Canada Impact+ Emerging Leader in Translational Health Technologies, Assistant Professor

Ad posting date: November 9, 2026

Ad closing date: December 15, 2026.

Review of applications will begin on January 2, 2027.

The Faculty of Engineering at the University of Waterloo is seeking an exceptional internationally renowned scholar and researcher for a Canada Impact+ Emerging Leader in Health and Biotechnology. The appointment will be a tenure-track position at the rank of Assistant Professor with an anticipated start date of July 1, 2027. The salary range for this position is $120,000 to $160,000.  Negotiations beyond this salary range will be considered for exceptionally qualified candidates.

The Canada Impact+ Emerging Leaders Opportunity

The Canada Impact+ Emerging Leaders Program is a one-time federal initiative for Canadian institutions to recruit exceptional Early Career Researchers (ECRs) with a demonstrated record of excellence in research and teaching. The successful candidate will be hired as a tenure track Assistant Professor, and Impact+ Emerging Leader. The nominee’s research area must align with the strategic priority area of Health (including Biotechnology). The award includes $100K per year in research support for six years with the possibility of renewal for an additional 6 years. Nominees must be within 5 years of the start date of their first full-time, independent research related appointment, minus the duration of any eligible career delays or interruptions. They must be working and residing outside of Canada as of July 5, 2026. See Impact + Emerging Leader Program website at https://www.canada.ca/en/impact-plus-chairs/program-details/competition/2026/apply.html#11 for full eligibility requirements.

Requirements and Qualifications

The University of Waterloo requires that the successful candidate must have a PhD in Biomedical, Chemical, Mechanical, Electrical Engineering or an equivalent discipline. The Impact+ Emerging Leader program is meant to attract exceptional researchers that will become leaders within their field and demonstrate tangible benefits to Canadians through knowledge mobilization, translation, and/or commercialization of their research. The Impact+ Emerging Leader is expected to have their own independent research program and collaborate with the Eddie Goldenberg Research Chair in Supramolecular Biomaterials as well as other faculty members at the University of Waterloo.

We acknowledge that research careers are not linear and that life circumstances—such as illness, disability, family and community responsibilities (including maternity or parental leave, caregiving leaves, chronic illness or disability, and COVID-19-related impacts) - can affect the pace and nature of research contributions. The assessment process will take these circumstances into careful consideration, and nominees are invited to provide relevant context to ensure their achievements are evaluated fairly and equitably.

Applicants must have excellent communication skills and a dedication to both teaching and research. Duties include leading an independent research program, teaching at the undergraduate and graduate level, supervising graduate students, as well as administrative services at the University and in the international research community.

The successful applicant is expected to apply for a Canadian engineering license within the first year of joining the University.

Research Fields

Applicants should have demonstrable research strengths in the broad technical area of translational mechanobiology with applications in human health, including in vitro (cell level), in vivo (animal models) and/or ex vivo (explanted tissues or organs) models. We welcome candidates working across translational mechanobiology, with specific interest in Organ-System Mechanobiology (e.g., cardiovascular, musculoskeletal, pulmonary, renal, neural, or endocrine systems), Mechano-Oncology & Fibrosis, Microphysiological Systems & Organs-on-Chips, Functional Tissue Engineering & Advanced Biomaterials,  Advanced Biofabrication & 3D Bioprinting, Mechanotransduction Signaling, Cell and Gene Therapies & Delivery, and Quantitative Biomechanical Imaging & Characterization. This list is not exhaustive, and exceptional candidates in related areas of translational health technologies are strongly encouraged to apply. To help support their research, the Impact+ Emerging Leader will have access to the University of Waterloo’s network of health and biotechnology facilities and infrastructure.

How to Apply

The application package must contain:

• Current CV
• Teaching and research statements (up to 3 pages each)
• Up to three reprints of current journal articles
• Contact information for three references

The closing date for applications is December 15, 2026. Three letters of reference will be requested for applicants invited for an interview.

All applicants to this Impact+ Emerging Leader opportunity are required to self-identify using the self-identification applicant survey at https://uwaterloo.ca1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_08RcdJzz6YAh4TX. The Impact+ program requires institutions to collect self-identification data from all applicants to assess the diversity of its candidate pool. Information disclosed by applicants will be kept strictly confidential.

University of Waterloo’s Online Faculty Application System (https://ofas.uwaterloo.ca/job-details/134).

Packages can be addressed to Professor Sean Peterson, Associate Dean of Research, Faculty of Engineering.

Questions about this posting can be directed to the attention of Jon Walgate <jon.walgate@uwaterloo.ca>

The University of Waterloo

Waterloo is one of Canada’s leading research universities and largest engineering school. It is home to the country’s highest-ranked Engineering Faculty (US News and World Report), with 74 Canada Research Chairs. It ranks continually among the top 50 engineering schools worldwide and brings in more than $96 million in research funding per year.

The University of Waterloo has 42,000 students and 220,000 alumni in 151 countries. Operating world-renowned cooperative education programs, Waterloo partners with more than 7,000 employers worldwide. Faculty have the opportunity to work across disciplines and collaborate with a diverse community of scholars and students.

Waterloo’s strategic vision – Waterloo at 100 – plans significant investment in Health Futures, focusing on the intersections of health, society, technology and entrepreneurship. With a new regional hospital planned on campus, strong partnerships with the healthcare ecosystem, and a newly constructed Innovation Arena to support capital-intensive health tech R&D, the university is well positioned to pioneer new healthcare technologies. Innovation is in our DNA at the University of Waterloo. Waterloo has been ranked the top Canadian university for producing entrepreneurs in PitchBook’s 2026 University Rankings, placing seventh globally and becoming the first Canadian university to break into the top 10. Our 100% creator owned IP policy gives all researchers full ownership of their IP, and complete freedom to commercialize their research as they see fit. 

The University of Waterloo covers 1,000 acres in the heart of the City of Waterloo. The Region of Waterloo, with a population of 600,000, is an hour west of Toronto, with its global-hub airport.

Three reasons to apply: https://uwaterloo.ca/faculty-association/why-waterloo.

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). Improving the representation participation and engagement of equity deserving groups and First Nations, Métis and Inuit within our community is a key object of Waterloo’s strategic plan 2020-2025.

The University of Waterloo has an Indigenous Verification Process to ensure that claims of Indigenous identity are made with integrity and respect. Shortlisted candidates may be asked to engage in this process in accordance with University guidelines.

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 First Nations, Métis and/or Inuit/Inuk, Black, racialized, people with a disabilities, women and/or 2SLGBTQIA+ community.

The University of Waterloo is committed to accessibility for persons with disabilities. If you have any application, interview or workplace accommodation requests, please contact Martin Scherer, Faculty of Engineering Special Projects officer, mscherer@uwaterloo.ca. For any other workplace accommodation requests please contact Karen at Occupational Health (occupationalhealth@uwaterloo.ca). At all phases of the recruitment, we will work with the selection committee to secure accommodation while maintaining confidentiality.

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