Senior Research Genetic Counsellor

Job Category

Job Profile

Job Title

Department

Compensation Range

The Compensation Range is the span between the minimum and maximum base salary for a position. The midpoint of the range is approximately halfway between the minimum and the maximum and represents an employee that possesses full job knowledge, qualifications and experience for the position. In the normal course, employees will be hired, transferred or promoted between the minimum and midpoint of the salary range for a job.

Posting End Date

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

Job End Date

This position will be filled internally. It is posted for informational purposes only.

Note: Only the Full Time Compensation Range is displayed on the job posting details advertised on the UBC Career sites.

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

The Senior Research Genetic Counsellor will manage the strategic and clinical research activities of the Precision Health Initiative (PHI) within the Turvey lab at BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute. Many rare genetic disorders defy diagnosis through conventional tests available through the health care system, and only innovative assays offered through research can find an answer for these affected patients. Each patient enrolling in this study will likely have a different, and very rare, condition, which requires flexibility, high-level clinical judgment, and strategic adaptiveness on the part of the research leadership team. Because most patients enrolling will be children, and because most pediatric rare diseases are genetic, the research team must engage with, and be responsive to, the entire family. The Senior Research Genetic Counsellor will play a leading role in managing institutional relationships, liaising with families and their clinical care teams, explaining their options for research-based studies, and directing the unique flow of complex samples and genomic results for each case.

Organizational Status

The Senior Research Genetic Counsellor will report operationally to the Principal Investigator, Dr. Stuart Turvey. Operating with a high degree of clinical and administrative independence, the incumbent will work closely with research directors, clinical division heads, and administrative managers. They will act as the primary liaison for PHI and the Turvey lab with numerous clinicians, faculty, staff, and students throughout BCCH, UBC, and national/international research consortia. The incumbent will directly supervise research assistants, project coordinators, and graduate-level trainees.

Work Performed

Research Leadership

• Leads the planning and management of PHI research activities, setting operational and directional priorities and determining how scientific objectives are translated into clinical-genomic research approaches and processes.
• Shapes the ongoing development of the program by identifying new research directions and determining how emerging clinical-genomic needs, unsolved cases, findings, and testing opportunities can be developed into patient-centered research.
• Identifies and pursues opportunities to expand the research program, including developing and leading major grant applications and establishing collaborations and partnerships with other research groups and networks.
• Evaluates research activities against established priorities and goals and determines changes to research approaches, processes, and resources as required.
• Oversees the design of PHI’s data-sharing agreements, institutional contracts, and multi-site ethics applications (REB), ensuring compliance with changing institutional and federal policies.

Genetic Counselling and Knowledge Translation

• Provides advanced genetic counselling and clinical-genomic expertise complex pediatric rare disease research, including determining appropriate approaches to participant recruitment, screening, intake, and navigation.
• Interprets and translates complex clinical and genomic research findings, providing specialized guidance to participants, families, clinical teams, investigators, and research collaborators.

• Leads the dissemination and translation of research findings through publications, reports, presentations, and other knowledge translation activities.

Consequence of Error/Judgement

Decisions regarding research priorities, approaches, funding opportunities, collaborations, and resource allocation can significantly influence the direction and effectiveness of PHI. Inappropriate decisions may impact research progress, funding use, or collaboration opportunities.

Errors in the interpretation, communication, or management of clinical-genomic research information, or in meeting ethics and data governance requirements, could compromise research activities, affect compliance with institutional or regulatory standards, and impact the reputation of UBC and BC Children’s Hospital Research Institute.

Failure to adopt and model a professional, respectful, “Participant / Family First” mentality could result in systemic alienation, institutional distrust, and low retention among study participants. Provision of inaccurate information to families, or the premature/unverified communication of research-grade variants, could lead to severe clinical mismanagement, unwarranted diagnostic conclusions, or serious psychosocial harm to participants.

Supervision Received

Works with wide latitude and a high level of independent judgement under the general direction of the Principal Investigator. The incumbent independently manages assigned research activities and exercises professional judgement in establishing priorities, developing research opportunities and collaborations, and determining appropriate research approaches and processes.

The Principal Investigator provides overall scientific direction and establishes the underlying scientific hypotheses and broader research objectives. Work is reviewed periodically against established research goals, priorities, and program objectives.

Supervision Given

The Senior Research Genetic Counsellor holds formal supervisory responsibility. This includes the direct supervision, workload assignment, and performance evaluation of research assistants and project coordinators. It also includes the official clinical supervision, training, and academic evaluation of UBC Genetic Counselling graduate students, medical residents, and fellows.

Minimum Qualifications

• For research work, a post-graduate degree or equivalent professional designation with a minimum of four years of related experience, or an equivalent combination of education and experience. Otherwise, an undergraduate degree in a relevant discipline is required with a minimum of six 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

• Master’s degree in Medical Genetics or Genetic Counselling with significant experience in genetic counselling, including demonstrated experience in genomic research management.
• Board eligible for certification under the Canadian Association of Genetic Counselling or American Board of Genetic Counselling.
• Proven experience independently managing multi-faceted research projects or clinical hubs within an academic, pediatric, or health research setting.
• Advanced knowledge of project management methodologies, research database infrastructure (e.g., REDCap), and data-sharing compliance.
• High degree of computer literacy with advanced ability to use word processing, spreadsheet, internet, and electronic mail applications.
• Exceptional institutional navigation, superior organizational skills, and a demonstrated ability to prioritize, multitask, and work effectively under extreme pressure to meet critical deadlines.
• Superior oral and written communication, interpersonal, and conflict-resolution skills.
• Proven ability to make autonomous professional decisions and recommendations on all aspects of complex research work.
• Completion of the Tri-Council Policy Ethics course is required prior to beginning this work.