Senior Advisor

ACRB is a provincial biobanking program operating in Edmonton (Cross Cancer Institute) and Calgary (Arthur Child Cancer Centre) which supports biobanking, bioprocessing and biostorage of biological specimens. It is a platform supporting cancer research by consenting eligible participants; collecting, processing, annotating and distributing biospecimens; and enabling researcher-specific collections for a variety of cancer and health-related studies. This position is an excellent opportunity for an applicant with a strong scientific or clinical background who is excited to support cancer research in a diverse and challenging role. Applicants must be able to reliably work both independently and collaboratively with diverse departments across AHS and our partner academic institutions, as well as interacting with patients, medical and lab staff in a courteous and professional capacity. This highly diverse role will range from establishing and leading new research protocols and initiatives, through to processing samples in a laboratory setting and maintaining biobank equipment. This position will be posted through December 2024. We thank all candidates for their interest - eligible candidates will be contacted in early 2025.

Alongside the ACRB Manager, the Senior Advisor will be primarily responsible for establishing new biobanking programs and precision oncology initiatives at the Arthur Child Cancer Centre. The candidate will collaborate with clinician researchers, medical practitioners and university scientists to support universal consenting, sample collections/processing and maintaining new and existing biostorage infrastructure. The incumbent will maintain study documentation, SOPs, research agreements and databases used to track archival and prospective sample collections in REDCap. Alongside establishing these initiatives, the position will support ongoing biobank activities at Arthur Child and Richmond Road locations to coordinate ongoing ACRB activities and study-specific protocols. The position will involve a high degree of coordinating between principle investigators, internal and external AHS departments and provincial staff to enable study collections; maintaining ethics certification and adherence to protocol; maintaining and ordering study and lab supplies; updating collections records and clinical inventory; coordinating sample pick-ups, processing, storage and shipping; maintaining lab safety and inspections, and ensuring quality control of data and sample integrity. Additional duties include assisting with periodic 24/7 on-call emergency response to any biobank incidents, and any other procedures as directed by the Manager.

Bachelor or technical degree in a science or health-related field. Five years' experience in clinical research or a health-related field. Study-related recruitment experience including consenting participants, data entry and clinical annotation. Experience working with human biospecimens in a lab setting including collecting, labeling and inventory management. Demonstrated ability to work both independently and within a team. Must be able to lift heavy equipment on a regular basis (i.e. able to lift 15kg above one’s head). Must have a flexible schedule and be willing to be on a 24/7 on-call rotation. Excellent analytical reasoning skills and decision-making skills are required. Candidates must have strong verbal and written communication skills: able to listen, comprehend and clearly convey information in a clear fashion, and be able to provide information or answer questions in person, over the telephone, or in writing in an accurate, clear and concise manner. The ability to trouble-shoot in an emergency situation is essential.

Excellent communication skills with effective collaboration, interpersonal and team building skills. Experience collaborating with internal and external collaborators, vendors and study participants. Experience with data analysis and presentation, custom database design and implementation is optimal; experience using REDCap databases. Experience with shipping biological specimens; prior training in the Transportation of Dangerous Goods (TDG) and WHMIS is optimal. Access to a motor vehicle for sample pick-up/drop off of biological specimens from various sites and for off-hours response to freezer alarms.

Master's degree in a science or health-related field with a strong foundation in research and evaluation methodology. Eight years' experience in research, particularly within a laboratory setting. Experience with REDCap database design is optimal. Prior phlebotomy experience. Experience generating project quotes, invoices, inter-departmental billing and financial tracking. Experience making formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue blocks (FFPE) or tissue-micro arrays (TMA).