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The University of Regina is a public research university with a strong commitment to interdisciplinary scholarship, graduate education, and research that addresses local, national, and global challenges. The University is located in Regina, Saskatchewan, a mid-sized and increasingly diverse city in the Canadian Prairies. The University of Regina and its federated colleges are on Treaty 4 and Treaty 6 territories, the homelands of the nêhiyawak, Anihšināpēk, Dakota, Lakota, and Nakoda peoples and the Métis/Michif Nation.

Position Summary:

The Senior Research Scientist will support the Canada Impact+ Research Chair and lead the translation of advanced sensing materials and devices into integrated, field-deployable turnkey environmental sensing systems enabled by artificial intelligence (AI). The incumbent will lead and coordinate multidisciplinary research and development (R&D), funding strategy and proposal development, research infrastructure planning, program and project management, laboratory validation and field deployment, regulatory compliance, intellectual property (IP) strategy and protection, and knowledge mobilization. The incumbent will also conduct outreach to and develop partnerships with industry, government, research institutions, Indigenous communities and organizations, other community stakeholders, end users, and prospective commercialization partners. The incumbent will support the creation and growth of a University of Regina spin-off company to commercialize technologies and products arising from the Hub’s research and will train and mentor highly qualified personnel (HQP).

Responsibilities:

1. Develop funding strategies and lead the preparation of research, infrastructure, commercialization, and innovation funding proposals for submission to federal and provincial programs and industry partners, including applications to the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI), and the National Research Council of Canada Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC IRAP).

2. Lead the end-to-end development of turnkey environmental sensing systems, including translating end-user needs into system requirements, architectures, technical specifications, interfaces, development roadmaps, and verification and validation plans, and integrating sensing materials and devices, embedded electronics, Internet of Things (IoT) connectivity, application programming interfaces (APIs), data analytics, and embedded or edge artificial intelligence (AI). Where relevant, support the integration of these systems with artificial intelligence applications in radio access networks (RANs), including AI-RAN technologies.

3. Monitor and assess emerging scientific and technological developments, applicable standards and regulations, and market trends in environmental sensing, quantum sensing, advanced materials, AI-enabled sensing systems, and related fields, and incorporate relevant insights into the Hub’s research priorities, funding strategies, system-development roadmaps, commercialization activities, and partnership strategies.

4. Lead the development, fabrication, and characterization of thin-film and nanomaterial-based chemical sensors, including gas sensors, and integrate these devices into field-deployable turnkey sensing platforms.

5. Lead or coordinate cleanroom micro- and nanofabrication and process development for sensor and microsystem prototypes, including wet-chemical and plasma-based surface preparation, photolithography, thin-film deposition and patterning, soft lithography, plasma processing, metal etching, microelectrode fabrication, microfluidic device fabrication, electronic device integration, and materials and device characterization methods such as profilometry, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Raman spectroscopy, and electrical characterization with semiconductor parameter analysers.

6. Create and review device layouts and fabrication drawings, and coordinate mechanical design using appropriate computer-aided design (CAD) and device-layout tools.

7. Lead laboratory validation, field deployment, performance evaluation, data analysis, documentation, troubleshooting, and iterative improvement of turnkey sensing systems.

8. Plan and deliver product and technology demonstrations for academic researchers, industry and government representatives, community partners, and prospective commercialization partners.

9. Coordinate product compliance, regulatory approvals, certification, quality assurance, research security, export controls, laboratory safety, and related risk management activities in collaboration with appropriate University offices and external specialists.

10. Develop and maintain partnerships with industry, government, research institutions, funding organizations, and other end users.

11. Support respectful, reciprocal, and sustained partnerships with Indigenous communities and organizations, including First Nations, Inuit, and Métis partners where relevant, in coordination with Indigenous leadership and University specialists.

12. Prepare technical reports, white papers, peer-reviewed journal manuscripts, conference papers, invention disclosures, and patent support materials, and contribute to intellectual property strategy in collaboration with the University’s research services, commercialization, and legal specialists.

13. Lead regular technical and program management meetings; document decisions, action items, risks, milestones, budgets, and deliverables; and follow up on assigned actions.

14. Support the establishment and growth of a University of Regina spin-off company arising from the Chair’s research program, including business planning, funding proposals, commercialization strategy, product development, and coordination with university innovation and commercialization specialists. This includes supporting design for manufacturability, reliability, serviceability, scalability, and cost-effective production as technologies progress from prototypes toward commercial products.

15. Co-organize and co-host an annual conference, workshop, or industry engagement event at the University of Regina related to environmental intelligence and turnkey sensing systems.

16. Develop, coordinate, and deliver public, community, and youth outreach initiatives related to the Environmental Intelligence Hub’s research and societal impacts, including school-based activities, summer camps, public-awareness initiatives in collaboration with non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and town hall meetings; and support strategic communications and media engagement to raise awareness of the Hub’s work, in collaboration with University communications specialists.

17. Develop and maintain robust technical, regulatory, quality, financial, grant, intellectual property (IP), and project management documentation; support the preparation of the Chair’s governance plan, detailed research proposal, data management plan, knowledge mobilization/translation plan, and Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) Action Plan; support implementation of the resulting plans and research program; and support the preparation of annual progress and financial reports.

18. Coordinate, in collaboration with appropriate University units and external vendors, the procurement, installation, commissioning, operation, and maintenance of research infrastructure and specialized equipment supporting the Hub’s research program.

19. Manage project plans, schedules, budgets, technical risks, external vendors, subcontractors, deliverables, and reporting requirements across multidisciplinary projects.

