Currently Available Positions
The NSERC Strategic Network ResNet is seeking a full-time network manager whose work and responsibilities will be central to the operations, success, and impact of this national-scale, multi-disciplinary research network. The position is based at Macdonald Campus of McGill University.
Position title and level: Network Manager, MPEX-ADM2
Start date: January 2023, or as soon as possible
Salary: $58,470 - $65,000, commensurate with experience, plus benefits
Hours per week: Full time
Duration: Fixed term until July 2024, renewable for one or more years afterwards
Location: McGill Macdonald Campus (Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue)
Supervisor: Dr. Elena Bennett
This position sits at the heart of managing NSERC ResNet, a large network with the ambitious goal of providing knowledge for the management of ecosystem services to enable more resilient resource management in Canada’s working landscapes. The network manager will direct ResNet operations on a day-to-day basis, ensuring smooth communication across the network to enhance the experience of PIs, trainees, and partners and thus improve outcomes of the network. The network manager will report to, and work very closely with, the ResNet scientific director.
RESPONSIBILITIES
PROFILE
We are looking to hire a dedicated and flexible professional who enjoys, and excels at, enabling the success of the team they work with, and who thrives in the dynamic environment of multi-disciplinary research networks and academic institutions.
Skills and qualifications
The successful candidate will have experience with:
In addition, the following experience is an advantage:
APPLICATION
To apply: please send a cover letter describing your background and fit to the position, along with a resumé or CV and a list of references to resnet.nrs@mcgill.ca. References will be contacted for short-listed candidates. Diversity in our team is extremely important to ResNet; we recognize that a diverse team has an advantage when it comes to making interesting progress. We therefore encourage candidates to indicate voluntarily information on their application if they are a woman or non-binary gender, an Indigenous person, a person with disabilities, or a member of any visible minority group.
Application deadline: Open until filled. We will review on a rolling basis, beginning December 19. Only short-listed candidates will be notified.
McGill University hires on the basis of merit and is strongly committed to equity and diversity within its community. We welcome applications from racialized persons/visible minorities, women, Indigenous persons, persons with disabilities, ethnic minorities, and persons of minority sexual orientations and gender identities, as well as from all qualified candidates with the skills and knowledge to productively engage with diverse communities. McGill implements an employment equity program and encourages members of designated groups to self-identify. Persons with disabilities who anticipate needing accommodations for any part of the application process may contact, in confidence, accessibilityrequest.hr@mcgill.ca or 514-398-3711.
Position title and level: Network Manager, MPEX-ADM2
Start date: January 2023, or as soon as possible
Salary: $58,470 - $65,000, commensurate with experience, plus benefits
Hours per week: Full time
Duration: Fixed term until July 2024, renewable for one or more years afterwards
Location: McGill Macdonald Campus (Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue)
Supervisor: Dr. Elena Bennett
This position sits at the heart of managing NSERC ResNet, a large network with the ambitious goal of providing knowledge for the management of ecosystem services to enable more resilient resource management in Canada’s working landscapes. The network manager will direct ResNet operations on a day-to-day basis, ensuring smooth communication across the network to enhance the experience of PIs, trainees, and partners and thus improve outcomes of the network. The network manager will report to, and work very closely with, the ResNet scientific director.
RESPONSIBILITIES
- Managing administrative and financial tasks and workflows including budgeting; liaising with financial and administrative units at McGill University and other institutions; tracking key network metrics such as number of research trainees, publications, and knowledge mobilization events. Management and accounting for the ResNet budget is of utmost importance at this stage of the project.
- Overseeing day-to-day management of NSERC ResNet including liaising with researchers at other universities, network partners, and theme and landscape leads as well as students; ensuring that tasks are completed correctly, on time, within budget, and in compliance with relevant ethics and spending policies; organizing specific training programs; and providing administrative assistance to the scientific director.
- Overseeing communications and knowledge mobilization and supporting content management for the network website.
- Preparing and organizing online and in person meetings, including online monthly meetings of the network members, governance meetings (Science Advisory Committee, Advisory Board), and annual general meetings (AGM), including both logistics and substantive aspects of the meetings.
- Procuring, editing, and compiling up-to-date financial and project data in a timely manner and in accordance with relevant reporting requirements to report on financial and administrative progress to the ResNet Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC, quarterly) and the Board of Directors (BoD, semi-annually), and providing the funding agency with approved annual and final network reports.
