Job Description

Position description:
Tasks include administrative and communication management of the 5 regional sites in the ABLE Village project network; project management including timelining, network communications, supporting a rigorous co-design approach in regional nodal groups; tracking and supporting the development of deliverables in all 5 regional nodes, including: a Qualitative Assessment Tool; “ArtPlay” projects/games at each nodal site; supporting ABLE Village platform development (McMaster); supporting collaborative writing of white papers, journal articles and conference proposals and presentations. The postdoctoral fellow also provides supervisory support for PhD and MA student researchers; and serves as a key liaison with partner organizations and participant partner leaders to ensure excellent communication, exchange and co-design practices with attention to inclusion, diversity, equity and access. The position is supervised by Dr. Paula Gardner, McMaster University and Pulse Lab Director, and co-supervised by Dr. Kim Sawchuk, Concordia University, ACT Lab Director.

Work location and flexibility:
This is a dual remote and in-person position. Hours worked will be flexible. The postdoctoral fellow will be required to attend in-person meetings at McMaster University as needed for in-person meetings with team and/or stakeholders. Remote and in-person meetings will be arranged to accommodate the schedules of all team members.

Project background:
The ABLE Village project builds on a digital game platform called ABLE that we have been building in Pulse lab for 8 years with a highly interdisciplinary team. The ABLE platform has evolved through various iterations, to its current form as on-line, co-located game platform to encourage socialization, play, art creation and movement among older adults. At this time, it is designed with a critical disability approach to ensure wide access by individuals with a range of abilities and their friends and family.

Our new funding allows us to expand the ABLE platform into a virtual, highly accessible village for use by an expanse of older adults, and to focus on thriving while ageing—engaging, learning, making, etc. Community partners are positioned as project co-leads and the project deeply engages, via co-design practices, diverse community and university participants in Hamilton, Montreal, Halifax, Fredericton and Winnipeg. The ABLE Village project builds on expertise brought by the ACT lab (Concordia, PI Dr. Kim Sawchuk) with extensive experience in critical aging studies and community arts practice. The team also benefits from the expertise of faculty co-applicants and collaborators in critical aging studies, computer science/arts design and co-design, recreational studies, Physical Occupational Therapy and Nursing, among other expertise. Uniquely, the project positions community aging organizations as lateral, active partners in the design of ABLE Village and its spaces, tools and game and art experiences. The current ABLE app is at this link; it has a few frames that on-board users; it can be viewed and tested at: https://ableplatform-qa.herokuapp.com/.

How To Apply

Applicants should send a letter of application, CV and a list of 3 references with contact details to Dr. Paula Gardner (gardnerp@mcmaster.ca).

The position will in June 2023, depending on candidate availability and processing of paperwork. Please also feel free to reach out with any questions.

Applicants must have permission to work in Canada.

Employment Equity Statement

McMaster University is located on the traditional territories of the Haudenosaunee and Mississauga Nations and within the lands protected by the “Dish With One Spoon” wampum agreement.

The diversity of our workforce is at the core of our innovation and creativity and strengthens our research and teaching excellence. In keeping with its Statement on Building an Inclusive Community with a Shared Purpose, McMaster University strives to embody the values of respect, collaboration and diversity, and has a strong commitment to employment equity.

The University seeks qualified candidates who share our commitment to equity and inclusion, who will contribute to the diversification of ideas and perspectives, and especially welcomes applications from indigenous (First Nations, Métis or Inuit) peoples, members of racialized communities, persons with disabilities, women, and persons who identify as 2SLGBTQ+.

As part of McMaster’s commitment, all applicants are invited to complete a confidential Applicant Diversity Survey through the online application submission process. The Survey questionnaire requests voluntary self-identification in relation to equity-seeking groups that have historically faced and continue to face barriers in employment. Please refer to the Applicant Diversity Survey - Statement of Collection for additional information.

Job applicants requiring accommodation to participate in the hiring process should contact:

Human Resources Service Centre at 905-525-9140 ext. 222-HR (22247), or
Faculty of Health Sciences HR Office at ext. 22207, or
School of Graduate Studies at ext. 23679

to communicate accommodation needs.

Vaccination Policy Statement

The University is committed to providing and maintaining healthy and safe working and learning environments for all employees, students, volunteers and visitors. The University’s Vaccination Policy-COVID-19 Requirements for Employees and Students (the “Vaccination Policy”), requires all McMaster community members, including employees, accessing a McMaster campus or facility in person to be fully vaccinated or to have received an exemption from the University for a valid human rights ground. While the Vaccination Policy is currently paused, it may resume quickly and on short notice, as informed by public health advice and direction. Should it become necessary in future to resume the Policy, all community members will need to demonstrate compliance at that time. Successful applicants in those positions that work in host hospitals or other healthcare sites that have active vaccination mandates in place will need to comply with these and any other health and safety measures necessary as part of their appointment. The University will continue to follow the guidance of public health organizations to define fully vaccinated status.

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