PIMS Manager of Operations

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Job Summary
The Manager of Operations (MO) at the Pacific Institute for the Mathematical Sciences (PIMS) is a key member of the PIMS Executive team, working with the PIMS Director and Co-Directors to shape strategic decisions for a multi-site Institute. PIMS is headquartered at UBC, but includes staff and members at nine additional universities. As the most senior Management and Professional (M & P) position at PIMS, the MO role requires a versatile, innovative and strategic thinker with expertise in the mathematical sciences.  Under the guidance of the PIMS Director, the scope of PIMS initiatives has widened and requires a MO role with a high-level skillset able to lead and develop an evolving staff team.  The distributed nature of PIMS, and the structure of its many programs mean that the position also has strong technical demands and responsibilities.

The MO works closely with the Directorate to shape the programs and initiatives of the institute, and define the organizational structures needed to support them.  This requires a deep understanding of the landscape of mathematical sciences, along with the ability to anticipate emerging needs and the capacity to design and implement PIMS programs in response.  Drawing on their domain specific expertise, the MO develops, administers and adapts PIMS policies, and directs both organizational and technical resources in support of them.  They are responsible for allocating human, technical and other resources while planning for future growth and ensuring the smooth operation of this large, multifaceted, multi-location unit.

The MO represents the Director and/or PIMS on a variety of internal and external committees, and serves as a key liaison with partner organizations. This includes engagement with science and technology agencies of the Canadian and U.S. federal governments, provincial governments of BC, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba, as well as granting agencies, senior university administrators, industrial partners, and leaders of research organizations in Canada, the U.S., and internationally-such as the Centre national de la recherche scientifique (CNRS). In these contexts, the MO acts as an ambassador for PIMS, advancing its mission and strategic interests.

The MO directly supervises PIMS staff based at UBC, and indirectly supervises PIMS Site Administrators at nine other universities. They also provide managerial direction to BIRS Administrator and BIRS staff (the Banff International Research Station (BIRS) is also under the administrative umbrella of PIMS at UBC). The MO also collaborates with PIMS Site Directors and PIMS Education Coordinators to ensure alignment across programs and locations. Finally, they also oversee PIMS services and technology platforms in support of the various programs.

Organizational Status
This position reports to the PIMS Director.  The MO works in close collaboration with members of the PIMS community and UBC administration (faculty members, visitors, researchers and staff at our partner institutions, funding partners and other mathematical sciences Institutes in Canada, the U.S. and overseas) to assure the successful operation of PIMS many programs and partnerships.

Work Performed
Administration:

• Directs the overall operational management of PIMS.

• Aligns PIMS operations with university policies and guidelines while respecting the requirements of partner institutions, local governments and other partners of PIMS.

• Develops, implements and evaluates technical, financial, operational and administrative policies and procedures across the PIMS network.

• Responsible for and oversees financial management.

• Provides operational strategy and oversight for fundraising efforts, including federal and provincial grants and philanthropic initiatives supporting mathematical sciences.

• Recommends strategies and coordinates data collection and reporting for funding partners, covering the scientific impact of PIMS research programs, participant demographics, and equity, diversity and inclusion metrics.  Responsible for compliance and report writing for NSERC, Simons Foundation, donors, and other funding agencies.

• Leads logistics and planning for PIMS facilities at UBC, managing space development, renovations, repairs, and equipment purchases within approximately 9000 square feet in the Earth Sciences Building.

• Manages PIMS UBC staff across all categories, handling recruitment, training, performance reviews, professional development, discipline, and termination.  Provides HR guidance to managers, liaises with UBC Human Resources, and fosters a positive organizational culture.

Strategic Development:

• Designs systems and operational plans to advance the vision, mission, mandate and strategic plan for PIMS.  Works closely with all sites to ensure congruency in mission and values of organization and optimal utilization of resources.

• Identifies, evaluates and leads development of new and emerging programs in accordance with the vision of PIMS. PIMS core programs include Collaborative Research Groups, the PIMS Research Networks, the Postdoctoral Fellowship Program, as well as various scientific activities funded annually through the PIMS Scientific Review Panel.  The MO also addresses the distinct challenges and opportunities of PIMS’ distributed structure by expanding its technical and data science initiatives.

• Manages programs across the PIMS network of ten universities, ensuring professional, efficient delivery in compliance with policies and funding agreements from agencies such as NSERC, the Digital Research Alliance, NSF, CNRS, the Simons Foundation, and provincial governments.

