Administrative Officer, Western Academy for Advanced Research

Hours per Week: 35

Salary Grade 13: $61,250 - $72,020; commensurate with experience

Please note, this is a 1-year contract opportunity covering a leave.

Click here for more details on secondment opportunities.

Since 1878, Western University has been committed to serving our communities through the pursuit of academic excellence and by providing students, faculty, and community members with life-long opportunities for intellectual, social, and cultural growth. We seek excellent students, faculty, and staff to join us in what has become known as the "Western Experience" - an opportunity to contribute to a better world through the development of new knowledge, new abilities, new connections, and new ways to make a difference.

The Mandate of WAFAR is to accelerate interdisciplinary research by organizing and facilitating the selection of themes and teams (a variety of world-wide internal and external stakeholders such as researchers, community and industry partners) from applications received, to provide and maintain a venue for the interdisciplinary research of participants, to facilitate events of both scholarly and public interest, and to facilitate effective public dissemination of the deliverables of each theme’s work.

The Administrative Officer is responsible and accountable for the coordination of administrative operations in the Western Academy for Advanced Research (WAFAR) and for the international research administration portfolio in the Vice-President (Research) Office (Western Research). WAFAR is a unit that brings together interdisciplinary teams to seek solutions to major issues facing humanity using the full spectrum of research at Western and around the world. The role will work with the WAFAR Director and Steering Committee, as well as teams in Western Research to support the vision and mandate of the WAFAR. The role will serve as a point of contact for inquiries related to the WAFAR, and responsible for the logistics of newly built and established relationships with a wide variety of internal and external stakeholders on a global scale (e.g. research, community and industry partners). For international research administration at Western Research, such as the identification and assembly of materials related to international research opportunities, the role will support the coordination of various international funding programs, documenting researchers interested in pursuing international funding opportunities and joining the consortia, as well as the facilitation of interactions and collaborations among researchers and key stakeholders locally, regionally, nationally and internationally. For all aspects of the role, the Administrative Officer will provide guidance, develop, implement and monitor administrative, human resources, financial and communications processes, in accordance with University policies and procedures. This will include identifying opportunities for improvement, designing and/or revising practices, with appropriate controls to mitigate risks.

Education:

• Undergraduate degree

Experience:

• 5 years administrative, human resources and financial experience in a complex research or similar environment
• Experience with leading projects, including the delegation of tasks and providing feedback to faculty members
• Experience and knowledge of a research environment
• Digital communications strategies and implementation
• Previous involvement in the conduct of research is preferred
• Experience in an academic institution preferred

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:

• Knowledge of general office procedures, financial budgeting principles and Human Resources principles and practices
• Ability to collaborate across internal and external boundaries to meet common objectives, improve outcomes and support work beyond one's own unit
• Ability to maintain and develop an effective network of national and international contacts that provide information regarding emergent opportunities and best practices
• Compelling and persuasive communication skills to engage individuals and teams inside and outside the University
• Ability to make decisions and recommendations that are clearly linked to Western’s strategy and goals
• Ability to promote individual growth by encouraging others to learn new skills and develop themselves
• Ability to provide guidance to assist others in solving complex problems
• Ability to establish and build strong relationships with senior leaders, academic and administrative staff, as well as community members
• Communication skills with the ability to converse with, write reports for, and deliver presentations to all levels of the organization
• Ability to deal confidentially with information that has financial, political, regulatory and reputational implications
• Expert computer skills in Microsoft Office Suite and project planning including critical path analysis
• Results-oriented with the ability to motivate and coach employees to meet high performance standards, while working effectively as a member of the leadership team
• Ability to evaluate issues, recognize potential problems and take action to proactively resolve issues
Ability to develop and implement digital communication strategies to support research activities

The University invites applications from all qualified individuals. Western is committed to employment equity and diversity in the workplace and welcomes applications from women, members of racialized groups/visible minorities, Indigenous persons, persons with disabilities, persons of any sexual orientation, and persons of any gender identity or gender expression.

Accommodations are available for applicants with disabilities throughout the recruitment process. If you require accommodations for interviews or other meetings, please contact Human Resources or phone 519-661-2194.

We thank all applicants for their interest; however, only those chosen for an interview will be contacted.