band ($74,500 – $111,750). Salary is commensurate with experience.

Location
The CRKN office is located in Ottawa, Ontario, however, the team works primarily in a virtual environment. Applications are welcome from candidates anywhere in Canada. Occasional travel to Ottawa, and elsewhere for meetings is required.

To Apply

Please send a letter of application and resume via email to:

Canadian Research Knowledge Network
Attn: Clare Appavoo, Executive Director
Email: [email protected]

Please reference Manager, Research Infrastructure and Development in the email subject

Closing date: June 24, 2022

We thank all applicants for their interest in CRKN, however only those candidates selected for an interview will be contacted.

CRKN is an equal opportunity employer, with policies and practices intended to build an inclusive and accessible work environment. If you require accommodation during the recruitment process, please include in your cover letter when applying for the position and all efforts to provide the appropriate accommodation will be put into place.

For a French version of this position, please visit: https://www.crkn-rcdr.ca/sites/crkn/files/2022-06/Manager%2C%20Research%20Infrastructure_FRA.pdf
/ Pour une version française de ce poste, veuillez consulter le site suivant : https://www.crkn-rcdr.ca/sites/crkn/files/2022-06/Manager%2C%20Research%20Infrastructure_FRA.pdf