RESEARCH ASSOCIATE (I)

Regular/Temporary Regular

Job Title RESEARCH ASSOCIATE (I) Job ID 72176

Location
Central Campus

Open Date 10/06/2025

Job Type Limited Term (>12 months)

Close Date 10/19/2025

Employee Group Unifor Unit 1, Staff Favorite Job

Department National Pain Centre

Salary Grade/Band Grade 12

Salary Range $41.82 - $62.71 (hourly)

Contract Duration 24.3 Months

Hours per Week 35

Posting Details

Schedule

Monday to Friday 8:30 – 4:30

Education Level

Doctoral degree in a relevant field of study.

Career Level

Requires 7 years of relevant experience.

Anticipated Start Date As Soon As Possible
Job Description Number JD0550

Research Associate I

The Michael G. DeGroote National Pain Centre, located in the Faculty of Health Sciences at McMaster University, welcomes applications for a full-time Research Associate I to join our team!

About McMaster

At McMaster University, we strive to attract, develop, and retain talented faculty and staff, and to foster inclusive excellence which values the strengths, perspectives, and contributions of everyone. McMaster is one of the Top 70 Universities in the World and is recognized as Canada’s Most Research-Intensive University. McMaster continues to be recognized as one of the top employers in the Hamilton/Niagara region and one of Canada’s Top Diversity employers.

Our Faculty and Culture of Excellence

The Faculty of Health Sciences (FHS), the largest Faculty within McMaster, is unique as the only Canadian university that combines schools of medicine (including two regional campuses), nursing, rehabilitation science, and the programs of midwifery, Bachelor of Health Sciences, physician assistant and postgraduate health sciences education within one faculty. Our pioneering approaches to education and our reputation for world-class research has consistently placed McMaster and the Faculty among the top 50 universities in the world for health and medicine.

Those who join FHS will find a community of 5,400 talented individuals who are inspired by the faculty’s commitment to our values of interprofessional collaboration, commitment to our communities, accountability, innovation, excellence, integrity, respect, and optimism.

The Opportunity

The primary function of the National Pain Centre is to develop, update, and disseminate clinical practice guidelines for pain management in collaboration with patient partners, clinical experts, and methodologists. The center draws on McMaster’s expertise in evidence-based medicine to identify, collate, review, revise, update, and develop clinical practice guidelines for the treatment of pain. Guidelines are then disseminated using best practice techniques of knowledge translation. The Research Associate will design, manage, and oversee a large research program focusing on acute pain, chronic pain, and postsurgical pain management clinical trials including studies of medical cannabis, drugs, devices, and complex interdisciplinary educational and/or behavioural interventions.

Job Summary

The Research Associate I is responsible for planning, managing, and overseeing a large, multi-site, multi-disciplinary research program, with the potential to compose, lead, and conduct research as an independent investigator or as a co-investigator within a faculty member's program. Develops collaborations and partnerships with research user groups to help shape research directions and ensure effective research transfer.

Key Functions

• Initiate, design, and lead a research program.
• Formulate research questions and generate and test hypotheses.
• Make significant contributions to the design of a research program to answer questions and solve complex research problems.
• Publish results as first author in scientific peer-reviewed journals.
• Author scientific papers, funding proposals, and abstracts.
• Write research proposals, submit proposals to external funding agencies, and secure funding to conduct research through grants and contracts.
• Plan and coordinate all aspects of a major research program across multiple sites.
• Develop inter-disciplinary, inter-institutional, and inter-sectoral research collaborations.
• Negotiate research agreements and subcontracts to meet site and coordinating centre requirements.
• Develop budget for a research program.
• Implement and maintain a research program budget. Create financial projections and make adjustments to a research program budget throughout the fiscal year.
• Troubleshoot problems at all stages of program development and implementation and modify protocol or program procedures to address challenges.
• Participate with a team in the development and authoring of research protocols.
• Design a promotional strategy and related materials to encourage participation and support for a research program.
• Conduct quantitative and qualitative program participant interviews.
• Facilitate focus group sessions with program participants.
• Coordinate and manage the collection, delivery, entry, verification, analysis, and reporting of data.
• Oversee the design of data management systems.
• Apply specialized knowledge and scientific principles to review, critically appraise and interpret published literature.
• Develop estimates of time and resources for a research program.
• Use statistical software to analyze complex data and interpret results.
• Liaise between the program centre and remote program sites and personnel.
• Develop presentations and present at meetings, seminars, and conferences.
• Conduct literature searches.

