Senior Manager, Research Management & Impact

Heart & Stroke

5d • Hybrid

About The Position

At Heart & Stroke, our mission is to promote health, save lives, and enhance recovery. We are committed to a culture that exemplifies our core values: champion health, practice humility, embrace change, drive impact, learn and grow, and be heartfelt as we work together to beat heart disease and stroke. We believe in equity, diversity, and inclusion – it’s embedded in our values and core mission work to support all people in Canada to lead healthier lives. We are committed to applying this principle to cultivate a welcoming environment that embraces diversity among our employees. Candidates from diverse backgrounds, including but not limited to, Indigenous peoples, racialized communities, 2SLGBTQIA+ communities, women, and people living with disabilities are encouraged to apply. To learn more about our mission, values, commitment to EDI, and the difference Heart & Stroke makes in the lives of people in Canada at every age, please visit our website. The opportunity: Please note Heart & Stroke offers a hybrid work option, and candidates can work from anywhere in Canada. There is also occasional travel (including overnight) required up to 10 days/year. We are currently looking for a Senior Manager, Research Management & Impact role to join our Research & Science team. Reporting to the Vice President, Research & Science, the role oversees the post funding management and impact of Heart & Stroke funded research. This role is accountable for leading the administration of Heart & Stroke’s funded research portfolio, including compliance, post-funding management, reporting, and processes that support the measurement, maximization, and communication of research impact. A core part of the role is the administration, compliance, and oversight of Heart & Stroke’s funded research portfolio across the post-funding lifecycle. This includes ensuring that recipients and institutions meet funding requirements, overseeing payment and claims processes, supporting annual reporting, coordinating mid-point reviews, managing end-of-funding reporting, and identifying and escalating risks or issues that may affect accountability, stewardship, or compliance. The role also supports annual business planning, process improvement, and the modernization of research management and reporting systems to strengthen efficiency, data quality, and organizational insight. The role will also lead the identification, interpretation, and communication of the impact of Heart & Stroke funded research. Working closely with the VP, Research & Science and cross-functional partners, the role develops approaches to capture, analyze, and translate research outcomes into meaningful insights, narratives, and evidence-informed recommendations. Through these approaches the role serves to support organizational strategy, knowledge mobilization, marketing, fundraising, advocacy, and mission priorities. Finally, the role serves as a key functional lead for research and science impact by supporting effective, integrated, and coordinated action that helps position the organization at the leading edge of evolving evidence and best practices in heart and brain health.

Requirements

• Masters in science within a health research related field
• Cerebrovascular and cardiovascular subject matter expertise is a strong asset.
• Knowledge related to knowledge translation and mobilization frameworks, required.
• Knowledge related to the Canadian health research system and health care delivery, required.
• Minimum 7 years’ experience in a management role.
• Minimum 5 years’ experience in research, with a preference for health research grant management and administration, including compliance, progress reporting, financial claims, and grant close-out.
• Experience in analyzing and interpreting research and clinical data.
• Experience managing operational budgets and external vendors/consultants (SOWs, contracts, deliverables, performance).
• Experience in bringing together a range of constituents in pursuit of shared objectives, aligned to organizational values and policy position, including people with lived experience.
• Experience in planning knowledge translation and mobilization frameworks to support evidence-informed health policy and practice.
• Experience in a cross-functional role in an organization that crosses departments and seeks overall alignment.
• Demonstrated experience implementing KT/KM initiatives (e.g., evidence-to-action products, convenings, practice/policy engagement, dissemination strategies) and measuring uptake.
• Extensive knowledge of frameworks and tools required to promote and measure health equity, including anti-oppressive and anti-racist strategies,
• Demonstrated understanding of Indigenous history, colonization, racism, and Calls to Action
• Experience engaging external partners with a focus on building health equity within the cardiovascular and stroke health system in Canada.
• Excellent leadership skills and ability to influence others by articulating sound, rational arguments.
• Ability to establish, lead and maintain positive working relationships with key internal and external stakeholders, influencing teams within and outside your department.
• Excellent interpersonal, communication and negotiation skills are essential.
• Strong writing skills are imperative.
• Exercises sound judgment in ambiguous situations.
• Ability to translate complex scientific information into practical organizational action.
• Demonstrated leadership of enterprise cross-functional initiatives with governance, deliverables, timelines, and risk management.
• Ability to develop trusting relationships and partnerships with diverse groups and co-create win-win solutions that advance the Foundation’s mission.
• Excellent strategic thinking and change management skills
• Excellent presentation, verbal and written communication skills to prepare wide range of outputs and help stakeholders understand data/evidence.
• Effective communicator both verbally and in written formats; capable of communicating technical content to audiences at varying levels of knowledge
• Desire and ability to acquire technical knowledge of the scientific and research issues associated with heart disease and stroke
• Ability to work inter-departmentally and to communicate effectively with senior volunteers and staff across the Foundation, providing guidance and supporting its application.
• Strong computer skills and ability to use technological tools to organize and advance the work of the team (i.e., MS Office Suite, SharePoint, CRM and other workflow tools, digital engagement platforms).
• An ability to work in both official languages is an asset.

