Vice Dean, Research

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 Vice Dean, Research. This is a 0.8 FTE (part-time) position for a five (5) year term with the possibility of renewal, subject to satisfactory review. The position 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 Professor.

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 $450 million in research funding each year.  

Reporting to the Dean of Medicine, the Vice Dean, Research will work closely with the Senior Director, Research and other members of the Dean’s Executive team as well as academic leaders and various partners across the Faculty, University, distributed medical programs, and partner institutions to integrate the health research efforts at all Faculty of Medicine sites. The incumbent will serve as a liaison with the national and provincial research funding agencies, AFMC, affiliated health authorities and teaching hospitals, and other groups as appropriate, to ensure that the Faculty is academically and operationally effective in the delivery of its mission to enhance health research, and communicate the public benefit of translational research in the provision of health services.

The Vice Dean, Research will provide leadership in advancing the Faculty’s strategic plan and goals that align with the University, and communicate effectively to ensure departments, schools, centres, and institutes can contribute to the Faculty’s overall success. Equity, diversity, inclusion, and justice 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 contribute to fostering an environment that promotes inclusivity and embodies values of respect, integrity, compassion, collaboration, and equity.

The successful incumbent will have a proven track record in senior leadership roles within a clinical or academic setting and administrative experience with an understanding of undergraduate, graduate and post-graduate medical education, health professional programs, research, academic medicine and clinical care. The successful candidate will also have experience in strategic planning and implementation, as well as demonstrated ability to build effective and collaborative working relationships with a wide variety of partners, including academic institutions, health system partners, community groups, Indigenous leaders and communities, government, and other partners. The incumbent will have experience in negotiation, conflict engagement and management, change management, team building, fostering engagement, and promoting inclusivity across the working and learning environments. In addition, the successful candidate will demonstrate 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 Faculty.

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: Vice Dean, Research

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 November 1, 2024 and continue until the position is filled. The anticipated start date is January 1, 2025, or upon a date to be mutually agreed.

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 accommodations 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.