Senior Research Assistant

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

Job End Date

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 Senior Research Assistant will work within Digital Emergency Medicine (DigEM) and will contribute to DigEM’s ongoing and emerging project coordination and research activities including but not limited to three broad areas: Technology-enabled innovations in health practice and education contexts; multi-channel community engagement to support health education and patient-centred and digital health innovation and collaborative partnerships. Much of this work involves evaluating the efficacy of digital health interventions in various contexts such as community health promotion, improved health service delivery and innovative program evaluation educational approaches. The role also encompasses liaising with stakeholders and co-planning and organization health promotion and self-management events for multicultural and Indigenous communities.
Organizational Status
 

The vision of the UBC Department of Emergency Medicine is to be a provincially integrated Department committed to clinical, academic, and health care delivery leadership, founded in the creation and exchange of knowledge to improve emergency care. Our faculty members across the province have an impressive record of research and discovery related to prevention of emergencies, improving clinical care, and system improvements. Our Royal College residency training program, distributed across four program sites, is the largest in the country providing high-quality emergency training. The Department of Emergency Medicine has also played a leadership role in the development and implementation of the BC Emergency Medicine Network which integrates and translates knowledge and experiences to support emergency practitioners across the province.

The Digital Emergency Medicine research program, led by Dr. Kendall Ho, conducts research on the use of digital technologies to improve healthcare delivery and raising digital health literacy. Digital Emergency Medicine carries out research, community engagement, and educational activities to explore how modern information and communication technologies (e.g. mobile and web-based applications, etc.) can improve health care. Our mission is to transform emergency medicine through technology enabled, health professional and patient oriented strategies for excellence in acute and community care.

This position reports to the Manager, Program Administration & Technology and takes direction from Research Analysts and Project Coordinators on a project basis or as designated. They will work closely with the Associate Lead, Research, Research Portfolio Coordinators and other DigEM staff members. They will interact and work with various stakeholders external to UBC including health providers, study participants, government agencies, funding agencies, non-profit and for-profit organizations and suppliers/contractors. They will also interact and work with UBC and Faculty stakeholders (e.g. Office of Research Services, University-Industry Liaison Office, Dean’s Office, etc.)

Work Performed

• Organizes, co-leads, and hosts health promotion events and related activities, including organizing and documenting meetings, communicating with diverse project partners, and assisting senior level staff and faculty in planning events in multicultural settings and program and event evaluation.

• Leads project/initiative promotions, communications, advocacy, knowledge sharing, and dissemination.

• Serves as the designated point-of-contact for project participants and partners.

• Oversees the progress of projects and participates in complex research activities, such as selecting and implementing research and Quality Improvement methodologies, ensuring research activities are culturally appropriate and culturally safe, analyzing data to inform knowledge translation, etc.

• Provides instruction and training in the use of specialized software for data analysis and knowledge translation.

• Oversees design of data collection tools and collects data by facilitating focus groups, conducting interviews, and administering surveys.

• Performs data preparation, collection, entry, and conducts complex analysis and interpretation using specialized software.

• Provides reports regarding ongoing project operations, monitors the day-to-day progress of projects or project components and provides regular updates.

• Translates evaluation and event promotion materials for multicultural communities.

• Oversees daily operations of supplies and equipment, including responsibility for inventory maintenance and purchase recommendation.

• Oversees participant recruitment and registration for project events and studies as needed.

• Develops procedures to standardize quality data collection and analysis processes

• Performs other duties as required.

Consequence of Error/Judgement

The Senior Research Assistant is expected to maintain a close working relationship with DigEM management and staff, Investigators and external stakeholders, in order to ensure the success, quality (effectiveness and efficiency) and timeliness of outcomes. This is required to work effectively within an organizational structure. The incumbent will be required to exercise good judgment and make sound decisions as these have the potential to impact DigEM’s reputation, program viability, and the opportunity for future partnerships.
Supervision Received

The incumbent works independently on a day to day basis under general direction and with minimal direction from the Program Manager, Research Portfolio Coordinator, Associate Lead, and/or Principal Investigator. The incumbent exercises a considerable amount of judgment, responsibility, and initiative in determining work procedures and methods, and coordinating the work of the unit.
Supervision Given

The incumbent oversees the work of Research Assistants, students, and volunteers.
Minimum Qualifications
Completion of a university degree in a relevant discipline or technical program and a minimum four years of related experience or an equivalent combination of education and experience. Some positions may require a graduate degree.
- 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

Education: Undergraduate degree in an area of social science or health science with research experience preferred.

Experience: Experience with social science research methods an asset. Experiences with BC health professional organizations, health and wellness of Indigenous people, cross-cultural projects, and inter-professional collaboration are assets. Fluency in Mandarin and/or Cantonese, in addition to English, is preferred.

Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities:

• Ability to effectively use computer software, such as MS Office, data analysis software, familiarity with online literature search tools.

• Ability to work effectively independently and in a team environment.

• Ability to develop and maintain strategic alliances and partnerships and liaise effectively with stakeholders and clients.

• Ability to show initiative and judgment.

• Ability to prioritize and work effectively under pressure to meet deadlines. Proficient in the use of data analysis software and related technical skills.

• Ability to communicate effectively verbally and in writing.

• Excellent analytical skills.

• Ability to occasionally work on weekends or outside of regular work hours for operational reasons or to meet research deliverables.