Job Opportunities

Area of Research: Housing, land use, neighbourhood change, commercial revitalization, economic development, and/or regional planning and governance

Position Overview:

We are seeking a postdoctoral fellow to help manage a variety of projects at the School of Cities primarily in the areas of housing, land use, governance, climate adaptation, and economic development. The research program is led by Professor Karen Chapple at the School of Cities, University of Toronto. The School of Cities is a think-do tank that works across disciplines, sectors, and communities to innovate new and just solutions to the world’s complex urban challenges.

The successful candidate will join the research team for a one-year term (with the possibility of renewal). The postdoctoral fellow will contribute to some of the exciting projects at the School of Cities, including 1) developing a curriculum on data storytelling for equitable development across North American cities; 2) evaluating potential solutions to the continent’s affordable housing crisis; 3) understanding the implications of the future of work for cities (and downtowns); 4) studying the impacts of climate change and migration on cities; and/or 5) examining the sustainability of North American growth patterns given emissions reduction goals, among others.

The candidate should be fluent in qualitative methods, comfortable with secondary data analysis, and competent in knowledge mobilization, including the proven ability to write for a broad (and non-academic) audience. The candidate should have strong facilitation skills and comfort with working with diverse communities across North America. We are particularly interested in finding candidates with urban domain expertise (planning, geography, public policy, sociology, or political science). Previous work experience in the public or nonprofit sector is a plus, as is experience in project management for academic research.

The postdoctoral fellow will author and co-author journal articles, develop conference presentations, and support the writing and development of research grant proposals. The candidate will support knowledge transfer through a range of activities including the writing of op-eds, creation of videos, use of social media, and participation in community events. The postdoctoral fellow will also provide training and support for undergraduate and graduate student researchers and will have opportunities to teach at the University of Toronto.

Supervised by Professor Chapple, the postdoctoral fellow will have office space at the School of Cities (University of Toronto St. George campus) and will have opportunities to collaborate with researchers in multiple departments across the tri-campus University of Toronto. The University of Toronto is a globally ranked research university that offers postdoctoral fellows the highest levels of opportunity for professional and scholarly training, network development, and the opportunity to engage with stakeholders throughout the Greater Toronto Area and beyond.

Required qualifications:

• PhD degree in a field such as geography, planning, political science, sociology, public health, public policy, or similar, awarded within past 5 years;
• Extensive knowledge of urban planning, policy and governance;
• Demonstrated experience in interviewing, coding, and analysis of qualitative data;
• Demonstrated comfort with quantitative analysis;
• Experience with research design and managing complex quantitative and qualitative data collection and analysis approaches;
• Excellent written and oral communication in English;
• Excellent personal time management, project management and organizational skills.
• Experience in knowledge translation of academic research and/or research collaboration with external stakeholders.

Salary: $65,000/year (negotiable depending on experience) + conference travel + benefits + 15 days of vacation

The successful candidate will be eligible to apply for additional travel and research supports designated for postdoctoral fellows based at the SofC.

Application instructions

All individuals interested in this position must submit a cover letter and short research statement, a CV, and contact details for two references to Karen Chapple (karen.chapple@utoronto.ca). Please email materials in a single PDF with the subject line: SofC-EDDIT PDF.

Application closing date: Screening of applications will commence immediately and continue until the position is filled.

Supervisor: Professor Karen Chapple

Expected start date: Fall 2023  

Term: 1 year renewable

FTE: 1 full-time equivalent

The normal hours of work are 40 hours per week for a full-time postdoctoral fellow (pro-rated for those holding a partial appointment) recognizing that the needs of the employee’s research and training and the needs of the supervisor’s research program may require flexibility in the performance of the employee’s duties and hours of work. Postdoctoral fellows are expected to live in the Province of Ontario.

Employment as a Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Toronto is covered by the terms of the CUPE 3902 Unit 5 Collective Agreement.

This job is posted in accordance with the CUPE 3902 Unit 5 Collective Agreement.

The University of Toronto is strongly committed to diversity within its community and especially welcomes applications from racialized persons / persons of colour, women, Indigenous / Aboriginal People of North America, persons with disabilities, LGBTQ persons, and others who may contribute to the further diversification of ideas.

We have six work-study positions available for the upcoming 2023-24 academic year. If you have an interest in urban issues, we encourage you to consider joining our team. The positions encompass a variety of roles including research, GIS, communications, and programming.

• Communications, Media & Social Media Assistant (JOB ID: 223571)
• Programs Assistant (JOB ID: 223981)
• Mapping & GIS Research Assistant (JOB ID: 224091)
• Programs Assistant (JOB ID: 224152)
• Toronto Cultural Plan Research Assistant (JOB ID: 224185)
• Research Assistant (JOB ID: 224257)
• Outreach Project Assistant (JOB ID: 224307)

If any of these roles align with your skills and interests, we encourage you to search the work-study ID # and apply at: https://clnx.utoronto.ca/.