Job Opportunity - Project Coordinator, Health Data Research Network | Population Data BC | Faculty of Medicine UBC

Job Profile

AAPS Salaried - Research and Facilitation, Level A

Job Title

Project Coordinator

Department

Health Data Research Network | Population Data BC | Faculty of Medicine

Compensation Range

4,688.67 - $6,754.00 CAD Monthly

Posting End Date

July 17, 2022

Note: Applications will be accepted until 11:59 PM on the day prior to the Posting End Date above.

Job End Date

Jun 30, 2025

Job Summary

Population Data BC is a multi-university, data and education resource facilitating interdisciplinary research on the determinants of human health, well-being and development.

We support secure research access to individual-level, de-identified longitudinal data on British Columbia’s 4.8 million residents, linking data across various sectors such as health, education, early childhood development, workplace and the environment.  Population Data BC also offers a professional specialization certificate in Population Health Data Analysis, training researchers across Canada and around the world.

Population Data BC is based at the School of Population and Public Health (SPPH), which is in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of British Columbia. We are a key member of the International Population Data Linkage Network, through which we have promoted international research collaborations and fostered working groups on privacy and access to data. 

Key objectives of Population Data BC are to:

Make more data sets available for research Facilitate cross-linkages among the data sets in a privacy sensitive manner Provide strategic leadership to ensure streamlined researcher access to these data Provide educational and other opportunities to ensure full and best use of those data

Population Data BC functions as the coordinating centre for Health Data Research Network Canada and the Canadian Data Platform: a research-enabling, distributed network that has created a single access portal connecting provincial and pan-Canadian data, allowing investigators to conduct multi-jurisdictional, person-focused research more efficiently.  The Platform is a seven-year, $81M ($39M in cash) grant funded by CIHR’s Strategy for Patient-Oriented Research and partner organizations across Canada. 

The Project Coordinator will be responsible for enabling the various activities of this significant national data and infrastructure investment.  The Project Coordinator will facilitate collaboration across the network as well as provide academic writing and communications support.

Organizational Status
This position reports to the Director of Operations, Canadian Data Platform, and will have accountability as well to the Nominated Principal Investigator (NPI) / Scientific Director for Health Data Research Network Canada.  As a coordinator for a nationally-distributed network, the Project Coordinator is expected to work with external researchers, members of partner institutions, project leads, stakeholders, and cross-institutional committees.

Work Performed

• Facilitates the operationalization of the Canadian Data Platform and Health Data Research Network Canada, supporting various activities and initiatives led by the Director of Operations and Nominated Principal Investigator

• Coordinates activities, meetings, and collaborations between Platform node organizations across Canada, regularly engaging with project leads, stakeholders, and researchers

• Supports grant activities such as public and patient engagement and Indigenous community engagement

• Manages Canadian Data Platform documentation, organizing and disseminating as necessary

• Provides defined support to the Director of Operations and NPI, preparing agendas, scheduling meetings, writing and editing documents, organizing travel, and other administrative duties

• Prepares academic material related to the Canadian Data Platform

• Independently acquires and compiles information from multiple sources and individuals, including Population Data BC staff, Platform collaborators, researchers, and other partners

• Supports directives and actions resulting from Health Data Research Network Canada (HDRN Canada) Board, Executive and Leads meetings

• Liaises with technical staff, programmers and communications staff

• Fosters and strengthens relationships with external partners, Platform members, and the research community

• Develops an understanding of researcher access to data in BC, Canada, and around the world in order to support efforts to streamline data access at the provincial and national levels

• Develops an understanding of the work performed by Population Data BC and other Platform organizations in order to support connections between centres and foster collaboration

• Supports and backfills key staff as needed

• Performs other duties as required

Consequence of Error/Judgement

As a representative of Population Data BC with extensive contact with researchers, policymakers, and stakeholders, the Project Coordinator must exercise sound judgement at all times.  Actions carried out by the incumbent directly affect the effective and efficient operations of the Canadian Data Platform and Population Data BC.  Judgement within established guidelines is required with regards to the management of project priorities, schedules, and resource requirements. 

This role will work under strict confidentiality because of the nature of the data holdings. Population Data BC’s core activities - database maintenance and access, research, support for researchers - are all critically dependent on the health information systems that have been developed and are maintained by it.  Any breach in data security would place the reputation and future of Population Data BC as well as its partner organizations at risk.

Accuracy is extremely important because errors in the incumbent’s work will have a significant effect on the reliability of information released by Population Data BC.  The release of erroneous information may have implications that affect the organization, the research community, partners, stakeholders and public bodies. 

Supervision Received
The position reports to the Director of Operations, Canadian Data Platform.  The incumbent will work with and occasionally receive direction from other senior members of the Platform Leadership team as well as senior staff members of Population Data BC.

Supervision Given
None. 

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

Preferred Qualifications

Undergraduate degree in a health or data-related program or other related discipline with minimum two years' experience in a research environment is preferred. Experience with and knowledge of data, particularly linked and linkable data, and how they can be used for research is an asset. Experience in working within a statutorily-regulated or a privacy-sensitive environment is highly desirable.  Work with sensitive information or complex data systems also a significant asset.

Skills: 

• Effective oral and written communication

• Ability to understand technical terms and concepts

• Analytical and problem-solving abilities

• Exceptional attention to detail

• Ability to work with external researchers who have high levels of expertise, programming staff, and senior staff at various partner organizations

• Demonstrated organizational skills

• Exceptional initiative and willingness to learn new concepts and detailed procedures

• Ability to work effectively both independently and within a team environment

• Must be positive in attitude and a team player

Due to the privacy-sensitive nature of the data holdings at Population Data BC, all staff members are subject to the security requirements of our data providers.

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