U

University of Waterloo

Student-run venture capital training fund

Research Project Manager

Full-TimeUpdated
$62k - $77.4k
Mid, Senior
Bachelor's
Waterloo, ON, Canada
In Person
Project & Program ManagementProgram Management

About the job

Requirements
  • An undergraduate degree in a relevant discipline, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
  • Experience providing functional leadership, project leadership, or coordinating research activities in an academic environment.
  • Experience with the design of research processes, data collection, and data management, particularly for behavioural research studies.
  • Experience writing and sharing content through multiple channels to support knowledge dissemination across academic, industry, policy, and professional association stakeholders.
  • Experience planning and executing academic events.
  • Knowledge of research administration processes, research ethics, behavioural research methods, and data management practices.
  • Verbal and written communication skills to convey information to researchers, academic associations, and professional bodies, including audiences with limited technical knowledge or context.
  • Analytical and problem-solving skills to identify issues, recommend practical solutions, and support continuous improvement of research processes and operations.
  • Financial administration skills, including monitoring budgets, processing financial transactions, and maintaining accurate financial records.
  • Project management, organizational, and prioritization skills to manage concurrent projects, competing priorities, and deadlines.
  • Ability to initiate and complete unstructured tasks independently and develop necessary skills and knowledge.
  • Ability to build collaborative relationships with faculty, students, researchers, and external partners.
  • Ability to coordinate complex research projects involving multiple stakeholders while maintaining accuracy, confidentiality, and attention to detail.
  • Ability to work independently and as part of a team, take initiative, and be proactive.
  • Applicants must be legally entitled to work in Canada.
Responsibilities
  • Support SAF researchers and collaborators in coordinating, planning, and managing research studies involving the SAF Behavioural Laboratory.
  • Participate in developing data collection protocols, tools, and instruments, including problem-solving and troubleshooting for projects run in the Behavioural Laboratory.
  • Implement research protocols developed by researchers; oversee participant recruitment, data collection, and data management, including developing and overseeing quality assurance procedures for data collection.
  • Create research ethics applications and obtain University of Waterloo Research Ethics approval for the Behavioural Laboratory in consultation with SAF researchers; assist with other research administration tasks.
  • Contribute to improving research infrastructure in SAF, including the Behavioural Laboratory and licensed archival databases.
  • Assist with grant proposal writing.
  • Coordinate the writing of reports, media releases, and other efforts to disseminate research results to the accounting and finance profession, including professional bodies such as the Canadian Academic Accounting Association, CPA Ontario, CPA Canada, and the Ontario Securities Commission.
  • Prepare reports for investigators, staff, external stakeholders, and funders.
  • Provide data outputs and create reports for knowledge translation and exchange activities with external stakeholders.
  • Communicate with internal and external stakeholders in one-on-one and group settings.
  • Coordinate and support research conferences hosted by research centres within CARE.
  • Coordinate research activities and resources of the Behavioural Laboratory and the research centres within CARE.
  • Manage competing priorities, limited resources, and overlapping timelines, and escalate issues to appropriate stakeholders when warranted.
  • Oversee and assign tasks to co-op students, graduate students, and casual staff regarding Behavioural Laboratory and CARE research-centre activities.
  • Manage the budget and initiate financial transactions related to Behavioural Laboratory and CARE activities.
  • Advise researchers, staff, and graduate students on data management protocols and use of the Behavioural Laboratory to maintain research standards and ensure quality and integrity of collected data.
  • Train graduate students on rules governing use of the Behavioural Laboratory and data collection processes.
  • Monitor students throughout the data collection cycle to ensure proper collection methods are followed.
Desired Qualifications
  • A minimum of five years of experience managing projects in an academic setting and supporting a wide variety of stakeholders is preferred.
  • Additional qualifications in data management or digital knowledge mobilization are an asset.
  • Financial administration and budgeting experience is an asset.

About the company

U

University of Waterloo

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The Student Venture Fund (SVF) at the University of Waterloo provides students with hands-on venture capital training by evaluating startups, conducting market research, valuing companies, performing due diligence, and making investment recommendations under supervision from finance professors and industry mentors. Students work through the full investment process, presenting ideas and executing approved investments as part of a live early-stage portfolio. The program differs from typical courses by offering an end-to-end, real-money learning experience with ongoing mentorship and industry interaction. Its goal is to develop practical VC skills in students while building real-world investment experience and expanding connections with the startup and investment community.

Company Size

11-50

Company Stage

N/A

Total Funding

$3.4M

Headquarters

Waterloo, Canada

Founded

2017

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Simplify's Take

What believers are saying

  • September 2026 entrepreneurship rankings strengthen Waterloo's employer brand for startup-minded hires.
  • April 2026 operating budget added $50.8 million in provincial grant funding.
  • Velocity's 2026 accelerator accepted 55 students, showing strong deal flow and ecosystem depth.

What critics are saying

  • April 17, 2026 budget still showed a $33.7 million structural deficit.
  • Waterloo kept a hiring freeze in 2026; further restructuring and layoffs remain scheduled.
  • Domestic tuition caps and international enrollment limits squeeze revenue through 2027, threatening program breadth.

What makes University of Waterloo unique

  • September 2, 2026 PitchBook ranked Waterloo seventh globally for producing entrepreneurs.
  • Velocity and SVF give students direct venture investing and founder exposure inside SAF.
  • September 4, 2026 IPON backed 30 Velocity Summer Accelerator teams with $12,000 fellowships.

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Benefits

  • Training Programs
  • Professional Development Budget

Company News

University of Waterloo
Sep 2nd, 2021
Investments | School of Accounting and Finance

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