Manager, Operations and Impact, Cumming School of Medicine

University of Calgary; Calgary; On-site; CAD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

University of Calgary is seeking a Manager, Operations and Impact for the Cumming School of Medicine’s CHI and W21C centres. The role leads a shared team delivering integrated operations, finance, and communications, aligning practices with university policies and funder requirements.

Reporting to the Associate Director, Strategy and Partnerships, you will shape an impact and metrics framework, track performance, and present dashboards and annual reports to senior leadership and funders.

Qualifications

• Undergraduate degree in business, commerce, health administration, social sciences or a related field.
• Minimum 3–5 years managing staff including recruitment and performance management.
• Experience in operations within research/academic/health settings preferred.
• Experience designing and leading performance measurement or impact frameworks.
• Ability to translate data into compelling impact narratives and dashboards.
• Experience managing multiple operating, research, and project budgets.
• Knowledge of university policies and grant administration is an asset.

Responsibilities

• Leads integrated day-to-day operations for CHI and W21C, aligning processes and teams to meet objectives.
• Harmonizes practices into shared policies and standard work across centres and with university offices.
• Oversees contracts, invoicing, confidentiality, and payments in collaboration with centre leads and offices.
• Manages space, infrastructure, and equipment planning for the centres.
• Sets priorities for operational improvements and monitors results.
• Prepares operational and performance updates for leadership and advisory committees.

Skills

Leadership

Strategy & planning

Data analysis

Operations management

Communication

Budgeting & finance

Performance measurement

Project management

Change management

Stakeholder engagement

Education

Bachelor’s degree in business, health admin, social sciences or related field

PMP or formal project management certification (asset)

Tools

PeopleSoft HR

Finance systems/budgeting tools

Job description

Description

The Cumming School of Medicine invites applications for a Manager, Operations and Impact. This Full-time Fixed Term position is for approximately 6 months (based on length of grant funding), with the possibility of extension.

The Centre for Health Informatics (CHI) and W21C Research and Innovation Centre are the Cumming School of Medicine's hub for health data and applied health research and innovation. Together, they bridge data, discovery, and real-world testing - supporting the full research and innovation pipeline from hypothesis to implementation. CHI and W21C occupy complementary positions along that pipeline: CHI's strength is in data, while W21C's strength is in real-world testing and implementation. By partnering, they cover the full pathway from hypothesis to adoption in a way neither centre could alone.

Reporting to the Associate Director, Strategy and Partnerships, the Manager, Operations and Impact leads a shared team of operations, finance, and communications staff serving CHI and W21C, and is part of the joint CHI and W21C leadership team. The Manager pairs operational excellence with a focus on impact, building processes and systems that are efficient, reliable and consistent, and using data to keep improving how the Centres work and the value they deliver. The Manager defines how the Centres measure success, tracks results, and turns data into a clear, compelling story of impact for leaders, funders and partners.

Workload peaks around fiscal year-end, annual and funder reporting, and major grant deadlines. The role works with confidential financial, personnel, and research information.

Summary of Key Responsibilities

Integrated Operations Management:

• Leads integrated day-to-day operations for CHI and W21C, bringing the Centres' processes, systems, and teams together to meet shared service, research, and operational objectives with high-quality results and within designated timelines
• Harmonizes existing practices into shared operational policies, procedures, and standard work across CHI and W21C, in line with CEDAR, CSM, and University policies
• Oversees the team that executes operational processes including agreements and contracts, confidentiality agreements, invoicing and payments, in collaboration with Centre leads and University offices (e.g., Research Services, Legal, Finance)
• Is accountable for space, infrastructure, and equipment planning for the Centres, including space allocation decisions and requests
• Sets priorities for operational improvement across the Centres, approves, and leads process changes, and monitors results
• Supports Centre governance by preparing operational and performance updates for leadership and advisory committees, and ensures decisions and follow-up actions are tracked and acted on

Impact, Metrics, and Evaluation:

• Leads the design and ongoing refinement of an integrated impact and metrics framework for CHI and W21C, including key performance indicators for research, training, services, partnerships, knowledge mobilization and health system impact, aligned with the CEDAR strategic plan
• Sets annual targets with Centre leadership and tracks performance against them, analyzing trends and recommending adjustments to priorities and resources
• Defines data requirements, definitions, and quality standards for operational and impact data (e.g., publications, grants, services delivered, trainees, partnerships, implementation outcomes), and directs the Centre Operations Lead in collecting and organizing metrics data
• Analyzes and interprets performance data, and oversees dashboards and regular performance reports for Centre leadership, advisory committees, and CEDAR leadership
• Leads the development of joint CHI and W21C annual reports, funder, and sponsor reports, and impact summaries; contributes Centre data to CEDAR, CSM, and University reporting

Financial and Resource Management:

• Manages the operating budgets and related accounts for CHI and W21C, including budget preparation, forecasting, salary commitments, and monitoring
• Prepares regular financial reports and variance analyses for the Director and Centre leadership, and recommends adjustments to address resource constraints
• Supports grant, contract, and gift administration, including project set-up, budget tracking, and fiscal reporting to funders and donors
• Supports the costing of services and projects and the administration of cost-recovery models, in alignment with CEDAR's shared approaches
• Ensures expenditures are authorized, documented, and compliant with University financial policies and funder requirements

