Research & Policy Analyst

The Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction (CCSA) changes lives by bringing people and knowledge together to reduce the harms of alcohol and other drugs on society. We partner with public, private and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to improve the health and safety of people living in Canada. An NGO with a national focus, CCSA envisions a healthier Canadian society where evidence transforms approaches to substance use.

CCSA acknowledges that First Nations, Métis and Inuit people are the holders of Traditional Indigenous Knowledge. We respect the power of the Indigenous ways of knowing and of Traditional Indigenous Knowledge and commit to learning about and incorporating this knowledge into our work with proper guidance.

Reporting to the Associate Director of Quality and Accountability, the Research and Policy Analyst (RPA) is a subject matter expert who conducts research and responds to research requests (both internal to CCSA and external) and provides research-based policy analysis relevant to CCSA’s priorities. The RPA may represent CCSA on various expert committees and working groups and provide advice on research initiatives and their impact on public policy. The RPA works in collaboration with CCSA’s external-facing divisions to communicate key messages and aid in the knowledge mobilization of research findings.

Responsibilities

• Facilitates and initiates national research initiatives in the substance use and addiction fields, with a specific focus on substance use, epidemiology and health economics
• Collaborates with researchers within CCSA and with those of other agencies to determine the nature and scope of studies required
• Contributes to the strategic development of CCSA’s research program
• Plans and conducts sex and gender sensitive research studies on specific aspects of substance use and addiction relevant to the organization’s strategic directions and priorities
• Implements processes to help CCSA identify and promote important emerging areas of research
• Contributes to research grant proposals to gain additional research funding for CCSA
• Represents CCSA on expert committees and working groups and liaises with external scientific and clinical advisors
• Provides functional advice to other RPAs in conducting specific studies
• Determines the appropriate research methods, analytical techniques, designs, models, scope, timelines and costs of research projects
• Determines data or information requirements and negotiates agreements with other organizations or government bodies to obtain data
• Prepares ethics applications for review by Research Ethics Boards
• Gathers information and performs appropriate quantitative analyses
• Conducts or identifies existing research knowledge syntheses to inform policy and practice
• Prepares reports with conclusions, implications and recommendations or proposals for further study
• Reviews research proposals from other research and policy analysts and kindred agencies
• Responds to requests for information and advice from other research analysts
• Conducts media interviews, webinars and workshops, and obtains and provides expert opinions on relevant issues
• Publishes in peer-reviewed and non-peer reviewed journals
• Presents finding of research at conferences, workshops and symposia
• Conducts impact analyses of new research directions vis-à-vis existing policies and practices in the substance use and addiction fields

Qualifications

• Master’s degree or PhD in addiction-related field or post-doctoral training in an addiction-related field
• Three to five years of research experience in the social sciences, population health, epidemiology, psychology or clinical sciences related to the addiction field
• Experience working with quantitative statistical software (e.g., SPSS, R) or qualitative analysis software (e.g., MAXQDA)
• Fully developed analytical and reasoning skills
• Ability to understand, express and apply complex quantitative analyses, qualitative analyses, or both; concepts; methods; and procedures
• Ability to perform knowledge syntheses and critically appraise and evaluate research
• Strong knowledge base of the criminal justice or substance use literatures
• Strong written and oral communication skills
• Evidence of peer-reviewed publications and presentations at conferences
• Experience analyzing public policy and determining the implications of new research knowledge for application by policy makers
• Experience effectively liaising with local, national or international collaborators from various sectors
• Strong time-management skills
• Experience with research project management, including budget management
• Ability to work independently

Assets

• Knowledge of sex- and gender-based analysis
• Experience in preparing successful grant proposals and reviewing grant proposals, particularly with federal research granting bodies (e.g., CIHR, SSHRC and federal departments and agencies such as Health Canada and Public Safety Canada)
• Bilingualism in French and English

CCSA is committed to equity, diversity and inclusion in all aspects of our work. As an organization, we are committed to ensuring that First Nations, Métis and Inuit people and all equity-deserving groups are fully represented, including women, people of colour, people with disabilities, and people who are 2SLGBTQ+.

CCSA is dedicated to learning from and supporting people with lived or living experience of substance use and health. We encourage people with lived or living experience of substance use to apply to join the CCSA team.

CCSA promotes the rights of all people with disabilities as outlined in the Ontario Human Rights Codeand the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005, and its related Integrated Accessibility Standards Regulation. CCSA will make appropriate accommodations on request. Please inform CCSA in advance of a request for accommodation during the recruitment process by email.

If you are interested in this position, please submit a cover letter and resumé. The CCSA office is in Ottawa. Qualified candidates outside of the Ottawa region are encouraged to apply. We thank all applicants. Only candidates selected for an interview will be contacted.

No agencies please.