Postdoctoral Affairs Coordinator

Job Category
M&P – AAPS

Job Profile
AAPS Salaried – Student Management, Level A

Job Title
Postdoctoral Affairs Coordinator

Department
UBCO Leadership College of Graduate Studies

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
October 7, 2022

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

Job End Date

Job Summary

The College of Graduate Studies (CoGS) provides oversight for graduate programs at the University of British Columbia’s Okanagan campus and collaborates with academic and administrative units to maintain high-calibre master’s and doctoral programs. The College is also responsible for providing support, advocacy, and professional development to graduate students and postdoctoral fellows on the UBC Okanagan campus.

Under the direction of the Dean, Associate Dean, and Director of the College of Graduate Studies, and in partnership with the College’s management team, the Coordinator, Postdoctoral Affairs, oversees the day-to-day operations of postdoctoral initiatives at UBCO. The role focuses on professional development activities, mentorship strategies, awards and fellowships, and working with hiring units on onboarding best practices. This position will work with various stakeholders both on and off campus, including the Postdoctoral Fellows Office, Centre for Teaching and Learning, the Postdoctoral Association at the University of British Columbia Okanagan –(PDA-UBCO), the Office of Research Services, Health and Wellness, the Centre for Scholarly Communication, and faculties.
Organizational Status
This position reports to the Director, College of Graduate Studies, and collaborates with the Postdoctoral Association at UBC Okanagan – and postdoctoral community, Human Resources, faculty and department/unit administrators and faculty Associate Deans of Research.
Work Performed

General Administration

• Develops and implements postdoctoral activities, including strategic initiatives and administrative procedures

• Identifies opportunities to raise the profile of postdoctoral fellows at UBC’s Okanagan campus, including developing strategies and content for UBCO and CoGS websites and social media channels, and creating postdoc spotlights, announcements and communication material

• Works with the UBC Postdoctoral Fellows Office in reviewing and revising the Postdoctoral Fellows Resource Guide annually

• Designs and delivers postdoctoral fellows surveys and performs statistical analysis, presents the results and recommends changes to improve initiatives and practices

• Monitors and responds to inquiries to the postdoctoral fellows email address
   

Professional Development

• Develops and programs all postdoctoral fellows professional development and career planning workshops in coordination with other campus departments and in collaboration with the UBC Postdoctoral Fellows Office when appropriate

• Partners with other campus departments to deliver academic, health and wellness, research and other workshops and events that are relevant to postdoctoral fellows

• Manages event budgets and coordinates logistics for postdoctoral fellow events

• Surveys workshop attendees and online participants for satisfaction, keeps statistics on attendance, relates information back to facilitators and makes recommendations for improvement

• Creates and coordinates postdoctoral mentoring activities, including career planning, faculty mentoring and steering committees

• Collaborates with the PDA-UBCO to plan and support seminars, social events, meetings and other activities

• Facilitates and actively participates in discussions on issues of particular relevance and/or interest to Postdoctoral Fellows on University and national committees
   

Award Administration

• Provides strategic oversight on the UBCO campus for a variety of annual funding competitions, including the national Banting Postdoctoral Fellowships Program, the Killam Postdoctoral Research Fellowship, the Killam Postdoctoral Fellows Research Prize and all other postdoctoral award competitions. This includes implementing a communication strategy, responding to inquiries, managing UBCO adjudication processes and coordinating the UBC-wide communication of all UBCO winners.

• Conducts reviews of individual postdoctoral award and funding applications and works with applicants to improve applications to raise the calibre of applications and increase the number of award recipients at UBCO

• Works collaboratively with the CoGS Manager, Analytics and Awards, to align graduate and postdoctoral award processes and procedures
   

Human Resources and Onboarding Activities

• Develops content for online and in-person postdoctoral fellow orientation and onboarding events

• In partnership with UBCO Human Resources and campus faculties, designs and implements onboarding strategies to successfully welcome and integrate postdoctoral fellows into the UBC Okanagan campus

• Works with HR to develop hiring best practices and hiring toolkits and is a resource to faculty members on hiring practices, including candidate search skills, EDI, communication of expectations and interview skills

• Collaborates with UBCO Human Resources to maintain an accurate contact list of postdoctoral fellows

• Participates in Welcome Meetings hosted by UBCO Human Resources and any other onboarding/orientation events hosted by campus partners

• Other duties as assigned commensurate with the skills and duties of the position.

Consequence of Error/Judgement
Must exercise a high degree of judgment. Must have a thorough knowledge of UBC policies, procedures and guidelines. This position is expected to exercise judgment in establishing priorities and carrying tasks through to completion in a timely manner. Any errors and/or omissions in judgment could seriously undermine the roles, responsibilities and effectiveness of the College of Graduate Studies and damage the reputation of UBC’s Okanagan campus. Errors could have adverse legal and financial impact to the University.
Supervision Received
Reports directly to the Director, College of Graduate Studies. Work is performed with minimal supervision. Performs duties independently, consulting with the Dean, Associate Dean, Director and CoGS management team as necessary. This position is expected to use initiative, be tactful when handling sensitive or confidential information, and exercise good decision-making skills. This position is expected to exercise judgment in establishing priorities and carrying tasks through to completion in a timely manner.
Supervision Given
The position may supervise student employees and/or volunteers or staff on a project basis.
Minimum Qualifications
Undergraduate degree in a relevant discipline. Minimum of one to two years of related experience, or an equivalent combination of education and experience
Preferred Qualifications

• Graduate degree in a relevant discipline

• Experience in conference & event planning and coordination would be an asset.

• Ability to problem-solve and use tools available to resolve various issues/concerns.

• A high degree of initiative and integrity required on the job in dealing frequently with confidential material and inquiries from faculty, postdoctoral fellows, staff, alumni and the general public.

• Ability to prioritize and work effectively under pressure to meet deadlines.

• Ability to effectively manage multiple tasks and changing priorities.

• Ability to exercise tact and discretion.

• Ability to deal with a diverse group of people in a calm, courteous, and effective manner with appropriate cultural sensitivity.

• Excellent presentation and public speaking skills.

• Ability to communicate effectively verbally and in writing.

• Ability to maintain accuracy and attention to detail.

• Ability to compose correspondence, reports, presentations, and other written materials using clear concise business language.

• Ability to work effectively independently and in a team environment.

• Advanced computer experience required (MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Publisher, and Website programming).

• Ability to work a flexible schedule, including occasional evening and weekends as required.