The Department of Statistics and Actuarial Science in the Faculty of Mathematics at the University of Waterloo is seeking an exceptional scholar and researcher in the area of Statistical Data Science to fill a Natural Science and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) Tier 2 Canada Research Chair (CRC) at the rank of Associate Professor. If circumstances warrant, appointments at the rank of Assistant Professor may be considered. The anticipated start date is July 1, 2022, though the actual start date is flexible.

The department is looking for candidates with a PhD in Statistics, Biostatistics or related areas. The candidate will propose an innovative program of high-quality research that will attract external funding and excellent, well qualified and diverse graduate students. Evidence of an actively developing research program with emphasis on Data Science or Computational Statistics and a successful record of Tri-Agency funding is required. Ability and desire to partner with faculty in closely related fields is required.

The successful candidate will have obtained a PhD or equivalent within ten years of nomination to the CRC position and will be an outstanding emerging scholar with a demonstrated potential to achieve a significant international reputation in the next five to ten years. Applicants who are more than 10 years from having earned their highest degree and where career breaks exist, 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 which can be found at: http://www.chairs-chaires.gc.ca/program-programme/nomination-mise_en_candidature-eng.aspx#s3. The University of Waterloo understands the impact that legitimate career interruptions (e.g. parental leave, leave due to illness) can have on a candidate’s record of research achievement and encourages potential candidates to explain in their application the impact this may have on their record; this information will be taken into careful consideration during the assessment process. Please consult the CRC website and the Office of Research for full program information, including further details on eligibility criteria.

Duties include research, teaching at the undergraduate and graduate level, service to the department, and the supervision of graduate students. Experience or potential for developing an array of traditional and on-line courses for a diverse student body is required. The successful candidate will have a reduced teaching assignment during the term of the CRC. Applicants whose research aligns with the strategic goal of the department to become a leader in Statistical Data Science would be preferred. The salary offered will be commensurate with qualifications and experience. The salary range for this position is $130,000 to $180,000. Negotiations beyond this salary range will be considered for exceptionally qualified candidates.

The successful candidate will be appointed as a regular member of the department and will be subsequently nominated for a Tier 2 Canada Research Chair. Nominations for Canada Research Chairs (CRC) are subject to review by the CRC Secretariat and appointment as a CRC is conditional on their approval (see the CRC terms of reference). The University of Waterloo is committed to providing the candidate with the support required to secure the CRC. For more information on the Canada Research Chair program see www.chairs-chaires.gc.ca/program-programme/index-eng.aspx.

The University of Waterloo is one of Canada’s leading universities with 40,000 full and part-time students in undergraduate and graduate programs. The Department of Statistics and Actuarial Science is one of the top academic units for the statistical and actuarial sciences in the world and is home to over 50 research active full-time faculty and close to 200 graduate students in programs including Statistics, Biostatistics, Data Science, Quantitative Finance and Actuarial Science. The department offers a vibrant research environment for a wide range of areas including statistical theory, applied probability, analysis of longitudinal and event history data, causal inference, methods for incomplete data, statistical learning, data science, computational statistics, finance and risk management, survey methods, industrial statistics, and interdisciplinary collaborative work. The department benefits from close relationships with many research groups on campus including the Survey Research Centre, the Business and Industrial Statistics Research Group, the Waterloo Artificial Intelligence Institute, the School of Public Health Science, the Interdisciplinary Centre on Climate Change, and the Centre for Theoretical Neuroscience. Faculty have access to a wide array of computational resources including access to regional and national high performance and super computing resources like SHARCNET, Compute Canada, and Scinet.

Interested individuals should apply using MathJobs (www.mathjobs.org/jobs). Applications should include a cover letter, a curriculum vitae, research and teaching statements, teaching evaluation summaries (if available) and up to three reprints/preprints. In addition, applicants should arrange to have at least three reference letters submitted on their behalf. Completed applications will be reviewed on an ongoing basis. The application deadline is December 17, 2021.

All applicants to this CRC opportunity are required to self-identify using the self-identification applicant survey at https://uwaterloo.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_08RcdJzz6YAh4TX. Because this is a special opportunity for individuals who identify as members of a racialized group, applicant self-identification information will be used for the purposes of screening and consideration. Please note that this information will be securely accessed only by members of a central selection committee and, for nominees selected, for the fulfillment of CRC program purposes(s) detailed at: http://www.chairs-chaires.gc.ca/program-programme/equity-equite/index-eng.aspx. All qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority.

The University of Waterloo acknowledges that much of our work takes place on the traditional territory of the Neutral, Anishinaabeg and Haudenosaunee peoples. Our main campus is situated on the Haldimand Tract, the land granted to the Six Nations that includes six miles on each side of the Grand River. Our active work toward reconciliation takes place across our campuses through research, learning, teaching, and community building, and is centralized within our Indigenous Initiatives Office (https://uwaterloo.ca/human-rights-equity-inclusion/indigenousinitiatives).

The University values the diverse and intersectional identities of its students, faculty, and staff. The University regards equity and diversity as an integral part of academic excellence and is committed to accessibility for all employees. The University of Waterloo seeks applicants who embrace our values of equity, anti-racism and inclusion. As such, we encourage applications from candidates who have been historically disadvantaged and marginalized, including applicants who identify as Indigenous peoples (e.g., First Nations, Métis, Inuk(Inuit)), Black, racialized, people with disabilities, women and/or 2SLGBTQ+. However, this particular selection process will follow the provisions for a special program as described by the Ontario Human Rights Commission in order to address the underrepresentation of individuals from equity-seeking groups among our Canada Research Chairs, which has been identified through research (Canadian Association of University Teachers, 2018; Council of Canadian Academies, 2012; Henry et al., 2017; and Witteman, Hendricks, Straus, & Tannenbaum, 2019) to be systemic in nature. As such, this opportunity is open only to individuals who self-identify as a member of a racialized group. Improving the representation, participation, and engagement of equity-deserving groups and Indigenous peoples within our community is a key objective of Waterloo’s Strategic Plan 2020-2025 (https://uwaterloo.ca/strategic-plan/).

The University of Waterloo is committed to accessibility for persons with disabilities. If you have any application, interview, or workplace accommodation requests please contact Occupational Health (occupationalhealth@uwaterloo.ca or Karen – extension 40538); they will work with the selection committee to secure accommodation while ensuring that the information is safe-guarded and confidentiality is maintained.

University of Waterloo, Statistics and Actuarial Science