Community Research Coordinator

Staff – Non Union

Job Category
M&P – AAPS

Job Profile
AAPS Salaried – Research and Facilitation, Level A

Job Title
Community Research Coordinator

Department
Research jobsincanada.one Bungay CAPACITY UNIT 1 jobsincanada.one School of Nursing jobsincanada.one Faculty of Applied Science

Compensation Range
$4,688.67 – $6,754.00 CAD Monthly

The Compensation Range is the span between the minimum and maximum base salary for a position. The midpoint of the range is approximately halfway between the minimum and the maximum and represents an employee that possesses full job knowledge, qualifications and experience for the position. In the normal course, employees will be hired, transferred or promoted between the minimum and midpoint of the salary range for a job.

Posting End Date
March 24, 2023

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

Job End Date

Mar 31, 2024

This position is located within a health-care facility, therefore, the successful candidate will be required to provide verification of full vaccination against Covid-19 provided prior to the start date, as required by a provincial health mandate.

At UBC, we believe that attracting and sustaining a diverse workforce is key to the successful pursuit of excellence in research, innovation, and learning for all faculty, staff and students. Our commitment to employment equity helps achieve inclusion and fairness, brings rich diversity to UBC as a workplace, and creates the necessary conditions for a rewarding career. 

Job Summary

The UBC School of Nursing is co-leading a community-based pilot research project with a community partner organization in Vancouver, titled “The Social Engagement Project.” The work will be based in the Capacity Research Unit at the UBC School of Nursing and at Inner-City Women’s Initiatives Society (ICWIS). This project is aimed at improving social supports among women living in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. This peer-led social engagement project is designed to support women to engage with peers in safe, respectful social activities to reduce isolation and build capacity for supportive social networks. This project adheres to the principles of strengths based, trauma informed, women led and non-judgmental. 

The Community Research Coordinator will be the primary contact for the project, and will function at the interface among the community, ICWIS leadership, the Principal Investigator, the Social Engagement Workers (SEWs) and other research team members, coordinating communication and shared work processes. The Coordinator provides mentorship and support to a team of SEWs to support women in the community who are participating in this study. The SEWs are experiential experts, sharing experiential aspects of life with women in community. The coordinator will also facilitate recruitment, conduct participant informed consent, enrollment and ongoing data collection, and contribute to the overall implementation of the project, including intervention fidelity as per the registered protocol. A component of this position involves maintaining records of work activities, and working with the research team to analyze the effectiveness of the program. This will be done with as minimal impact as possible to the women participating in the project.
Work Performed

Data Collection & Management

• Finalize project documentation in collaboration with the Principal Investigator
• Manage ethics board submissions and protocol registration
• Build awareness in the community about the project; prepare presentations to community organizations and respond to queries about the project
• Meet individually with potential participants to offer informed consent and enrollment in the research study
• Facilitate scheduling and participation in data collection with all enrolled participants, which may include surveys, and in-depth interviews with a sub-sample, following study instruments and protocols
• Track participant progress (e.g., dates for surveys and relational check-ins)
• Review documentation data, looking for consistency, coherence and complete documentation of social engagement activities
• Report to Principal Investigator or delegate regarding data quality, documentation concerns, timelines, and any troubleshooting needed
• Contribute to the preparation of various reports and support the development of academic papers, presentations, and funding applications

Support for Intervention Implementation

• Work collaboratively with social engagement workers to plan, carry out, document and review work activities; provide mentorship and support development through scheduled and impromptu discussions
• Maintain and adapt the training plan and materials for the social engagement workers as needed, to respond to identified and emerging needs
• Facilitate regularly scheduled meetings with social engagement workers to review participant progress, etc.
• Actively support social engagement workers during their activities with research participants by providing on the ground support as needed, including check-ins, questions and assistance during their engagement activities
• Facilitate crisis support to social engagement team and participants with the assistance of the ICWIS leadership and Principal Investigator
• Liaise with ICWIS leadership and Principal Investigator or delegate regarding social engagement workers’ support needs, emerging concerns regarding participants’ well-being as appropriate for engagement.
• Coordinate scheduling, room booking and facilitation, and document decisions reached during various ongoing meetings, including but not limited to:
  • Research Leadership Team (ICWIS leadership, Principal Investigator)
  • Social Engagement Team

• Ensure appropriate resources for social engagement workers to undertake their activities (e.g., taxi vouchers, petty cash, cellphones, laptops, etc.)
• Troubleshoot complex issues with scheduling and implementation of research and intervention processes  
• Report study implementation challenges and if applicable, ideas for addressing challenges, to the Principal Investigator or delegate in a timely manner
• Prepare and submit regular progress reports to the Principal Investigator or delegate and ICWIS leadership
• Comply with community organization and UBC policies and procedures
• Comply with the research project protocol, and provide leadership and guidance to ensure fidelity to protocol with community lead organization and social engagement workers
• Participate in professional development opportunities as required
• Perform other related duties as required

Organizational Status

This position reports directly to the Principal Investigator at UBC. As a key member of the project team, the Coordinator works closely and collaboratively with the Principal Investigator and ICWIS leadership.

The Coordinator will work with minimum supervision, receiving specific instructions on unusual or complex problems, exercising a considerable amount of autonomy, discretion, and initiative in determining work procedures and methods. Progress, goals and objectives will be reviewed throughout the year. This position has no formal supervisory responsibilities. The coordinator will, however, provide leadership, training and guidance to the social engagement workers engaging with participants in the project.

Consequence of Error/Judgement
Errors or incorrect decisions could potentially result in delays in completing the project or seriously compromise the quality of the research. In addition, if established protocols related to privacy, confidentiality, and safety are not followed confidentiality about sensitive information related to research participants’ personal health and experiences could be breached. If protocols are not followed in the community settings in which we are collecting data, our research partnerships with these communities could be seriously jeopardized, preventing us from proceeding with the study.
Supervision Received
The Coordinator will work with minimum supervision, receiving specific instructions on unusual or complex problems, exercising a considerable amount of autonomy, discretion, and initiative in determining work procedures and methods. Progress, goals and objectives will be reviewed throughout the year.
Supervision Given
This position has no formal supervisory responsibilities. The coordinator will, however, provide leadership, training and guidance to the social engagement workers engaging with participants in the project.

Work schedule: The scheduled days and hours of work will be confirmed by the supervisor. Changes to the schedule must be approved in advance by the supervisor.
Minimum Qualifications
Undergraduate degree in a relevant discipline. Minimum of two years of related experience, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
– 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

Preferred Qualifications

• Demonstrated commitment to community capacity building, empowerment and gender equity
• Demonstrated ability to engage with program team and participants in trauma-informed and strengths-based manner
• Experience providing supportive mentorship and training
• Experience with consent and research data collection preferred
• Excellent communication, conflict resolution and debriefing skills
• Excellent organization and time management skills
• High level of proficiency with word processing software such as Word and Excel