Manager, Operations and Administration of Indigenous Research, College of Medicine

Primary Purpose: The Manager, Operations and Administration of Indigenous Research, will provide administrative leadership for the Indigenous research enterprise within the college of medicine. This position has primary responsibility for overseeing the management and functional maintenance of the research program’s human resources and talent management. Working closely with the college’s Human Resources Strategic Business Advisors (SBAs), the Manager brings knowledge, expertise, and experience with best practices to the project’s staff hiring practices, talent performance management, and professional development across all research program staff.

The manager oversees the development and implementation of the College’s operational initiatives and is responsible for ensuring the efficient functioning of existing administrative processes and procedures.

Nature of Work: The manager reports to the Chief Operations Officer with guidance from the Senior Strategic Business Advisor, Human Resources for the College of Medicine and provides operational leadership to the research program. This dual reporting role is responsible for coordinating all administrative human resources operations of the research program.

This position requires a deep understanding of Indigenous people in Canada, their strengths and the issues that impact them, as well as a commitment to decolonization, reconciliation and Indigenization. The manager represents the research program in interactions with a wide variety of stakeholders – both internal to the college and university, as well as external such as community rights-holders, partners and other institutions, to ensure that operational and administrative concerns are represented in critical decision-making. The incumbent must exercise a high degree of initiative and judgment on a wide range of issues and build productive and supporting working relationships across the college of medicine and the university’s research services. This position can experience peak periods of work, with the expectation to work outside regular operating hours of the university, which is balanced with professional flexibility.

This position requires a record of demonstrated leadership experience and vision, including high flexibility when interpreting existing and new requirements for administrative and support staff. Other desirable qualities include a positive approach to problem solving and conflict resolution when diverse employee needs are considered. The ability to initiate, organize, and lead projects across administrative and staff functional units to meet changing priorities and strategic needs is essential to the successful delivery of this role. This position is a demanding, complex, and challenging role involving the effective management of diverse relationships and among varied stakeholders both internal and external to the College and the University of Saskatchewan.

The manager is required to work in an environment where it is essential to effectively balance the needs of complex administrative and staff complement, and guide employees towards positive outcomes while operating, at times, within a resource constrained environment.

This position must demonstrate the ability to manage competing priorities and demands on their time while delivering on College-specific strategic initiatives set forward by the Dean. The manager must deal with emerging and unpredictable events in a timely manner. This position may periodically require long or irregular hours.

Working conditions require innovative thinking and management approaches and may be stressful given the high volume of work, complexity of issues and/or problems, tight deadlines, and the need for accuracy, and precise, timely, and effective communication. The work is unstructured and requires the ability to negotiate boundaries, manage projects, and de-escalate conflict to reach positive outcomes. The work also requires a proactive approach in a complex, unionized and academic environment.

Accountabilities:

This position has diverse and extensive accountabilities under the headings below. In broad terms they provide support to the Principal Investigator(s) and faculty to assist in the effective implementation of the operations of an Indigenous research program, ensuring that the end-to-end process is supported and communicated effectively to all stakeholders.

People Resources

• Ensure staff complements are effectively planned, implemented, and managed
• Establish performance measures and service standards
• Ensure employees are held accountable for high standards of performance and outcomes
• Recruiting, leading, and retaining highly motivated and committed professional and support staff, including delivering coaching, development, and mentoring is provided to ensure direct report success
• Model and set standards of high performance and professionalism
• Ensure a positive, diverse, and inclusive work environment

Operations Management

In collaboration with stakeholders, identify opportunities for enhanced operational efficiency and quality, and undertake the appropriate consultation and action to act on these opportunities.

Recommend and implement change to business systems, procedures, and processes, including evaluation and improvement implementation; able to process problems into solutions and new opportunities; identify, assess, and inform the Principal Investigator(s) of internal and external issues that affect the research program operations.

Oversee the service delivery of support and management staff ensuring the appropriate allocation of personnel to projects, and providing staff with direction on administrative policies, procedures and technical requirements, priorities and service expectations.

Provides leadership and supervision to all admin and support staff on the project, including onboarding, orientation, educational requirements and updating skills; responsible for ensuring attention to details and meeting deadlines. Also responsible for providing feedback, disciplinary actions and dismissals.

Enabling Research

• Ensure that internal accountability and resources are aligned with College-wide priorities and goals
• Develop effective, collaborative, professional working relationships and partnerships with academic units across the College, and many internal and external stakeholders
• Support and contribute positively to change initiatives in support of College goals
• Ensure the effective and efficient use of fiscal, human and physical space to meet the strategic needs and goals of the College

Qualifications

Experience: 5 years of experience in a leadership role, preference will be given to experience in complex and diverse fund source organizations such as a health care or post-secondary research environment. An equivalent combination of education and experience may be considered.

The incumbent should have experience in supervising individuals and units with multiple levels of reporting. The role is expected to provide direct coaching and mentorship as well as to guide other supervisors to carry out their supervisory duties including fostering professional development and performance management as required. Experience working within unionized environments and with a multitude of employment agreements is a requirement.

Education:

• A bachelor's degree in business administration, management, Human Resources, or a related field is required.
• A master's degree in business administration or other advanced degrees would be considered an asset.
• A professional certification in Human Resources would be considered an asset.

Skills:  

Ability to work independently, and collaboratively as part of a team. Strong leadership, motivational and management skills. Proven flexibility to meet changing needs and requirements of programs and services and success in meeting constantly changing priorities and deadlines. Ability to exercise tact and diplomacy. Demonstrated ability to work with others to achieve solutions to unique and complex problems. Ability to make consultative difficult decisions and implement. Competency in information technology and financial systems.

Ability to lead, coach and mentor staff to attain goals; demonstrated ability in thinking creatively and outside the box; strong organizational skills with the demonstrated ability to navigate a large, diverse and often deadline driven workload; well developed and demonstrated skills in analysis, problem-solving and critical thinking.

Department: College of Medicine 
Status: Permanent
Employment Group: Exempt
Full Time Equivalent (FTE): 1.0
Salary: The salary range, based on 1.0 FTE, is $71,089.00 - 117,592.00 per annum. The starting salary will be commensurate with education and experience.
Salary Phase/Band: Salary Band 3
Posted Date: 12/5/2025
Closing Date: 1/6/2026 at 6:00 pm CST
Number of Openings: 1
Work Location: On Campus

The University of Saskatchewan aspires to be what the world needs and embraces equity, diversity and inclusion as foundational to excellence and innovation. We actively seek to create a welcoming environment where all individuals feel empowered to thrive, contribute, and grow. Applications from equity-deserving groups are encouraged as part of our ongoing efforts to reflect the diversity of the communities we serve: EDI Framework for Action.
We continue to grow our partnerships with Indigenous communities across the province, nationally, and internationally and value the unique perspective that Indigenous employees provide to strengthen these relationships. Verification of Indigenous Membership/Citizenship at the University of Saskatchewan is led and determined by the deybwewin | taapwaywin | tapwewin: Indigenous Truth policy and the Standing Committee in accordance with the processes developed to enact the policy. Successful candidates that assert Indigenous membership/citizenship will be asked to complete the verification process of Indigenous membership/citizenship with documentation.
The University of Saskatchewan provides an accessible and inclusive workplace. Should you require support through any stage of the recruitment process, please contact Human Resources for assistance.