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Head, Department of Medical Genetics

By nicole bell | May 10, 2024

At UBC, we believe that attracting and sustaining a diverse workforce is key to the successful pursuit of excellence in research, innovation, and learning for all faculty, staff and students. Our commitment to employment equity helps achieve inclusion and fairness, brings rich diversity to UBC as a workplace, and creates the necessary conditions for a rewarding career.

The Faculty of Medicine at the University of British Columbia (UBC) invites applications for the position of Head, Department of Medical Genetics at UBC. This position is for a five (5) year term with the possibility of renewal, subject to satisfactory review and is expected to be filled by a candidate internal to the University who is currently in a tenure stream faculty appointment at the rank of Associate Professor or Professor.

This position is located within a health-care facility. Therefore, this position requires successful verification of full vaccination against Covid-19 to be provided prior to the start date, as required by the provincial health mandate.

The UBC Faculty of Medicine is committed to fostering excellence in education, research, and service that contributes to the health of individuals and communities locally, nationally, and internationally. The Faculty of Medicine, together with its partners including British Columbia’s Health Authorities, provides innovative programs in the areas of health and life sciences through a province-wide delivery model. The Faculty teaches students at the undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate levels and generates more than $350 million in research funding each year.

The Department of Medical Genetics is a vibrant and diverse community of researchers, clinicians, and learners with 45 full-time faculty members, and over 70 clinical faculty members located at multiple sites in British Columbia. Medical Genetics faculty lead and participate in three thesis-based graduate programs as well as a genetic counselling graduate program,  Royal College Residency program, and CCMG clinical genetics training programs with over 100 learners throughout the Department.  Departmental faculty with expertise in genomics, bioinformatics, cancer genetics, clinical genetics, genetic counselling research, disease model systems, epigenetics, DNA repair, developmental genetics, immunogenetics, neurogenetics, pharmacogenetics, proteomics, and treatment of genetic diseases work closely with other UBC researchers in the Genome Sciences Centre, BC Cancer Research Centre, BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute, Centre for Molecular Medicine and Therapeutics, Life Sciences Institute, Michael Smith Laboratory, and other sites around the province. While focusing on key areas of genetic medicine, we view diversity of approach and thinking to be an essential strength of our Department.

The Mission of the UBC Department of Medical Genetics is to pursue basic, translational, and clinical research for diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of genetic disease. The Department’s goal is to be a world leader in the research, clinical practice, and teaching of Genetic Medicine. The Department is an inspiring and productive community of scholars, dedicated to generating and disseminating knowledge and technical expertise in the fields of genetics and genomics and to using this new knowledge to provide state-of-the art genomic healthcare for our patients.

The Department Head will provide leadership by creating and advancing a provincial departmental mission, strategic plan, and goals that align with the Faculty and the University. The successful candidate will contribute to fostering an environment that promotes inclusivity and embodies values of respect, integrity, compassion, collaboration, and equity. Justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion are essential to academic excellence, as well as to foster an inclusive community for voices that have been historically underrepresented or discouraged.

The successful candidate will have a proven track record in senior leadership roles within an academic or academic clinical setting, demonstrated success in supporting the career development and mentorship of diverse faculty members, demonstrated commitment to education across the spectrum of learners, and a strong record of research and innovation, educational scholarship and/or professional contributions in an area related to Department. The candidate will have demonstrated experience in team building, fostering engagement and promoting inclusivity across working and learning environments. The successful candidate will also have experience in working with health authority and Ministry of Health leadership to integrate clinical teaching and research into clinical service delivery and Health Human Resource Planning, particularly in areas of academic expertise. In addition, the successful candidate will demonstrate a willingness to respect diverse perspectives, including perspectives in conflict with one’s own, and a commitment to enhancing one’s own awareness, knowledge, and skills related to equity, diversity, and inclusion.

A detailed job description is available in the Dean’s Office, Faculty of Medicine for those who wish to review it. Please inquire at the email address below. Candidates who bring diverse perspectives and lived experiences are encouraged to apply as we strive to enhance diversity, inclusiveness, socio-cultural representation, and perspective of the Department.

