Coordinator

Within Cancer Care Alberta (CCA), it is our goal to be a leader in cancer prevention, diagnosis, treatment, survivorship, and palliative care, all on a foundation of world-class research. Reporting to the Program Manager, Cancer Research & Analytics, the Universal Consent (UC) Coordinator is a professional position supporting research at the Arthur JE Child Comprehensive Cancer Centre (Arthur Child). UC is a broad consenting process that empowers all patients to choose to be part of research in an informed manner and engage researchers by improving their access to biological samples and de-identified clinical data for current and prospective research studies. This position will aid in the implementation of a UC initiative by working with ethics boards, patient working groups, clinicians, researchers, business support groups, and other stakeholders to aide in the design, rollout, and management of UC at the Arthur Child. The UC Coordinator will be responsible for coordinating the day-to-day operational aspects of UC including addressing patient questions and concerns and administering UC to patients, as required. This position will also maintain a consent registry with a responsible access process, set up project meetings and agendas with key stakeholders, and support the development of communication strategies and outreach programs for increasing awareness of UC with patients, staff, and the public. This is a hybrid role (virtual and onsite), where onsite work will occur at the Arthur Child in Calgary on the traditional lands of Treaty 7 and Metis Settlements. This position is being recruited through a strategic partnership with the University of Calgary (UofC). Selective information may be shared between partners, and all applications will be managed in compliance with the Protection of Privacy Act (AB) and CCA’s established privacy protocols.

Under the direction of the Program Manager within Cancer Research & Analytics and working closely with the Program Manager for the Arthur Child - Precision Oncology Initiative, and other partners at the UofC Arnie Charbonneau Cancer Institute, this position will provide extensive project coordination, evaluation, and communication/outreach support for the multiple successive phases of UC roll-out. Responsible for: tracking project milestones and objectives, ensuring all stakeholders are aligned with the required workload. Coordinates project meetings, agendas, and minutes with multiple stakeholder groups in complex and interdependent systems; communicates conflicting interests and priorities to management. Supports the development of communication strategies to manage project stakeholder expectations/interests and keep them informed on progress towards key milestones. Helps provide metrics for regular progress reports to funders and senior leaders, as required. Works with ethical regulators and legal & privacy personnel to ensure that UC is compliant with relevant policies, standards, regulations, and best practices. The UC coordinator aids in the development and implementation of a plan to create awareness of the consenting process. This includes working with the Program Manager, communication teams, and patient working groups to create patient and staff outreach strategies and materials for UC. The individual will be expected to maintain relationships with stakeholders to advance shared interests and create alignment while considering the balance of organizational limitations on change management with solution achievement. The UC coordinator must maintain a professional demeanour and understand how to communicate difficult/sensitive information tactfully.

Bachelor's degree in health sciences or related field. Minimum 2 years’ experience working in a health research setting - research in a healthcare setting preferred. Excellent analytical and evidence-based decision-making skills, ideally in the cancer (or other health-related) field. Effective communicator (written and oral) with strong organizational skills, clear record keeping, interpersonal skills, and commitment to providing quality services. Familiarity and knowledge of ethical and legal considerations surrounding informed consent (e.g., research ethics boards, Tri-council Policy Statement: Ethical Conduct for Research involving Humans). A demonstrated clear pattern of professional and personal development. Strong track record in maintaining effective collaborative working relationships with internal and external stakeholders. Task and goal-oriented; able to execute a project plan through to completion.

As Required.

Master’s degree in health sciences or related field. Minimum 2 years’ experience supporting health research studies and collecting and interpreting data. Knowledge and experience in the areas of project management (ideally with a designation (e.g., CAPM, PMP)), change management, data analysis, evaluation, process improvement, and risk management. Familiarity with both UofC and AHS legal & privacy processes. A clinical designation/certification would be considered an asset.