Project Lead, Owerko Cohorts - Faculty of Arts

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

Job summary

The University of Calgary invites applications for a Project Lead with the Owerko Cohorts in the Faculty of Arts. This full-time fixed-term role runs for about 12 months, with possible extension based on grant funding.

You will coordinate cohorts, manage staff and platform users, and build links with partners. You will monitor budgets, develop contracts, and lead multiple concurrent projects while fostering collaboration among internal teams and external stakeholders across the university and

Qualifications

• MSc; PhD preferred
• 3-5 years experience in project and/or program management
• Experience with large datasets/databases
• Understanding of institutional, ethical, and/or legal processes associated with large-scale data management
• Excellent leadership and organizational skills
• Ability to share knowledge and transfer own skills to the research team
• Excellent interpersonal skills to foster collaborative research activities
• Experience creating an actionable project plan and working with team members to execute according to timelines and deliverables
• Experience facilitating a large group of collaborators and researchers with competing interests and priorities
• Experience managing large-scale research projects
• Proven ability to work independently and effectively problem solve
• Flexible and adaptable to project needs
• Ability to develop productive relationships with internal and external stakeholders
• Strong writing skills for internal operational documents and peer-reviewed research publications
• Experience with financial planning and budget management
• A high level of flexibility and ability to adapt to changing workloads and priorities is required
• Experience with the University of Calgary or AHS is an asset

Responsibilities

• Lead and coordinate the Owerko cohorts program
• Provide leadership to program staff and platform users
• Oversee platform development with the data accelerator team
• Monitor program budget and prepare reports
• Manage schedules, resources, and processes across the program
• Develop contracts for projects liaising with Legal and Procurement
• Lead multiple concurrent projects with overlapping deadlines
• Build relationships with internal and external partners
• Ensure deliverables meet strategic priorities and provide progress reporting
• Think strategically within guidelines and identify operational improvements
• Resolve day-to-day technical and operational issues
• Train staff and trainees on deploying technical workflows
• Share best practices with stakeholders and staff

Skills

Leadership

Organizational skills

Budget management

Writing skills

Problem solving

Communication

Education

MSc

PhD preferred

Job description

Description

The Owerko Cohorts in the Faculty of Arts invites applications for a Project Lead. This Full-time Fixed Termposition is for approximately 12 months (based on length of grant funding), with the possibility of extension.

The Project Lead will be responsible for coordinating the Owerko cohort program, which is designed to provide core support to pregnancy/child cohorts led out of the University of Calgary, and to build strong ties among cohorts, within the university, and with community stakeholders. The Lead should be able to handle multiple project and organizational demands, resolve issues, build strong links with multiple organizations, and contribute to project objectives within an environment of continuous change and shifting priorities.

Summary of Key Responsibilities (job functions include but are not limited to):

• Independently lead and manage the coordination and linkages among cohorts
• Provide in-scope leadership to program staff and platform users
• Liaise with OCEC data accelerator team to oversee technical development of the platform
• Monitor the program budget and create reports as required
• Independently manage project schedules, resources and processes across the programFacilitate the development of necessary contracts for projects/programs, liaising with stakeholders and Uinveristy of Calgary Legal and Procurement teams
• Lead the development and management of multiple concurrent projects and initiatives with overlapping deadlines and priorities
• Build relationships with key project teams, including external partners (University, Community)
• Facilitating success of program to ensure strategic priorities are met
• Provide project management, including reporting on progress of projects across the program
• Ability to think conceptually and directionally and exercise judgment within established guidelines
• Identify areas for improvement in operational and functional practices within the Owerko Cohorts program
• Use judgment to identify and resolve day-today technical and operational issues

Communication and Relationships

• Build and maintain relationships with key stakeholders
• Share program information and resources with relevant groups and stakeholders (may include occasional travel to conferences, workshops, meetings)
• Serve as a key project contact for the Owerko cohorts program with internal and external stakeholders
• Develop and maintain strategic partnerships with internal and external partners
• Manage relationships and ensure deliverables are provided as specified
• Develop guidelines for appropriate use of system outputs and reports
• Assist with preparation of key communications, which may span presentations, scientific posters, and manuscripts. Use tact and diplomacy to exchange information and handle sensitive issues
• Train staff and trainees on how to deploy technical workflows
• Share expertise and best practices with stakeholders and staff

Qualifications / Requirements:

• MSc; PhD preferred
• 3-5 years experience in project and/or program management
• Experience with large datasets/databases
• Understanding of institutional, ethical, and/or legal processes associated with large-scale data management
• Excellent leadership and organizational skills
• Ability to share knowledge and transfer own skills to the research team
• Excellent interpersonal skills to foster collaborative research activities
• Experience creating an actionable project plan and working with team members to execute according to timelines and deliverables
• Experience facilitating a large group of collaborators and researchers with competing interests and priorities
• Experience managing large-scale research projects
• Proven ability to work independently and effectively problem solve
• Flexible and adaptable to project needs
• Ability to develop productive relationships with internal and external stakeholders
• Strong writing skills for internal operational documents and peer-reviewed research publications
• Experience with financial planning and budget management
• A high level of flexibility and ability to adapt to changing workloads and priorities is required
• Experience with the University of Calgary or AHS is an asset

Application Deadline: October 06, 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 part of the AUPE bargaining unit, and falls under the Specialist / Advisor Job Family, Phase 3.

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.