Platform Administrator Jobs

Staff - Non Union
Job Category
M&P - AAPS
Job Profile
AAPS Salaried - Research and Facilitation, Level C
Job Title
Platform Administrator
Department
Health Data Research Network | Population Data BC | Faculty of Medicine
Compensation Range
$5,906.25 - $8,508.42 CAD Monthly
The Compensation Range is the span between the minimum and maximum base salary for a position. The midpoint of the range is approximately halfway between the minimum and the maximum and represents an employee that possesses full job knowledge, qualifications and experience for the position. In the normal course, employees will be hired, transferred or promoted between the minimum and midpoint of the salary range for a job.
Posting End Date
June 9, 2023
Note: Applications will be accepted until 11:59 PM on the day prior to the Posting End Date above.
Job End Date
Feb 15, 2025
This position is expected to be filled by promotion/reassignment and is included here to inform you of its vacancy at the University.
Job Summary
Population Data BC is a multi-university, data and education resource facilitating interdisciplinary research on the determinants of human health, well-being and development.
We support secure research access to individual-level, de-identified longitudinal data on 4.8 million residents living in British Columbia, linking data across various sectors such as health, education, early childhood development, workplace and the environment. Population Data BC also offers a professional specialization certificate in Population Health Data Analysis, training researchers across Canada and around the world.
Population Data BC is based at the School of Population and Public Health (SPPH), which is in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of British Columbia. We are a key member of the International Population Data Linkage Network, through which we have promoted international research collaborations and fostered working groups on privacy and access to data.
Key objectives of Population Data BC are to:

• Make more data sets available for research
• Provide strategic leadership to ensure streamlined researcher access to these data
• Facilitate cross-linkages among the data sets in a privacy sensitive manner
• Provide educational and other opportunities to ensure full and best use of those data

Population Data BC is the coordinating centre for the Health Data Research Network Canada (HDRN Canada) and the SPOR Canadian Data Platform (CDP). HDRN Canada is a research-enabling, distributed network that supports multi-regional, person-focused research. The work of HDRN Canada is supported by a seven-year, $39M grant awarded by the CIHR under its Strategy for Patient-Oriented Research (SPOR), and has in-kind contributions from network member organizations across Canada. HDRN Canada is a federally incorporated not-for-profit organization with many complex and strategic relationships with Ministries of Health and other government entities (which are often funders of network members), with federal agencies and with other groups, networks and data providers. The network is comprised of every national, provincial, and territorial centre that holds population-wide health data. As HDRN, our 14 centres work together and share resources to support researchers in using the 543 health and social datasets that our centres hold.
The Platform Administrator will exercise professional judgment and initiative in the overall coordination and management of HDRN Canada and the SPOR CDP. They will be accountable for the effective execution of all assigned activities. They will make decisions regarding the project review process and the development of collaborative agreements and plans.
Organizational Status
This position reports to the Director of Operations, SPOR Canadian Data Platform and will have accountability as well to the SPOR CDP Nominated Principal Investigator. As a key contributor to a nationally-distributed network, the incumbent is expected to liaise with a broad range of external researchers, members of partner institutions, project leads, stakeholders, UBC departments, and cross-institutional committees.
The Platform Administrator will exercise professional judgment and initiative in the overall coordination and management of the SPOR CDP. They will be accountable for the effective execution of all assigned activities. They will make decisions regarding the project review process and the development of collaborative agreements and plans.
Work Performed

