Preferred Start Date: 2027, January 1st

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The Position

Canada Research Chair (Tier II) in Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship, and Director of the Maria T. Schneider Social Innovation Institute

 

Opportunity

MacEwan University’s Triffo School of Business is seeking applications for a Tier 2 Canada Research Chair (CRC) in Social Innovation and Entrepreneurship and Director of the Maria T. Schneider Social Innovation Institute. The position will commence January 1, 2027, or as close to that date as mutually agreed, subject to final budgetary approval. This position will support and build on MacEwan University’s Teaching Greatness: Strategic Vision 2030

The CRC will build on the Triffo School of Business’ strengths in community-driven social innovation, transforming ideas into action and community impact. The successful applicant will receive a full-time, probationary tenure-track position (at the rank of Assistant or Associate Professor) and may be rooted in any of the four Departments in the Triffo School of Business. See our website Triffo - MacEwan University for information on the Departments. The successful applicant will also serve as the Director of MacEwan’s Maria T. Schneider Social Innovation Institute. Upon starting the academic appointment, the successful applicant will work with the University to apply for a Tier 2 Canada Research Chair. For further information relating to a Tier 2 Chair, please click here. In addition to establishing a research program, the workload includes teaching and curriculum development, as well as contributions to university service. The successful applicant will have a reduced teaching load during the CRC appointment.

MacEwan University, in the heart of downtown Edmonton, leads with our Teaching Greatness: Strategic Vision 2030, dedicated to providing students with a transformative, academically rigorous, and personal learning experience in a creative, collaborative, and supportive learning environment. MacEwan continues to evolve and adapt to meet the changing needs of its students and the communities it serves, and today MacEwan offers student-focused instruction and inspires students through a powerful combination of academic excellence and personal learning opportunities.

The Schneider Institute will be housed in MacEwan’s new academic building, scheduled to open in Winter 2027. The Schneider Institute supports the entire entrepreneurial ecosystem from idea generation to commercialization and the implementation and scaling of ideas into a business enterprise. The Schneider Institute is an important hub for students, faculty members, and community partners to collaborate on social innovation and scale ideas into social enterprises. As part of its leadership in innovative teaching and research, the Schneider Institute serves as a space to facilitate ideation and convenes events to develop tools and approaches to support innovation. Among the Institute’s interests are community-driven innovation and scaling up innovative ideas to drive entrepreneurial growth among disadvantaged and marginalized groups. As Director, your responsibilities will include leading the Schneider Institute in meeting and growing its mandate, managing students and research personnel, and fundraising and managing a budget to support its activities.

Candidates with experience or interest in researching Indigenous business will have many opportunities at MacEwan University. Edmonton has the second-largest urban Indigenous population in Canada, and MacEwan University has many Indigenous business partners and opportunities to connect with Indigenous communities and businesses. In addition, MacEwan University’s Indigenous Center, kihêw waciston, is a home away from home for Indigenous students and offers support for gathering, working, and growing in a community that honors the distinctive knowledge of Indigenous peoples.

As a successful applicant, you will have:

• A PhD in business, management, or a related field;

• Evidence of outstanding teaching ability, and a demonstrated commitment to undergraduate teaching; and,

• An active program of original and innovative academic research in innovation, entrepreneurship, social enterprises, and/or Indigenous business, or a related field, and evidence of a research program and research productivity.

You should submit a cover letter outlining how you meet the requirements of a Tier-2 CRC, a curriculum vitae, a statement of research interests, including how they align with the CRC focus, and a teaching dossier (including your teaching philosophy and recent teaching evaluations). The cover letter should indicate in which of the Triffo School of Business’ four Departments you would seek an appointment.

 

CRC Eligibility Criteria

A Tier-2 CRC has a term of five years, which may be renewed once for a second five-year term. Tier 2 Chairs are intended for exceptional emerging scholars. Candidates must be ten years or less from their first independent academic research-related appointment at the time of nomination. Applicants who are more than 10 years beyond their first independent academic research-related appointment, and who have career breaks, such as maternity, parental, or extended sick leave, clinical training, etc., may have their eligibility for a Tier 2 Chair assessed through the program’s Tier 2 justification process.

 

How to Apply

To apply, please head to our MacEwan University Opportunities Page, select the job opportunity, and click Apply Now. If you require assistance, please contact us at careers@macewan.ca.

If you are experiencing technical difficulties when submitting your application, please try submitting through a different browser (i.e., Safari, Firefox, Chrome, etc.). If the issue persists, please send a screenshot of the error message to careers@macewan.ca so we can assist and ensure your application is received.

 

About Us

MacEwan University is where caring faculty help people connect their passions to their future paths. Located in the heart of Edmonton's diverse and dynamic downtown community, and on the traditional lands of Treaty 6 First Nations and homelands of the Métis people, MacEwan is known for exceptional undergraduate learning. With its dedication to teaching excellence, informed by scholarly research, innovation, and creative activity, MacEwan provides an exceptional collaborative and supportive learning environment with a commitment to human rights, environmental sustainability, and opportunities for community engagement. We are committed to creating an equitable, diverse, inclusive, and welcoming community for all peoples, cultures, and identities.

Our comprehensive undergraduate university offers 55 programs to more than 20,000 full- and part-time students in business, communications, community and human services, design, fine and performing arts, health, humanities, natural science, nursing, public safety, and social science. Through a wide array of experiential learning opportunities, and strategic relationships in the community, we partner with others to produce graduates of stature. Along with a robust grounding in their chosen disciplines, MacEwan students are given durable life skills that prepare them to take on the world.

 

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This position is included under the Faculty Association collective agreement.

All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority.

MacEwan University is committed to fostering the principles of equity, diversity, and inclusion within our community, and we are dedicated to removing barriers that have been historically encountered and are currently experienced by some members of our society. We welcome and encourage applications from Indigenous peoples, racialized persons, visible minorities, women, persons with disabilities, sexual and gender minorities, and members of all equity-deserving groups. We believe that the diversity of our students, staff, and faculty serves as a strength of our institution and benefit to society. We are committed to ensuring full and inclusive participation for all in our community.

We strive to provide an inclusive and barrier-free work environment, beginning with the hiring process. If you require accommodation, we want to ensure you have the support you need to showcase your abilities. Please contact humanresources@macewan.ca and we will support you to the best of our ability.

The personal information collected through MacEwan University’s application for employment and is used to determine your qualifications for employment. If your application progresses to the next stage of the hiring process, this information may be shared with non-HR members of the hiring committee and interview panel. This collection is authorized by section 4(c) of the Protection of Privacy Act. For questions about the collection of personal information, contact Human Resources at careers@macewan.ca or phone (780) 497-5434.