An application package should include: a letter of application with a detailed curriculum vitae that addresses (i) scholarly, professional and creative work, (ii) teaching (including summary of academic and/ or clinical teaching), (iii) administrative service and experience fostering collaboration across partners, and (iv) a brief statement of your current or previous contributions to advancing anti-racism, equity, diversity, decolonization, Indigenization and inclusion in an academic, professional, or community context; publications record; and names of four references. Applications should be directed to:

Dermot Kelleher, MB, MD, FRCP, FRCPI, FMedSci, FCAHS, FRCPC, AGAF
Dean, Faculty of Medicine
Vice President, Health, Faculty of Medicine, UBC
c/o Ms. Nicole Bell, Manager, Searches and Reviews
Email: fom.searches@ubc.ca
Subject Line: Head, Department of Medical Genetics

Should you have any queries around this position, please contact the Manager, Searches and Reviews at fom.searches@ubc.ca.

Review of applications will begin June 10, 2024 and continue until the position is filled. The anticipated start date is September 1, 2024, or upon a date to be mutually agreed. Please note that application packages are shared with the relevant parties who participate in the Search process.

We invite applications from qualified candidates who share our commitment to employment equity and inclusive excellence, and we welcome applications from candidates belonging to historically, persistently, or systemically marginalized groups: Indigenous (First Nation, Métis, Inuit) Peoples, racialized persons, persons with disabilities, women, 2SLGBTQIA+ people and trans and non-binary people.

The University is committed to creating and maintaining an inclusive and equitable work environment for all members of its workforce. An inclusive work environment presumes an environment where differences are appreciated, recognized, and integrated into current structures, planning, and decision-making modes. Within this hiring process we are committed to creating an inclusive and equitable process for all candidates (including but not limited to people with disabilities). Confidential accommodations are available on request. Please contact Nicole Bell via email at fom.searches@ubc.ca.

If you have any questions regarding accomodations or accessibility during the recruitment and hiring process or for more information and support, please visit UBC’s Centre for Workplace Accessibility website at https://hr.ubc.ca/health-and-wellbeing/working-injury-illness-or-disability/centre-workplace-accessibility, or contact the Centre at workplace.accessibility@ubc.ca.

With gratitude, we acknowledge that the University of British Columbia Faculty of Medicine and its distributed programs, which include four university academic campuses, are located on traditional, ancestral and unceded territories of First Nations Peoples and communities around the province.

 

UBC — One of the World's Leading Universities. As one of the world's leading universities, the University of British Columbia creates an exceptional learning environment that fosters global citizenship, advances a civil and sustainable society, and supports outstanding research to serve the people of British Columbia, Canada and the world.

Our Vision: To Transform Health for Everyone.

Ranked among the world’s top medical schools with the fifth-largest MD enrollment in North America, the UBC Faculty of Medicine is a leader in both the science and the practice of medicine. Across British Columbia, more than 12,000 faculty and staff are training the next generation of doctors and health care professionals, making remarkable discoveries, and helping to create the pathways to better health for our communities at home and around the world.

The Faculty — comprised of approximately 2,200 administrative support, technical/research and management and professional staff, as well approximately 650 full-time academic and over 10,000 clinical faculty members — is composed of 19 academic basic science and/or clinical departments, three schools, and 24 research centres and institutes. Together with its University and Health Authority partners, the Faculty delivers innovative programs and conducts research in the areas of health and life sciences. Faculty, staff and trainees are located at university campuses, clinical academic campuses in hospital settings and other regionally based centres across the province.

UBC hires on the basis of merit and is committed to employment equity. All qualifies persons are encouraged to apply. Equity and diversity are essential to academic excellence. An open and diverse community fosters the inclusion of voices that have been underrepresented or discouraged. We encourage applications from members of groups that have been marginalized on any grounds enumerated under the B.C. Human Rights Code, including sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, racialization, disability, political belief, religion, marital or family status, age, and/or status as a First Nation, Metis, Inuit, or Indigenous person. All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadians and permanent residents of Canada will be given priority.