Research Associate, Faculty of Social Work

Description

The Dean's Office in the Faculty of Social Work is currently seeking a Full-time Regular Research Associate.

This position is housed in the Faculty of Social Work and is in partnership with the Centre for Transformation for Family Justice (the Centre). This position works closely with the Research Chair in Family Justice in the Faculty of Social Work. The Research Associate will support the Faculty of Social Work (and the Faculty of Law) in identifying innovative approaches and actions to help reimagine the family justice system from an adversarial, court-centric model to one that focuses on helping family wellbeing. The Research Associate will explore opportunities for long-term sustainable cross-sectoral research collaborations with key players in the social and family justice systems, post-secondary institutions, governments, foundations, community organizations, and collective impact initiatives. The Research Associate will support the Chairs and the Specialist and can engage in relevant areas and with key projects that are central to this work. Approaches in the initiative include continuous improvement via community-based participatory research based on relationality and Keeoukaywin (The Visting Way). Such interdisciplinary research will be engaged in as part of this role and reflects the complexity of the partnerships and stakeholders representing the Faculty of Social Work and the Centre. 

This position reports to the Dean of the Faculty of Social Work and will connect the Faculty of Social Work academic members and students. The position will involve multiple research tasks with internal and external stakeholders and will primarily focus on the Faculty of Social Work's support of the Centre, and liaise with the Associate Dean, Research and Partnerships, and the Faculty's research team in both gaining information and contributing to Faculty research. The Research Associate role will be primarily to lead and support projects as assigned by the PI, including research projects, developing training materials and developing grant applications. There may be busier periods throughout the year, particularly around the time of major grant applications. While embedded in a team environment, the ideal candidate will also bring significant experience and initiative to projects. The Research Associate supports the facilitation of the Centre's engagement with sector policymakers, academic institutions, and other research and practitioner leaders.

This position works Monday to Friday, 35 hours per week, with occasional evening or weekend work to meet project deadlines. 

Summary of Key Responsibilities (job functions include but are not limited to):

• Lead and implement research projects while managing risks and resource requirements, ensuring alignment with the strategic goals of the Center, Faculty, and University.
• Drive the Center's research strategic growth, contributing to its establishment as a national research leader in systems transformation.
• Manage a growing research team and monitor the quantity and quality of work to ensure research tasks are completed to high standards; this will include hiring research assistants, conducting formal and informal performance management that may involve disciplinary actions.
• Coordinating and carrying out research activities of key research studies in consultation with the principal investigator and research team leadership.
• Oversee full cycle of research and knowledge mobilization projects and their implementation.
• Under limited supervision, responsible for performing a range of research tasks supporting study objectives.
• Serve as a resource and liaison on matters of ethics and compliance policy and procedures for administration, researchers, research ethics committee members and staff.
• Assists the Research Chairs and other Centre and Faculty team members with the submission of funding grants to facilitate a long-term sustainable research program in systems transformation for family justice.
• Provide guidance, support, and advice for developing and implementing Tri-Council grants.
• Writing and coordinating grant application materials.
• Work closely with the Principal Investigator and other team members in developing reports, grant proposals, presentation materials, and manuscripts, including literature reviews, data analyses and other original research.
• Providing support to research assistants and students.
• Clearly communicate work requirements and project updates that may impact assignments.
• Delegate tasks effectively, providing clear instructions and on-the-job training as needed.
• Mentor, coach, and guide junior staff, research assistants, and students to foster professional growth.
• Serve as a resource for colleagues with less experience, providing mentorship and technical support.
• Mentor student researchers on data collection, analysis, and storage and following regulations.
• Maintain project timelines and ensure deliverables are met within set deadlines.
• Support research budget development and monitor expenses in collaboration with administrative staff.
• Supports Faculty and Centre researchers and participants in meetings as required or to conduct research, data collection, analysis, and reporting to evaluate initiatives and obtain and verify results.
• Lead knowledge mobilization efforts, including drafting and oversee submission of publishing peer-reviewed articles, preparing conference presentations, and organizing symposiums to effectively disseminate findings.
• Develop knowledge translation materials such as policy briefs, toolkits, and educational resources to share research insights with diverse audiences.
• Build relationships with key Faculty and Centre researchers, UCalgary Research teams, research funders, community organizations, academic partners, and government entities.
• Represent the Faculty and the Centre and its initiatives at academic and community-focused events, promoting its mission and vision as needed.
• Share and coordinate data results with collaborating organizations and systems.
• Ensure the research is participatory and community-led, with a wide variety of partners and collaborators and strong relationships with research counterparts to leverage, share, and coordinate data.
• Ensure high standards for research, including strong data collection methodology and controls in place regarding consent, confidentiality, and ethics.
• Identify areas for improvement in operational and functional practices and contribute to optimizing Faculty of Social Work processes related to systems transformation research.
• Stay abreast of related best practices and current academic research to ensure the research program is connected to practice and systems transformation and can lead to the best outcomes for kids and families.
• Research is driven by our commitment to the most effective prevention and intervention models in family well-being, to delivering the most effective programs and having the best outcomes for children and families through the research conducted, and to using research data to create effective prevention and intervention in systems transformation for family wellness.
• Collaborates regularly and closely with the faculty about family well-being and systems transformation and family justice research.
• Regularly updates research team members, Sr. Director, Research Chairs, Faculty of Social Work and Faculty of Law senior leadership members on data collection and analysis and prepares and presents reports of these results using excellent technical writing skills.
• Meets deadlines created by the research funders, Deans, Sr. Director, Research Chairs and other team members.