Supervision

• Provide lead hand supervision and is responsible for the quality and quantity of work of others.
• Ongoing responsibility for supervising up to 9 casual employees at any one time.

Qualifications

• Doctoral degree in a relevant field of study
• Requires 7 years of relevant experience

Additional Information

The successful candidate will have experience with/be able to demonstrate abilities in the following:

• At least 7 years of experience designing and conducting trials in the field of pain management
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple clinical trials simultaneously
• Experience designing and conducting investigator-initiated Health Canada regulated drug trials. Industry-initiated trials experience is also an asset.
• Thorough knowledge of Health Canada Division 5 and ICH-GCP regulations
• Experience designing and conducting controlled substance trials such as medicinal cannabis
• Knowledge of the Cannabis Act and Cannabis Research Licensing as it applies to clinical trials
• Experience designing and conducting pragmatic trials and trials using complex interdisciplinary educational and/or behavioural interventions
• At least 7 years of experience managing the operations of multicentre trials
• Demonstrated success starting up a clinical trials research group/program is strongly preferred
• Extensive knowledge of REDCap database creation and management, e.g. as a REDCap superuser
• Theoretical and applied knowledge of other health research designs such as qualitative studies, observational studies, and systematic reviews is an asset
• A PhD in health research methodology is preferred

What We Offer

In addition to joining a Top Ranked University, McMaster offers a very competitive Total Compensation Package that includes, but is not limited to:

• Employer Paid benefits such as Extended Health, Dental, Emergency Out-of-Country Travel Coverage, Life Insurance.
• Participation in a Pension Plan.
• Progressive paid annual vacation plan.
• Training, coaching, and professional development opportunities.
• Employee tuition assistance for continuous development and education.
• Opportunity to be a part of an academic environment working alongside professionals who share a passion for learning.

Should the successful applicant be a Unifor Unit 1 bargaining unit member, who meets the eligibility conditions of Article 19.02 of the Unifor Unit 1 Collective Agreement, then the Limited Term Assignment will be defined as a Career Growth Opportunity in accordance with Article 19 of the Unifor Local 5555 Unit 1 Collective Agreement.

How To Apply

To apply for this job, please submit your application online.

Employment Equity Statement

McMaster University is located on the traditional territories of the Haudenosaunee and Mississauga Nations and within the lands protected by the “Dish With One Spoon” wampum agreement.

The diversity of our workforce is at the core of our innovation and creativity and strengthens our research and teaching excellence. In keeping with its Statement on Building an Inclusive Community with a Shared Purpose, McMaster University strives to embody the values of respect, collaboration and diversity, and has a strong commitment to employment equity.

The University seeks qualified candidates who share our commitment to equity and inclusion, who will contribute to the diversification of ideas and perspectives, and especially welcomes applications from indigenous (First Nations, Métis or Inuit) peoples, members of racialized communities, persons with disabilities, women, and persons who identify as 2SLGBTQ+.

As part of McMaster’s commitment, all applicants are invited to complete a confidential Applicant Diversity Survey through the online application submission process. The Survey questionnaire requests voluntary self-identification in relation to equity-seeking groups that have historically faced and continue to face barriers in employment. Please refer to the Applicant Diversity Survey - Statement of Collection for additional information.

Job applicants requiring accommodation to participate in the hiring process should contact:

• Human Resources Service Centre at 905-525-9140 ext. 222-HR (22247), or
• Faculty of Health Sciences HR Office at ext. 22207, or
• School of Graduate Studies at ext. 23679

to communicate accommodation needs.

Hybrid Work Language

To ensure an ongoing and vibrant University community that meets the needs of our students, staff and faculty and supports the University mission, ability to work on-site continues to be a requirement for most University positions. The University is supportive of exploring flexible work arrangements that effectively balance operational needs and employee interests.