HHNS Human Research Facilities and Operations Manager

Department: Human Health and Nutritional Sciences
This position is represented by the agreement between the Professional Staff Association and the University of Guelph

If you are a current employee of the University of Guelph you must apply on the internal Career Page in order to be considered as an internal applicant. 
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General Purpose

The Department of Human Health and Nutritional Sciences (HHNS) is a relatively large department with 12 full time staff and 27 faculty members with various research programs involving humans and animal research. The department is home to one Research Institute and has several research support facilities including the Human Nutritional Research Unit (HNRU) which supports the University of Guelph’s intensive research and training activities in the areas of food and health, through human testing of foods and natural health products and the Institute for LIFE, a new research institute focusing on Lifestyle Integration of Food and Exercise. These facilities support a variety of human research initiatives in HHNS and require administrative and operational oversight to support the faculty members and provide services.

Duties and Responsibilities

The HHNS Human Research Facilities and Operations Manager is responsible for maintenance and scheduling of HHNS research facilities and equipment as well as the day-to-day operations of the research institutes and facilities. This includes routine activities such as human participant patient intakes, facility and research trial scheduling, billing, communications with stakeholders, potential clients and vendors, preparing budgets and reports, contributing to strategic planning and participating in monthly management committee meetings. This will apply to all HHNS research support facilities and research institutes (DEXA facility, HNRU, LIFE, phlebotomy lab, etc.). The Manager will also be responsible for the success of HNRU nutrition research projects as they manage clinical trials and facilities. This includes the responsibility for performing phlebotomies, managing the facility schedule, managing kitchen safety and lab biosafety.

The Manager will contribute to; human research project planning and communication with stakeholders; communications with the University of Guelph Research Ethics Board and with Health Canada when necessary; project management, training, supervising and providing leadership to new undergraduate and graduate students; and ensuring compliance of clinical trial activities to ethical principles and procedures. They will be responsible for HHNS lab safety, including participation on the safety committee, safety presentations to incoming graduate students, phlebotomy training, scheduling and conducting lab inspections, and other safety work as required. The manager will represent the department on committees as required, propose and support development opportunities, ensuring efficiency and effectiveness of all facility operations.

Reporting to the Chair of HHNS, and working with a faculty director, the incumbent is responsible for the various day to day tasks that support the HHNS’s human research programs and facility operations. This principally involves:

• Managing human participant research projects and clinical trials.
• Ensuring compliance of clinical trial activities to ethical principles and procedures.
• Chairing the department Health & Safety Committee and associated safety responsibilities including lab inspections and safety orientation training for students, staff, and volunteers using HHNS research facilities.
• Coordinating volunteers including placements in, for example the Health and Performance Centre (HPC), Guelph General Hospital, etc.
• Managing and maintenance of the HHNS Human research facilities.
• Liaison with research ethics board and Health Canada.
• Training and supervising graduate and undergraduate students and volunteers doing human research in the research facilities. Developing and maintaining and human participant database.
• Developing online training modules to facilitate and enhance our current training programs.
• Conducting phlebotomies.
• Providing guest lectures in courses as required, outlining the research facilities requirements, safety, and instruction needed for use of the facilities.

Requirements

• MSc degree in health sciences (nutrition, human kinetics, or related disciplines) and two-years of related experience, or an equivalent combination of education and experience. 
• Excellent professional judgment.
• Comfort with providing routine guidance and supervision to undergraduate and graduate students.
• Strong written and oral communication skills.
• Experience with clerical and documentation tasks requiring accurate reporting.
• Proficiency with word processing, internet searching, database software and statistical analysis.
• Attention to detail.
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively.
• Outstanding organizational skills.
• Phlebotomy skills or willingness to be trained in phlebotomy.

Preference will be given to applicants with experience coordinating human clinical trials and with a Clinical Research Associate certificate.

Employee Type: Regular 
Position Number: 10299064 
Classification: P&M FT- Band 04    
Professional/Managerial Salary Bands 

*Tentative evaluation; subject to committee review.

At the University of Guelph, fostering a culture of inclusion is an institutional imperative. The University invites and encourages applications from all qualified individuals, including from groups that are traditionally underrepresented in employment, who may contribute to further diversification of our Institution.

Posting Date:  04/08/2025  
Closing Date:  04/23/2025