Description
The Department of Economics in the Faculty of Arts invites applications for a Research Manager position. This Part-time Fixed Term position is for approximately 1 year (based on length of grant funding), with the possibility of extension.
This position reports to a Professor / Principal Investigator who serves as Academic Director of the research program, and directs the day-to-day work of research assistants, graduate and undergraduate student researchers, and postdoctoral and contract researchers assigned to projects and research themes. It operates within a research-intensive, applied public-finance program in the Department of Economics that runs multiple concurrent quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-methods research projects in social, economic, and fiscal policy - including research involving human participants and community partners - for academic, government, and external-partner audiences.
The work is fast-paced and deadline-driven, with peak periods tied to grant cycles, government and funder reporting deadlines, and conference and publication timelines. It requires managing competing priorities across projects and coordinating distributed research teams. The position manages operational and research (grant and contract) budgets and makes resourcing decisions within budgetary constraints, and carries a high impact of error, as research findings directly inform government policy decisions and external partner and funder deliverables. The position also builds and manages the community, government, and partner relationships associated with funded research and leads the development of new grant and contract funding. Occasional travel for conferences, partner meetings, and dissemination may be required.
The Research Manager provides senior research leadership and technical expertise for a portfolio of applied social, economic, and fiscal policy research projects. The position is accountable for the design, management, and delivery of research across the full research life cycle; manages research budgets and resources; and leads, supervises, and mentors research staff and trainees. Recognized as a technical expert and scientific contributor, the position co-develops the research agenda and themes, authors and co-authors peer-reviewed publications, technical reports, and policy products, and mobilizes findings to government, academic, and public audiences. The position designs, conducts, and oversees both quantitative and qualitative (mixed-methods) research, exercises substantial independent judgment, applies and adapts advanced research methods, and represents the research program to internal and external stakeholders.
Summary of Key Responsibilities (job functions include but are not limited to):
Leadership (approximately 30%)
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Responsible for the hiring, work assignment, onboarding, performance management, and day-to-day direction of the research team, including research assistants, graduate and undergraduate researchers, and contract and postdoctoral researchers.
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Provides independent assessment of the performance of research staff, trainees, and external resources such as consultants and contractors assigned to projects.
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Mentors and develops junior members of the research team, supporting their research, professional growth, and publication output.
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Develops and manages operational and research budgets and grant and contract funds; recommends the engagement of consultants and external resources based on function and cost within budgetary constraints.
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Builds, manages, and stewards community, government, non-profit, and funder partnerships across the research program, serving as a primary relationship contact and maintaining the commitments and reporting obligations associated with existing grants and contracts.
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Oversees the data collection and analysis carried out by research staff and trainees across both the quantitative and qualitative components of projects, ensuring methodological quality and consistency.
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Contributes to setting and developing the research agenda and themes, and to multi-year strategic plans that anticipate policy changes and link research activities from year to year.
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Coordinates distributed research teams across projects and themes, including monitoring progress, timelines, and key deadlines.
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Promotes equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility within the research program, including in therecruitment and supervision of trainees and in the language and design of research outputs.
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Represents the research team and program to internal and external stakeholders and partners.
Judgment and Decision Making (approximately 25%)
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Accountable for managing research projects across the full life cycle: research-question definition, literature review, data gathering, methods selection, analysis, development and assessment of results, policy implications, and recommendations.
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Makes decisions that require the development of new options to solve complex problems; exercises substantial independent judgment to design research, select and adapt methods, and make resourcing decisions in ambiguous situations.
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Develops carefully considered, evidence-based policy implications and recommendations for practical and effective policy responses.
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Recommends changes to the policies and procedures that govern the research program or team, and is responsible for implementing those changes.
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Participates in the evaluation of submitted or proposed research projects and makes recommendations on next steps regarding procedure, procurement, and systems.
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Identifies and resolves technical, operational, and institutional issues that arise in delivering the research program.
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Accountable for the financial administration of funded research, including managing project and grant budgets, ensuring deliverables and reporting obligations to funders and partners are met, and stewarding partner commitments.
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Ensures research involving human participants is designed and conducted in compliance with research-ethics requirements (TCPS 2 / Research Ethics Board) and with data-governance and privacy obligations.
Communication and Scientific Contribution (approximately 35%)
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Recognized as a technical expert and scientific contributor to the research program, providing scientific leadership across projects.
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Explains difficult and complex concepts and influences others to adopt a different point of view, where appropriate.
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Designs, conducts, and oversees applied quantitative and qualitative (mixed-methods) research, including survey and interview design, data collection, statistical and qualitative analysis, and validation of findings against the established literature.
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Authors and co-authors peer-reviewed journal articles, book chapters, technical reports, and policy briefs, and contributes to significant internal and external publications.
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Develops and maintains microsimulation models and interactive, web-based data visualizations and supporting code.
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Presents research and findings to academic, policy, and public audiences, including conference presentations and panels (including as session chair) and media engagement.
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Establishes and maintains relationships with key stakeholders across government, civil society, and academia, sharing findings and ensuring research is delivered in a timely manner.
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Leads and supports knowledge-mobilization activities, including events, symposia, briefings, and external communications and program web content.
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Contributes to the preparation and review of stewardship and funder reports for accuracy.
Innovation / Initiative (approximately 10%)
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Develops new research methods, models, and tools, including microsimulation and data-visualization approaches, to extend the program's analytical capacity.
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Leads the development of new grant and contract funding, including identifying opportunities, writing and compiling applications, and developing partner and donor pursuit materials.
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Anticipates emerging policy issues and adapts research activities and priorities accordingly.
