Research Occupational Therapist | Temporary Casual | CHEO Research Institute

Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute; Ottawa; On-site; CAD 60,000 - 80,000; Part time

Job summary

A prominent healthcare research institute in Ottawa is seeking a Research Occupational Therapist. This role involves working with children using innovative assessment tools to improve upper limb function. The ideal candidate will have relevant education and registration with the College of Occupational Therapists of Ontario. This is a casual position requiring flexibility to accommodate family schedules.

Qualifications

• Minimum 2 years of work experience as an occupational therapist.
• Knowledge of child development and experience with cerebral palsy or hemiplegia.
• Experience in assessment for upper limb function.

Responsibilities

• Conduct clinical assessments with study participants.
• Administer and score upper limb assessments.
• Collaborate with families to implement individualized goals.

Skills

Communication skills

Independence

Collaboration

Flexibility

Education

Bachelor or Master’s degree in Occupational Therapy

Current registration with the College of Occupational Therapists of Ontario

Tools

Zoom

Job description

Overview

Compensation Pay Range: 0.00-$0.00

Summary: Please send your resume with a cover letter to Michelle Larin at with the position title in the subject line. Although we appreciate the interest of all candidates only candidates invited for interviews will be contacted. No phone calls please.

Job Description

Posting #RI-25-039

Posting Period: July 24 to August 7 2025

Title: Research Occupational Therapist

Development and Rehabilitation

New Position

Term: 2 Casual positions, 2-year term

Salary: Will be commensurate with skills and experience

Reports To: Michelle Larin, Research Coordinator

CHEO RI is the research arm of the Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Ottawa Children's Treatment Centre (CHEO) and an affiliated institute of the University of Ottawa. We acknowledge that Ottawa is built on un-ceded Algonquin Anishinabek territory and honour the Algonquin Anishinabek Nation for their enduring presence on this land. CHEO RI also honours all First Nations, Inuit and Métis peoples and their valuable contributions. CHEORI connects exceptional talent and technology in pursuit of life-changing research for every child, youth, and family in our community and beyond.

CHEO RI has an immediate requirement for two casual Research Occupational Therapists for a Pilot Randomized Control Trial.

The Research Occupational Therapists will work with patients using Bootle Blast, a movement-tracking video game for hand-arm skills training, collaboratively developed by children, game developers, clinicians and researchers. The game uses the child’s body as the controller with real-time motion tracking. It consists of 13 mini-games targeting specific body movements and motor skills. The study aims to determine whether home-based practice with Bootle Blast could improve upper limb function, activity and participation outcomes in children with Cerebral Palsy. The study is 26 weeks long with rolling enrollment. Participants will attend CHEO for research assessments with an occupational therapist at weeks 0, 13, and 26. An estimated 10 children will be recruited at CHEO.

Responsibilities

Under the general supervision of the Research Coordinator, the Research Occupational Therapist will:

• Schedule and conduct at least 3 clinical assessments with each study participant (in-person or via Zoom; about 1.5–2 hours per assessment, plus 30 minutes for setup and scoring).
• Be responsible for video scoring of upper limb movements/activities (up to 1 hour per participant).
• Administer and/or score the following assessments at each appointment:

• Confirm the participant’s Manual Abilities Classification System (MACS) level.
• Grip strength of the hemiplegic hand.
• Active range of motion (aROM) of the hemiplegic side for wrist, elbow and shoulder.
• Box and Block Test (BBT) for unilateral gross manual dexterity.
• Childhood Experiences Questionnaire (CHEQ) to survey parents’ perspective on the child’s ability to perform bimanual activities.
• Assisted Hand Assessment (AHA) to evaluate effectiveness of hemiplegic hand use in bimanual activities.
• Shriners Hospital Upper Extremity Evaluation (SHUEE-SFA) to evaluate functional and spontaneous ability.
• Quality of Upper Extremity Skills Test (QUEST).
• Canadian Occupational Performance Measure (COPM) to assess self-perceived performance and satisfaction on activities important to the child and family (only at first appointment).
• Performance Quality Rating Scale (PQRS) to assess the child’s performance on goals set by the child.
• Grip strength, aROM, BBT, QUEST and COPM administered and scored live; AHA and PQRS video scored.
• Collaborate with the child and family to implement the child’s individualized goals according to the study protocol.
• Training will be provided as needed.

Qualifications, Skills and Abilities

• Bachelor or Master’s degree in Occupational Therapy required (Essential).
• Current registration with the College of Occupational Therapists of Ontario (Essential).
• Minimum of 2 years of work experience as an occupational therapist (Essential).
• Knowledge of child development and experience working with children and youth with cerebral palsy and/or hemiplegia (Essential).
• Experience in assessment for upper limb function and activity; previous experience as a study assessor is an asset (Essential).
• Experience with study outcome measures (e.g., COPM, AHA, Box and Block, QUEST, SHUEE, etc.) (Essential).
• Strong communication skills with clients, families and the interprofessional care team (Essential).
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively within an interprofessional team (Essential).
• Commitment to professional development (Essential).
• Flexibility to work after school and weekend hours to meet family scheduling needs (Essential).
• Experience using Zoom in assessments or intervention sessions is an asset (Preferred).
• Bilingualism (English/French) is an asset (Preferred).

Working Conditions

• Clinic/hospital setting; exposure to children and parents/caregivers.
• On-site work at CHEO, 401 Smyth Rd; afternoon/evening appointments with potential weekend appointments.

Other Requirements

• Eligible to work in Canada.
• Compliance with CHEO RI’s Universal COVID-19 Vaccination Policy.
• Police Record Check.

To Apply

Please send a complete CV and cover letter to Michelle Larin by email (address not provided in the text).

The CHEO Research Institute values diversity and is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to an inclusive and barrier-free work environment and will provide accommodations during the application process upon request. We welcome applicants from diverse backgrounds and experiences.

CHEO Research Institute does not use artificial intelligence in its selection and recruitment process.

Work location: 401 Smyth Road, Ottawa, Ontario K1H 8L1, Canada. Only candidates eligible to work in Canada will be considered. We thank all applicants for their interest; however, only those invited for an interview will be contacted.

Institut de recherche du CHEO – Service des ressources humaines

401 Smyth Road, Ottawa, ON K1H 8L1, CANADA