Research Ethics Coordinator – Wilfrid Laurier University

1 Year contract

The Research Ethics (RE) Coordinator coordinates the day-to-day submission, review and approval processes for research protocols submitted to the Research Ethics Board (REB).  The incumbent completes the administrative review of all new applications (~400 annually) and modification requests, (~400 annually) and assigns relevant reviewers to all protocols. The incumbent manages the tracking of all protocol files and helps with the coordination of regular REB meetings, maintains the online ethics review system, and manages the REB email inbox.  As a liaison between the REB and researchers, the RE Coordinator facilitates processing of applications to the REB and provides responses to researcher queries, and/or routes to the appropriate individuals (e.g., REB Chair). In order to respond to queries, the RE Coordinator must interpret complex guidelines and policies (both internal and external) and provide answers based on critical assessment and gathered input. Working closely with the REB Chair, the Manager, Research Compliance, and the Research Compliance Officer, the RE Coordinator reviews Laurier’s research ethics policies, guidelines & procedures to ensure compliance with relevant external (e.g., government) requirements and recommends changes to policy / procedures when necessary.

This position has a university-wide mandate and is based at the Waterloo Campus.  The incumbent provides subject matter expertise to all campuses, requiring regular interpersonal interactions and collaboration with departments at the Waterloo Campus, the Brantford Campus, the Toronto office and external partners. Special attention is given to ensure equitable service delivery across all locations.

Qualifications:

• Undergraduate degree in a research-related field (health sciences or social sciences preferred) and 2 years recent experience in research ethics compliance or research administration;
• Prior experience in a human research ethics compliance role strongly preferred;
• In-depth familiarity with current ethical standards and requirements for research involving humans (e.g., TCPS);
• Demonstrated knowledge of the role and importance of research in the university and of university policies;
• Ability to communicate credibly and persuasively with applicants;
• Excellent judgment and ability to manage ambiguity and uncertainty, including troubleshooting problems;
• Demonstrate strong interpersonal communication skills; dealing courteously and effectively with people; exercising good judgement and initiative; attending to detail; analyzing, interpreting and answering inquiries in a clear and concise manner; tact and diplomacy are essential;
• Excellent written and oral communication skills with the ability to analyze and interpret inquiries and explain complex  regulations and policy requirements in a clear and concise manner;
• Exceptional analysis and decision making skills;
• Excellent software use and management skills;
• Ability to apply discretion and a diplomatic approach as required and manage confidential information and situations;
• Self-motivated, organized and able to multi-task and prioritize jobs to meet deadlines;
• Proven ability to handle sensitive and confidential material with focus, accuracy and attention to detail as well as a demonstrated ability to deal with high volume of traffic and interruption;
• Appreciation of diverse perspectives and ability to work with diverse groups including members of the university administration, faculty, staff, students, and external researchers.

Application deadline: June 24, 2021

For more information and to apply: https://careers.wlu.ca/job/Waterloo-Research-Ethics-Coordinator/724777647/