Academic Associate / Project Manager

Position Summary:
The Academic Associate / Project Manager at the McGill Genome Centre / Victor Phillip Dahdaleh Institute of Genomic Medicine (VPDI) will play a crucial role in coordinating and advancing various internal research initiatives and large-scale collaborative genomics projects. This includes contributing to ethics processes, database access, project timelines, and logistics, while ensuring smooth communication between collaborators, platforms, and laboratory managers. The role involves substantial interaction with internal and external stakeholders to ensure project completion, data management, and compliance with institutional and ethical requirements.

BREADTH OF RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Project Management and Scientific Support
• Act as a scientific and technical resource for advising researchers on omics technology applications.
• Manage and oversee large-scale collaborative research projects, ensuring smooth integration of experimental workflows and timely delivery of results.
• Serve as project manager for internal research initiatives, acting as the primary liaison for collaborators and the molecular and quantitative platforms of the Institute, ensuring seamless communication and project alignment.
• Facilitate communication and collaboration among internal research teams, laboratory managers, and external collaborators to maintain project alignment.
• Oversees logistics for the receipt, distribution, and shipping of biological samples and scientific instrumentations, ensuring proper handling, compliance with research timelines, and adherence to ethical and institutional requirements.
• Prepare and manage required documentation, such as ethics approvals, and shipment descriptions, to facilitate the smooth transfer of samples and equipment locally, nationally, and internationally.
• Upload and share research data internally between collaborators, ensuring efficient data distribution.
• Act as a central resource for project-related updates, troubleshooting challenges, and aligning stakeholders on key objectives.

2. Data Preparation and Publications
• Assist in interpreting, preparing and curating research data for scientific publications, ensuring accuracy, consistency, and alignment with project goals.
• Coordinate with researchers to prepare and finalize data sets for publication, presentation, and internal reporting, ensuring they are ready for dissemination.
• Manage reporting processes, addressing questions from researchers and stakeholders to facilitate a clear understanding of project outcomes
• Support researchers in organizing, reviewing, and formatting data to comply with publication standards and submission requirements.
• Collaborate with research teams to ensure timely preparation and delivery of publication-ready data, addressing any technical or logistical concerns that arise during the process.

3. Ethics and Compliance
• Oversee and coordinate research ethics processes, including, submissions, renewals, and compliance tracking, ensuring adherence to Institutional Review Board (IRB) requirements.
• Ensure timely submissions to avoid delays that could impact project timelines, scientific progress, or funding, maintaining continuity for multimillion-dollar research projects.
• Act as the primary liaison between the research teams and the IRB, ensuring that all ethics-related documentation is accurate, complete, and submitted on time
• Identify and mitigate risks associated with ethics lapses by developing and maintaining clear communication channels with all stakeholders.

4. Database Access Management
• Manage and facilitate access to various research datasets and genomic resources for internal and collaborative projects.
• Ensure that all necessary permissions and approvals are in place for researchers to access databases and datasets in compliance with institutional and ethical guidelines.
• Maintain accurate records of data access permissions and usage, ensuring data security and proper handling across all projects.
• Coordinate with research teams to troubleshoot any issues related to data access or permissions, facilitating smooth and timely access to critical research resources.

5. Data Distribution and Management
• Distribute and receive data between collaborators, ensuring that all data transfers are secure and organized.
• Conduct initial reviews of incoming data to assess quality and integrity, followed by a thorough quality control (QC) process to identify and address any issues.
• Upload and share processed data within the organization, facilitating access for team members and collaborators.

6. Advanced Bioinformatics for GWAS
• Execute parallelized code on high-performance computing (HPC) systems to conduct genome-wide association studies (GWAS). This includes performing sample quality control (QC), single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) QC, and association tests to identify significant genetic associations.
• Carry out imputation using the Haplotype Reference Consortium (HRC) and Trans-Omics for Precision Medicine (TopMed) datasets as references. Prepare and preprocess the data for imputation, then merge it with the UK Biobank (UKBB) and other relevant datasets to enhance analytical power.
• Analyze correlations and conduct linear modelling (LM) tests to explore relationships between all candidate gene polymorphisms (CPGs) and SNPs, providing insights into genetic influences.
• Perform comprehensive GWAS analyses, including sample and kinship quality controls, utilizing tools such as PLINK, BOLT, and R for robust statistical evaluation.

7. Bioinformatics Data Management and Analysis
• Management and ensure quality control of data from the Institute’s genetic and other genomics studies.
• Execute code on high-performance computing (HPC) systems to conduct genetic analysis for genome-wide association studies (GWAS) and analysis of sequence data using a wide variety of specialized computational tools.
• Implement and apply R scripts or other statistical computational tools for data analysis.
• Interpret the results from the above for identifying genetic loci contributing to phenotype traits in humans and other species.

8. Computational Resource Management
• Oversee resource allocation and manage user permissions within the Compute Alliance resources, ensuring seamless access to computational tools and data necessary for advancing research activities.
• Monitor and optimize the utilization of computational resources to support ongoing and upcoming projects effectively.

