Description

The Faculty of Engineering at the University of Ottawa invites applications for a Tier 1 Canada Research Chair (CRC) in Indigenous Community Infrastructure, who will also serve as Director of the Centre for Indigenous Community Infrastructure, and be appointed as a tenured professor in the Department of Civil Engineering. We seek an accomplished Indigenous scholar with demonstrated leadership in advancing civil infrastructure systems that address the needs of Indigenous and remote communities, and who brings a proven ability to build meaningful, sustained, and respectful partnerships with Indigenous communities. The Centre plays a central role in building relationships, supporting workforce development, fostering an Indigenous infrastructure innovation ecosystem, and advancing knowledge exchange across sectors. 

This position reflects a strategic commitment to advancing reconciliation and strengthening Indigenous leadership in engineering research and education. Indigenous communities continue to face critical infrastructure challenges, including in housing, water and wastewater systems, transportation, energy, and climate resilience. In this context, the Director will lead the Centre’s core activities in collaborative research, training, and community engagement, while strengthening and expanding partnerships with Indigenous communities and organizations. They will also guide interdisciplinary initiatives across priority areas such as water, housing, energy systems, climate adaptation, and infrastructure in remote regions. Through this work, the Chairholder and Director will play a nationally significant role by advancing impactful research, fostering meaningful partnerships, and training highly qualified personnel.

The successful candidate will:

•         Direct the Centre for Indigenous Community Infrastructure 
•         Develop and lead a high-impact, externally funded research program 
•         Build and sustain trust-based, long-term partnerships with Indigenous communities 
•         Advance community-driven, culturally grounded, and technically rigorous infrastructure solutions 
•         Strengthen and expand CICI’s national and international profile 
•         Contribute to undergraduate and graduate teaching 
•         Supervise graduate students and trainees 
•         Participate in academic, institutional, and community service 

The CRC will lead an interdisciplinary research program grounded in Indigenous knowledge systems and community priorities, addressing key domains such as:

•         Sustainable water and wastewater systems 
•         Climate-resilient and culturally appropriate housing 
•         Sustainable materials and construction technologies 
•         Sustainable mining and waste management 
•         Transportation systems for northern and remote communities 
•         Clean and sustainable energy systems 
•         Climate change adaptation and infrastructure resilience 

The program will generate holistic, implementable solutions that can be designed, constructed, operated, and maintained by Indigenous communities, contributing to long-term resilience, autonomy, and self-determination.

The Department of Civil Engineering at the University of Ottawa supports a broad range of research strengths, including geotechnical, structural, water resources, and environmental engineering, along with civil engineering materials and construction management, all supported by state-of-the-art engineering laboratories. Within this ecosystem, and housed in the Department, the Centre for Indigenous Community Infrastructure (CICI) stands out as one of the few interdisciplinary engineering research centres in Canada dedicated to sustainable infrastructure solutions for Indigenous communities.

The University of Ottawa is located on the unceded ancestral territory of the Algonquin people in the heart of the nation's capital. It is one of Canada's top ten research-intensive universities and the largest bilingual English/French university in the world. It is recognized as the first and largest bilingual university in North America and offers strong connections to organizational, government, and policy interest holders. The Faculty of Engineering provides a learning environment that promotes excellence and innovation, with a strong emphasis on entrepreneurial design.

Tier 1 Chairs, tenable for seven years and renewable once, are for outstanding researchers acknowledged by their peers as world leaders in their fields. For each Tier 1 Chair, the institution receives $200,000 annually for seven years. Nominees for Tier 1 Chair positions must be Full Professors or Associate Professors who are expected to be promoted to the Full Professor level within one or two years of the nomination. Alternatively, if they come from outside the academic sector, nominees must possess the necessary qualifications to be appointed at these levels. New CRC nominees are also eligible for infrastructure support from the Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI) to help acquire state-of-the-art equipment essential to their work.  In addition to the government’s contribution, the uOttawa/Faculty of Engineering will also provide the successful candidate with a competitive start-up package.

 
Selective hiring
The University of Ottawa is committed to ensuring equity, diversity, and inclusion in the scholarly and leadership environments of our students, staff, and faculty members. In accordance with the University’s Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Action Plan, the selection will be limited to Indigenous scholars – First Nations, Inuit and Métis as defined in the CRC Program method for establishing equity targets and the Employment Equity Act. Candidates who wish to be considered for this position must complete the confidential self-identification questionnaire during the application process. The objective of this measure is to increase the representation of Indigenous scholars within the Canada Research Chairs Program. Internal candidates are not eligible.

