Research Assistant / Technician 3 (Bilingual)

Staff - Non Union

Job Category
Non Union Technicians and Research Assistants

Job Profile
Non Union Hourly - Research Assistant /Technician 3

Job Title
Research Assistant / Technician 3 (Bilingual)

Department
Research | Jenkins Mental Health & Substance Use | School of Nursing | Faculty of Applied Science

Compensation Range
$29.82 - $35.16 CAD Hourly

Posting End Date
August 27, 2026

Note: Applications will be accepted until 11:59 PM on the Posting End Date.

Job End Date
September 14, 2027

At UBC, we believe that attracting and sustaining a diverse workforce is key to the successful pursuit of excellence in research, innovation, and learning for all faculty, staff and students. Our commitment to employment equity helps achieve inclusion and fairness, brings rich diversity to UBC as a workplace, and creates the necessary conditions for a rewarding career.

JOB SUMMARY

A bilingual Research Assistant is needed to assist Dr. Emily Jenkins with research activities in French language sites in Nova Scotia related to the project titled “Agenda Gap: Youth-led policy advocacy to promote adolescent mental health and advance health equity across socioecological domains.” In phase 3 of the study, funded by the Public Health Agency of Canada’s Mental Health Promotion – Innovation Fund, the aim is to engage diverse youth, including equity-deserving youth, across Canada, in research and policy processes to further test, refine, and scale up the program. Agenda Gap equips youth to identify factors in their community that impact youth mental health, develop strategies to effect policy change, and engage in collaborative policymaking processes to promote mental wellbeing. This study utilizes a mixed methods realist evaluation approach.

The Research Assistant will assist Dr. Jenkins with a variety of research activities in the support of this project. Duties include providing support for French language research events (e.g., facilitating in-person and online Agenda Gap workshops, conducting intake and exit interviews with youth and community partners who are supporting delivery of Agenda Gap), communicating with stakeholders within the research team and externally, conducting literature searches, undertaking data analysis, preparing presentations and reports, and assisting with publications and community and/or funder reports.

The Research Assistant will be based in Dr. Jenkins’ research offices at the UBC School of Nursing in Vancouver, BC, remotely as operationally appropriate, and in community settings to support program delivery, in accordance with UBC workplace policies.

ORGANIZATIONAL STATUS

The Research Assistant reports directly to Dr. Emily Jenkins and will work closely with the Managing Director of Research Operations and Agenda Gap program facilitators. The Research Assistant will collaborate with research partners as needed, including university researchers, youth participants, and community partners.

WORK PERFORMED

• Assists the Research Manager to support the delivery and operation of the Agenda Gap program in French language in collaboration with site partners, including facilitation of the Agenda Gap intervention guided by the facilitation manual.
• Lead the training and provide day-to-day technical guidance and supervision to French-speaking youth collaborators and community-based facilitators in various sites using a train-the-trainer approach, ensuring consistent application of established research protocols and program procedures.
• Administers program evaluation surveys (post-session and pre/post intervention) in accordance with established research protocols, reviews data for completeness and accuracy, identifies data quality issues, and refers unusual or complex issues to the Research Manager.
• Conducts structured intake interviews and post-intervention research interviews using established research protocols, exercising judgment in responding to participant questions and referring unusual or complex situations to the Research Manager or Principal Investigator.
• Undertakes data analysis of pre-post intervention survey data and qualitative interviews to understand program impacts and refine program delivery.
• Work with the Research Manager on preparing and drafting reports for community partners.
• Plans, organizes and assists with the delivery of French-language research events, including ripple effect mapping, communications, participant recruitment, logistics and facilitation, while ensuring activities are conducted in accordance with approved research protocols.
• Identifies and reports (to Research Manager and/or Dr. Jenkins) on any needed refinements to program curriculum to ensure content is relevant, accessible to French speakers, and responsive to community context along with other potential/actual issues that require attention.
• Works in cooperation with research team members and participates in regular team communications, including meetings and regular written updates.
• Performs other duties as required.

CONSEQUENCE OF ERROR

The quality of the overall research and workplan, the research team's collaborative relationships and partnerships, and the performance of other staff will be affected.

SUPERVISION RECEIVED

The Research Assistant reports directly to the Research Manager and Nursing faculty researcher Dr. Emily Jenkins. Works under general supervision and independently organizes assigned work within established research protocols. New, unusual or complex issues are referred to the Principal Investigator or Managing Director of Research Operations.

SUPERVISION GIVEN

The Research Assistant may be responsible for supervision of approximately 2-4 program staff or community-based facilitators.

Minimum Qualifications
Completion of a relevant technical program or a university degree in a relevant discipline and a minimum three years of related experience or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

• Willingness to respect diverse perspectives, including perspectives in conflict with one’s own
• Demonstrates a commitment to enhancing one’s own awareness, knowledge, and skills related to equity, diversity, and inclusion

Preferred Qualifications

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• Undergraduate or graduate degree in a relevant discipline and experience in research and/or health-oriented teams;
• fluency in French and English (spoken and written) and demonstrated ability to coordinate/translate between French and English-speaking staff required;
• experience with youth health promotion, health policy, and health research an asset.
• Ability to be self-directed, work both independently and within a team environment, and manage a flexible, part-time schedule.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Excellent computer skills (word processing).
• Demonstrated initiative and the willingness to work closely with members of a research team to ensure problems are resolved quickly, collaboratively and appropriately.