Senior Research Associate/Clinical Educator

Competition 2190

This position is part of the Association of the Academic Staff of the University of Alberta (AASUA).

In accordance with the Trust/Research Academic Staff Agreement, this position has a comprehensive benefits package and an annual salary range of $87,013 - 119,644. This position has an initial appointment of 1 year with the possibility of renewal.

Location - This role is Hybrid, with working locations of Edmonton and Calgary.

Working at the University of Alberta

The University of Alberta acknowledges that we are located on Treaty 6 territory, and respects the histories, languages and cultures of First Nations, Métis, Inuit and all FirstPeoples of Canada, whose presence continues to enrich our vibrant community.

The University of Alberta is a community of knowledge seekers, change makers and world shapers who lead with purpose each and every day. We are home to over 14,000 faculty and staff, more than 40,000 students and a growing community of 300,000 alumni worldwide.

Your work will have a meaningful influence on a fascinating cross-section of people — from our students and community members, to our renowned researchers and innovators, making discoveries and generating solutions that make the world healthier, safer, stronger and more just. Learn more.

Working for the Department of Clinical Sciences & Disorders

The Department of Communication Sciences & Disorders is one of three departments in the Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine. As the only freestanding faculty of rehabilitation medicine in North America, many unique opportunities exist for collaboration among professionals in speech-language pathology, occupational therapy and physical therapy. We offer a course-based Master of Science in Speech-Language Pathology (MScSLP), a two-year program designed to develop leaders in speech-language pathology through excellence in research, education and citizenship.  A thesis-based option within the MScSLP is also offered, as well as a combined MSc/PhD program that allows a select group of highly motivated students to complete the MScSLP and the PhD in rehabilitation sciences within a single integrated program of study. Faculty members in CSD are actively involved in the MSc and PhD thesis-based degree programs in Rehabilitation Science offered through the Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine.

The Department of CSD is among the largest speech-language pathology education programs in Canada. The Department currently consists of 10 tenure track and 10 academic teaching faculty members, supported by staff at the Department and Faculty level. The MScSLP program is offered in a distributed education model across two campuses in Alberta - Edmonton and Camrose.

Position Summary

The Senior Research Associate/Clinical Educator position will serve as a Research Speech-Language Pathologist having two primary roles. The first is to support the research program of Dr. Esther Kim’s Aphasia Research Laboratory. This includes leading complex research activities under the direction of the PI and providing managerial leadership for this research program. Responsibilities include leading distinct portions of research projects (i.e., designing research methods/protocols, overseeing data collection, submitting ethics applications, analyzing and interpreting data and dissemination of research). The role will also include supporting/supervising trainees, liaising with external research collaborators and partners and seeking out and preparing funding proposals. As the research goals of the Aphasia Research Laboratory often involve patient partners (i.e., individuals with aphasia), the Senior Research Associate will support the communication of patient partners to ensure full accessibility and participation on the research team. The second role is to support Clinical Education and Training within the Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders (CSD). Within this role, duties will include exploring new clinical training opportunities, in collaboration with the CSD Academic Coordinators of Clinical Education and supervising students in the MScSLP program completing clinical practica. Opportunities for research facilitation within the Department of CSD and Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine will also be explored.

Duties

• Under the guidance of the Principal Investigator, successfully coordinates, monitors, and reports all phases of complex research projects’ life-cycle including scope, timelines, costs, issues, risk management, change management, data collection, analysis, reporting, quality and resource management
• Demonstrates strong leadership and management skills required to coordinate multiple high-level research projects within an established research program
• Works independently, takes initiative, and manages multiple projects with a broad range of internal and external stakeholders
• Demonstrates advanced judgement in defining work needs and priorities of the research program in collaboration with the Principal Investigator and flexibility in adapting priorities and changing direction of research as required
• Facilitates the communication and interaction among the varied functional representatives by acting as liaison on project tasks between research staff, trainees and principal investigators
• Responsible for audit and feedback process to communicate information and develop actionable change strategies with stakeholders, health care team members, and research ethics boards
• Mentors and supervises project staff (including student trainees) as required.
• Establishes and maintains good working relationships with all team members and external parties
• Seeks out and identifies potential sources for future funding; prepares and submits grant applications to potential funding sources in collaboration with the PI
• Collaborate with Academic Coordinator of Clinical Education (ACCE) in supervising internships and externships for students the MScSLP program
• Mentor students completing internships and externships in clinical practice areas related to competencies in speech-language pathology
• Provide supervision in direct client care experiences for students to acquire, integrate, and/or consolidate the knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary to become a competent entry-to practice level clinician
• Facilitate self-directed learning and act as a professional role model for the student
• Assess student clinical competencies; collaborate with student in establishing an appropriate placement learning plan and strategies to achieve the plan

Qualifications

• Minimum Master's degree in speech-language pathology (and eligible for licensure), with 5- 10 years prior experience in health research.
• Advanced training and/or experience in qualitative research methodologies, including moderating focus groups and in-depth interviews and conducting qualitative analysis.
• Proficient skills in quantitative research methodologies, including designing and conducting surveys, data collection, and statistical analysis.
• Advanced ability to establish relationships and interact with teams of people from diverse scientific, professional backgrounds, front-line clinical staff and a variety of stakeholders to coordinate, implement and evaluate the projects.
• Exceptional knowledge of Alberta health systems that may include knowledge of evaluation and monitoring and health informatics, Alberta privacy legislation and related research agreement processes (including the submission of ethics applications).
• Applied clinical experience in adult acquired communication disorders.
• Advanced experience with basic database design and manipulation tools, including MS Excel, Access, RedCap, Qualtrics.
• Advanced experience with qualitative data management software (eg. NVivo) required. Knowledge of electronic bibliographic databases.
• Exceptional interpersonal skills and ability to handle diverse situations in an objective consistent manner.
• Exceptional written and oral communication skills and the ability to communicate effectively at all levels.
• The ability to prioritize and balance multiple deliverables within agreed timelines.
• Experience setting up and managing health services research projects from initial project review, budget negotiation, contract and vendor agreements, project set up, maintenance, execution and closure.
• Strong organization skills, attention to detail, ability to take initiative, make decisions and troubleshoot problems.
• Proven experience with change management, preferably in research, healthcare or health services research sectors.
• Previous experience managing/ coordinating complex projects is required.
• Experience implementing and evaluating knowledge translation strategies in clinical care.
• Experience writing reports and designing study documents, including clinical research inservices and power-point presentations is required.
• Advanced understanding of knowledge translation.
• Proven ability to deal tactfully and decisively with sensitive issues while maintaining confidentiality.
• Advanced knowledge of guidelines, research ethics policies and Tri-Council policies for research involving humans is required.
• Independence in completing ethics applications and operational approvals prior to study initiation.
• Knowledge of the Health Information Act and how it applies to research, quality improvement and evaluation.
• Expert knowledge of standard system software applications (e.g. Google Suite, MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint)