Michael Smith Health Research BC

Michael Smith Health Research BC, funded by the Government of British Columbia, is BC’s health research agency. We strengthen the province’s health research system by supporting the people, institutions and activities that generate and use research-based knowledge to promote, restore and maintain the health of British Columbians. Our ambition is to inspire and connect curious, creative and passionate minds to drive discovery and innovation in health research. And we’re driven by the belief that health-related decision making should be informed by high quality research produced in an equitable, diverse and inclusive research system.

We are a team of dedicated professionals who care deeply about each other and our work. We believe in embracing diversity as a strength and core value, creating spaces that are inclusive of all peoples, and are grounded in our ongoing commitment to reconciliation and respect for Indigenous self-determination. We value and support a diverse workforce, reflective of different backgrounds, skillsets, perspectives and life experiences.

Our benefits package includes a pension plan, generous dental and health insurance and a wellness allowance; our professional development policy supports learning and growth.

We have a hybrid work model. When you are in the office, our beautiful space offers views of False Creek, an outdoor patio (think summer BBQs!) and a fitness centre, and it’s walking distance to restaurants and other amenities. Our social committee, Team Good Times, organizes events throughout the year.

If you are looking for meaningful work in a supportive environment, and you are inspired by making a difference in BC’s exceptional health research community, read on to learn more.

Position Summary:

Join our team as Partnerships Specialist and play a key role in driving strategic partnerships for Health Research BC. Reporting to the Director, Partnerships, you will be responsible for identifying, researching, and negotiating partnerships with external organizations. In this dynamic role, you will not only establish and nurture relationships with funding partners, proactively seek new opportunities, and ensure compliance with partnership agreements, but also demonstrate your ability to take initiative and handle operational responsibilities while keeping a strategic mindset. By successfully managing the full cycle of funding-based partnerships, staying attuned to industry trends, and collaborating with internal teams, your expertise will inform the development and implementation of our partnership plan, driving us to achieve our strategy and vision.
To excel in this position, you should have experience in business development or partner relations, demonstrating strong interpersonal and operational skills, along with a keen eye for detail. Proficiency in database applications and CRMs will further enhance your ability to execute operational tasks efficiently. If you are ready to take the lead, drive operational excellence, and maintain a strategic focus to forge impactful partnerships within the health research system, we invite you to apply now and join our dynamic and collaborative team.

Key Responsibilities:

• Leads the full cycle of funding-based partnerships from partner outreach and identification to award administration, in support of the organization’s research funding competitions, including:     
  • Develops and sustains relationships with funding partners; leads outreach activities and partner recognition plans as appropriate.  
  • Pro-actively works with other health research funders such as not-for-profit, for-profit and health authority organizations, to identify and develop new opportunities. 
  • Prepares and/or reviews agreements and amendments, award packages and other documents that support the lifecycle of a partnership. Maintains document templates and creates new templates as required.  
  • Monitors and administers partnered awards and partnerships, in line with established award conditions and agreements. This includes understanding and reviewing financial commitments.   
• Liaises with partners and researchers to ensure that the terms of the partnership and/or partnered award are being fulfilled.  
• Monitors the health services, health research, life sciences and philanthropic environments for trends related to Health Research BC’s partnership activities. 
• Supports the development and implementation of the partnership plan.  
• Leads the development of feasibility studies, environmental scans and recommendations for new partnership opportunities. 
• Assists with the coordination and planning of partnership-related events, in collaboration with internal teams and partner organizations. 
• Utilizes the organization’s technological platforms including the grant management system (GMS), customer relationship management (CRM) software and Power BI analytical tool to support day-to-day activities. 
• Creates and updates user guides and related materials to enable streamlined processes and support to the users of technological platforms for partnership activities.  
• Compiles, analyzes and reports on partnership-related data to provide insights on operational and strategic performance. Collaborates with the evaluation and impact analysis team to evaluate partnership initiatives and support organizational-level data reporting activities. 
• Works with the communications team to develop materials and tactical plans that promote the organization’s potential and its established partnerships. 
• Works with the finance team to ensure award processing, payments and invoicing are accurate and timely. 
• Collaborates with the research competitions team to support partnered awards administration and ongoing configurations in the GMS. 
• Works with other internal teams to identify, develop and realize partnership opportunities. 
• Helps train, mentor and support colleagues as needed. 

Requirements:

• Undergraduate degree in a health, business management/ administration field, interested-party relations and/or equivalent combination of education, training and experience.  
• Minimum five years’ professional experience related to business development, donor and/or partner relations. 
• Experience with health research, health services, life-sciences and/or philanthropic sectors. 
• Strong interpersonal and soft skills. Possess the ability to create and sustain relationships centred on trust and mutual respect. Maintains confidentiality and deals with stressful, sensitive or difficult situations with tact and diplomacy.  
• Experience working in situations involving complex interested-party relations and/or politically sensitive issues. Maintains highest levels of professionalism, discretion and confidentiality. 
• Proven negotiation and conflict resolution skills. 
• Communicates effectively both verbally and in writing; understands the subtleties of communication and intended audience and understands the perspectives of team members and external stakeholders. Ability to work under pressure, multi-task, make appropriate decisions and exercise judgement without direct supervision in a dynamic, complex and fast-paced environment. 
• Ability to identify priorities and deliver results on deadline without close supervision. 
• Works and thinks independently with strong initiative and problem-solving capabilities. 
• Demonstrates a high-level of attention to detail and accuracy, strong organizational skills and problem-solving abilities. 
• Comprehensive computer literacy including demonstrated intermediate level skills with Microsoft programs (Outlook, Teams, Word, Excel, PowerPoint), Adobe and Zoom.   
• Experience using database applications and CRMs an asset. 
• Committed to equity, diversity and inclusion and Indigenous reconciliation; training and/or experience in equity, diversity and inclusion and/or Indigenous cultural safety an asset.