Project Coordinator - Mohseni Research Group

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Compensation Range

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Posting End Date

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.

The expected pay range for this position is between $64,385 to $92,519 per year

Job Summary

The Mohseni research group is leading a research project on Water security in changing climates. This project is a collaboration between university researchers in the USA and Norway, and their respective community partners in Kenya, South Sudan, Northern Norway, Alaska, and British Columbia. Broadly, the research program coordinator will work with communities to (a) map the systems that provide them safe water access, (b) understand the future risks to vulnerabilities in these water systems, especially considering changing climates, and (c) identify and test measures for adaptation and mitigation of these vulnerabilities. This is a highly multi-disciplinary project including social sciences, community planning, landscape architecture, climate science, engineering, and community engagement.

This position will act as Program Coordinator for a two-year research project which is being led by the Mohseni research group at UBC but involves collaboration with university researchers in the USA and Norway, and their respective community partners in Kenya, South Sudan, Northern Norway, Alaska, and British Columbia. The Program Coordinator will work under the supervision of Dr. Madjid Mohseni at UBC, while also coordinating with the Principal Investigators and graduate researchers to administer this research program. The Program Coordinator will have two broad roles in this research program, supporting both the overall program administration across all research sites, and also leading the research roles for UBC and Community Circle in British Columbia:

1. Work collaboratively with the entire research team across all universities with administration of this research program. This includes development of research plans, questions, and methodologies, coordinating and hosting regular virtual update meetings and occasional in-person workshops for the research team, sharing resources across the collaborating research groups, collecting lessons learned from each research location to support the development of globally-applicable toolkit for water security, and other tasks to support the overall research program.

2. Acting on behalf of Community Circle to coordinate the research program's activities in British Columbia, which will include growing existing and new partnerships with First Nations communities, hosting community meetings, carrying out qualitative research including interviews and focus group sessions with Indigenous water leaders, analyzing these findings and working with other research team members to complete Social Network Analyses and climate projections, working with researchers, policymakers, trusted partners, and using engineering knowledge to critically assess various options for climate adaptation strategies for the First Nations research partner communities in British Columbia.

This position may also contribute to desktop studies to support the above-mentioned research steps, while also conducting experiments and analyses in either or both a laboratory or field setting as a part of the overall research study and make recommendations on water treatment processes. A sound understanding of water treatment processes, knowledge of water chemistry and microbiology, and experience with analytical instruments, are all requirements of this position.

Organizational Status

Works in a team comprising the Principal Investigator, research collaborators and scientists, and graduate students.

Communicates with external partners and community representatives on the tasks and results of study

Collaborates and liaises with other members of the team, various university groups, external collaborators, as well as community members.

Work Performed

Under the supervision of the project principal investigator:

• Work collaboratively with the entire research team across all universities with administration of this research program. This includes development of research plans, questions, and methodologies.

• Growing existing and new partnerships with First Nations communities, and hosting community meetings.

• Carrying out qualitative research including interviews and focus group sessions with Indigenous water leaders, analyzing these findings and working with other research team members to complete Social Network Analyses and climate projections.

• Working with researchers, policymakers, trusted partners, and using engineering knowledge to critically assess various options for climate adaptation strategies for the First Nations research partner communities in British Columbia.

• Conducting experiments and analyses in either or both a laboratory or field setting as a part of the overall research study and make recommendations on water treatment processes.

• Directs the field work activities for qualitative and quantitative research methodologies

• Responsible for overall research equipment safety of operation.

• Advise graduate and undergraduate students in their work and contributes to experimental research including water sampling from the field and analyses of the samples

• Develop scientific and research related reports and communication materials to research and community partners.

Consequence of Error/Judgement
Significant consequences of inappropriate judgment where it affects safety issues, and where it affects the credibility of the research team with collaborators, community partners, other stakeholders.

Supervision Received
Reports to the Principal Investigator; receives weekly supervision.

Supervision Given
May assist with supervision of graduate or undergraduate student researchers and junior technical staff within the research team.

Minimum Qualifications
Undergraduate degree in a relevant discipline. Minimum of two years of related experience, or an 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

• Preference will be given to candidates with Master degrees in Chemical, Civil, or Environmental Engineering or Environmental Science.

• Experience working in multi-disciplinary groups, especially including for community water projects; Having experience with any of government policy, community planning, climate science, social sciences, and/or engineering.

• Related experience working with Indigenous Communities and vulnerable groups in Canada or elsewhere is necessary.

• Knowledge of and experience with water related challenges and treatment options are a highly preferred.

• Ability to review, analyze, and synthesize complex information into summaries and reports

• Ability to develop research methodologies and techniques, identifying key results from scientific, statistical, qualitative, and quantitative research findings.

• Experience operating job-related equipment (e.g., treatment processes, analytical and data acquisition equipment), as well as designing and fabricating experimental equipment

• Possess a valid Canadian driver's license.

• Experience working with a team environment.

• Persons of Indigenous background will be given preference.