Indigenous Scientific Director
Company : IWK Health
Req ID: 204532
Department/Program: Associated Research, Research Services
Location: Halifax
Type of Employment: Temporary Hourly PT long-assignment (50% FTE) for 1 yeear x 1 position(s)
Start Date: June 2025
Union Status: Research, Management/Non Union Bargaining Unit
Compensation: $59.3891 - $67.6172 /hour
Closing Date: June 11, 2025 (Applications are accepted until 23:59 Atlantic Time)
IWK Health is a respected academic health sciences centre located in Halifax, Nova Scotia, providing tertiary and primary care for two million children, youth, adults and families each year across the Atlantic region. We have a team of approximately 4000 employees, physicians, volunteers and learners at sites across Nova Scotia. People build careers with IWK Health with our focus on training and mentorship opportunities. We recognize each other’s talent and celebrate our successes. We collaborate in modern facilities or virtually from home, align our work to our values, and enjoy access to enhanced benefits and wellness programs. We are proud to support our patients, families and communities and are grateful for the generous donor support we receive.
Promoting an anti-racist environment, and calling out discrimination as we work and provide care, is important to us. We are located in Mi’kma’ki, the unceded and ancestral territory of the Mi’kmaq people. Working in Mi’kma’ki and providing care to those across Atlantic Canada is a shared privilege with the original inhabitants who have lived here for many thousands of years prior to colonization. There are 13 First Nation communities across Nova Scotia, and more than 50 historic African Nova Scotian communities who also have a long, deep, and complex history dating back over 400 years. We have the highest percentage of people with disabilities in the country. Nova Scotia has the highest proportions of transgender and non-binary people than any other province or territory in the country. We are active in our work to eliminate discrimination, but have more work to do to build that trust, acknowledge our biases and reduce the barriers our diverse communities face. We want IWK Health to be a safe and supportive space of equity and belonging in the care we provide and the employment we offer. We welcome all interested persons who self-identify as Indigenous, Black/African Nova Scotians, Persons of Colour, Immigrants/Newcomers, Persons with Disabilities, 2SLGBTQIA+ to apply to support our goal for our workforce to be representative of the patients, families, and communities that we care for at all job levels.
The Opportunity
The Etuaptmu’k Wloti Initiative is looking to expand their team through the hiring of an Indigenous Scientific Director. Using a Two-Eyed Seeing approach, the Etuaptmu’k Wloti Initiative aims to improve the health care experiences of Indigenous people by increasing cultural safety in education and health care settings across Nova Scotia. This is done through the development and offering of online courses, gathering and comparing health data and providing targeted interventions to improve access to quality, culturally safe care.
Through this Research Nova Scotia funded Focused Research Initiative, our collective partnerships (Tajikeimɨk, Wije’winen Health Centre, IWK Health, Nova Scotia Health, Wabanaki Two-Spirit Alliance, Wabanaki-Labrador Network, Hearing & Speech Nova Scotia, Department of Health & Wellness, Mi’kmaw Kina’matnewey, Accreditation Canada and Nova Scotia Department of Advanced Education) the Indigenous Scientific Directors will work alongside the indigenous Clinician Scientist, Principal Investigators, Project Leads and Team to steward, community, and ethically driven research for communities across Mi’kma’ki. We are creating meaningful partnerships with key players working towards a common, well-defined outcome of improving access to culturally safe health and healing experiences for Mi’kmaw children and youth across Nova Scotia.
Responsibilities include but are not limited to:
- Liaise with Etuaptmumk W’loti Indigenous communities and partner organizations to ensure cohesive collaboration and timely progress meeting proposed project outcomes
- Act as an advisory and lead for the Etuaptmumk W’loti Initiative’s projects ensuring an Indigenous scientific lens is appropriately incorporated and maintained throughout
- Chair the Etuaptmumk W’loti Indigenous Advisory Committee
- Ensure Indigenous community involvement remains central and meaningful throughout all Etuaptmumk W’loti projects
- Coordinate regular team meetings for the Etuaptmumk W’loti Initiative work to ensure strong leadership and engagement
- Ensure identified Etuaptmumk W’loti workplan milestones are met and reported on as required.
- Attend Research Nova Scotia and Tajikeimɨk meetings as required to share progress updates, etc.
- Contribute to the development of grant proposals and knowledge translation items such as PowerPoints, learning modules, art exhibits, etc.
- Attend presentations and knowledge sharing activities as requested to ensure appropriate sharing of Etuaptmumk W’loti messaging
- Assist with manuscript writing and abstract/presentation development
Hours of Work
Estimated 18.75 hours/week; M-F
Your Qualifications
- PhD degree from a recognized University in a health, education, or research-related field preferred
- Prior quantitative and/or qualitative research experience
- Independent worker, able to work with minimal guidance while maintaining significant output
- Strong verbal and written communication skills with the ability to translate complex concepts into easy to understand, distributable products
- Ability to work collaboratively in a large, multi-professional team
- Works from a consensus building lens
- Ability to effectively work remotely with strong self-management skills and the leadership skills
Thank you for your interest in IWK Health.
Please note that we only contact applicants selected for interview/testing. If we invite you to participate in an assessment process (such as an interview or testing) you have the right to request accommodation. Please discuss your needs when invited to the assessment process.
This is a Management/Non Union bargaining unit position. Preference is given to bargaining unit employees for unionized positions. Successful applicants changing unions, bargaining units or employment status, are advised to seek clarification regarding their seniority, benefits, and vacation entitlement and/or usage, prior to accepting the position.
An offer of employment is conditional upon the completion and satisfactory results of all applicable background checks and confirmation of credentials.
If you are an employee of IWK Health, please apply through the internal careers page to ensure you are flagged as an internal applicant.
Job Segment:
Manager, Research, Management