Should the successful applicant be a Unifor Unit 1 bargaining unit member, who meets the eligibility conditions of Article 19.02 of the Unifor Unit 1 Collective Agreement, then the Limited Term Assignment will be defined as a Career Growth Opportunity in accordance with Article 19 of the Unifor Local 5555 Unit 1 Collective Agreement.
Unit/Project Description:
The Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging (CLSA) located within the Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence and Impact in the Faculty of Health Sciences. The CLSA is a scientific research program and research data platform. A fundamental principle of the CLSA is that data be made available to the research community and relevant stakeholders (data users) as soon as it is feasible, while protecting the privacy, confidentiality, and consent of participants. Ease of access and timely use of the data are critical to the success of CLSA research platform. Data users who are interested in accessing the data are invited to submit data access requests using Magnolia, the CLSA's online data access application system. Requests to access the CLSA data are reviewed by the Data and Sample Access Committee (DSAC) and the CLSA Executive Committee.
Job Summary:
The Data Access Officer (DAO) is responsible for ensuring data and sample access principles, policies and procedures are appropriately implemented, monitored, and evaluated. The DAO works closely with research investigators, governance committees, and other staff to operationalize aspects of the research platforms that enable access by data users.
Key Responsibilities:
Leadership and Management
- Lead all activities related to the data access functional pillar of the CLSA.
- Formulate new strategies to support data management and use as the CLSA platform evolves.
- Guide and motivate data access team members and hold team members accountable for their tasks.
- Manage and train data access team members including handling all related activities such as selection and performance management.
- Work closely with CLSA Executive Committee to ensure the CLSA has sufficient resources to support data access.
- Provide regular updates to study governance committees and councils, including advice and consultation on novel or contentious data access issues arising.
- Manage data linkage budgets and reporting to funding agencies.
- Collaborate with scientific leadership to ensure data sharing is in keeping with legal and ethical frameworks and policy, and to ensure data quality.
- Manage data linkage processes and liaise with provincial data holding organizations.
Data Access Operations
- Oversee data access operations including study-wide data management practices.
- Utilize people, processes, and policies to enable consistent, automated, and secure data access.
- In collaboration with teams responsible for data collection, storage, management and useability, oversee effective data accessibility, and ensure all elements of data access are connected.
- Manage all procedures related to data access applications, as well as all aspects of post-approval procedures.
- Lead the development and review of data access related policies and procedures.
- Oversee activities of relevant committees and teams and ensure they function in accordance with any policies, guidelines, and procedures for data and or sample access while protecting the privacy and confidentiality of study participants.
- Collaborate with technical and administrative staff to ensure data access management systems are efficient, up to date and operational.
- Critically evaluate data access related policies and procedures on an ongoing basis to identify and address inefficiencies or opportunities for improvement and devised standard operating procedures.
- Provide advice and expertise to stakeholders (internal and external) on access to CLSA data.
Data Management and Security
- Understand CLSA data holdings deeply, including up-to-date data availability, and use understanding to set data access standards, as well as develop and oversee research data management plans.
- Ensure all functions across the CLSA are upholding data governance, adherence with applicable regulations, sensitive information protection, and security measures to protect CLSA data from unauthorized access and malicious attacks.
- Work with technical and administrative teams to implement safeguards to identify any vulnerabilities or breaches promptly.
- Ensure compliance with regulations and policy as they related to data security and integrity.
- Oversee data governance framework implementation.
- Establish procedures and guidelines on how to handle data while ensuring compliance with regulatory mandates.
- Collaborate with legal experts to ensure data practices are in alignment with laws.
- Train and guide staff on compliance and regulations along with following the best practices while managing data.
- Lead the development, implementation and monitoring of data linkage processes with external administrative databases, including liaising with provincial health data centres.
Communication and Outreach
- Enable connections among current and potential data users to help them solve scientific challenges using CLSA data.
- Promote new data access initiatives that increase revenue or decrease costs for sustainability of the platform.
- Perform analyses to determine patterns of use and develop outreach strategies.
- In consultation with scientific content experts, develop and maintain documentation that supports data use by researchers.
- Represent the study and data platform in outreach activities (e.g., conferences) and works with others team members to prepare resources to support outreach activities.
- Work with team members to support potential and current data users throughout all phases of the data access process and ensure website and promotional material are up to date in terms of data availability and access processes.
- Collaborate with internal and external stakeholders to develop and maintain tools that support data access (e.g., cloud-based data preview portals).
- Maintain and establish new data linkages and relationships with an interdisciplinary cadre of researchers and health system decision-makers both nationally and internationally.
Qualifications:
Education
- Master’s degree in health sciences or a relevant field of study.
Experience
- Requires 5 years of relevant experience.
- Demonstrated leadership capacity.
Knowledge & Skills:
- Previous experience working in university environment leading / managing large research projects.
- Understanding of domestic and international policy landscape related to research data use.
- Advanced written and spoken proficiency in French and English.
- Excellent oral and written communications skills.
- Meticulous attention to detail and accuracy.
- Strong interpersonal skills including the ability to interact with diverse stakeholders in a professional manner.
- Proven organizational skills to manage high volumes of work in a timely manner.
- Ability to learn quickly, adjust and adapt in a dynamic work environment.
Proficiency in Microsoft Office including Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint; videoconferencing technology (e.g., Zoom, MS Teams).
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