- Supporting and coordinating the continuity, evolution, and growth of the network based on recommendations from the Advisory Board and from within the network.
PROFILE
We are looking to hire a dedicated and flexible professional who enjoys, and excels at, enabling the success of the team they work with, and who thrives in the dynamic environment of multi-disciplinary research networks and academic institutions.
Skills and qualifications
- Demonstrated facility with, and effective management of, large scientific networks, including governance mechanisms, administrative procedures, and collaborative work environments.
- Experience developing and delivering financial reports and managing budgets for large projects, including reporting to funding agencies and the distribution of funding to researchers.
- Effective and respectful communication with diverse audiences (e.g., academics, administrators, Indigenous partners, students and external partners); excellent written communication in English.
- Experience managing a support team and supervising others
- Exceptional organization skills including digital files and email
- University degree or master’s level degree in social or natural sciences.
The successful candidate will have experience with:
- Management of large projects (3+ years)
- Administration, including financial reporting, of large projects (3+ years)
- Compilation of text from multiple authors, e.g., in reports, proposals or brochures
In addition, the following experience is an advantage:
- Experience designing scientific workshops and annual meetings
- Management of projects in a research or multi-sectorial environment
- Training or experience in ecology or environmental sciences
- Familiarity with organizational use of social media
- Experience with managing client relationships
- Proficiency in spoken and written French
APPLICATION
To apply: please send a cover letter describing your background and fit to the position, along with a resumé or CV and a list of references to resnet.nrs@mcgill.ca. References will be contacted for short-listed candidates. Diversity in our team is extremely important to ResNet; we recognize that a diverse team has an advantage when it comes to making interesting progress. We therefore encourage candidates to indicate voluntarily information on their application if they are a woman or non-binary gender, an Indigenous person, a person with disabilities, or a member of any visible minority group.
Application deadline: Open until filled. We will review on a rolling basis, beginning December 19. Only short-listed candidates will be notified.
McGill University hires on the basis of merit and is strongly committed to equity and diversity within its community. We welcome applications from racialized persons/visible minorities, women, Indigenous persons, persons with disabilities, ethnic minorities, and persons of minority sexual orientations and gender identities, as well as from all qualified candidates with the skills and knowledge to productively engage with diverse communities. McGill implements an employment equity program and encourages members of designated groups to self-identify. Persons with disabilities who anticipate needing accommodations for any part of the application process may contact, in confidence, accessibilityrequest.hr@mcgill.ca or 514-398-3711.
Philosophy and expectations for graduate students
Please read before inquiring about a position in my lab
Photo: Alex Tran
I am often looking for students and postdocs to work with me, or with other members of the lab on research projects. I am typically looking for a student who is passionate about at least one of our core research areas, dedicated to improving the world around them, and who will support a lab culture that values commitment, innovation, cooperation, achievement, fun, diversity, and a safe and inclusive work environment. While I expect you to have some background in the core subjects of our work (e.g., sustainability, ecology, or geography) as well as strong writing skills, the point of doing an MSc, PhD, or postdoc is to learn new skills and obtain new knowledge! I also welcome students with work experience and interests outside academia that they can bring to bear on their research.
My philosophy
My job is to help you do the best possible work that you can and to move you closer to your career goals and the contributions you want to make to science and society. I work with each student as an individual, helping each person make the most of their strengths and address any weakness that is standing in their way of a successful career. At the outset of your degree, we will have a meeting where we discuss your life and career goals so that I can help match them with your research plans, and ensure that you are using your time in graduate school to build the CV you need to pursue the career and life you want. I try to have this discussion regularly to make sure we’re still on track and to adjust to your changing goals.
My expectations
Graduate training is one of the most important tasks of a professor, and I tend to invest a lot of time and energy into students in my lab. I am thus very selective when it comes to choosing students. I work hard to provide my students with mentoring and advice, space to work, equipment, funding, connections to the broader world of ecology, and a positive lab community. In turn, I expect my students to take an active role in their education and to work hard to do the best work they can do and to make a contribution to ecology, to the lab, and to society. In other words: I put a lot of energy into your training and I expect you to do the same. If you work hard and are a good lab citizen, you will reap benefits.
Each student will, of course, need to sort out a work-life balance that makes them the happiest and most productive. A focus on quality in your work is important - the quality of time you put in matters more than working many hours. True excellence requires dedication and hard work, but it also requires some downtime. I will not tell you how much vacation you should or shouldn’t take, and you’re welcome to work when and where you are most effective. However, I do expect you to keep in contact with me about your progress.
