Job Opportunities

The University of British Columbia (UBC) Vancouver campus is recruiting an outstanding researcher to be nominated for the Canada Excellence Research Chair (CERC) in Environmental Geochemistry. The CERC program, Canada’s highest research chair appointment, is designed to attract and support world-renowned researchers and their teams to Canada. The successful applicant will be nominated for a Canada Excellence Research Chair. The CERC nomination is subject to review and final approval by the CERC Secretariat.  The CERC award, if successful, will be for $1M per year for eight years.

UBC consistently ranks among the top 20 public universities in the world, and is a renowned global center for teaching, learning and research.  Since 1915, UBC has been opening doors of opportunity for people with the curiosity, drive and vision to shape a better world. Today, our students, faculty and staff come from around the world and our international research partnerships and publications help us collaborate on a global scale. UBC is proud to nurture and transform the lives of more than 65,000 students from Canada and 140+ countries around the world. 

The Canada Excellence Research Chair in Environmental Geochemistry provides a unique opportunity for a leading scholar bridging fundamental research in environmental chemistry and human health, while supporting science-based public policy. The candidate’s research will span a range of disciplines to better understand how pollutants released by human activity interact with natural ecosystems, and the interplay between environmental toxicants, global change and human and ecological health. This CERC will engage with an extraordinary group of interdisciplinary colleagues in shaping the future of environmental geochemistry and public policy, addressing key strategic priorities within EOAS, the Faculty of Science and UBC.

UBC has world-class research strength in environmental geochemistry, Earth and marine sciences, fisheries science, sustainability, public health and policy. The proposed host department, EOAS, is one of the most academically-diverse and productive of its kind in Canada, encompassing a wide range of disciplines from geochemistry, geology and geological engineering to oceanography and atmospheric science. UBC consistently ranks among the top 10-15 universities globally in the field of Earth and marine sciences. The diversity of research and analytical instrumentation in EOAS will provide the CERC with a broad intellectual context and cutting-edge tools to explore inter-disciplinary research questions. Of particular note, the Pacific Center for Isotopic and Geochemical Research (PCIGR, housed in EOAS) is among the most advanced analytical facilities in the world for geochemical research, with state-of-the-art instrumentation for ultra-sensitive and precise analysis of trace elements and isotopes in a range of Earth system materials. Other departments at UBC, including the Institute for the Oceans and Fisheries (IOF) and the Institute for Resources, Environment and Sustainability (IRES), are global leaders in the development of sustainable approaches to managing Earth’s ecological resources.

As a faculty member and CERC chair holder, the successful candidate will be expected to advance UBC Faculty of Science objectives such as ‘working for the benefit of society’ and ‘participating in public debate, decision-making and policy, and education on critical scientific issues’. The candidate will also be expected to lead a strong, externally-funded research program, to supervise graduate and undergraduate students and postdoctoral fellows, collaborate with other faculty members, and actively participate in teaching and service to the Department, University, and academic/scientific community. 

In addition to the above, candidates must 

• have a PhD (or equivalent) in a relevant discipline
• be an internationally-recognized leader of a (multi- and inter-disciplinary) research program with at least (10 years) of internationally-competitive research experience in Environmental Geochemistry
• demonstrated leadership in research and teaching that is creative, innovative, and collaboration-based

CERC holders will have a strong commitment to equity, diversity, and inclusion and to creating a welcoming community where those who are historically, persistently, or systemically marginalized are treated equitably, feel respected, and belong.  UBC recognizes that inclusion is built by individual and institutional responsibility through continuous engagement with diversity to inspire people, ideas, and actions for a better world. As Canada’s highest research chair appointees, UBC CERCs will have a unique and profound impact on our commitments to these values.

It is expected that the successful candidate will qualify for a full-time appointment at the rank of professor, or senior associate professor to be promoted to professor within one or two years of the nomination.  Nominees from outside the academic sector must possess the qualifications necessary to be appointed at these levels. The anticipated start date will be no later than July 1, 2023.  Salary will be commensurate with qualifications and experience, and is subject to final budgetary approval.  Competitive start-up packages, relocation, housing assistance and infrastructure development funds will be provided.  

CERC nominees are not restricted by their nationality or their country of residence.  Non-Canadian Chairholders may work in Canada under the procedures by Employment and Social Development Canada and Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada. In some cases, a work permit may be expedited. 

Equity and diversity are essential to academic excellence. An open and diverse community fosters the inclusion of voices that have been underrepresented or discouraged. We encourage applications from members of groups that have been marginalized on any grounds enumerated under the B.C. Human Rights Code, including sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, racialization, disability, political belief, religion, marital or family status, age, and/or status as a First Nation, Metis, Inuit, or Indigenous person. 

UBC is committed to creating and maintaining an inclusive, non-discriminatory and accessible work environment for all members of its workforce. UBC is also committed to ensuring that the application and interview process is accessible to all applicants.  If you require accommodations or have questions about UBC benefits, services or accommodations policies, please contact Sue Lebrun at in Workplace Health Services.

UBC recognizes the legitimate impact that leaves (e.g., parental leaves, illness or disability, COVID-19 impacts) can have on research achievement and commits to ensuring that leaves are taken into careful consideration. Candidates are encouraged to highlight in their application how interruptions have had an impact on their career.

To apply: Interested candidates must follow the application instructions at https://www.eoas.ubc.ca/cerc-eoas-1. Complete applications will include a detailed curriculum vitae, a research statement, an equity, diversity, and inclusion (EDI) statement, and the names and contact information of three references. As part of the application process, applicants will be asked to complete a voluntary employment equity survey.

Review of applications will begin on May 24, 2022.  

 The UBC Vancouver campus is situated on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory of the Musqueam people. UBC is dedicated to be a world leader in the implementation of Indigenous people's human rights and is guided in a mission of reconciliation as articulated and called for by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada. It is firmly committed to recruiting Indigenous faculty, students, and staff as outlined in its Indigenous Strategic Plan. As one of the world's leading universities, UBC creates an exceptional learning and research environment that fosters global citizenship, advances a civil and sustainable society to serve the people of British Columbia, Canada, and the world.