Research Officer

Date Posted: 07/10/2025
Req ID: 44184
Faculty/Division: Dalla Lana School of Public Health
Department: Inst of Health Policy, Mgmt & Evaluation
Campus: St. George (Downtown Toronto)
Position Number: 00058170

Description:

About us:

The Dalla Lana School of Public Health is a Faculty of the University of Toronto that originated as one of the Schools of Hygiene begun by the Rockefeller Foundation in 1927. The School, which played a critical role in the COVID-19 pandemic response, went through a dramatic renaissance after the 2003 SARS crisis and it is now the largest public health school in Canada, with more than 850 faculty, 1,000 students, and research and training partnerships with institutions throughout Toronto and the world. With $76 million in research funding per year, including more than $31.5 million held at DLSPH, the School contributes to improving population health and health policy and health systems through discoveries and innovation in data science and AI, maternal, child and reproductive health, climate change [response], implementation and improvement sciences, preventable disease through vaccines and prevention through [and] wellness such as with diabetes, comparative health policy, sustainable and equitable health systems, global and Indigenous health, among many other areas.

Your opportunity:

The Research Officer role is embedded in the work of a CIHR-funded mixed-methods research team. The focus for this research project is on understanding the processes and mechanisms that lead to high performing interprofessional primary health care teams. The study is led by Dr. Walter Wodchis with a highly experienced research team representing expertise in epidemiology, ethnography, patient-centred care, implementation science, health policy and primary health care. The Optimizing Teams for Interprofessional Care in Primary Health Care Teams (OPTIC-PHC) project will undertake 5 longitudinal mixed-methods case studies in interprofessional primary health care teams in Ontario, British Columbia and Nova Scotia. This position will have a lead role in the Ontario case studies, contribute to project planning from end to end, participating in and overseeing data collection and analysis with strong integration with other provincial teams.

As the Research Officer, you will utilize your strong research and analytical skills to develop research project protocols research data collection tools. You will use your strong writing and presentation skills to present at conferences and support data analyses. Your solid communication, interpersonal, and organizational skills will enable you to contribute to advancing the overall goals and initiatives of the project.

Your responsibilities will include:

• Planning and implementing components of research projects and developing research project protocols
• Developing project schedules including milestones, critical path, timelines, deliverables, and reporting
• Determining, implementing, and executing qualitative and/or mixed methods research according to research objectives
• Participating in data collection using ethnographic methods including (participant) observations, interviews and focus-groups with senior healthcare managers, clinicians, and with (potentially vulnerable) patient populations
• Writing field notes, collecting, coding, analyzing and synthesizing technical, qualitative and contextual research data
• Conducting document analyses and literature reviews to support research activities and publications.
• Delivering presentations at conferences
• Directing the activities of research assistants

Essential Qualifications:

• Master's Degree or acceptable combination of equivalent experience.
• Minimum five (5) years of relevant experience, implementing and executing qualitative research methods in an academic setting.
• Demonstrated experience planning and implementing qualitative research projects, including developing research project protocols.
• Demonstrated experience with qualitative data collection, analysis and reporting including participant observations, interviews and focus groups in health and social care service settings.
• Familiarity with NVivo or related qualitative analytical software.
• Demonstrated experience delivering presentations at conferences.
• Demonstrated experience directing the activities of research assistants.
• Knowledge of the Canadian Primary Health Care system and team-based care.
• Knowledge of implementation science frameworks and research designs.
• Excellent interpersonal, organizational and communications skills (oral and written) with an ability to multi-task and prioritize competing demands.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• Strong commitment to accuracy and attention to detail.
• Demonstrated problem-solving skills and proven ability to meet deadlines.
• Understanding of confidentiality within a research context.

Assets (Nonessential):

• PhD
• Experience with ethnography and rapid ethnographic assessment
• Experience with quantitative data collection and analysis including but not limited to surveys and electronic medical record (EMR) data.

To be successful in this role you will be:

• Communicator
• Organized
• Possess a positive attitude
• Problem solver
• Resourceful
• Team player

This is a term position of 2 years. 

Closing Date: 07/18/2025, 11:59PM ET
Employee Group: USW 
Appointment Type: Grant - Term 
Schedule: Full-Time
Pay Scale Group & Hiring Zone:  
USW Pay Band 13 -- $84,813. with an annual step progression to a maximum of $108,463. Pay scale and job class assignment is subject to determination pursuant to the Job Evaluation/Pay Equity Maintenance Protocol. 
Job Category: Research Administration & Teaching
Recruiter: Amanda Krmek

Lived Experience Statement
Candidates who are members of Indigenous, Black, racialized and 2SLGBTQ+ communities, persons with disabilities, and other equity deserving groups are encouraged to apply, and their lived experience shall be taken into consideration as applicable to the posted position.