Knowledge Broker, Chronic Pain Network

Job Description

At McMaster University, we strive to attract, develop, and retain talented faculty and staff, and to foster inclusive excellence which values the strengths, perspectives, and contributions of everyone. McMaster is one of the Top 70 Universities in the World and is recognized as Canada’s Most Research-Intensive University.  McMaster continues to be recognized as one of the top employers in the Hamilton/Niagara region and one of Canada’s Top Diversity employers.

The Chronic Pain Network (CPN) in the Faculty of Health Sciences at McMaster University welcomes applications for a full-time, Knowledge Broker to join our team!  This is an excellent opportunity for a highly skilled science communicator, change champion, and relationship builder to support the mobilization of knowledge and implementation of evidence on pain management across Canada.

The Opportunity

The Chronic Pain Network was officially launched in 2016 as a pan-Canadian collaboration of patients, researchers, healthcare professionals, educators, industry, and government policy advisors and is aimed at directing new research in chronic pain, training researchers and clinicians, and translating findings into knowledge and policy. Last year, additional funding was granted to focus on the knowledge mobilization and implementation science of that research in chronic pain.

Job Summary:   

Responsible for facilitating and providing coaching related to knowledge mobilization amongst researchers, knowledge users, patients and caregivers, and other partners and for developing capacity for mobilizing knowledge and implementing evidence about pain management in Canada.  Responsible for the management and delivery of programs and project outputs, while seeking input and consultation from other stakeholders as needed both internally and externally.  Responsible for leading the planning of activities that are aimed at improving public awareness, informing healthcare professional education, and health policy, service and program implementation and evaluation.

Purpose and Key Functions:       

• Conduct initial and ongoing needs assessments of key stakeholder groups or organizations and analyze findings.
• Perform both qualitative and quantitative analyses.
• Develop, conduct and interpret network analyses and strategic plans.
• Apply specialized knowledge and scientific principles to critically appraise systematic reviews such as meta-analyses, primary research studies, program evaluations, surveillance data and reports, environmental scan reports and methodological papers focused on pain management.
• Prepare systematic reviews and develop reports for external organizations.
• Synthesize research knowledge and develop plain language research summaries for specific research projects and contribute to the management of research database.
• Conduct key informant interviews, focus groups and surveys for evaluation.
• Identify and implement strategies to transfer relevant research findings to policy and program decision makers.
• Author peer reviewed journal articles and abstracts.
• Create, develop, and maintain a comprehensive contact database and develop and implement evidence-based strategies for the transfer of evidence and research messages to specific audiences.
• Provide the information necessary, descriptive and analytic, for evidence-informed policy and management decisions regarding the development, implementation, and evaluation of pain management initiatives.
• Work with researchers to design studies and identify the optimal ways to disseminate results to the research community and stakeholders.
• Engage, maintain, and facilitate relationships between stakeholders.
• Identify strategies for communicating regularly with stakeholders.
• Facilitate and organize workshops, designed to build knowledge and skills pertaining to the process of knowledge mobilization.
• Prepare conference presentations and assist with workshop implementation.
• Integrate and reflect current and emerging evidence-based knowledge translation strategies based on a number of conceptual models.
• Provide advice and expertise to decision makers on the use of evaluation activities to measure the effectiveness of the knowledge translation strategy.
• Develop strategic communication initiatives that act as knowledge transfer mechanisms and raise awareness of the work and outcomes of the program.
• Maintain and establish new linkages and relationships with an interdisciplinary cadre of chronic pain policy and decision makers both nationally and internationally.
• Prepare and disseminate quarterly information packages containing all newly published literature focused around chronic pain.
• Participate in ongoing research projects and activities.
• Support the work of the knowledge mobilization committee by leading and facilitating the execution of the committee’s knowledge mobilization activities.
• Establish, build, and sustain productive working relationships with partners, identify common goals to contribute to collective efforts, and understand their existing knowledge base and assess readiness or capacity for change.
• Work to support institutional, regional and national activities.
• Identify knowledge users to champion efforts and support the network’s goals.
• Work collaboratively with network team members and liaise with governance committees.
• Initiate, develop, and implement activity plans and strategies.
• Prepare knowledge mobilization tools and tailor resources to address stakeholder needs or local context.
• Monitor the implementation process, and evaluate knowledge mobilization progress, to support sustainability of knowledge mobilization efforts.
• Report on activities to the network’s coordinating centre as required by the funder.

Supervision:     

• Provide direction to others in how to carry out work tasks.
• Ensure adherence to quality standards and procedures for short-term staff and volunteers.

What We Offer
In addition to joining a Top Ranked University, McMaster offers a very competitive Total Compensation Package that includes, but is not limited to:

• Employer Paid benefits such as Extended Health, Dental, Emergency Out-of-Country Travel Coverage, Life Insurance.
• Participation in a Pension Plan.
• Progressive paid annual vacation plan.
• Training, coaching, and professional development opportunities.
• Employee tuition assistance for continuous development and education.
• Opportunity to be a part of an academic environment working alongside professionals who share a passion for learning.