Job opportunities and tenders

We have an immediate opening for a dedicated, bilingual individual to join our team in the position of Program Officer, Scholarly Book Awards (ASPP). The successful candidate will join a dynamic group of skilled individuals working together in a friendly and inclusive environment. 

The Federation for the Humanities and Social Sciences promotes research and teaching for the advancement of an inclusive, democratic and prosperous society. With a membership now comprising over 160 universities, colleges and scholarly associations, the Federation represents a diverse community of 91,000 researchers and graduate students across Canada. 

The Scholarly Book Awards, formally the Awards to Scholarly Publications Program (ASPP), funds scholarly books in Canada that make important contributions to the humanities and social sciences. It is a competitive program that awards 180 Publication Grants of $8,000 and five Translation Grants of $30,000 annually.  

The annual Congress of the Humanities and Social Sciences is the convergence of over 70 scholarly associations, each holding their annual conference under one umbrella, and is Canada’s largest gathering of scholars. Typically held in late May and early June, Congress is organized by the Federation each year. 
For more information about the Federation, visit www.federationhss.ca.  

Job summary

The Program Officer, Scholarly Book Awards is responsible for coordinating and administering the Awards to Scholarly Publications Program (ASPP). Reporting to the Programs Lead, the Program Officer processes applications and coordinates the review process, manages databases and ensures accurate filing and record-keeping, liaises with program stakeholders, and conducts project progress reporting.
The ideal candidate is detail-oriented and results-driven, with excellent organization and time management skills, proficient communication abilities in both English and French, and strong experience in grant management systems, maintaining grant databases, and program management.

This is a hybrid role and requires the successful candidate to come into our Ottawa office two days a week.

Duties and responsibilities

Grant administration: 

• Manage the processing of new applications, ensuring completeness, eligibility, and compliance with conflict of interest guidelines
• File and organize application documents accurately according to specified protocols
• Coordinate the distribution of applications to merit reviewers via the grant management software, ensuring assignments align with expertise, and managing conflicts of interest
• Facilitate timely assessments through systematic follow-up and communication
• Manage the approvals and declines process by compiling and organizing application scores, revising merit reviewers’ feedback, and preparing recommendation spreadsheets for discussion with the Programs Lead
• Issue decision letters to successful applicants while maintaining accurate records
• Prepare and distribute monthly status update charts to stakeholders
• Record and update data in the database and provide support to applicants as they navigate the application process and software system
• Manage the committee renewal process by identifying and inviting potential new members, tracking invitations and responses, ensuring diversity and expertise within the committee, and facilitating onboarding of new members 
• Support in reporting on project progress and targets as needed

Program coordination:

• Coordinate grant payments by liaising with recipients, ensuring all required documentation is received and organized, preparing payment requests and letters, and facilitating timely disbursement of grants in accordance with program guidelines and fiscal year targets
• Liaise and consult with scholarly associations and publishers to ensure there is adequate and appropriate involvement with the program, including finding suitable peer reviewers and ensuring there is good representation on program committees 
• Regularly disseminate information about updates to the program with publishers and other stakeholders (including information about Open Access (OA) and Equity, Diversity, and Decolonization (EDID))
• Provide administrative support to Academic Council meetings by scheduling meetings, preparing documents and presentations, and taking comprehensive meeting minutes to ensure effective communication and documentation of committee activities
• Support the coordination of the Canada Prizes, including supporting the planning of the annual ceremony and contributing to promotional and communication plans
• Keep abreast of emerging trends and issues to ensure the Scholarly Book Awards and the Canada Prizes remain current and effective
• Work closely with other functional areas within the Federation as required

Job Requirements 

• Minimum two years of relevant experience supporting a grant program
• Demonstrated capability to handle large volumes of work promptly and accurately
• Proven ability to navigate and utilize Microsoft Office suite, and particularly Word and Excel, efficiently
• Advanced software skills, including grant management software such as Salesforce, CommunityForce, or Good Grants 
• Excellent communication skills in both English and French
• Solid time management and organizational skills, with demonstrated ability to manage program workflows and achieve targets 
• Travel will be required for Congress event and other meetings

Competencies

• Bilingualism in English and French. 
• Excellent interpersonal skills and an ability to work with multiple team members and stakeholders. 
• A detail-oriented mind, with a strong focus on organization, planning, follow-up. 
• Entrepreneurship, initiative, creativity and a proactive attitude. 
• Clarity of expression — both in writing and orally.   
• A sense of ownership of tasks and the motivation to follow through to achieve personal and team goals. 
• Ability to work under pressure, meet competing deadlines, and adapt easily. 
• A sincere respect for the values and differences that all members of a small team bring to an office environment; adaptability to different approaches and a flexibility to move in new directions as needed. 
• Demonstrates a commitment to Federation values, vision and direction. 
• Comfortable working with a wide variety of technologies/software. 
• A good sense of humour.

Compensation

• Starting salary range: $48,300 - $54,600 (commensurate with experience)