Manager, Major Initiatives

Job Title

Manager, Major Initiatives

Job Category

M&P - AAPS

Job Profile

AAPS Salaried - Research and Facilitation, Level B

Job Family Group

Staff - Non Union

Department

Administrative Management | School of Biomedical Engineering | Faculty of Medicine

Compensation Range

$7,158.42 - $10,292.25 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.

Job End Date

Ongoing

Posting End Date

October 22, 2026

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

 

 

This position will be filled internally. It is posted for informational purposes only.

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 School of Biomedical Engineering (SBME) at the University of British Columbia (UBC) is a partnership between the Faculties of Applied Science and Medicine, established in 2017. The School is a nucleus for education and training, research, and innovation in biomedical engineering, creating new knowledge, new academic and training programs, and fostering translation and innovation. Its vision is to transform health and healthcare for all, achieved through innovative research and education at the convergence of engineering, medicine and biology. Through collaborative, innovative, and interdisciplinary approaches and building on UBC’s academic and research excellence, the School of Biomedical Engineering aspires to be a global leader in biomedical engineering research, education and translation. The SBME has two locations on Vancouver’s campus, the Gordon B Shrum building and the Biomedical Research Centre (BRC). For more information about the School of Biomedical Engineering, please visit https://www.bme.ubc.ca/.

The Manager, Major Initiatives advances SBME's strategic priorities by coordinating the development, implementation and delivery of major initiatives, collaborative programs and strategic projects identified by School leadership and faculty leaders. Working across research, education, innovation, partnerships and community engagement portfolios, the position translates priority opportunities into funded programs, structured collaborations and measurable outcomes.

The position serves as SBME's lead operational resource for major proposal development, initiative coordination and project delivery. While the Research Manager leads School-wide funding intelligence, opportunity assessment, faculty support, team formation and research-capacity development, the Manager, Major Initiatives assumes primary responsibility for proposal development, implementation planning and project delivery once major opportunities have been prioritized for advancement.

The Manager works closely with faculty leaders, staff, external partners, funding agencies and UBC administrative units to coordinate complex multi-stakeholder initiatives, develop competitive funding proposals, establish project-management and implementation frameworks, and support the successful execution of strategic projects.

Initial responsibilities include supporting the development and execution of initiatives such as SBME's collaboration with the National Research Council of Canada (NRC), the Cancer Engineering Innovation Hub and the Global Health Technologies Hub.

Organizational Status
The Manager, Major Initiatives reports administratively to the Director of Strategic Planning and Operations and receives strategic direction from faculty and School leaders as appropriate to the initiatives and programs under their responsibility. The position works closely with the School Director, Director of Research Program, Director of Partnerships and Community Engagement, Director of Graduate Program, Director of Interdisciplinary Programs in Engineering and Health, Undergraduate Director, Partnerships Manager, Research Manager, faculty members and other School leaders to support the advancement of SBME's strategic priorities and major initiatives.

The Manager, Major Initiatives and the Research Manager work closely together to support research portfolio and maintain continuity between research strategy, proposal development and implementation. While each position maintains primary responsibility for its respective portfolio, the Managers collaborate across different stages of the initiative lifecycle to maintain strategic alignment, facilitate effective transitions and support successful outcomes.

 

The Manager, Major Initiatives serves as a key resource for the coordination, proposal development, implementation and delivery of major collaborative initiatives and projects. The position works directly with principal investigators, research teams, external partners, funding agencies, UBC Research Services, Finance, Legal Counsel, Research Contracts, Innovation UBC, Communications and other administrative units to coordinate major funding proposals, collaborative programs and strategic projects. The Manager works closely with the Research Manager and Partnerships Manager to advance opportunities from concept and planning through funding, implementation and reporting. For assigned initiatives, the position may receive project-specific direction from designated faculty leaders, principal investigators or executive sponsors while remaining accountable to the Director of Strategic Planning and Operations for overall performance and project-delivery responsibilities.

Work Performed

Proposal Development and Funding Coordination

• Leads the end-to-end development of complex grant, partnership and strategic funding proposals, including multi-investigator, multi-institutional, government, industry, infrastructure and translational funding applications.
• Serves as the primary hands-on writer and editor for assigned proposals, translating scientific, technical and partnership concepts into compelling, integrated and competitive submissions aligned with program objectives and evaluation criteria.
• Develops and manages proposal work plans, schedules, responsibility matrices and internal timelines; coordinates and integrates contributions from investigators, partners and UBC administrative units; manages iterative review and approval processes; and maintains version control through final submission.
• Researches and synthesizes scientific, technical, economic, societal and policy information required to strengthen cases for support, partnership rationales, implementation strategies and impact pathways.
• Develops and coordinates complex proposal budgets and budget justifications, in collaboration with finance and research administration personnel, and develops work plans, performance measures, knowledge-mobilization plans, partner commitments and supporting documentation.
• Coordinates institutional approvals and works with Research Services, Finance, Research Contracts, Innovation UBC and other administrative units to address submission requirements, risks and compliance considerations.
• Supports faculty leaders and School leadership in converting strategic opportunities into competitive funding applications, collaborative programs and funded initiat

Initiative Coordination and Implementation

• Coordinates the planning, development, implementation and evaluation of major initiatives that support SBME priorities in research, education, innovation, translation and societal impact.
• Supports School leadership and faculty leaders in implementing initiatives that advance strategic priorities through funded programs, collaborative projects, institutional partnerships and special initiatives.
• Leads the operational design and implementation of assigned major initiatives, translating approved concepts and funding commitments into executable programs, governance structures, work plans and deliverables.
• Develops project charters, implementation plans, milestones, risk-management frameworks, communication plans and performance metrics for assigned initiatives.
• Supports the development and implementation of governance and reporting frameworks required for effective project execution and accountability.
• Coordinates activities associated with major initiatives and collaborative programs, including research and innovation hubs, strategic partnerships and special projects assigned by School leadership.
• Supports implementation of priority initiatives such as the SBME-NRC collaboration, Cancer Engineering Innovation Hub, Global Health Technologies Hub and future strategic projects.