• Facilitates research collaborations with new network partners and data providers across Canada
• Responsible for the coordination of reviews or audits, in areas of security, privacy; includes overseeing requests for proposals and selecting vendors
• Writes reports for the Board, Exec and project funders
• Facilitates the growth and development of the SPOR CDP, taking a senior role in operations and development initiatives led by the Director of Operations and Nominated Principal Investigator
• Draws on understanding and expertise of researcher access to data and analytic requirements in BC, Canada and around the world in order to support efforts to streamline data access at the provincial and national levels
• Operationalizes network development initiatives and strategic work plans, performing ongoing operational analyses of HDRN projects to ensure efficacy and efficiency, and to foresee potential problem areas
• Provides project management for centrally-driven projects, including the development and implementation of new protocols, processes, policies and services offered by the CDP
• Provides senior-level management for the administration of the CDP, including the management of a not-for-profit/charity entity
• Provides authoritative information on the project to all partners and personnel
• Manages network-wide work plan submissions, reviewing and advising sites on participation in network objectives and initiatives
• Participates in, contributes to and monitors the progress of major objectives for the SPOR CDP, including: planning the creation of a multi-jurisdictional data access support system; facilitating data harmonization and standardization; expanding the sources and types of data and linkages available; the development of technology infrastructure for data access requests and the documentation, storage, and re-use of algorithms and existing data; the development of data analytics and data collection and analysis infrastructure; facilitating patient, public, and Indigenous community engagement; and enabling pan-Canadian coordination
• Fosters and strengthens relationships among HDRN Canada member organizations
• Builds and maintains strong relationships with staff, specialists, and subject matter experts at sites across the network, ensuring consistency, open communication and convergence
• Performs other duties as required
• Works with all working groups, teams, councils and committees within the SPOR CDP network to set priorities and goals, prepare budgets and forecast requirements
• Manages network-wide reporting on CDP objectives and financial accountability
• Leads the development of additional grant opportunities
• Reviews grant objectives and requirements in order to establish and implement protocols for quarterly reporting of work plan progress, timeline updates and financial accountability summaries from across the CDP network

Consequence of Error/Judgement
As a representative of PopData with extensive contact with researchers, policymakers, and stakeholders, the Platform Administrator, SPOR Canadian Data Platform must exercise outstanding tact, discretion, initiative and judgment at all times. Actions carried out by the incumbent directly affect the ability of the SPOR Canadian Data Platform to carry out its objectives.
This role will work under strict confidentiality because of the nature of data held by Population Data BC and its partners. Any breach in data security would place the reputation and future of the SPOR CDP, PopData, and its partner organizations at risk.
Accuracy is extremely important because any errors in communication will have a significant effect on the reliability of information released by the SPOR CDP and PopData. The release of erroneous or misleading information may have implications that affect the network, the research community, partners, stakeholders and public bodies.
Work must often meet tight deadlines and requires the incumbent to perform well under extreme pressure. The incumbent will be expected to respond well to unexpected circumstances and exercise independent judgment. The incumbent must demonstrate exceptional public relations and interpersonal skills in dealing with government, high profile members and senior administration of the university community.
Supervision Received
Works with considerable latitude. Reports to the Director of Operations, SPOR Canadian Data Platform. The incumbent will work with and occasionally receive direction from other senior members of the SPOR CDP Leadership team as well as senior staff members of Population Data BC.
Supervision Given
Provides direction and technical knowledge to others working on SPOR Canadian Data Platform-related projects or objectives. Provides direction and task supervision to collaborating staff and students.
May be required to have formal reports as the project grows.
Minimum Qualifications
For research work, a post-graduate degree or equivalent professional designation with a minimum of four years of related experience, or an equivalent combination of education and experience. Otherwise, an undergraduate degree in a relevant discipline is required with a minimum of six years of related experience, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
Preferred Qualifications
Post-graduate degree in Health Sciences or other relevant discipline is preferred. Experience working with a data-focused organization or health-related institution is an asset. Experience in working within a statutorily-regulated or a privacy-sensitive environment is highly desirable.
Skills:

• Ability to understand technical terms and concepts
• Demonstrated time management and organizational skills, with the ability to manage multi-tasking and competing priorities
• Exceptional attention to detail
• Exceptional initiative and willingness to learn new concepts and detailed procedures
• Strong ability to exercise tact, discretion, and judgment
• Strong understanding of how to function as a team player in a multi-stakeholder environment
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to liaise with individuals at varying levels of expertise, including programming staff, senior government staff, researchers, and community leaders.
• Strong oral and written communication skills, including proficiency in the use of English grammar, spelling, punctuation, and technical terminology
• Must be positive in attitude and a team player
• Ability to work effectively both independently and within a team environment

Due to the privacy-sensitive nature of the data holdings at Population Data BC, all staff are subject to the security screening requirements of our data providers.