Research & Development Specialist - Halifax, Canada - Halifax Regional Municipality

Halifax Regional Municipality

Verified Company

Halifax, Canada

2 weeks ago

Posted by:

Sophia Lee

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Description

Job Posting

Reporting to the Executive Director, Community Safety, the Research & Development Specialist is a collaborative, strategic researcher and thought leader providing guidance and support to the Community Safety Business Unit in qualitative and quantitative research, program strategy and development, and business analysis. Promoting innovative areas of research design and participatory evaluation processes, the Research & Development Specialist sources valid data, trends, and practices through community and academic partnerships, and coleads the impact analysis and monitoring of the municipality's Public Safety Strategy. The Specialist will also play a leading role in driving an evidenceled approach to equitable service delivery.
The Specialist helps shape the future of Community Safety by leading the development, collection, and analysis of data and evidence to inform decisionmaking, develops evaluation tools to monitor and refine progress on key deliverables across the Business Unit, and recommends evidenceinformed changes to improve safety and wellbeing outcomes for residents.
The Specialist liaises with research and information specialists in other business units as an internal consultant providing valuable strategic insight as a catalyst for crossdepartmental team building, horizontal integration across business units, and evidenceled support for the strategies and initiatives of Community Safety. The Specialist also plays a prominent role in creating a positive community safety culture with a focus on equity and accountability through innovation and collaboration.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Research a wide range of community safety and wellbeing conditions, issues, challenges, and solutions in relation to Community Safety business areas, ensuring the quality, accuracy, timeliness, and reliability of research and products.
Develop and recommend highimpact research, modelling, projection, and other data projects that reflect corporate priorities s
Manage and guide the work of external research consultants to ensure compliance with contracted deliverables and schedules. Provide challenge and oversight function on externally contracted research, analysis, and data development.
Provide briefing material, background documents and memoranda for management, senior management to support decisionmaking.
Contribute to the achievement of strategic departmental priorities, including the Public Safety Strategy, Just Food, and the Housing and Homelessness Framework.
Identify issues and share information and expertise with internal stakeholders; consult with stakeholders to ensure a thorough understanding of their information requirements and how to meet them.
Provides analytical assistance to staff in interpreting research and ensures academic rigor to support decisionmaking that is based on valid data
Offer support and advice to business units in research and development work in conjunction with other HRM units
Other related duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS

Education and Experience:

Master's degree in a social science field or related discipline
Minimum of five years' related research experience
Demonstrated experience developing research projects in terms of scope, objectives, methodologies, and management
Working knowledge of the local, regional, and national community safety ecosystem, and the social, economic, and political trends, factors and issues that affect community safety and wellbeing
Demonstrated experience in leading/coordinating research projects
Ability to influence others and build crosssectoral capacity
Demonstrated experience in report writing and presentations
Technical / Job Specific Knowledge and Abilities:
Strong interpersonal skills with research affiliations in research communities
Advanced knowledge of qualitative, quantitative, and participatory research methodologies and software tools for conducting qualitative, quantitative, and spatial analysis
Strong written and oral communication skills including negotiation and influencing skills
Knowledge of culturally proficient ways of working with equitydeserving communities including urban Indigenous peoples, local African Nova Scotians, African descent communities, racialized peoples, members of the 2SLGBTQ+ communities, and persons with disabilities
Security Clearance Requirements: Applicants may be required to complete an employment security screening check

COMPETENCIES:

Valuing Diversity, Analytical Thinking, Communication, Decision Making, Visioning, Strategic Thinking & Innovation, Networking & Relationship Building, Organization & Planning, Values & Ethics
WORK STATUS: Temporary, full-time (up to three years)
HOURS OF WORK: Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 4:30pm for 35 hours per week; flexibility required
SALARY: NU8 on the non-union salary scale; $82,640-$113,640.

WORK LOCATION: 7th Floor Duke Tower, 5251 Duke Street, Halifax**C