Experimental Research Manager and Specialist,Social Sciences Research Laboratories

Department: Social Sciences Research Laboratories (SSRL)

FTE: 0.5 FTE with the possibility of becoming 1.0 FTE

Status: Term, up to two years with the possibility of extension or becoming permanent.

Competition No.: 13006-M

Salary Information: The salary range is $58,350 to $91,173 per annum (Managerial, Phase 2).  The starting salary will be commensurate with education and experience.

Primary Purpose: To ensure the smooth and effective operations of the Social Sciences Research Laboratories (SSRL) Experimental Decision Laboratory (“EDL”). Acting as project manager for experimental economics research, experimental policy research and experimental human behavioural/psychology research, the Experimental Research Manager and Specialist (“EDL Manager”) oversees the day-to-day operations of the EDL, provides technical expertise and advice to researchers, and provides leadership, management and strategic direction to ensure the long-term operations and viability of the EDL.

Nature of Work: Reporting to the Director of the SSRL, the EDL Manager is responsible for the project management of the EDL, overseeing the day-to-day project activities and technical aspects of the EDL. The EDL Manager works both independently and in a team environment with researchers, providing technical expertise and support to ensure that experimental research needs are addressed efficiently and effectively. It requires the establishment and maintenance of effective working relationships and collaborations with faculty, administrators and external partners in an environment of continuous change. The EDL Manager works with the SSRL Director, the Vice-Dean Social Sciences, Arts & Science Information Technology (ASIT), and managers and administrative staff of other SSRL laboratories to ensure the facility remains a valuable resource for social science researchers at the University of Saskatchewan. The EDL Manager must exhibit time and organizational skills and the promise/interest to develop project management skills. The position, may, on occasion, require long and/or irregular hours.

Accountabilities:

• Provides leadership, management and strategic direction, in consultation with the Director of the SSRL, to ensure the long-term maintenance and viability of the EDL in accordance with the University of Saskatchewan’s Third Integrated Plan and the long-term goals and directives of the SSRL.
• Acts as project manager for experimental research at the University of Saskatchewan, overseeing all technical aspects of the EDL:
  • Provides professional support and technical expertise and advice in the development/design of experimental research projects (including turning ideas or research questions into experiments) and coordinates/oversees their implementation in the EDL or using the mobile experimental research lab
  • Programs and thoroughly tests all experimental research programs
  • Manages and maintains the online participant recruitment system (ORSEE)
  • Monitors data to ensure validity and makes adjustments and recommendations as appropriate
  • Cleans and archives experimental research data files
  • Ensures EDL computers, software and equipment are up-to-date and functional
• Manages and coordinates services and oversees the day-to-day project activities of the EDL to meet the experimental research needs of individual researchers and research groups across the University of Saskatchewan:
  • Manages the workflow, scheduling and operations of the EDL
  • Provides management, recruitment, training, monitoring, and compensation of experimental research participants
  • Prepares productivity, annual, and other reports
  • Responds to queries from potential researchers and clients
• Facilitates and oversees experimental economics research, experimental policy research and experimental human behavioural/psychology research within the EDL:
  • Prepares cost estimates for projects in consultation with the SSRL Director
  • Negotiates and oversees contracts for projects in consultation with the SSRL Director
  • Creates budgets for projects, prepares invoices and manages EDL finances
  • Provides final data files, reports, and basic analysis of results to researchers
  • Ensures quality control of projects and processes in the EDL.
• Increases awareness of the opportunities afforded by the EDL and the services offered by the EDL, including research participant opportunities, through effective communications and promotional strategies.
• Interacts with internal and external clients and potential clients of the EDL.
• Develops collaborative professional working relationships, liaises and partners with faculty and administrators, both on- and off-campus, including the other SSRL laboratories; Research Coordinators; Arts & Science IT; ICT; eMAP; University Library; Research Services; Facilities Management Division; Financial Services; and respective groups at other universities.
• Develops and delivers training sessions and workshops on experimental research design and implementation.
• Ensures best-practice experimental research strategies, programs and support systems are in place to meet constantly changing needs of users and potential users by maintaining an up-to-date knowledge of social science research and of experimental research more specifically.

Qualifications
Education: A Master’s degree in a discipline with applied computer skills (e.g., Economics, Psychology, Computer Science, Sociology or Systems Engineering). Equivalent degrees and experience may be considered.

Experience: A minimum of three years of related experience. Experience or evidence of capacity to facilitate and manage projects and of fostering effective, cooperative and collegial working relationships with a broad range of constituents in a complex environment are essential. Direct experience working in a research academic environment and experience with proposal development and academic writing will be considered strong assets. Experience or demonstrated capacity to learn and apply one or more of the following is required: z-Tree, E-Prime, and/or PHP.

Skills: Demonstrated capacity or evidence of ability to learn to work in a computer-based laboratory to structure and implement programmed experiments; ability to provide information and advice to researchers in a range of social science research units on campus; ability to develop and maintain collaborative working relationships with faculty, staff, students and all levels of administration; ability to work independently and as a team leader and team member; ability to manage multiple projects with competing deadlines; and excellent communication, organization, time management, problem-solving, troubleshooting, interpersonal and leadership skills.

This position is in scope of the Administrative and Supervisory Personnel Association.

Please apply no later than January 15, 2013.
Inquiries regarding this position can be directed to Jason Disano at (306)966-7546.  

Be sure to apply online as emailed applications will not be accepted. 

Jan 2, 2013 8:00 AM

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