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Pilots new procedures and evaluation methods and recommends their adoption where they improve research quality or efficiency.
Qualifications / Requirements:
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A PhD in Economics, Public Policy, or a closely related discipline, or an equivalent combination of education and extensive directly related research experience.
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Extensive experience (typically five or more years) leading and overseeing applied quantitative, qualitative, and mixed-methods policy research projects from design through to delivery.
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Quantitative methods: demonstrated expertise in microsimulation modelling (the Social Policy Simulation Database and Model (SPSD/M), or an equivalent tax-and-transfer model), advanced proficiency with statistical analysis software (Stata, or an equivalent such as R), and the ability to program for data processing and for building interactive data tools and visualizations (e.g., JavaScript / D3, R, or equivalent).
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Qualitative and mixed methods: demonstrated expertise in developing surveys and designing and conducting qualitative research (e.g., interviews and focus groups), analyzing qualitative data (e.g., thematic or framework analysis), and integrating qualitative and quantitative evidence.
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Research involving human participants: demonstrated experience with survey and interview design and participant recruitment in collaboration with community partners; familiarity with research-ethics processes (Research Ethics Board); and completion of the Tri-Council Policy Statement (TCPS 2):
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Course on Research Ethics (CORE) certificate, or willingness to complete it.
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Active access to a Statistics Canada Research Data Centre (RDC), or eligibility and willingness to obtain it - including successful completion of the required Government of Canada security screening (reliability status) - is essential. The position works with confidential administrative and survey microdata under secure-access conditions and in compliance with data-governance and privacy requirements.
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An independent, sustained record of peer-reviewed publication as a lead or co-author, demonstrating recognition as a scientific contributor.
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Advanced subject-matter knowledge of Canadian tax-and-transfer, income-support, and public-finance policy, including the relevant data sources and the policy-making process across orders of government.
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Demonstrated experience supervising, assigning work to, mentoring, and evaluating the performance of research staff and trainees.
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Demonstrated experience developing and managing research budgets, grants, and contract funds, and preparing and leading grant applications (e.g., Tri-Agency / SSHRC) and funder reporting.
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Strong analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills; excellent written and oral communication, including the ability to convey complex ideas to policymakers and the public; ability to manage multiple concurrent deadlines and to work both independently and collaboratively.
Assets:
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Established peer-reviewed publication record specifically in public finance or tax-and-transfer policy.
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Experience leading or coordinating multi-institutional or partnership research programs.
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Experience with community-based or participatory research approaches and co-interpreting findings with people with lived experience.
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Experience engaging diverse stakeholders, including government, non-profit and community organizations, and people with lived experience.
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Experience with reproducible-research and data-management practices (e.g., version control such as
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Git, and the Tri-Agency Research Data Management Policy).
Interested applicants should submit:
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A cover letter outlining their interest in and suitability for the position.
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A current curriculum vitae (CV).
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The names and contact information of two to three references who may be contacted, preferably academic or research references (references will not be contacted without the applicant's consent).
Application Deadline: July 8, 2026.
We would like to thank all applicants in advance for submitting their resumes. Please note, only those candidates chosen to continue on through the selection process will be contacted.
This position is classified in the Research Career Band, Level 4 of the Management and Professional Staff Career Framework.
For a listing of all management and staff opportunities at the University of Calgary, view our Management and Staff Careers website.
About the University of Calgary
UCalgary is Canada's entrepreneurial university, located in Canada's most enterprising city. It is a top research university and one of the highest-ranked universities of its age. Founded in 1966, its 36,000 students experience an innovative learning environment, made rich by research, hands-on experiences and entrepreneurial thinking. It is Canada's leader in the creation of start-ups. Start something today at the University of Calgary. For more information, visit ucalgary.ca.
The University of Calgary has launched an institution-wide Indigenous Strategy ii' taa'poh'to'p committing to creating a rich, vibrant, and culturally competent campus that welcomes and supports Indigenous Peoples, encourages Indigenous community partnerships, is inclusive of Indigenous perspectives in all that we do.
The university's commitment to the Indigenous Strategy is evident through the oversight of 18 Elders serving on the Circle of Advisors and the many unit-based circles working towards implementation of the strategy including the Faculty Advisory Circle and teams such as the Office of Indigenous Engagement, the Writing Symbols Lodge, and the Indigenous Research Support Team. Many Indigenous-based events and processes are impacting curriculum, programming and polices at the University of Calgary.
As an equitable and inclusive employer, the University of Calgary recognizes that a diverse staff/faculty benefits and enriches the work, learning and research experiences of the entire campus and greater community. We are committed to removing barriers that have been historically encountered by some people in our society. We strive to recruit individuals who will further enhance our diversity and will support their academic and professional success while they are here. In particular, we encourage members of the designated groups (women, Indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities, members of visible/racialized minorities, and diverse sexual orientation and gender identities) to apply. To ensure a fair and equitable assessment, we offer accommodation at any stage during the recruitment process to applicants with disabilities. Questions regarding [diversity] EDI at UCalgary can be sent to the Office of Institutional Commitments ([email protected]) and requests for accommodations can be sent to People & Culture ([email protected]).
Do you have most but not all the qualifications? Research show that women, racialized and visible minorities, and persons with disabilities are less likely to apply for jobs unless they meet every single qualification. At UCalgary we are committed to achieving equitable, diverse, inclusive and accessible employment practices and workplaces and encourage you to apply if you believe you are right for this role.
We encourage all qualified applicants to apply, however preference will be given to Canadian citizens and permanent residents of Canada.