• Builds and maintains strategic relationships and alliances aligned with PIMS’ mandate.  Liaises with officials from federal and provincial granting agencies, senior administration of PIMS partner universities, and leaders of national and international mathematical sciences organizations including Mitacs, Digital Research Alliance, Pacific Rim Mathematical Association, (PRIMA; international), Centre National de la Recherche Scientific (CNRS; France), International Centre for Mathematical Sciences (ICMS; UK), National Centre for Theoretical Sciences (NCTS; Taiwan), Centro de Modelamiento Matematico (CMM; Chile) among others.

• Supports the growth of PIMS membership and engagement in new regions, including the U.S. Pacific Northwest and other Pacific Rim countries.

• Maintains and fosters working relationships with various University units (across all member universities).

• Collaborates with PIMS Education Coordinators at all sites to develop and implement education and outreach initiatives that align with the institute’s mission.

Systems and Technology

• Provides strategic leadership and direction on all aspects of technology in support of PIMS programs and operations.  The technically intensive nature of the mathematical sciences, combined with PIMS’ distributed structure, requires robust computational and collaboration infrastructure.

• Designs and implements PIMS digital strategy.  Anticipates and analyzes trends in technology and assesses the impact of emerging technologies on PIMS Programs.  Current platforms include Syzygy (~80,000 lifetime users) and Callysto (~15,000 lifetime users).

• Identifies areas of high risk (particularly cybersecurity risk), assessing their impact on operations then selects and directs implementation of solutions to address them.

• Leads the adoption of AI-enabled technologies in support of PIMS operations, from general-purpose tools like collaborative coding environments to domain-specific applications such as AI-assisted mathematical proof generation.

• Builds strategic partnerships with IT teams at UBC-including BIRS, the Departments of Mathematics and Statistics, and more broadly-as well as with counterparts at other PIMS universities and affiliated institutes. Leverages these collaborations to develop and implement technical platforms aligned with PIMS’ priorities.

• Selects and works with vendors and other external partners to deploy technical solutions to support PIMS operations.

• Coordinates technical programs to support collaboration across the PIMS network, including design and implementation of communication and collaborative technologies.

Communications:

• Oversees the development and implementation of marketing, communications, public relations and fundraising initiatives.

• Oversees several programs and projects designed to raise the status and profile of PIMS.

• Manages communications staff and ensures appropriate liaison with the UBC Communications community (with particular focus on the Departments of Mathematics, Computer Science and Statistics) and our many international institutional, educational and industrial partners.

• Oversees digital and print publications as well as project communications for events, workshops, summer schools and distinguished lecturers across ten universities in Canada and the United States.

• Keeps PIMS on message and effective in broad, international communications portfolio.

Other related duties as required.

Consequence of Error/Judgement
Errors in judgement would seriously harm the reputation and integrity of PIMS, UBC and the other PIMS member universities.  The role demands diplomacy, confidentiality, and strong collaboration skills across government, academia, the private sector and diverse cultures.  Damaged relationships with funding agencies, partner institutions, or other organizations could lead to lost funding for the Institute’s programs and significant rifts in the community which could impede collaborative research progress.

Supervision Received
Work is performed independently under broad goals and objectives developed in consultation with the PIMS Directorate according to the mandate given by the PIMS Board of Directors.

Supervision Given
MO will directly supervise 3 full time M & P, 2 full time CUPE 2950 and 2 part time CUPE 2950 staff at PIMS Central office at UBC. MO will also provide administrative oversight to 4 other UBC staff and will provide direction and instruction to 9 Site Administrators at other universities.

Minimum Qualifications
Undergraduate degree in a relevant discipline. Minimum of seven years of related experience, or the 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

Mathematical sciences background and strong technical skills. A PhD is preferred, along with extensive experience in the mathematical sciences and in administrative leadership and project management in a research-intensive environment. The ideal candidate will have a proven track record of building and maintaining business relationships, facilitating effective dialogue between diverse parties, particularly with international partners and in the public (government and academic) sector.  Demonstrated success in leading complex, large-scale initiatives is essential, including grant applications, and the negotiation and drafting of memoranda of understanding and other agreements.  Experience in building and leading high-performance teams is essential.

Strong technical leadership skills are critical, including experience developing and implementing digital strategies and managing advanced computational and collaborative technologies to support multifaceted research programs.  Familiarity with university policies and procedures, excellent communication and organizational skills, the ability to exercise tact and discretion, and a willingness to travel are also essential.  The candidate must be capable of working both independently and collaboratively within a dynamic team environment.