People Leadership:

• Manages a team of professional and operational staff supporting both Centres (e.g., finance and administrative, operations, communications, and events staff), and is accountable for the performance and results of direct reports
• Carries out full-scope supervision of direct reports, including recruitment, onboarding, work direction, performance management, performance reviews, discipline and termination, in consultation with Human Resources
• Provides technical guidance, coaching, and mentorship to staff, and supports their professional development
• Leads human resources administration for both Centres, including recruitment processes, job profiles and classifications, appointments and renewals, and onboarding and offboarding
• Works with CHI/W21C Leadership to build one positive, inclusive, and collaborative team culture across CHI and W21C, and fosters collaboration with CEDAR and other CSM units

CEDAR Operational Alignment:

• Serves as the primary operational liaison between CHI, W21C, and CEDAR, working closely with CEDAR operations staff to align Centre-level processes, data, reporting and shared services with CEDAR and avoid duplication
• Participates in CEDAR operational working groups and contributes CHI and W21C perspectives to the design of shared processes (e.g., research services intake, reporting templates, events, onboarding)
• Implements agreed CEDAR operational changes within CHI and W21C, and communicates changes to Centre faculty, staff and trainees

Qualifications / Requirements:

• Undergraduate degree in business, commerce, health administration, social sciences or a related field, plus a minimum of 7 years of related experience. A combination relevant experience and education will be considered
• Minimum of 3-5 years experience managing staff, including recruitment, performance management and day-to-day work direction
• Demonstrated experience managing operations in a research, academic, or health-related setting, ideally across more than one unit, program or funding stream
• Demonstrated experience designing and leading performance measurement, evaluation, or impact frameworks (e.g., KPIs, logic models, theory of change, dashboards), including collecting and analyzing data and reporting results to leadership and funders
• Ability to translate data and evidence into compelling impact narratives and visual reports for diverse audiences, including government, health system, donor and academic partners
• Experience managing multiple operating, research, and project budgets, including forecasting, monitoring, reconciliation and reporting to funders
• Working knowledge of University of Calgary systems and policies (e.g., PeopleSoft HR and Finance, research accounting, Research Services, and contract processes) is strongly preferred
• Experience supporting grant administration, including project set-up, agreements, and fiscal and progress reporting
• Formal project management training or certification (e.g., PMP) is an asset; change management training is an asset
• Strong financial and analytical skills, with the ability to turn data into clear information for decision-making
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including preparing reports, briefing notes, presentations and dashboards for leadership and external audiences
• Proven ability to guide, influence and persuade others, build agreement on complex or sensitive issues, and manage relationships with faculty, staff, trainees and external partners

Application Deadline: November 13, 2026

We would like to thank all applicants in advance for submitting their resumes. Please note, only those candidates chosen to continue on through the selection process will be contacted.

This position is classified in the Manager Career Band, Level 2 of the Management and Professional Staff Career Framework.

For a listing of all management and staff opportunities at the University of Calgary, view our Management and Staff Careers website.

About the University of Calgary

UCalgary is Canada's entrepreneurial university, located in Canada's most enterprising city. It is a top research university and one of the highest-ranked universities of its age. Founded in 1966, its 36,000 students experience an innovative learning environment, made rich by research, hands-on experiences and entrepreneurial thinking. It is Canada's leader in the creation of start-ups. Start something today at the University of Calgary. For more information, visit ucalgary.ca.

The University of Calgary has launched an institution-wide Indigenous Strategy ii' taa'poh'to'p committing to creating a rich, vibrant, and culturally competent campus that welcomes and supports Indigenous Peoples, encourages Indigenous community partnerships, is inclusive of Indigenous perspectives in all that we do.

The university's commitment to the Indigenous Strategy is evident through the oversight of 18 Elders serving on the Circle of Advisors and the many unit-based circles working towards implementation of the strategy including the Faculty Advisory Circle and teams such as the Office of Indigenous Engagement, the Writing Symbols Lodge, and the Indigenous Research Support Team. Many Indigenous-based events and processes are impacting curriculum, programming and polices at the University of Calgary.

As an equitable and inclusive employer, the University of Calgary recognizes that a diverse staff/faculty benefits and enriches the work, learning and research experiences of the entire campus and greater community. We are committed to removing barriers that have been historically encountered by some people in our society. We strive to recruit individuals who will further enhance our diversity and will support their academic and professional success while they are here. In particular, we encourage members of the designated groups (women, Indigenous peoples, persons with disabilities, members of visible/racialized minorities, and diverse sexual orientation and gender identities) to apply. To ensure a fair and equitable assessment, we offer accommodation at any stage during the recruitment process to applicants with disabilities. Questions regarding [diversity] EDI at UCalgary can be sent to the Office of Institutional Commitments ([e-mail]) and requests for accommodations can be sent to People & Culture ([e-mail]).

Do you have most but not all the qualifications? Research show that women, racialized and visible minorities, and persons with disabilities are less likely to apply for jobs unless they meet every single qualification. At UCalgary we are committed to achieving equitable, diverse, inclusive and accessible employment practices and workplaces and encourage you to apply if you believe you are right for this role.

We encourage all qualified applicants to apply, however preference will be given to Canadian citizens and permanent residents of Canada.