Collaborative Project Development and Stakeholder Coordination

• Works closely with the Research Manager to evaluate research opportunities, faculty strengths, team composition, program requirements and institutional alignment for major initiatives and funding opportunities.
• Works closely with the Partnerships Manager to align initiatives with partnership opportunities, stakeholder interests, funding pathways and relationship-development activities.
• Facilitates coordination among faculty members, trainees, staff, external partners, funding agencies and administrative units involved in complex multi-disciplinary and multi-sector initiatives.
• Supports principal investigators, faculty leaders and School leadership in partner-engagement activities, including preparation of briefing materials, presentations, meeting agendas, concept notes, letters of support and records of decisions.
• Coordinates internal and external stakeholder consultations required for proposal development, project implementation and program delivery.
• Maintains productive relationships with collaborators, sponsors, funders and project partners to support successful initiative development and implementation.

Project and Program Management

• Acts as project manager for assigned strategic initiatives, collaborative programs and funded projects.
• Establishes project-management systems, communication protocols, reporting processes and implementation frameworks that support successful project delivery.
• Monitors project scope, schedules, deliverables, milestones, dependencies and risks; identifies emerging issues and develops options and recommendations for project leaders.
• Coordinates meetings, prepares agendas and decision-support materials, documents actions and ensures timely completion of follow-up activities.
• Works with principal investigators and finance personnel to monitor budgets, forecast expenditures and support compliance with sponsor requirements and University policies.
• Coordinates progress reporting, performance reporting and sponsor reporting requirements and assists in the preparation of final project reports and outcomes summaries.
• Tracks implementation progress and provides regular project-status updates to faculty leaders, School leadership and funding partners, as appropriate.

Program Improvement and Operational Support

• Supports communications, stakeholder engagement, change-management and knowledge-mobilization activities associated with major initiatives and funded programs.
• Develops and maintains tools, templates, guidance documents and best practices related to proposal development, project management and initiative implementation.
• Identifies opportunities to improve proposal-development processes, project-management practices and initiative-delivery effectiveness across the School.
• Contributes implementation insights, project analyses and operational recommendations that support School-wide planning and reporting activities.
• Maintains records, project documentation, performance measures and initiative outcomes required for reporting, evaluation and continuous improvement.
• May coordinate consultants, students, temporary staff or project contributors and may supervise staff where assigned.
• Performs other related duties consistent with the scope and classification of the position.

Consequence of Error/Judgement
The position manages high-value, high-profile applications and collaborations involving multiple institutions and external partners. Errors in proposal content, eligibility, budgets, approvals, project controls or reporting could result in missed deadlines, loss or recovery of funds, failure to meet contractual obligations, damaged partner relationships or reputational harm. The Manager must exercise excellent judgement with confidential, commercially sensitive and pre-publication information.

Supervision Received
Works with considerable independence under the general direction of the Director of Strategic Planning and Operations. Establishes detailed plans and resolves operational issues within approved scope, policies and agreements. Strategic or high-risk matters are escalated to the responsible principal investigator, executive sponsor or Director as appropriate. Performance is assessed against proposal deadlines, project milestones, funder requirements, partner expectations and quality of deliverables.

Supervision Given
May supervise staff, students, consultants or temporary personnel. Provides functional direction to multidisciplinary project teams and coordinates work performed by contributors who do not report directly to the position.

Minimum Qualifications
Undergraduate degree in a relevant discipline. Minimum of three years of related experience, or the 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

• Graduate degree in biomedical engineering, engineering, life sciences, health sciences, public administration, business or another relevant discipline is an asset.
• Significant experience in complex grant development, research project management, strategic initiative implementation or partnership-based programs.
• Demonstrated success writing and coordinating complex, competitive research or innovation funding proposals.
• Experience managing multi-investigator, multi-institutional or government-industry research collaborations from planning through reporting.
• Strong project-management skills, including scope, schedule, budget, risk, governance, stakeholder and change management; PMP or equivalent certification is an asset.
• Knowledge of Canadian research and innovation funders and programs, particularly federal funding and collaboration mechanisms involving organizations such as NRC, NSERC, CIHR, CFI, Mitacs or PacifiCan.
• Ability to understand complex scientific and technical material and translate it into compelling, accessible narratives for varied reviewers and partners.
• Experience developing budgets, milestones, logic models, performance measures, risk registers and funder reports.
• Excellent writing, editing, facilitation, negotiation and presentation skills.
• Exceptional organization and attention to detail, with the ability to manage concurrent deadlines and contributions from senior stakeholders.
• Demonstrated ability to build trust, resolve ambiguity and move multidisciplinary groups toward decisions and deliverables.
• Sound judgement and discretion in handling confidential, commercially sensitive and pre-publication information.