Pod Coordinator and Community Liaison, Abundant Intelligences

OCAD University acknowledges the ancestral territories of the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Haudenosaunee, the Anishinaabeg and the Huron-Wendat, who are the original owners and custodians of the land on which we live, work and create

OCAD University, Canada’s largest and oldest art and design university, is a vibrant community of bold, curious and compassionate artists, designers and scholars who are imagining and creating a joyful, equitable and sustainable world. The University is an internationally renowned hub for art, design, digital media, research, innovation and creativity, and arts administration. It embraces collaborative and interdisciplinary approaches to change-making through art, design-thinking curriculum and research, making OCAD U a local, regional, national and global leader in art and design.

It is an exciting time to join the OCAD U community as the University is at a key stage in its institutional transformation, with the implementation of its Academic and Strategic Plan and guiding principles — driving positive impact; decolonization, indigenization and equity; environmental sustainability; emerging as a vibrant hub; student centered approaches; innovation in learning teaching and research; and financial stewardship.

About Abundant Intelligences
Abundant Intelligences (AbInt) is an ambitious, large-scale six-year research program exploring how to integrate Indigenous Knowledges and Artificial Intelligence systems. The research team currently consists of 48 co-investigators and collaborators at universities/research institutes and community-based organizations in Canada, the United States, and New Zealand (Aotearoa). Team members come together in locally-rooted “Pods” (research clusters) to collaborate with Indigenous communities and organizations to learn from, and with, their knowledge holders to bring novel perspectives to transforming AI. More details about Abundant Intelligences can be found here.

The Pod Coordinator and Community Liaison plays a vital role in the Abundant Intelligences (AbInt) research program. The Coordinator and Community Liaison works closely with the Pod leaders and team to plan and coordinate research activities within the Pod. They bring people together, organize meetings and events, and help produce and disseminate various research and research-creation outcomes. They make sure the Pod communicates well and stays connected with the broader Abundant Intelligences network, as well as encourage and support active community engagement with Pod research and establish and mobilize necessary networks that might be of benefit to the Pod and/or the community. The position tracks budgets and reports to the Abundant Intelligences management team.

Summary of Responsibilities:
Pod research management (30%)

• Support Pod lead (s) by coordinating pod research activities.
• Supports Pod lead (s) in coordinating with AbInt management team.
• Assists with the creation of and enforcement of data management plans and related agreements, ensures that all Pod members and Partners understand the Pod data governance and management goals.
• Assist with Pod project proposal submissions for funding using Abundant Intelligences internal calls for funding processes.
• Creates and tracks timelines for realization of Pod research.
• Schedules, attends, and takes minutes during team, governance, and partner meetings.
• Supports co-PI in her planning activities with AbInt PI group.
• Maintains up-to-date lab calendars and emailing lists.

Pod Activities, research, and community engagement (30%)

• Facilitates research and community events, including weekly team meetings, meetings with partners, and one Pod open house event every year.
• Assists with hosting local webinars, workshops, speaker series, reading groups, and/or other group gatherings to encourage collaboration and debate, and to disseminate AbInt Pod and Partners’ work to associated Indigenous communities and beyond.
• Facilitate Pod participation on the research program’s Epistemological Foundations, Methodological Mixers, and Future Imaginary events, and other events that help the Partnership integrate ideas and learn / share work related to AbInt.
• Supports establishing and growing links between the pods and their respective communities including Indigenous organizations.
• Liaise between community Partners and Partner organizations for research.
• Assist with creating a healthy, productive, and collaborative relationship between Pod members and community members.
• Join Pod members in gaining familiarity with AI technologies and how such technologies might be beneficial to their communities.
• Communicates & celebrates Pod activities and research outcomes to AbInt management team.
• Organize travel and travel reporting.

Facilitating communication and pod reporting (30%)

• Ensures and maintains the flow of communication between Pod members, Pod leadership, and AbInt management team.
• Work with other Pod coordinators and liaisons and community members to identify proper communication channels about Pod activities, research, and events.
• Assists with local knowledge mobilization and communications planning, strategy, and implementation as it relates to the Pod and its communities.
• Support Pod leadership in disseminating research processes and outcomes (via journal articles, book publications and chapters, policy papers and reports, artworks, performances and exhibitions, patents, software applications, designs, imaginaries, prototypes, and any other culturally relevant works.)
• Support the Pod’s active participation in submitting to and presenting about AbInt work at conferences and other convenings.
• Collect, share, and report on Pod progress related to development of research activities, research outcomes, their dissemination and impact. Regularly contribute to Abundant Intelligences’ newsletter, blog, slack, email lists and other channels of communication to share Pod news with the broader Abundant Intelligences.
• Monitor and report on Pod finances, ensuring spendings align with resource allocation plans and financial budgets.
• Compile, organize and archive documentation of Pod research activities.
• Compile quarterly reports on Pod activities.
• Compile annual reports on Pod Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Concerns (SWOC).

Staffing the Pod (10%)

• Facilitate the hiring of students including undergraduate and graduate research assistants, research assistant interns, Masters,’ PhD and post-doctoral researchers, as well as students to participate in the AGM and the Summer Institute for Indigenous AI (SIIAI - Montreal).
• Facilitate the hiring of community researchers and community research liaisons.

Qualifications:

• Undergraduate degree; a combination of equivalent education, experience and/or lived experience will be taken into consideration
• Master’s level education considered an asset
• Minimum of three (3) years of relevant experience
• Experience in research management and/or large project management.
• Interest in how research is conducted in highly interdisciplinary environments.
• Comfort working with a wide range of rights holders and collaborators including faculty, staff, students, external partners, and Indigenous community members.
• Superior organizational skills and the ability to multitask; ability to work independently and in a team.
• Excellent written, verbal, and media communications skills.
• Superior knowledge of digital communications tools, presentation tools. Social media capacity.
• Ability to build and follow a budget.
• Ability to build and follow project management timelines and reporting.
• Demonstrated commitment to the principles of equity and diversity, and experience promoting a respectful work and learning environment for students, staff and faculty.
• Excellent judgment in assessing scheduling priorities.
• Experience working with Indigenous communities and organizations is an asset.
• Facility with Indigenous language an asset.

Mode of Work: Hybrid

Compensation: Hiring Range - $27.56 to $31.53 per hour commensurate with experience, plus 4% vacation pay and 7% in lieu of benefits; Salary Range - $27.56 to $35.76 per hour.

Hours of Work: Monday to Friday, 30 hours per week. This is a temporary one (1) year contract with the possibility of renewal.

Application Deadline: Interested applicants are invited to submit an updated * resume and cover letter (PDF) no later than Friday September 5th, 2025.

• Please upload your resume and cover letter as one PDF. Please name your upload: FirstName_LastName-Job Code

As an institution committed to art, design, digital media and related scholarship, OCAD University recognizes the profound and essential value that diversity brings to the creation, reception and circulation of creative practices and discourse. OCAD University understands that valuing diverse creative practices and forms of knowledge are essential to and enrich the institution’s core mission and vision as an art and design university with a local and global scope.

All qualified persons are encouraged to apply; however, Canadians and permanent residents of Canada will be given priority. While we thank all candidates for their interest, only those short-listed will be contacted.