Senior Manager of Research Operations

Senior Manager of Research Operations About OSCIA

The Ontario Soil and Crop Improvement Association (OSCIA) is a unique not-for-profit farm organization whose diverse membership has a significant presence in all agricultural areas of the province and across all major sectors. The mission of OSCIA is to facilitate responsible economic management of soil, water, air and crops through development and communication of innovative farming practices. OSCIA is a leader in agricultural program delivery, including cost-share funding distribution, educational workshop offerings for farmers, and administration of on-farm applied research and knowledge transfer opportunities.

The Senior Manager of Research Operations is responsible for the operational management of research initiatives that advance sustainable agriculture, soil health, and climate-resilient farming systems. This role ensures that research projects are designed, implemented, and evaluated effectively, supporting the organization’s mission to foster innovation, environmental stewardship, and evidence-based decision-making in agriculture.

The incumbent will oversee research planning, project management, data integrity, stakeholder coordination, and reporting functions. They will also ensure compliance with funding agreements, scientific standards, and ethical research practices while supporting partnerships with academic institutions, government agencies, and industry collaborators.

• Lead the design, coordination, and delivery of applied research projects that address sustainability priorities such as soil health, water quality, greenhouse gas emission reductions, biodiversity, and climate adaptation.
• Assist the Director of Research and Knowledge Transfer with the development of annual and multi-year plans to identify research opportunities that align with organizational strategies and sectoral goals.
• Manage the research operations portfolio, assist with budgeting, staffing, and resource allocation.
• Ensure the integration of research outcomes into organizational programming, communications, and policy engagement.
• Provide scientific leadership in project development, methodology design, and outcome measurement.

• Oversee the day-to-day operations of research activities, ensuring adherence to timelines, quality standards, and funding obligations.
• Develop and maintain Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for research design, data collection, analysis, project management and reporting.
• Coordinate ethics review processes, data governance, and confidentiality standards.
• Support continuous improvement of data systems, digital tools, and workflows for research management.
• Implement risk management strategies to mitigate operational or compliance challenges in research execution.

• Assist with monitoring research budgets, ensuring expenditures align with approved allocations and funding guidelines.
• Monitor financial and contractual compliance for research projects and partnerships.
• Prepare and submit operational reports and performance summaries to funding agents and senior leadership for oversight and transparency.
• Prepare research reports, data summaries, and performance analyses for senior leadership, funding agencies, and stakeholders.
• Lead internal audits and contribute to external evaluations of research programs.
• Support grant writing and funding proposal development by providing operational input and budget frameworks.

• Supervise research and technical staff, provide mentorship, training, and performance management.
• Foster a collaborative, innovative, and knowledge-sharing culture across research teams.
• Encourage staff development through goal setting, learning opportunities, and professional growth plans.
• Support recruitment and onboarding of new research personnel and students.
• Coordinate succession planning and skill development, ensuring team capacity aligns with evolving organizational and research priorities.

• Build and maintain strong working relationships with academic institutions, research organizations, and funding partners.
• Represent the organization at conferences, workshops, and industry events.
• Facilitate collaboration between research, programs, and communications teams to ensure alignment and impact.
• Ensure the timely and effective implementation of knowledge translation and transfer (KTT) strategies to share research outcomes and best practices with producers, industry stakeholders, and policy partners.
• Translate complex research findings into plain language materials to support producer adoption, policy development, and public engagement.

• Oversee research data collection, management, and analysis to ensure scientific accuracy and reproducibility.
• Implement quality assurance and performance evaluation frameworks for research outcomes.
• Coordinate data…