9. Project Coordination and Management:
• Oversee large-scale collaborative genomics projects by tracking action items, deliverables, and progress to ensure timely and successful completion.
• Collaborate with research teams, project representatives, and laboratory managers to align project objectives, timelines, and milestones with scientific goals.
• Prepare detailed project reports on status updates, sample processing, and instrument utilization, providing stakeholders with data-driven insights to support decision-making.
• Generate reports on project and sample status, as well as instrument utilization, providing valuable insights to stakeholders for decision-making
• Develop project scopes and deliverables in consultation with faculty and collaborators, including defining timelines, selecting appropriate technologies, and organizing project workflow.
• Generate Statements of Work (SOWs) for platform projects, both internal and external, following consultation with laboratory managers and/or investigators, using user management software and other relevant methods.
• Facilitate the preparation of Statements of Work (SOWs) for internal and external platform projects by consulting with laboratory personnel and leveraging user management tools .
• Assist faculty and collaborators in project development, including the choice of appropriate technologies, project organization (timelines, defining milestones), and providing input on data analysis, pricing, and budgeting in collaboration with relevant teams.
• Work closely with laboratory teams to ensure the completion of project milestones, addressing any technical or logistical challenges to maintain project momentum.
• Support the finance team by providing project updates and necessary documentation to ensure projects remain aligned with budgetary expectations and funding requirements.

10. Lab Coordination and Troubleshooting:
• Coordinate with relevant lab managers to plan and schedule incoming projects, ensuring timely sample preparation and processing according to project timelines.
• Coordinate with lab managers to plan and schedule incoming projects and timelines, ensuring timely sample preparation and processing according to project requirements, and that all work is completed on schedule.
• Oversee the troubleshooting of issues related to sample preparation, sequencing, and data analysis in collaboration with laboratory and bioinformatics teams.
• Support bioinformatics team members in planning data delivery and addressing challenges to ensure efficient and effective achievement of project milestones.
• Coordinate data delivery and communication to researchers, ensuring that all necessary data is shared promptly and accurately.
• Utilize LIMS, data retrieval, and user management software as needed to support project workflows and ensure accurate tracking of samples and data.
• Facilitate communication between the lab and external collaborators to resolve any technical issues and keep projects on track.

11. Stakeholder and Vendor Relations:
• Serve as the primary liaison between internal stakeholders, including researchers and laboratory managers, and external collaborators and vendors associated with assigned projects.
• Independently liaise with internal and external stakeholders, including academics and vendors, to ensure project tasks are completed efficiently and in line with project timelines.
• Coordinate with vendors on procurement, ensuring timely delivery of supplies and equipment for ongoing projects.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with external partners to ensure smooth project execution and resolve any logistical or technical challenges that may arise.

12. Grant Writing and Documentation:
• Assist faculty and collaborators in preparing grant applications, scientific publications, and project reports, ensuring alignment with project goals and funding requirements.
• Provide support in writing and reviewing scientific documents, including progress reports and final submissions for funding agencies.
• Help organize project documentation, ensuring timely submission and proper archiving of all critical project-related materials.
• Liaise with faculty and external collaborators to gather necessary information for grant proposals and research reports, ensuring clarity and completeness.

McGill University is committed to equity and diversity within its community and values academic rigour and excellence. We welcome and encourage applications from racialized persons/visible minorities, women, Indigenous persons, persons with disabilities, ethnic minorities, and persons of minority sexual orientations and gender identities, as well as from all qualified candidates with the skills and knowledge to engage productively with diverse communities.
At McGill, research that reflects diverse intellectual traditions, methodologies, and modes of dissemination and translation is valued and encouraged. Candidates are invited to demonstrate their research impact both within and across academic disciplines and in other sectors, such as government, communities, or industry.
McGill further recognizes and fairly considers the impact of leaves (e.g., family care or health-related) that may contribute to career interruptions or slowdowns. Candidates are encouraged to signal any leave that affected productivity, or that may have had an effect on their career path. This information will be considered to ensure the equitable assessment of the candidate’s record.
McGill implements an employment equity program and encourages members of designated equity groups to self-identify. It further seeks to ensure the equitable treatment and full inclusion of persons with disabilities by striving for the implementation of universal design principles transversally, across all facets of the University community, and through accommodation policies and procedures. Persons with disabilities who anticipate needing accommodations for any part of the application process may contact, in confidence, [email protected].
All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply; however, in accordance with Canadian immigration requirements, Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority.

• PhD in a relevant biomedical or quantitative life sciences field
• Candidate will be expected to possess strong written and oral communication skills and have excellent organizational skills
• Ability to work as part of a team as well as independently
• Demonstrated attention to details and problem solving skills
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills in English and French would be an asset.
• Scientific background in an omics technology, preferably in a high throughput environment.
• Comfort performing bioinformatics related tasks, such as described previously.
• Experience in project management, particularly in research or omics-related projects, with a proven ability to oversee complex, large-scale collaborative efforts.
• Understanding of ethics processes and compliance, with the ability to track and manage multiple IRB approvals and renewals for high-stakes, multimillion-dollar projects.
• Proficiency in using database access tools, managing research datasets, and ensuring compliance with institutional guidelines.
• Familiarity with LIMS, data retrieval, and user management software, ensuring accurate project tracking, data sharing, and sample management.
• Excellent organizational and multitasking skills, capable of managing multiple ongoing projects, while coordinating with researchers, collaborators, and external vendors.
• Advanced communication skills, both written and verbal, with the ability to liaise between internal and external stakeholders, including vendors, academics, and collaborators.
• Experience with grant writing, report preparation, and scientific publications, with a strong ability to assist in securing funding and completing accurate project documentation.
• Collaborative mindset with the ability to work across cross-functional teams, including laboratory managers, bioinformatics teams, and external vendors, ensuring seamless project execution.
• Attention to detail and problem-solving skills, particularly in troubleshooting technical issues related to sequencing, sample preparation, and data delivery.

Please submit your application at the following link:

https://mcgill.wd3.myworkdayjobs.com/McGill_Caree…