Associate Director, Systems and Platforms

Simon Fraser University; Burnaby; Hybrid; CAD 120,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

4 weeks’ vacation (prorated)

Hybrid-work program for eligible staff

Employer paid defined benefit pension

On-campus tuition waiver for employees

Off-campus tuition reimbursements and

Job summary

Simon Fraser University seeks an Associate Director, Research Computing to lead a team delivering advanced computing solutions aligned with university priorities. You will coordinate requirements gathering, evaluation, implementation, validation, and support for computing solutions for researchers across academia and government partners.

The role emphasizes collaboration, mentorship, and stakeholder engagement, with a focus on planning, resource allocation, and risk-aware decision-making in a

Qualifications

• Excellent knowledge of standards, methods, tools and applications relevant to research computing, application service delivery, and research computing systems and solutions.
• Excellent interpersonal, and communication skills (e.g., verbal, written, and presentation).
• Excellent facilitation, negotiation, conflict resolution, leadership and team building skills.
• Excellent business analysis and project management skills.
• Ability to work collaboratively with others, with competing interests, and with divergent groups to bring about positive change.
• Ability to lead consensus-based decision-making processes; facilitate problem-solving; and resolve contentious issues.
• Ability to analyze, design, plan, execute and evaluate work to time, cost and quality targets.
• Ability to assess and evaluate risk.
• Ability to facilitate collaboration between stakeholders who have diverse objectives.
• Ability to exercise initiative.
• Ability to provide mentorship to colleagues.

Responsibilities

• Lead a team to gather requirements and implement research computing solutions.
• Coordinate deployment of national and university services.
• Manage resources to complete projects aligned with university priorities.
• Collaborate with university community to plan and validate solutions.
• Provide mentorship and leadership to staff.

Skills

Communication skills

Leadership

Team building

Project management

Business analysis

Stakeholder collaboration

Risk assessment

Mentorship

Negotiation

Education

Master's degree in Computing Science or related field

Post-secondary credentials in related IT portfolio management

Job description

Who We Are

Simon Fraser University is a leading research university, advancing an inclusive and sustainable future. Our purpose – the essence of SFU – is to create and connect knowledge, learning and community for deeper understanding and meaningful impact. We are committed to fostering excellence, innovation, belonging and community in all that we do.

The Research Computing Group at Simon Fraser University empowers researchers and partners across academia, industry, government, and the wider community with the digital infrastructure, computing platforms, and expert support they need to advance discovery and solve complex problems.

From high-performance computing to software development, our mission is to help our partners work more efficiently, collaborate more effectively, and turn ideas into impact.

We provide the hardware, software, and expertise our partners need to get the job done.

About the Role

The Associate Director, Research Computing leads a team dedicated to gathering requirements, analyzing, evaluating, implementing, validating, and supporting solutions for advanced research computing to support SFU's strategic goals. Working in partnership with members of the university community, the Associate Director plans, coordinates, and manages research computing solutions; the deployment of national and university specific services; and the allocation of team resources to successfully complete projects that align with the university's priorities.

Full Job Description

Qualifications

Master's degree in Computing Science or a related field, post-secondary credentials in areas related to research computing systems and IT portfolio management, and eight years of related IT experience including the provision of research computing services, including five years of related experience in provisioning and running a research computing facility, and at least one year of experience in project management; application management; and software system development and management; or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

• Excellent knowledge of standards, methods, tools and applications relevant to research computing, application service delivery, and research computing systems and solutions.
• Excellent interpersonal, and communication skills (e.g., verbal, written, and presentation).
• Excellent facilitation, negotiation, conflict resolution, leadership and team building skills.
• Excellent business analysis and project management skills.
• Ability to work collaboratively with others, with competing interests, and with divergent groups to bring about positive change.
• Ability to lead consensus-based decision-making processes; facilitate problem-solving; and resolve contentious issues.
• Ability to analyze, design, plan, execute and evaluate work to time, cost and quality targets.
• Ability to assess and evaluate risk.
• Ability to facilitate collaboration between stakeholders who have diverse objectives.
• Ability to exercise initiative.
• Ability to provide mentorship to colleagues.

What We Offer

At SFU, our goal is to ensure our people are valued and supported by promoting a healthy work-life balance, professional growth and development, as well as a safe and respectful workplace. We offer continuing employees who belong in the Administrative & Professional Staff Association (APSA):

• 4 weeks’ vacation (prorated for the first year)*
• Hybrid-work program for eligible positions
• Employer paid defined benefit pension plan
• On-campus tuition waiver for employees and their immediate family members*
• Off-campus tuition reimbursements and professional development funds*
• And more! View our benefits brochure

*Prorated for part-time employees

SFU is an equity employer and strongly encourages applications from all qualified individuals including women, Indigenous Peoples, visible minorities, people of all sexual orientations and gender identities, persons with disabilities, and others who may contribute to the further diversification of the university.

We are committed to facilitating accessibility within our application and interview processes. If you require any assistance or accommodations, please contact [e-mail].