Reporting to the Vice President, Strategic Initiatives and Community Outreach, the Partnerships & Knowledge Integration Specialist plays a critical role in advancing evidence-informed responses to substance use health and the toxic drug supply across Canadian municipalities. The position leads the collection, synthesis, and translation of research, data, and community knowledge to inform municipal, regional, and national policy, programs, and system-level decision-making.
The role supports municipalities by strengthening local capacity to respond to substance-related harms and overdose risk, while working in close partnership with public health authorities, local law enforcement, federal government partners, Indigenous communities, and community-based organizations.
Responsibilities and Accountabilities
Knowledge Integration & Translation
- Synthesize complex research findings into practical, municipal-ready products such as policy briefs, toolkits, reports, presentations, and decision-support resources
- Translate evidence into actionable guidance that supports municipal leadership, staff, and partners in planning and service delivery
- Ensure knowledge products are accessible, trauma-informed, culturally safe, and stigma-reducing
- Support research related to substance use health, overdose prevention, and the toxic drug supply, with a focus on municipal and community-level impacts
- Collaborate with research partners to interpret data from multiple sources, including public health surveillance, municipal data, community-based research, and program outcomes
- Identify trends, risks, and service gaps affecting municipalities, including urban, rural, and remote contexts
Municipal & Cross-Sector Collaboration
- Support Canadian municipalities in applying evidence to local strategies, bylaws, service models, and community safety initiatives related to substance use health
- Collaborate with public health agencies, municipal governments, local law enforcement, and federal government partners to promote coordinated, evidence-based responses
- Facilitate knowledge exchange between municipalities to support shared learning and scalable solutions
- Engage community organizations, Indigenous partners, and people with lived and living experience in research and knowledge translation activities
Policy, Program & Systems Support
- Translate research findings to inform municipal, provincial, and federal policy development and system planning
- Support the design, implementation, and evaluation of municipal-level harm reduction, treatment, recovery, and prevention initiatives
- Contribute to funding proposals, reporting requirements, and accountability frameworks that support municipal substance use health responses
Ethics, Equity & Governance
- Ensure research and knowledge integration activities align with ethical standards, privacy legislation, and municipal data-sharing requirements
- Apply equity-focused, trauma-informed, and culturally responsive approaches, recognizing the diverse needs of municipalities and communities
- Uphold Indigenous data sovereignty principles (e.g., OCAP®) where applicable
Monitoring, Evaluation & Continuous Learning
- Support evaluation efforts to assess the impact of evidence-informed approaches at the municipal level
- Monitor emerging research, policy developments, and best practices related to substance use health and the toxic drug supply in Canada
- Contribute to organizational and municipal learning through continuous improvement and knowledge-sharing initiatives
This position profile is designed to provide an overview of the main responsibilities for the role. Other responsibilities not identified in this position profile may be assigned based on the person’s experience and operational requirements