Research Manager

Staff - Non Union

Job Category

M&P - AAPS

Job Profile

AAPS Salaried - Research and Facilitation, Level C

Job Title

Research Manager

Department

Vallance Laboratory | Department of Paediatrics | Faculty of Medicine

Compensation Range

$7,622.83 - $11,886.67 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

April 20, 2026

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

This position is subject to the satisfactory completion of required background checks

Job End Date

March 31, 2027

 

 

This position is expected to be filled by promotion/reassignment and is included here to inform you of its vacancy at the University.

Research Manager

AAPS Salaried - Research and Facilitation, Level C

Job Description
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 UBC Department of Pediatrics based at the BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute, invites applications for a Research Manager to join a cross-functional research initiative termed Microbiota for Antimicrobial Resistance Exploration (MiAREx) spanning the laboratories of Dr. Bruce Vallance and Dr. Carolina Tropini.
The Vallance (https://www.bcchr.ca/vallance-lab) and Tropini (http://tropini.microbiology.ubc.ca) laboratories are world leading research groups focused on the study of the microbiota and the intestinal mucosa and how perturbations to this ecosystem can lead to enteric pathogen attack or serious intestinal diseases such as inflammatory bowel disease. We are looking for a highly qualified and motivated individual to join our team as a Research Manager for this cross-functional initiative to provide leadership and strategic direction in the development of high-value research program that harmonizes efforts across the two laboratories as well as identifies synergistic research opportunities to address highly competitive funding proposals. The responsibilities of this position encompass managing research activities between the two laboratories, the creation of strategic research proposals and preparing manuscripts for peer-reviewed publications and grant applications, training, support and mentorship of trainees and staff (graduate and undergraduate students, postdoctoral fellows and research associates) as well as providing operational support and authoritative information on administrative processes. The successful candidate will also require strong laboratory experience, with skills spanning microbiology, immunology and cell biology. It is expected that the successful candidate has mastered specific technical skills such as primary cell culture, mouse models of colitis and bacterial infection, bacterial genetics and aerobic/anaerobic bacterial assays, and be sufficiently skilled to independently perform such work and instruct others.

Organizational Status

The Research Manager will report directly to Dr. Bruce Vallance and Dr. Carolina Tropini. They will liaise with other members of the Vallance and Tropini research groups, including co-investigators, researchers, research associates, postdoctoral fellows, students and staff.

Work Performed
The successful candidate will play a leadership role in the Vallance and Tropini laboratories, leading the MiAREx research group as well as providing oversight on scientific and training aspects of the two laboratories.
Specifics tasks for this position may include:
o    Provides leadership in planning, developing, and managing research projects under the MiAREx initiative, ensuring that each project progresses through distinct phases, including initial discussions, resource allocation, execution, and data analysis.
o    Serves as the primary point of contact for projects led within the initiative, facilitating communications with collaborating institutions, industries, and interdisciplinary research teams.
o    Leads strategic discussions regarding external collaborations, identifying key research partners and overseeing the development of collaborative agreements.
o    Reviews and provides guidance on research ethics protocols prior to submission, ensuring compliance with institutional and regulatory requirements.
o    Drafts research proposals, funding applications, and official reports for granting agencies and the University.
o    Mentors graduate students, postdoctoral fellows, and research staff, providing guidance on project management, research methodologies, and best practices.
o    Oversees research operations, including effective allocation of personnel, laboratory resources, and infrastructure to meet project timelines and objectives.
o    Develops and optimizes laboratory workflows, ensuring that research activities align with best practices and technological advancements.
o    Represents the research initiative at academic conferences, stakeholder meetings, and public outreach events.

Consequence of Error/Judgement
The successful applicant will exercise a considerable amount of judgment, responsibility, and initiative in determining work procedures and methods, and coordinating the work of the unit. Poor judgment could result in loss of experimental data and delay in conducting research. This could impact publications, collaborations, and future findings.
Dr. Vallance’s laboratory is situated within the Childhood and Disease Theme of the BC Children's Hospital Research Institute while Dr. Tropini’s laboratory is part of the School of Biomedical Engineering as well as the Department of Microbiology and Immunology. Errors and poor decisions could compromise the results of research projects and therefore could be damaging to the reputation of the Principal Investigator, other investigators, the Unit, the Research Centre, and the University.

Supervision Received
The successful candidate will receive minimal supervision from Dr. Bruce Vallance and Dr. Carolina Tropini. The successful candidate will be expected to be a self-starter and work independently, with minimum supervision. They will require resourcefulness in identifying opportunities and challenges and pursuing them independently, reporting regularly to Dr. Vallance and Dr. Tropini. Additionally, the successful candidate will need to be comfortable working in an environment that requires flexibility and adaptability to respond to shifting and emerging priorities.

Supervision Given
Provides direction, technical knowledge and mentorship to trainees (graduate students and postdoctoral fellows) and staff on both research teams.
 
Minimum Qualifications

For research work, a post-graduate degree or equivalent professional designation with a minimum of four (4) 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 (6) years of related experience, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

o   Willingness to respect diverse perspectives, including perspectives in conflict with one’s own

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

Preferred Qualifications

A PhD in Microbiology or other relevant area, significant laboratory research experience, and a good publication and successful grant/fellowship writing record

Demonstrated ability to plan and lead new projects

Demonstrated ability to supervise a team. Direct experience supervising professional staff is a significant asset

Demonstrated ability to effectively manage multiple tasks and priorities

Demonstrated ability to read difficult or complicated text analytically and critically and summarize relevant information in succinct and precise English

Excellent verbal communicator with ability to give effective presentations

Demonstrated ability to identify common research interests and potential synergies, and engage multiple internal stakeholders to build strong research teams and strengthened research funding applications

Experience with strategic planning and project planning

Demonstrated ability to prioritize and work effectively under pressure to meet deadlines

Strong teamwork and interpersonal skills, flourishes independently as well as in a dynamic and collaborative team environment

Applicants should demonstrate extensive experience in all the following:

• Mammalian cell culture
• Primary macrophage and B-cell isolation and culture
• Intestinal organoid culture and use in infection model
• Mouse husbandry (maintenance, weaning, mouse handling, tissue collection)
• Multiple mouse models of colitis and bacterial infection
• Multiparametric flow cytometry, magnetic cell isolation, and fluorescence-activated cell sorting
• Microfluidic tools for cell biology
• Bacterial genetics and cloning
• Aerobic/anaerobic bacterial assays
• Animal tissue imaging (e.g. immunostaining, FISH, laser capture microdissection, RNAscope)
• Confocal and fluorescence microscopy
• Molecular biology and biochemical techniques (Western blot, ELISA, Meso Scale Discovery system, agarose gel electrophoresis, qPCR, RNAi, TLC, protein NHS ester/EDAC bioconjugation)

Proficient in the following illustration and statistical analysis software - Photoshop, Illustrator, ImageJ, R and GraphPad

An established track record of developing and completing research projects in experimental biology as demonstrated by past publications, accomplishments, and references

Preference will be given to candidates who have demonstrated experience in leading and mentoring high performing teams while simultaneously maintaining a cutting-edge research program