Research & Development Specialist

Research a wide range of community safety and wellbeing conditions, issues, challenges, and solutions in relation to Community Safety business areas, ensuring the quality, accuracy, timeliness and reliability of research and products.

Develop and recommend high impact research, modelling, projection, and other data projects that reflect corporate priorities

Manage and guide the work of external research consultants to ensure compliance with contracted deliverables and schedules. Provide challenge and oversight function on externally contracted research, analysis, and data development.

Provide briefing material, background documents and memoranda for management, senior management to support decision-making.

Contribute to the achievement of strategic departmental priorities, including the Public Safety Strategy, Just Food, and the Housing and Homelessness Framework.

Identify issues and share information and expertise with internal stakeholders; consult with stakeholders to ensure thorough understanding of their information requirements and how to meet them.

Provides analytical assistance to staff in interpreting research and ensures academic rigor to support decision making that is based on valid data

Offer support and advice to business units in research and development work in conjunction with other HRM units

Act as an internal resource on pertinent subject matter and delivers formal presentations to senior management and stakeholders.

Master's degree in a social science field or related discipline

Minimum of 5 years related research experience

Demonstrated experience developing research projects in terms of scope, objectives, methodologies, and management.

Working knowledge of the local, regional, and national community safety ecosystem, and the social, economic, and political trends, factors and issues that affect community safety and wellbeing.

Demonstrated experience in leading/coordinating research projects

Ability to influence others and build cross-sectoral capacity

Demonstrated experience in report writing and presentations.

Strong interpersonal skills with research affiliations in research communities.

Advanced knowledge of qualitative, quantitative, and participatory research methodologies and software tools for conducting qualitative, quantitative, and spatial analysis.

Strong written and oral communication skills including negotiation and influencing skills.

Knowledge of culturally proficient ways of working with equity-deserving communities including urban Indigenous peoples, local African Nova Scotians, African descent communities, racialized peoples, members of the 2SLGBTQ+ communities, and persons with disabilities.