20. Provide technical leadership; support the recruitment and onboarding of students, postdoctoral researchers, research associates, and technical personnel; and provide training and mentorship in fabrication, systems integration, testing, field deployment, data analysis, and documentation.

Required Qualifications:

1. Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in engineering, applied science, materials science, physics, or a closely related discipline.

2. At least four (4) years of relevant industry research and development experience in sensor systems, advanced materials, or a closely related field in engineering or applied science.

3. Demonstrated experience developing and characterizing thin-film or nanomaterial-based sensors, preferably for chemical or gas-sensing applications.

4. Substantial hands-on experience in cleanroom micro- and nanofabrication, including experience with several of the following: wet-chemical and plasma-based surface preparation, photolithography, thin-film processing, soft lithography, metal etching, microelectrode or microfluidic device fabrication, electronic device integration PCB layout, CAD software, system development, and materials and device characterization methods, or electrical characterization using semiconductor parameter analysers.

5. Demonstrated experience translating advanced sensing technologies from component- or device-level research into integrated prototypes or field-deployable systems through laboratory validation, troubleshooting, and iterative improvement.

6. Demonstrated experience leading or coordinating multidisciplinary, cross-functional research and development projects involving internal technical teams and external partners, vendors, foundries, subcontractors, or testing facilities.

7. Demonstrated proficiency in scientific programming, modelling, simulation, and data analysis using one or more tools such as MATLAB, Simulink, LabVIEW, Python, or comparable software.

8. Demonstrated track record of preparing successful research, infrastructure, commercialization, or innovation funding proposals for Canadian federal or provincial programs or industry partners, and of supporting the administration of funded research and development projects through technical, financial, milestone, or contribution reporting.

9. Excellent written and oral communication skills in English, including the ability to communicate complex scientific and technical information to specialist and non-specialist audiences, as demonstrated through competitive funding proposals, technical and financial reports, presentations, or equivalent outputs.

10. Demonstrated record of peer-reviewed publications in sensor systems, micro- and nanofabrication, photonics, microfluidics, advanced materials, or a closely related field.

11. Experience training or mentoring students, postdoctoral researchers, research associates, engineers, or technical personnel.

Preferred Qualifications:

1. Postdoctoral research experience in engineering, applied science, materials science, physics, or a closely related discipline.

2. Demonstrated experience spanning academic research and industry, including work in a deep-technology startup or other industrial research and development (R&D) environment and contributions to product development or commercialization.

3. Experience with one or more of the following: regulatory compliance, product certification, quality assurance, research security, export controls, or coordination with accredited third-party testing laboratories.

4. Experience integrating sensing hardware with one or more of the following: data analytics tools, Internet of Things (IoT) platforms, application programming interfaces (APIs), embedded artificial intelligence (AI), or edge AI.

5. Experience with artificial intelligence applications in radio access networks (RANs), including AI-RAN technologies, or with related wireless communications systems.

6. Experience applying and evaluating AI systems in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) contexts, including assessing and improving the quality of outputs from large language models (LLMs).

7. Experience using computer-aided design (CAD) or device-layout software to create or review device layouts, mechanical designs, or fabrication drawings.

8. Experience with budget management, procurement, vendor and subcontractor coordination, and deliverable tracking for funded projects.

9. Experience applying systems-engineering methods, including requirements definition, system architecture, interface management, technical road mappi, or verification and validation planning.

10. Experience supporting prototype-to-production scale-up, design for manufacturability, reliability improvement, supply-chain development, or product cost reduction.

11. Commitment to respectful, reciprocal, and community-led engagement with Indigenous partners, including a willingness to undertake relevant training and to work under the guidance of Indigenous leadership, community partners, and University specialists.

12. Experience coordinating multi-institutional or international research collaborations or consortia, including responsibility for partner deliverables, meetings, and reporting.

13. Experience teaching, guest lecturing, or delivering technical training in university, research, or professional settings.

14. Experience developing and delivering public, community, youth, or media outreach initiatives and communicating scientific or technical concepts to non-specialist audiences through events, demonstrations, written content, interviews, or digital media.

15. Experience contributing to academic service and scholarly quality assurance, including peer review for journals or conferences.

16. Commitment to ongoing professional development, including a willingness to pursue role-relevant continuing education, training, or professional certifications as the Hub’s scientific, technical, regulatory, commercialization, leadership, and program management needs evolve.

Eligibility and Employment Preference:

All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority. Applicants must be legally entitled to work in Canada, and the work associated with this position must be performed within Canada.

Conditions of Employment:

1. Able to comply with applicable University policies and federal and provincial laws, regulations, and requirements, and to satisfy all applicable research security requirements, including completing any required attestations and security screenings, implementing any required risk mitigation measures, and obtaining and maintaining any required access authorizations.

2. Able, with reasonable accommodation where required, to work safely in cleanroom, laboratory, and field environments; wear required personal protective equipment; and complete all required laboratory, equipment, and safety training.

3. Willing and able to work occasional evenings or weekends, with reasonable advance notice where practicable and in accordance with applicable University policies and, where applicable, collective-agreement provisions, for time-sensitive experiments, field deployments, scheduled product demonstrations, conferences, and meetings with international partners.

4. Willing and able to undertake fieldwork and domestic and international work-related travel, including travel to remote field sites, conferences, partner facilities, and research facilities, as required, and to obtain and maintain any travel documentation required for such travel.

5. Willing and able to comply with applicable requirements relating to export controls, intellectual property, conflicts of interest, data governance, confidentiality, material transfers, and information security, including executing any agreements required by the University or its research partners.

6. Must have a valid driver’s license or be willing to obtain one within six months of joining.

Please submit the following documents: