GRAIN Project Manager

University of British Columbia•Vancouver, BC

4d•CA$6,748 - CA$9,701•Hybrid

About The Position

Under the direction of the Project Lead Scientist at the University of British Columbia, the incumbent will act as the project manager for the Canadian GRravitational-wave Astrophysics Infrastructure Network (GRAIN). GRAIN is a multi-million-dollar project that will build detector hardware infrastructure and computing infrastructure to enable gravitational-wave astrophysics with current and near-future ground-based detectors and the LISA mission. The GRAIN project manager will have oversight of the technical and budgetary success of the project in partnership with the GRAIN Science Board and institutional partners McGill University, the Université de Montréal, Bishop’s University, the University of Manitoba, and the University of Lethbridge. This multi-institutional national infrastructure project is funded by the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) led by the University of British Columbia. The GRAIN project manager will coordinate with GRAIN hardware and computing leads (including those at the Digital Research Alliance of Canada and those within the Canadian Astronomy Data Centre) to ensure that the priorities and directions set by the GRAIN Science Board are implemented. The project manager will develop project schedules, including milestones, critical paths, timelines, and deliverables, and will be responsible for reporting and compliance with institutional, provincial, and national requirements. They will manage the project budget, facilitate purchasing and hiring, and schedule day-to-day project activities. They will interpret and apply policies and procedures when making independent decisions. They will write and edit reports on management aspects of GRAIN, maintain project records, generate specialized analyses and reports for financial planning, and report on project progress and budget to the GRAIN Science Board.

Requirements

Undergraduate degree in a relevant discipline.
Minimum of three years of related experience, or the equivalent combination of education and experience.
Master's Degree or an acceptable combination of equivalent education and experience.
Minimum five years of recent and relevant experience in project management (preferably in scientific or other related fields), including budget and grant management, strategic planning, reporting, and meeting logistics
Experience in providing direction and creating work plans to ensure project milestones are met
Experience with project management frameworks and software
Strong computer skills
Strong analytical, organizational, time-management, and problem-solving skills.
Ability to prioritize and handle multiple tasks at the same time
Good written and oral communication and interpersonal skills
Accuracy and attention to detail
Ability to work independently and in a team environment
Willingness to travel to partner organizations within Canada on occasion
Ability to communicate effectively across large international scientific collaborations and with GRAIN partners and stakeholders around the world.

Nice To Haves

Graduation from a program specializing in project management
Formal designation as a Project Management Professional (PMP) or Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM) from the Project Management Institute (PMI)
Expertise in the project management of large projects, preferably in an academic setting with members from a wide variety of backgrounds, and expertise in compliance with and reporting of Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) grants
Expertise in managing scientific projects
Willingness to respect diverse perspectives, including perspectives in conflict with one’s own
Demonstrates a commitment to enhancing one’s own awareness, knowledge, and skills related to equity, diversity, and inclusion

Responsibilities

Managing project schedules including milestones, critical path, timelines, deliverables and reporting.
Liaising with granting agencies (CFI) and other institutions (McGill, Lethbridge, Bishop's, UManitoba, UdeM) and domestic/international partners (LIGO Lab in the US and the Laboratoire des Matériaux Avancés in France) regarding project progress and budgets.
Leading financial planning processes for GRAIN, including budget projections across 10 participating institutions and partners.
Developing and implementing cross-institutional administrative policies and procedures for GRAIN, including procurement, hiring, and management of development, delivery and operation of GRAIN infrastructure.
Responsible for GRAIN project reports and management of GRAIN operations.