Qualifications / Requirements:

• Completion of a post-graduate degree in a relevant social science field (such as social work, social sciences, health sciences, social policy, etc.) is required.
• A PhD in a related field is preferred.
• 5-10 years of related experience in research coordination, program evaluation, or project management in community-based or academic settings with experience in the design and implementation of research and evaluation in a social science field.
• Proven experience leading independent research projects, from conceptualization to completion, including publications.
• Demonstrated track record of developing successful grant applications, receiving and leading grants, and managing grants.
• High expertise and proficiency in conducting literature reviews, quantitative and qualitative research and data analysis.
• Exemplary writing skills and ability to support researchers with the proven ability to write and publish peer-reviewed papers with evidence of scholarly contributions to the field.
• Demonstrated leadership in driving strategic initiatives, with the ability to position an organization as a leader in its field.
• Familiarity with the University of Calgary and its organizational environment is an asset.
• Demonstrated leadership and management skills with experience managing research support teams.
• Sound knowledge of child and adolescent development, trauma, child abuse, the child protection system, the criminal justice system, and violence prevention is an asset.
• Familiarity with Canada's Tri-Council Policy Statement: Ethical Conduct for Research Involving Humans, particularly with respect to participants considered to be vulnerable.
• Demonstrated interpersonal skills and ability to work to coordinate teams of multidisciplinary professionals.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including demonstrated proficiency in effectively communicating ideas to research teams, social sector representatives, and people with lived experience to inform research and policy development.
• Proficient computer skills, including solid working experience using relevant technology such as quantitative and qualitative data analysis programs, Microsoft Office Applications (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Adobe Acrobat), SPSS, and NVivo, and the Internet, are required.
• Experience with Peoplesoft is a strong asset.
• Strong organizational skills that reflect the ability to seamlessly perform and prioritize multiple tasks with excellent attention to detail.
• Proficient digital and physical database management skills for collecting, maintaining and organizing information data.
• Ability to work independently on projects, from conception to completion, multi-task, and meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment.
• Ability to employ self-care strategies and maintain a calm, respectful demeanor and positive attitude in potentially stressful situations. 

Application Deadline:  March 21, 2025

We would like to thank all applicants in advance for submitting their resumes. Please note, only those candidates chosen to continue on through the selection process will be contacted.

This position is classified in the Research Career Band, Level 3 of the Management and Professional Staff Career Framework. 

For a listing of all management and staff opportunities at the University of Calgary, view our Management and Staff Careers website. 

About the University of Calgary

UCalgary is Canada's entrepreneurial university, located in Canada's most enterprising city. It is a top research university and one of the highest-ranked universities of its age. Founded in 1966, its 36,000 students experience an innovative learning environment, made rich by research, hands-on experiences and entrepreneurial thinking. It is Canada's leader in the creation of start-ups. Start something today at the University of Calgary. For more information, visit ucalgary.ca.

The University of Calgary has launched an institution-wide Indigenous Strategy committing to creating a rich, vibrant, and culturally competent campus that welcomes and supports Indigenous Peoples, encourages Indigenous community partnerships, is inclusive of Indigenous perspectives in all that we do.

As an equitable and inclusive employer, the University of Calgary recognizes that a diverse staff/faculty benefits and enriches the work, learning and research experiences of the entire campus and greater community. We are committed to removing barriers that have been historically encountered by some people in our society. We strive to recruit individuals who will further enhance our diversity and will support their academic and professional success while they are here. In particular, we encourage members of the designated groups (women, Indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities, members of visible/racialized minorities, and diverse sexual orientation and gender identities) to apply. To ensure a fair and equitable assessment, we offer accommodation at any stage during the recruitment process to applicants with disabilities. Questions regarding [diversity] EDI at UCalgary can be sent to the Office of Institutional Commitments ([email protected]) and requests for accommodations can be sent to Human Resources ([email protected]).

Do you have most but not all the qualifications? Research show that women, racialized and visible minorities, and persons with disabilities are less likely to apply for jobs unless they meet every single qualification. At UCalgary we are committed to achieving equitable, diverse, inclusive and accessible employment practices and workplaces and encourage you to apply if you believe you are right for this role. 

We encourage all qualified applicants to apply, however preference will be given to Canadian citizens and permanent residents of Canada.