Research Lead

Job Type: Fixed-Term Contract (33 hours/week)

Contract Duration: June 1, 2026 – March 31, 2027

Compensation: $30/hour

Work Model: Hybrid (remote work with required one-day in office, in-person meetings, events, and occasional travel within the GTA)

Candidates must be legally eligible to work in Canada.

Travel Requirements: Occasional local travel may be required to support in-person focus groups and consultations. Travel expenses will be reimbursed in accordance with CASSA policies.

Reporting to: Executive Director, CASSA

Application Requirements: Please submit a resume, cover letter and 1-2 samples of relevant research or written work that demonstrate your experience and approach. For each submission include your role and contributions to the work. Full Applications must be uploaded to Collage no later than 11:59PM (ET) on May 11, 2026.

Organizational Overview: The Council of Agencies Serving South Asians (CASSA) is a social justice registered charitable organization serving the South Asian communities living in Canada through advocacy, research, capacity building, policy development, and training. CASSA is structured as an umbrella agency of over 120 member agencies serving South Asian communities. Our target population are marginalized, underprivileged, and disenfranchised segments of the South Asian communities including youth, women, seniors, disabled, low-income communities, and 2SLGBTQI+ groups.

CASSA understands and incorporates the diversity of the South Asian diaspora in all of our work since South Asians come from various linguistic, cultural, ethnic, and gender backgrounds. We ensure our projects are inclusive and welcoming and work through the lens of community empowerment, racial equity and gender equity.

Title of Research Projects: Discrimination and Prejudice Experienced by LGBTQIA+ South Asians when Accessing Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare in Canada & South Asian Community Brief

Description of Project: CASSA is seeking a Research Lead to guide two interconnected, community-focused research initiatives that center the lived experiences of South Asian communities in Canada.

The first initiative is a national, community-based research project examining and critically analyzing the discrimination and prejudice experienced by South Asian LGBTQIA+ people when accessing sexual and reproductive health (SRH) care services from healthcare providers across Canada. This research will inform culturally safe, inclusive healthcare practices and develop preliminary policy recommendations.

The second initiative, the South Asian Community Brief will generate an evidence base to inform the development of a three-to-five-year Strategic Plan for United Way Greater Toronto’s South Asian Community Advisory Council (UWGT’s SACAC). This project will produce a comprehensive understanding of South Asian communities across the Greater Toronto Area (Peel, York, Durham, Halton, and Toronto), encompassing socio-demographic data, community priorities, and systemic barriers across key sectors including healthcare access, housing affordability, education, employment, and arts and culture.

The Research Lead will oversee the design, implementation, analysis, and dissemination of findings for both projects. Both research streams will be conducted in alignment with ethical research standards and may require adherence to external ethics review processes where applicable.

Job Responsibilities:

• Lead the development of research tools for both projects, including scoping review frameworks, consultation briefs, surveys, focus group guides, and stakeholder consultation guides
• Develop and maintain detailed workplans for both research streams, ensuring timelines and deliverables are met
• Oversee community-based data collection (focus groups, consultations, surveys) across Ontario, Alberta, British Columbia, and Quebec for the LGBTQIA+ SRH project, and across the Greater Toronto Area for the South Asian Community Brief
• Ensure ethical, trauma-informed, and culturally competent research practices across all project activities
• Collaborate with partner organizations, outreach staff, and sector leaders in target regions
• Support recruitment of participants, including South Asian LGBTQIA+ individuals, GTA community members, service providers, and subject matter experts
• Facilitate focus groups and stakeholder consultations both virtually and in-person
• Conduct scoping reviews of existing research, reports, and datasets from Statistics Canada, municipal and regional sources, academic studies, and community reports
• Lead qualitative and quantitative data analysis, including coding, theming, and interpretation of findings from both research streams
• Lead the development of comprehensive research reports for both projects, identifying key findings, gaps, and recommendations
• Convert research into accessible formats including briefs, infographics, data visualizations, and slide deck presentations
• Support the development of a public awareness campaign related to the LGBTQIA+ SRH project
• Work with translators and community partners to ensure research materials, reports, and outreach content are accurately translated and culturally adapted into multiple languages
• Present findings at a national virtual roundtable and to UWGT’s SACAC
• Contribute to policy and practice recommendations for healthcare providers and strategic planning for SACAC
• Other duties as assigned, in line with the scope of the role and project objectives 

Key Qualifications:

• Master’s degree (or equivalent combination of education and experience) in public health, sociology, health policy, gender studies, urban planning, or related field.
• Minimum 5 years of experience in community-based, participatory, or applied research
• Strong expertise in qualitative research methods (focus groups, interviews, thematic analysis) and quantitative data analysis
• Demonstrated experience working with LGBTQIA+ communities and South Asian populations
• Knowledge of sexual and reproductive health (SRH), health equity, housing, employment, education, and anti-oppressive frameworks is an asset
• Proven experience in report writing, knowledge mobilization, and translating research into practice
• Experience producing infographics, data visualizations, and accessible research materials
• Familiarity with strategic planning processes and stakeholder engagement in non-profit or community settings
• Understanding of social media promotions and outreach

Application Deadline: All applications must be uploaded on Collage no later than 11:59PM (ET) on May 11, 2026. Please use .docx, .xlsx or .pdf file types. Email applications will not be accepted.

Equity, Diversity and Inclusion: CASSA is committed to the principles of employment equity. We actively seek submissions from racialized and Indigenous communities with demonstrated skills and knowledge to advance equity, diversity and inclusion in a non-profit organization. As an organization that is committed to anti-racism and anti-oppression, our work is strengthened by the input of people who have faced systemic barriers and who carry the knowledge of lived experience.

We encourage applications from individuals with lived experience relevant to the communities we serve.