Senior Clinical Research Officer

Canadian Agency for Drugs and Technologies in Health; Toronto; Hybrid; CAD 87,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

A national health organization in Canada is looking for a Senior Clinical Research Officer to conduct evidence-based analyses on health technologies. This role involves report preparation and presenting findings to expert committees. The ideal candidate will have a graduate degree in a health-related field and relevant research experience. This position offers a hybrid work environment and a competitive salary package.

Benefits

Competitive compensation package

Comprehensive benefits package

Paid time off including vacation and sick leave

Professional development opportunities

Qualifications

• Minimum of 2 to 4 years of research experience.
• Experience in the critical appraisal of clinical evidence.
• Experience conducting systematic reviews and health technology assessments.
• Strong understanding of evidence-based medicine and study design.
• Ability to work independently and manage multiple tasks.

Responsibilities

• Conduct evidence-based assessments on health technologies.
• Prepare reports that clearly communicate research findings.
• Lead multidisciplinary teams in critical appraisals.
• Independently present research findings to advisory committees.

Skills

Analytical skills

Critical thinking

Excellent communication skills

Interpersonal skills

Education

Graduate degree in a health-related discipline

Tools

Microsoft Word

Microsoft Excel

Microsoft Outlook

Job description

Overview

Status: Full time, indefinite. Location: Ottawa, Ontario, or Toronto, Ontario (hybrid). Closing date: August 25, 2025. Salary range: $87,720 to $109,140 per year.

Canada's Drug Agency is a pan-Canadian health organization. We are an independent, not-for-profit organization headquartered in Ottawa, with a satellite office in Toronto. Created and funded by Canada's federal, provincial, and territorial governments, we drive better coordination, alignment, and public value within Canada's drug and health technology landscape. We provide Canada's health system leaders with independent evidence and advice so they can make informed drug, health technology, and health system decisions, and we collaborate with national and international partners to enhance our collective impact.

We are proud to be a 2025 National Capital Region Top Employer. Canada\'s Drug Agency was named one of the National Capital Region\'s top employers for the second year in a row. This recognition celebrates our dedication to fostering a work environment that nurtures growth; innovation; and inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility (IDEA). It reaffirms our ongoing efforts to create an outstanding workplace where our employees thrive and feel valued.

Most of our employees participate in a hybrid workspace arrangement that allows for flexibility and enhanced work-life balance. We believe in the positive impact of in-person collaboration and the importance of team building. Added consideration is given to qualified candidates who live near our offices and can participate in a hybrid arrangement. Those applying must be located in Ontario, except in rare circumstances where the employment position is remote.

Primary Focus

The primary responsibilities of the Senior Clinical Research Officer are to conduct evidence-based analyses on pharmaceuticals, medical devices, procedures, and other health technologies, and prepare reports on the findings, with limited supervision from a manager. The Senior Clinical Research Officer will present the findings to expert advisory committees and respond to their questions and challenges.

What do the daily responsibilities look like?

On any given day, the Senior Clinical Research Officer will work on the following:

Delivering Evidence Products

• Conduct evidence-based assessments (e.g., systematic reviews and meta-analyses; optimal use analyses; health technology assessments; formulary, therapeutic, and rapid reviews; horizon scans; and environmental scans) on various health technologies (e.g., medical devices, diagnostic tests, models of care) with limited supervision from a manager
• Prepare reports that clearly communicate the research findings to meet customers' needs (e.g., clinical reviews, briefing papers, technology overviews)
• Lead or participate in a multidisciplinary team to conduct critical appraisals of health technologies to meet customer expectations
• Draft portions of any reports or submission-based recommendations based on deliberations of the expert advisory committees, as requested
• Provide regular updates on project statuses to relevant managers and other team members

Customer and External Partner Relations

• Ensure that Canada\'s Drug Agency product(s) in the Health Technologies and Systems portfolio support customer decision-making needs by
• identifying and scoping topics for Health Technology Reviews, Environmental Scans, and Horizon Scanning products via proactive scans and dialogue with field experts
• consulting and dialoguing with representatives from publicly funded federal, provincial, and territorial partners, clinical experts, and appropriate internal staff, developing project proposals, including the specific deliverables for projects (e.g., reports, recommendations), to maximize impact
• Independently present and discuss research findings and methodologies to colleagues, customers, and expert and jurisdictional advisory committees and respond to feedback
• Collaborate with external content experts, reviewers, knowledge users, and others to ensure the successful execution of assigned projects

Workplan and Organization Contributions

• Lead or participate in the development of program processes and research methods, and other initiatives and special projects within the organization
• Provide guidance to new internal research staff and external reviewers to ensure the quality of reports meets corporate requirements

Is this the right role for you?

