Director, Research Security Jobs

This position is a part of the Association of the Academic Staff of the University of Alberta (AASUA).

In accordance with the Temporary Librarian, Administrative and Professional Officer (TLAPO) Agreement , this position has an initial appointment of 4 Years, with the possibility of renewal, and offers a comprehensive benefits package found at Faculty & Staff Benefits .

Working for the University of Alberta

The University of Alberta acknowledges that we are located on Treaty 6 territory, and respects the histories, languages and cultures of First Nations, Métis, Inuit and all First Peoples of Canada, whose presence continues to enrich our vibrant community.

The University of Alberta is teeming with change makers, community builders, and world shapers who lead with purpose each and every day. We are home to more than 40,000 students in 200+ undergraduate and 500+ graduate programs, over 13,000 faculty and staff, 260,000 alumni worldwide and have been recognized as one of Canada’s Greenest Employers for over a decade.

Your work will have a meaningful influence on a fascinating cross section of people—from our students and stakeholders, to our renowned researchers and innovators who are quite literally curing diseases, making discoveries and generating solutions that make the world healthier, safer, stronger, and more just.

Working for the Department/Faculty

The Research Integrity Support (RIS) portfolio encompasses services which support the Institution and its researchers in the provision of effective and responsible administration of ethics requirements for all research involving human participants, all research, teaching, and testing involving animals, clinical trials monitoring, research contracts and all safeguarding research initiatives. Within RIS, the Safeguarding Research program supports the review and risk / threat assessment of research, commercialization and technology transfer agreements. Our program-specific review committees, Safeguarding Research Working Group (SRWG) and the Institutions researchers are supported by an administrative team that provides effective, comprehensive services ranging from University safeguarding research policy development, researcher training, committee support and review and risk / threat assessments of individual applications, consultation on emerging issues and coordination of annual reporting to University, provincial and federal agencies.

Position

Reporting to the Associate Vice President (Research Integrity Support), the Director, Research Security is responsible for identifying, developing, and implementing strategies to meet the security objectives of the University of Alberta relating to research, innovation, international partnerships, and commercialization activities. The Director, Research Security is responsible for assessing and engaging with officials from other post-secondary institutions and all levels of government on the identification and mitigation of research security threats. The Director will serve as a resource to senior leadership for best practices regarding research security, including data governance. The Director, Research Security will serve as a key resource and advisor to senior leadership in both central and academic divisions, for best practices and policy development regarding research security, partnership and geopolitical risks, cybersecurity, and other activities. The Director, Research Security will provide leadership of the Safeguarding Research Office, supervising a team of research security specialists and communications / education staff that support the research security needs of the University research community.

Duties

Leadership

• Sets the direction for the team and plans future activity.
• Leads efforts to examine, advocate and advance research security matters in research, innovation, international partnership, and commercialization activities at the University by engaging with all levels of the University.
• Contributes to a positive and supportive work environment focused on achieving results and ensures individual excellence and high-performing teams.
• Provides leadership to direct reports. Hires, assesses progress, and provides disciplinary action.
• Coaches the performance of individuals for continuous improvement; able to stimulate and support creativity and innovation in others.
• Contributes to the decision-making process relating to staffing needs, job profiles and hiring decisions.
• Liaises with national security officials, monitoring the development of external threats, and managing researcher files related to such threats.

Operations Management and Strategy Formulation

• Responsible for the planning, implementation, delivery and monitoring of research security-related initiatives across the research and innovation enterprises.
• Monitors national and international research security media and briefs the VPRI as needed, with attention to implications from the standpoint of both internal and external stakeholders.
• Develops security components for research and innovation applications, proposals and partnerships, including advising on relevant security processes and approvals.
• Develops and implements strategies to support research security risk assessments and mitigation practices on campus.
• Evaluates current policies, practices and programs and external research security requirements to ensure the University of Alberta meets and where possible exceeds current best practices.
• Engages with the University community to explore, understand and address issues of research security matters within research and innovation activities as they relate to faculty and research staff.
• Evaluates emerging and longer-term opportunities and threats with respect to research security.
• In consultation and collaboration with senior leaders, oversees the development of related training programs and workshops for faculty, staff and students.
• Works at a strategic level to promote research security within the University, takes a strategic role in change management processes, provides advice to AVP(RIS) and the senior leadership team on research security practices and processes.
• In consultation with senior leaders, integrates research security principles into large strategic research initiatives operating across the University, in support of administration and management of the research initiatives.
• Identifies and cultivates appropriate relationships with key individuals across Canada, for example, in other U15 universities, and other strategic partners who have objectives and interests in research security.
• Leads the University's broad research security strategy as it relates to all Research portfolios including, for example, Research Partnerships, Tri-Agency funding, Industrial Partnerships.
• Acts as an expert resource to ensure research security related issues are disseminated across campus.
• Supports the VPRI in liaising with other universities and with government officials regarding practices and approaches for safeguarding research.
• Develops new policies / procedures / guidance documents related to research security.
• Liaises with relevant, academic support units and the VPRI office to oversee the development and delivery of education and training on a broad range of research security issues, with a particular emphasis on ensuring that such professional development and training is broadly available and accessible.

Qualifications

• Experience in developing and leading research security or related training initiatives for relevant stakeholders.
• Demonstrated knowledge of the geo-political context relevant to research and innovation.
• Experience working with Provincial and Federal ministries / agencies, particularly in the security and innovation context.
• Experience leading and supporting large-scale change initiatives.
• A strong understanding of systemic issues and analysis of the legal, legislative and regulatory frameworks related to research security.
• Experience and knowledge of university policies and procedures and an understanding of the University's organizational structure, including its governance is a strong asset.
• A strong understanding of the Alberta provincial context and the interplay between federal and provincial stakeholders in establishing research security norms and best practices.
• Depth and breadth of knowledge of research funding programs, understanding of external funding and funding procedures is preferred.
• Experience developing of security components for research and innovation applications, proposals and partnerships, including advising on relevant security processes and approvals.
• Minimum of seven to ten years of relevant experience in progressively senior positions addressing, leading and advancing security within a research-intensive or post-secondary environment, government agency, or similar complex organization.
• Five (5) years experience in project management and proven ability to align work priorities and realize strategic goals.
• Experience working with members of a senior leadership team on organization-wide committees and collaboratively with multiple stakeholders.
• Ability to lead, coach and mentor staff to attain exceptional goals.
• Experience in collating and analyzing qualitative and quantitative data and information in order to draft reports, provide briefing materials and recommendations to a range of audiences including senior leadership.
• Master's degree - (Business Administration, Political Science, Public Policy) or equivalent combination of education and job experience

This position requires access to sensitive information and secure databases, the successful candidate must be able to be cleared for a Reliability Status security screening (see https://www.tpsgc-pwgsc.gc.ca/esc-src/personnel/information-eng.html ).