Project Director (IMMUNEQUITY)

Classification & Regular Hours

Hours per Week: 35

Salary Grade: 17

The base salary will be $82,230 - $117,360 per annum. Starting salary will be aligned with the successful candidate’s experience, skills, and demonstrated qualifications.

Please note, this is a wholly grant funded position.

About Western

With an international reputation for success, Western ranks as one of Canada's top research-intensive universities. Our research excellence expands knowledge and drives discovery with real-world application. Western also provides an exceptional employment experience, offering competitive salaries, a wide range of employment opportunities and one of Canada's most beautiful campuses.

About Us

IMMUNEQUITY is a new, large-scale international research program focused on advancing innovative, affordable, and accessible approaches to HIV cure. The interdisciplinary research team spans Canada and sub-Saharan Africa and brings together biomedical engineers and biophysicists, immunologists, virologists, clinicians, economists, legal experts, community partners, biotechnology companies, and external foundations. The program is advancing promising HIV immunotherapies while addressing the cost, manufacturing, monitoring, and delivery challenges that currently limit broader access. Frugal innovation is central to this work, guiding the development of sustainable, high-performance technologies to support treatment production, monitoring, and delivery in low-resource settings. The team will also address the intellectual property, regulatory, and healthcare policy considerations needed to support equitable access to HIV cure therapies across sub-Saharan Africa and in Canada. Together, these efforts aim to move promising HIV cure strategies from scientific discovery toward practical, scalable, and equitable implementation.

Responsibilities

The Project Director is responsible for providing strategic and operational leadership for IMMUNEQUITY, a multi-institutional, international research initiative funded through a six-year New Frontiers in Research Fund Transformation (NFRF-T) grant. Working under the direction of the Principal Investigator, the role is accountable for the planning, coordination, oversight and execution of key operational functions supporting multidisciplinary activities spanning biomedical research, social sciences, community engagement, regulatory affairs, knowledge mobilization and capacity building in relations to activities in sites across Canada and in Uganda.

The Project Director provides leadership and oversight for program administration, financial management, governance, communications, stakeholder engagement, regulatory compliance, reporting, partnership development and risk management activities. The role works closely with Canadian and Ugandan research partners, funding agencies, industry representatives, government stakeholders, community organizations and university support units to ensure successful delivery of project objectives and compliance with funding and regulatory requirements.

The role serves as the primary operational lead for the initiative, fostering collaboration across research teams and partner organizations, supporting fundraising and external development activities, coordinating the work of governance bodies including the Steering Committee and Scientific Advisory Board, and providing leadership to administrative staff while working collaboratively with research leadership to support project personnel. Through effective planning, resource management and stakeholder engagement, the Project Director ensures the successful implementation, sustainability and impact of the IMMUNEQUITY program.

Qualifications

Education:

• Master's degree in Global Health, Public Health, Health Administration, Research Administration, International Development, Business Administration, or a related discipline
• Project Management Professional (PMP) designation is considered an asset
• Certified Research Administrator (CRA) designation is considered an asset
• Training or certification in clinical research, research ethics, regulatory affairs, or knowledge mobilization is considered an asset

Experience:

• 4 years of progressively responsible experience leading or supporting large, complex, multi-stakeholder international projects, programs, or research initiatives
• 3 years of experience providing leadership, supervision, mentorship, or coordination of staff and project teams
• Experience supporting international research collaborations, global health initiatives, or projects involving international partners
• Experience managing projects involving multiple partners, funding sources, deliverables, budgets, and reporting requirements
• Experience working within a university, healthcare, research, government, not-for-profit, or international development environment
• Experience overseeing financial planning, budget management, forecasting, and reporting
• Experience coordinating governance bodies, advisory committees, executive committees, or stakeholder groups
• Experience developing and maintaining relationships with diverse internal and external stakeholders
• Experience developing reports, strategic planning documents, funding reports, briefing materials, and presentations for senior leaders or external stakeholders
• Experience implementing project management processes, performance measures, and operational improvements
• Experience working with major externally funded research initiatives preferred
• Experience supporting research ethics, regulatory compliance, clinical research administration, or Health Canada-related processes preferred
• Experience working with community-engaged research, knowledge mobilization, partnership development, or capacity-building initiatives preferred
• Experience supporting fundraising, business development, or stakeholder engagement activities involving government, foundations, industry, or community partners preferred
• Experience operating within a complex academic health sciences environment preferred

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:

• Advanced project and program management skills with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a complex, fast-paced environment
• Strong strategic planning, organizational, and operational leadership skills
• Demonstrated ability to lead complex initiatives involving multiple disciplines, institutions, and stakeholder groups
• Strong financial management skills, including budget development, forecasting, financial analysis, and resource planning
• Knowledge of research administration principles, funding agency requirements, and research governance frameworks
• Knowledge of research ethics processes, regulatory compliance requirements, and best practices related to research administration
• Strong risk assessment, problem-solving, and decision-making abilities
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to communicate effectively with academic, community, industry, government, and international stakeholders
• Exceptional stakeholder engagement, relationship-building, facilitation, and consensus-building skills
• Ability to work effectively across cultures and within international collaborative environments
• Strong leadership and team development skills with the ability to motivate, mentor, and support high-performing teams
• Ability to interpret and apply policies, procedures, legislation, and funding agency requirements
• Demonstrated ability to collect, analyze, interpret, and communicate complex information to support strategic decision-making
• Strong negotiation, conflict resolution, and change management skills
• Advanced proficiency with Microsoft Office applications and project management, reporting, and collaboration tools
• Demonstrated commitment to equity, inclusion, community engagement, and collaborative partnership development
• Willingness and ability to travel internationally (including to Uganda) on a periodic basis; must have a valid passport in respect of all visa requirements

Western Values Diversity

The University invites applications from all qualified individuals. Western is committed to employment equity and diversity in the workplace and welcomes applications from women, members of racialized groups/visible minorities, Indigenous persons, persons with disabilities, persons of any sexual orientation, and persons of any gender identity or gender expression.

Accommodations are available for applicants with disabilities throughout the recruitment process. If you require accommodations for interviews or other meetings, please contact Human Resources or phone 519-661-2194.

Please Note:

This position is an existing vacancy. This position is fully in-person, on-site. We thank all applicants for their interest; however, only those chosen for an interview will be contacted.