Responsibilities

• Annual business planning, implementation and coordination of Heart & Stroke funded grants and awards
• Leads the annual planning process for post-award management and research impact, establishing priorities, deliverables, timelines, governance, and resource requirements aligned with organizational strategy.
• Creates the knowledge translation and mobilization framework for Heart & Stroke research, ensuring it aligns with the Foundation’s impact goals and performance strategy.
• Offers strategic leadership in the development and implementation of knowledge translation and mobilization initiatives for Heart & Stroke funded research.
• Directs cross-functional planning and prioritization with input from mission leadership to identify key research and science impacts of Heart & Stroke programs.
• Leads the identification, assessment, and interpretation of research and science impacts relevant to Heart & Stroke priorities, translating insights into recommendations for programs, strategy, and mission execution.
• Advises senior leadership on risks, trade-offs, and opportunities related to research management and impact frameworks, practices, policies and procedures.
• Leads organizational alignment of research and science impact work with mission strategy, ensuring a coordinated and consistent approach across functions, priorities, and audiences.
• Establishes governance, decision-making, and escalation processes for post-award management and research impact work, balancing risk, capacity, and organizational priorities.
• Post grant and award management and administration
• Leads the post-award compliance function, ensuring grant holders and host institutions adhere to grant agreements, policies, and reporting requirements, and establishing risk-based approaches for monitoring and escalation.
• Provides strategic leadership and subject-matter expertise to the SRC budget review process, including the refinement of budget review guidelines, adjudication standards, and stewardship expectations.
• Oversees the integrity of post-award financial records and reporting, ensuring accurate tracking, reconciliation, and contribution to departmental financial planning and annual reporting.
• Oversees post-award claims and payment processes, ensuring strong financial controls, policy adherence, stewardship of funds, and timely resolution of complex issues.
• Exercises decision-making authority over non-routine post-award financial and compliance issues, assessing risk, determining appropriate resolution or escalation, and safeguarding organizational resources and reputation.
• Partners with Finance to strengthen controls, forecasting, reporting, audit readiness, and stewardship practices related to funded research.
• Business analysis and research information management
• Leads the modernization of grant management, reporting, and knowledge translation systems, identifying and implementing improved processes, tools, and technologies that strengthen efficiency, data quality, and organizational insight.
• Establishes organizational frameworks and standards for research program metrics and performance reporting, and synthesizes findings into actionable insights for senior leadership decision-making.
• Leads the design, implementation, and evaluation of progress and final reporting mechanisms to strengthen evidence capture, compliance oversight, mission impact assessment, and organizational learning.
• Translation of funded research results to support marketing and fundraising.
• Leads enterprise-wide cross-functional approaches in collaboration with department specialists to translate funded research into impact narratives and stories that will support digital, marketing, communications and development.
• Shapes the research and science content strategy in collaboration with the VP, Research and Science for fundraising and marketing campaigns by identifying timely, credible, and mission-relevant discoveries, milestones, and impact stories.
• Contribute to fundraising and marketing campaigns e.g. year end, heart month, stroke month with relevant high-value research impact narratives, opportunity identification, and scientifically sound positioning of Heart & Stroke funded research.
• Partners with Development leadership to inform, strategize and support fundraising plans to maximize the impact of Heart & Stroke research programs.
• Synthesizes and interprets research impact data to inform fundraising, health information, public awareness, and stewardship priorities.
• Leads and advises on the accurate, timely, and audience-appropriate dissemination of mission impact stories and research evidence across organizational channels (i.e., fundraising, development, marketing and communications teams).
• Provide input on funded research content and data for donor proposals and pitches.
• Serves as a key advisor to the VP, Research and Science and other leaders on research impact strategy.
• Team Leadership
• Provide clear direction, guidance and feedback on day-to-day activities and priorities.
• Builds a high-performing, collaborative team culture that enables strong cross-functional partnership, accountability, and continuous improvement.
• In partnership with the Vice President, Research and Science, establishes performance plan and objectives and review on an ongoing basis.
• As required, recruit skilled talent in support of current and future Foundation needs, following Foundation policies, interviewing methodology and assessment guidelines.
• Familiarize and comply with all Heart & Stroke policies while ensuring accurate administration of employee related information: absence records, vacation, title, etc.

Benefits

• Generous paid time-off package including vacation days, personal days, wellness days, and paid company-wide closure between December 25 and January 1.
• Competitive health, medical, dental and vision benefits
• Life insurance
• Disability benefits
• Employee assistance program (EAP)
• Defined contribution pension plan with employer matching
• Flexible hybrid working model
• Reimbursement for mobile phones and home office setup
• Opportunities for professional development

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Manager