The Senior Clinical Research Officer will likely have:

• a graduate degree in a health-related discipline with a minimum of 2 to 4 years of research experience
• experience in the critical appraisal of clinical evidence
• experience conducting systematic reviews, meta-analyses, or health technology assessments
• training in epidemiology, health technology assessment, pharmacy, or related disciplines
• training or experience in conducting, reviewing, or critically appraising observational studies
• an understanding of the principles of evidence-based medicine and study design
• strong analytical and critical thinking skills
• excellent oral and written communication skills and demonstrated strength in scientific or technical report writing
• interpersonal skills and the ability to work effectively with multidisciplinary teams, advisory committees, and external reviewers and experts (including the ability to review and provide feedback on others\' work and to respond constructively to feedback about your own work)
• a working knowledge of biostatistics
• the ability to work independently and to prioritize and effectively manage multiple tasks to meet competing deadlines
• a demonstrated ability to suggest improvements, present opinions, and articulate conclusions
• proficiency with Microsoft Word, Excel, and Outlook.

What will set you apart?

The following are considered asset qualifications :

• fluency in French
• training and / or experience in indirect treatment comparison methodologies and critical appraisals
• understanding of basic concepts of health economics and the main types of economic analyses
• experience reviewing and critically appraising qualitative research
• working knowledge of general statistical and / or meta-analysis software (e.g., Review Manager, SAS, R)
• past experience successfully leading multidisciplinary project teams
• an understanding of the health care system in Canada, and knowledge of the decision-making processes for drugs and other health technologies within the federal, provincial, and territorial levels.

What\'s in it for you?

At Canada\'s Drug Agency, you will find :

• a team-focused, supportive, and inclusive work environment
• a competitive compensation package, including participation in the Healthcare of Ontario Pension Plan (HOOPP) - 1 of Canada\'s largest and most successful defined benefit pension plans
• a comprehensive benefits package for employees and dependents, including health, dental, life, and travel insurance; a health spending account; and an employee assistance program
• paid time off (including a minimum of 4 weeks of vacation leave as well as sick leave and life leave, a December holiday closure, and other leave options)
• opportunities to work with and learn from highly specialized professionals
• personal growth through professional development opportunities, corporate training, and support for continuing education
• a friendly culture that supports community engagement
• the opportunity to make a difference for people living in Canada and effect positive change.

How to apply

To apply for this position, visit the Careers section of our website. Your résumé must clearly identify how your skills and experience relate to the requirements of this role. Applications for this opportunity may be used for future staffing vacancies. We thank you for your interest; however, only those candidates selected for further consideration will be contacted. Please visit our website regularly for new opportunities.

At Canada\'s Drug Agency, we actively celebrate, support, and flourish through our differences. Our employees are people with different strengths, experiences, and backgrounds, who share a passion for building the future of health care. We demonstrate a commitment to inclusion, diversity, equity, and accessibility (IDEA) through continuous training, modelling inclusive behaviours, and proactively managing biases. We highly encourage all qualified applicants to apply, including people of all places of origin and religions, people with disabilities, people who are neurodivergent, people who are Black or racialized, Indigenous people, women, and people from the 2SLGBTQ+ community. We also provide accommodations during all phases of the recruitment process. If you require any accommodations during the recruitment process, please let the Talent Acquisition team know when they contact you. We will work with you to meet your needs.

Please note that, as a condition of employment, successful candidates will be required to complete a confidential pre-employment background check, including criminal, employment, and educational verifications.

Candidates must be legally eligible to work in Canada. We regret that we are unable to sponsor employment visas at this time.

LI-Hybrid