Finally, financial support is critical. If you want a position in my lab, and flexibility in terms of project choice, the best option is to come with your own funding. However, you can apply for a position in my lab even if you don’t have a graduate fellowship or
scholarship. That said, I expect you to seek out your own funding to the greatest extent possible. You should be talking with me about applying for NSERC, FQRNT, and other scholarships. In particular, US and other foreign students may find that obtaining funding is substantially more challenging, partly because many funding opportunities are directed only to Canadian citizens. Nevertheless, feel free to reach out (regardless of whether you are a Canadian or foreign student) and we can work together to see if we can assemble a funding package that will work.
How to join us
If you think you meet these criteria and are interested in joining the lab, please write to me with a clear description of the type of research you want to do and why you think you’re a good fit for the lab. The more specific you can be about your interests, the better, as this will help us sort out whether there is a good match. Please include your CV and (unofficial) transcripts if possible.
This document is an abbreviated version of a longer document intended for incoming students.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________
KEY INFORMATION
Departmental Deadlines for Application:
Canadian residents and citizens:
Funding sources:
For Canadians and Permanent Residents:
My philosophy
My job is to help you do the best possible work that you can and to move you closer to your career goals and the contributions you want to make to science and society. I work with each student as an individual, helping each person make the most of their strengths and address any weakness that is standing in their way of a successful career. At the outset of your degree, we will have a meeting where we discuss your life and career goals so that I can help match them with your research plans, and ensure that you are using your time in graduate school to build the CV you need to pursue the career and life you want. I try to have this discussion regularly to make sure we’re still on track and to adjust to your changing goals.
My expectations
Graduate training is one of the most important tasks of a professor, and I tend to invest a lot of time and energy into students in my lab. I am thus very selective when it comes to choosing students. I work hard to provide my students with mentoring and advice, space to work, equipment, funding, connections to the broader world of ecology, and a positive lab community. In turn, I expect my students to take an active role in their education and to work hard to do the best work they can do and to make a contribution to ecology, to the lab, and to society. In other words: I put a lot of energy into your training and I expect you to do the same. If you work hard and are a good lab citizen, you will reap benefits.
Each student will, of course, need to sort out a work-life balance that makes them the happiest and most productive. A focus on quality in your work is important - the quality of time you put in matters more than working many hours. True excellence requires dedication and hard work, but it also requires some downtime. I will not tell you how much vacation you should or shouldn’t take, and you’re welcome to work when and where you are most effective. However, I do expect you to keep in contact with me about your progress.
Finally, financial support is critical. If you want a position in my lab, and flexibility in terms of project choice, the best option is to come with your own funding. However, you can apply for a position in my lab even if you don’t have a graduate fellowship or
scholarship. That said, I expect you to seek out your own funding to the greatest extent possible. You should be talking with me about applying for NSERC, FQRNT, and other scholarships. In particular, US and other foreign students may find that obtaining funding is substantially more challenging, partly because many funding opportunities are directed only to Canadian citizens. Nevertheless, feel free to reach out (regardless of whether you are a Canadian or foreign student) and we can work together to see if we can assemble a funding package that will work.
How to join us
If you think you meet these criteria and are interested in joining the lab, please write to me with a clear description of the type of research you want to do and why you think you’re a good fit for the lab. The more specific you can be about your interests, the better, as this will help us sort out whether there is a good match. Please include your CV and (unofficial) transcripts if possible.
This document is an abbreviated version of a longer document intended for incoming students.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________
KEY INFORMATION
Departmental Deadlines for Application:
Canadian residents and citizens:
- March 15th for September registration
- October 15th for January registration
- January 15th for September registration
- August 15th for January registration
Funding sources:
For Canadians and Permanent Residents:
- FQRNT funding: http://www.fqrnt.gouv.qc.ca/nateq/bourses/
- NSERC funding: http://www.nserc.ca/index.htm
- Fellowships: http://www.mcgill.ca/gps/postdocs/fellowships
Interested students should also look at the following web-sites for information about graduate school at McGill:
http://www.mcgill.ca/nrs/
http://www.mcgill.ca/nrs/graduate/
http://www.mcgill.ca/mse
http://www.mcgill.ca/mse/programs/envroption/