Duties: Academic staff functions include, in varying proportions: 

• teaching 
• scholarly activities such as research, artistic or literary creation, or professional work 
• academic service 
• graduate student supervision

Rank and Salary 
The salary scale for a Full Professor starts at $131,803, and for an Associate Professor at $109,776 (scale of the collective agreement between APUO and the University of Ottawa as of May 1, 2025). Moreover, the successful candidate will also receive an annual administrative stipend of $60,000 in recognition of their role as Director of CICI.

Benefits package: The University of Ottawa provides a complete benefits package, which includes long-term disability insurance, basic group life insurance, health insurance, University of Ottawa pension plan and optional life insurance, as well as reimbursement of eligible relocation expenses.

Location of work: Department of Civil Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, University of Ottawa, Ontario, Ottawa  ON  K1N 6N5.

Application Package

• A cover letter;
• An up-to-date curriculum vitae (Please include any personal circumstances and/or career interruptions such as parental or sick leaves that may have impacted your research trajectory. These will be taken into consideration in the selection process);
• A research plan (2 to 3 pages); 
• A statement of teaching interests (1 to 2 pages);
• A statement on equity, diversity, and inclusion philosophy and concrete practices (1 page);
• Vision statement for the leadership of CICI (1 page)
• A statement outlining Indigenous community engagement philosophy (1 page);
• A statement on Indigenous research methodologies in community infrastructure (1 page);
• Evidence of community partnerships;
• The names of three people who may be contacted by the University for letters of reference which will follow the Canada Research Chairs guidelines  (i.e. Tier 1: all must be arm’s length and one must be from a referee not residing in the country where the nominee is currently working); and
• Self-identification: Complete the confidential Employment Equity questionnaire online during the application process. The Canada Research Chairs Program requires institutions to collect self-identification data from all applicants, following the program’s best practices.

Deadline: August 26th, 2026

More information regarding Academic Careers can be found online. Apply online through the University of Ottawa Careers portal. 

To apply, we invite you to merge the various sections of your application into a single PDF file, which you can then upload to the Careers website. However, if you encounter any problems submitting your application, you can send it to the following email address: [email protected].

The selection process will begin immediately after the closing date and will continue until the position is filled. Only candidates selected for an interview will be contacted.

Please address your cover letter to the following person:

Dr. Julie St-Pierre, Vice-President, Research and Innovation University of Ottawa

550 Cumberland St., room 246 Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5 CANADA

For questions, please email: [email protected].

Ad posted on June 26, 2026

The University of Ottawa is committed to ensuring equity, diversity and inclusion in the scholarly and leadership environments of our students, staff and faculty. We strongly encourage applications from Indigenous Peoples in Canada, visible minority members (racialized persons), persons with disabilities, women and all qualified applicants with the skills and knowledge to productively engage with equitable, diverse and inclusive communities. Applicants who wish to be considered as a member of one or more designated groups should complete the confidential Self-Identication Questionnaire when they apply. 

In accordance with government policy, all qualified candidates are invited to apply; however, preference will be given to Canadians and permanent residents. When submitting your application, please indicate if you are legally entitled to work in Canada. 

The University of Ottawa provides accommodations for applicants with disabilities throughout the recruitment process. If you are invited to proceed in the selection process, please notify us of any accommodations that you require by emailing the Office of the Vice-Provost, Faculty Relations, at [email protected]. Any information you send us will be handled respectfully and in complete confidence.

The University of Ottawa is proud of its more than 175-year tradition of bilingualism. Through its Official Languages and Bilingualism Institute, the University provides second-language training to staff members and their spouses.

Requirements

Education: PhD in Civil Engineering (preferred) or closely related fields, including but not limited to: Structural Engineering, Geotechnical Engineering, Transportation Engineering, Water Resources / Hydraulics, Environmental Engineering, Municipal Engineering, Coastal / Ocean Engineering; Related disciplines: mining, petroleum, environmental sciences, hydrogeology, materials science (within engineering context).

Work experience: 

• Demonstrated record of research excellence with publications in high-quality peer-reviewed journals.
• Proven or strong potential to secure external competitive research funding. 
• Demonstrated experience in collaborative work with Indigenous communities (strong asset).
• Evidence of leadership and/or administrative experience in academic, research, or community-based settings.
• Lived experience in an Indigenous community with sustained engagement (strongly preferred). 
• Ability to communicate effectively in English or French.