Project Manager

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.

Note: Applications will be accepted until 11:59 PM on the Posting End Date.

Job End Date

This is a part-time position at 40% FTE (14 hours per week). Salary indicated above will be prorated accordingly.

At UBC, we believe that attracting and sustaining a diverse workforce is key to the successful pursuit of excellence in research, innovation, and learning for all faculty, staff and students. Our commitment to employment equity helps achieve inclusion and fairness, brings rich diversity to UBC as a workplace, and creates the necessary conditions for a rewarding career. 

Job Summary
The Project Manager will manage the Alliance Society research project ‘Community-Centred approaches to Cascading Hazards’ in the Landscapes of Climate Change Lab, providing direction and oversight with regard to the research activities of the project to ensure that project deliverables are fulfilled. This includes managing and forecasting the budget, overseeing the project schedule, and managing community partner relations.
The Project Manager is also responsible for developing further funding applications and managing budgets and grants in collaboration with researchers, granting agencies, and partner organizations across BC.
Organizational Status
The Community-Centred approaches to Cascading Hazards is a multi-year, Alliance grant-funded research and outreach project that aims to develop and research community-centred risk management innovation in Canada and Chile, and catalyze extensive research and knowledge mobilization in responding to cascading hazards in glaciated mountains. Our partnership includes researchers at Simon Fraser University and the Universidad Austral in Chile, municipal partner organizations Pemberton Valley Diking District and the Village of Pemberton, governmental agencies NRCan, SERNAGEOMIN, and the Lil’wat and St’at’imc First Nations. Using a modular research approach, the project will facilitate international collaboration on four thematic objectives.

Work Performed

- Manage the research project budget including forecasting, implementing, monitoring and ensuring compliance with various funding sources as well as UBC.

- Planning, developing, writing and editing reports to funding agencies.

- Identifies funding sources; pursuing potential funding and research partnerships.

- Writing and producing financial and narrative reports for partners.

- Developing and implementing research project plans, timelines and strategies for the research project.

- Developing and implementing processes for the efficient administration, organization, and operation of the research project, including project proposals, protocols, priorities, work plans and timelines.

- Managing the production and dissemination of research project outputs, including publications, liaison with First Nations data governance organizations and all other knowledge translation activities.

- Organize and run bi-weekly meetings for project team and community partners.

- Organize and manage semi-annual community engagement workshops.

- Develop and manage relationships with various community partners, including First Nations

- Communicating project goals, directing research and production outputs, and working with partners to disseminate findings.

- Managing requests from media outlets including determining appropriate resource/expert from the partnership team, and facilitating connection.

- Plans, develops, implements, and evaluates knowledge exchange strategies using web-based platforms that are tailored to the focus of the project.

- In consultation with the PI and research team, the Project Manager will lead the development of the websites and some of the research outputs. This also includes, but is not limited to, designing, maintaining and updating the project website using the content management system, incorporating additional content development and design, and reporting on the digital analytics.

Consequence of Error/Judgement
The Project Manager makes professional decisions and recommendations on all aspects of the research work, and is responsible for the quality of research activities. Poor performance could jeopardize the research project and result in loss of funding. Errors in judgment will result in damage to the reputation of the project and the credibility of its findings, Faculty and University and endanger future industry and community partner collaborations and or/funding opportunities.

Supervision Received
The Project Manager reports to the Project PI Koppes. The Project Manager is given wide latitude and expected to exercise independent decision-making. Although guidance will be given by the PI, the Project Manager must be strongly self-motivated, able to exercise sound, independent judgment, and be aware of all possible consequences of his/her actions for the welfare of the project.

Supervision Given
The Project Manager and the Project PI provide direction to the research team, media and community partners.
Minimum Qualifications
Undergraduate degree in a relevant discipline. Minimum of three years of related experience, or the equivalent combination of education and experience.
- Willingness to respect diverse perspectives, including perspectives in conflict with one’s own.

- Demonstrates a commitment to enhancing one’s own awareness, knowledge, and skills related to equity, diversity, and inclusion.

Preferred Qualifications

- Enrollment in a graduate degree in Geography or Earth Science.

- Experience in managing project budgets, demonstrated experience in grant funding application and in research project management.

- Demonstrated experience in working with Indigenous governing bodies, according to protocol.

- Academic or professional experience in researching and writing about geohazards.

- Ability to analyze and interpret data.

- Ability to gather, record and organize information.

- Ability to analyze problems, identify key information and issues and effectively resolve these.

- Ability to exercise sound judgement including the exercise of tact, discretion and confidentiality.

- Effective oral and written communication, organizational and time management skills.