Director, Research Facilities & Infrastructure Strategy

Dalhousie University; Halifax; Hybrid; CAD 83,000 - 111,000; Full time

Job summary

Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia, seeks a Director to lead planning, governance, and sustainability of the university’s research infrastructure portfolio, including shared facilities, major equipment platforms, digital research capacity, and research computing infrastructure.

Reporting to the Vice-President Research & Innovation, the role shapes the university’s infrastructure strategy and investments.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree with a minimum of seven years’ experience in research administration or related environment.
• Strategic direction and governance for shared research facilities, core facilities, or infrastructure programs.
• Experience coordinating major research infrastructure funding initiatives (e.g., CFI).
• Ability to lead multi‑stakeholder, cross‑faculty initiatives requiring coordination and strategic planning.
• Strong analytical, financial oversight, communication, negotiation, and stakeholder engagement skills.
• Experience advising senior leadership and developing institutional strategies and governance frameworks.

Responsibilities

• Lead development and implementation of the institutional strategy for research facilities and infrastructure.
• Advise senior leadership on investments, priorities, risks, and long‑term planning.
• Provide governance for shared facilities, service models, and access frameworks.
• Lead coordination for major funding opportunities, including CFI programs and other initiatives.
• Coordinate cross‑faculty planning with stakeholders to advance infrastructure priorities.
• Provide leadership for university‑wide infra initiatives and external partnerships.

Skills

Analytical skills

Financial oversight

Communication

Negotiation

Stakeholder engagement

Leadership

Education

Master’s degree

Job description

Director, Research Facilities & Infrastructure Strategy

Position Title Director, Research Facilities & Infrastructure Strategy

Research Project

Department/Unit

Department/Unit Research Services

Location

Posting Number

Posting Number S315-26

Employee Group

Employee Group DPMG

Position Type

Position Type Term

Duration of Contract (if applicable)

Duration of Contract (if applicable) 2 years

Employment Type

Employment Type Full Time

Full-time Equivalency (FTE)

Full-time Equivalency (FTE) 1.0

Salary $82,887 - $111,181 per annum based on 35 hours per week

Classification

Classification ADM-07

Provisional Statement

This is a provisional classification. Formal regular review classification procedures may be initiated at any time by the incumbent or supervisor after the incumbent has worked a minimum of six months in the role.

Dalhousie University is Atlantic Canada’s leading research-intensive university and a driver of the region’s intellectual, social and economic development. Located in the heart of Halifax, Nova Scotia, with an Agricultural Campus in Truro/Bible Hill, Dalhousie is a truly national and international university, with more than half of our almost 21,000 students coming from outside of the province. Our 6,000 faculty and staff foster a vibrant, purpose-driven community, that celebrated 200 years of academic excellence in 2018.

Job Summary

Dalhousie University, under the leadership of the Vice-President Research & Innovation, administers over $270M annually in research funding. Reporting to the Vice-President Research & Innovation, the Director, Research Facilities and Infrastructure Strategy leads the planning, governance, and sustainability of the University’s research infrastructure portfolio. The Director provides strategic leadership for the University’s research infrastructure, including shared facilities, major equipment platforms, digital research capacity, research computing infrastructure, and associated services.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the development and implementation of Dalhousie’s institutional strategy for research facilities, infrastructure, research computing, and shared research resources, ensuring alignment with university research priorities.
• Advise the Vice-President Research & Innovation and senior leadership on research infrastructure investments, funding priorities, risks, sustainability, and long-term planning.
• Provide governance and strategic oversight for shared research facilities and programs, including establishing service models, access frameworks, performance expectations, and sustainability plans.
• Lead institutional coordination and strategic positioning for major research infrastructure funding opportunities, including Canada Foundation for Innovation ( CFI ) programs and other federal and provincial funding initiatives.
• Coordinate cross-faculty and cross-unit planning with stakeholders including Faculties, IT Services, Facilities Management, Research Services, Finance, and external partners to advance infrastructure priorities.
• Provide leadership for major university-wide research infrastructure initiatives, stakeholder engagement, and external partnerships that enhance Dalhousie’s research capacity and competitiveness.

Note

The successful applicant will be eligible for hybrid work (combination of in-person work on campus and remote work from within Nova Scotia) as agreed by all parties based on operational requirements and university guidelines.

Required Qualifications

• Master’s degree with a minimum of seven years’ experience in research administration or related environment (or an equivalent combination of training and experience).
• Demonstrated experience providing strategic direction and governance for shared research facilities, core facilities, major research platforms, or institutional research infrastructure programs.
• Experience coordinating major research infrastructure funding initiatives, including proposal development, institutional positioning, and compliance reporting for programs such as CFI .
• Demonstrated ability to lead complex, multi-stakeholder and cross-faculty initiatives requiring institutional coordination and strategic planning.
• Strong analytical, financial oversight, problem-solving, communication, negotiation, and stakeholder engagement skills.
• Experience advising senior leadership and developing institutional strategies, governance frameworks, and operational models that support research excellence and infrastructure sustainability.

Assets

• Knowledge of digital research infrastructure, research computing, data management frameworks, and familiarity with the Digital Research Alliance of Canada.
• Experience developing or managing research facilities, infrastructure programs, or capital projects in environments with elevated security, compliance, or regulatory requirements.

The successful candidate is expected to demonstrate proficiency in Dalhousie’s core and leadership competencies, in particular:

• Self-Awareness & Professionalism
• Integrity
• Respect & Inclusion
• Adaptability
• Knowledge & Thinking Skills

Additional Information

Dalhousie University supports a healthy and balanced lifestyle. Our total compensation package includes a defined benefit pension plan, health and dental plans, a health spending account, an employee and family assistance program and a tuition assistance program.

Diversity Statement

Dalhousie University commits to achieving inclusive excellence through continually championing equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility. The university encourages applications from Indigenous Peoples of Turtle Island (especially Mi’kmaq), persons of Black/African descent (especially African Nova Scotians), and members of other racialized groups, persons with disabilities, women, persons identifying as members of 2SLGBTQIA+ communities, and all candidates who would contribute to the diversity of our community. In accordance with our Employment Equity Policy, preference will be given in hiring processes to candidates who self-identify as members of one or more of the equity-deserving groups listed above. For more information, including details related to our Employment Equity Policy and Plan and definitions of equity-deserving groups please review our Employment Equity information.If you require any support for the purpose of accommodation, such as technical aids or alternative arrangements, please let us know of these needs and how we can be of assistance. Dalhousie University is committed to ensuring all candidates have full, fair, and equitable participation in the hiring process. Our complete Accommodation Policy can be viewed here .

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