Department: School of Occupational and Public Health
Position supervisor: Dr. Aida Haghighi
Contract length: 6 months (with the possibility of renewal)
Hours of work per week: 36.25 hours
Position type: Postdoctoral Fellow
Rate of pay: $35,000 for 6 months (Estimated start date: Nov 1, 2026)

About Toronto Metropolitan University (formerly Ryerson University)

At the intersection of mind and action, Toronto Metropolitan University is on a transformative path to become Canada’s leading comprehensive innovation university. Integral to this path is the placement of equity, diversity and inclusion as fundamental to our institutional culture. Our current academic plan outlines each as core values and we work to embed them in all that we do.

Toronto Metropolitan University welcomes those who have demonstrated a commitment to upholding the values of equity, diversity, and inclusion and will assist us to expand our capacity for diversity in the broadest sense. In addition, to correct the conditions of disadvantage in employment in Canada, we encourage applications from members of groups that have been historically disadvantaged and marginalized, including First Nations, Metis and Inuit peoples, Indigenous peoples of North America, racialized persons, persons with disabilities, and those who identify as women and/or 2SLGBTQ+. Please note that all qualified candidates are encouraged to apply; however, applications from Canadians and permanent residents will be given priority.

As an employer, we are working towards a people first culture and are proud to have been selected as one of Canada’s Best Diversity Employers and a Greater Toronto’s Top Employer for 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018. To learn more about our work environment, colleagues, leaders, students and innovative educational workplace, visit www.torontomu.ca, check out @TorontoMet

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About the program/department/team

The position will be at the School of Occupational and Public Health, which is a leader in injury and disease prevention education. Our department is committed to excellence in teaching,



relevant curriculum, innovative research and service to the community. Our graduates are industry leaders committed to protecting the health of people and their communities.

The opportunity

Applications are invited for a Postdoctoral Fellow position to join an exciting research project focused on improving crane safety in the Canadian construction industry by developing an innovative risk assessment framework.

Working under the supervision of Dr. Aida Haghighi, the successful candidate will contribute to the development of a novel integrated risk assessment framework. This innovative approach can be a combination of traditional and systems-based safety methods (e.g., Functional Resonance Analysis Method (FRAM), Systems-Theoretic Process Analysis (STPA)), AI-based approaches, or other qualitative and quantitative methods.

Qualifications

Applicants must have completed a PhD within the last five years in one of the following fields (or closely related disciplines):

- Occupational Health and Safety
- Industrial Engineering
- Safety Engineering
- Human Factors Engineering
- Risk Engineering
- or a closely related discipline

Required

The successful candidate should demonstrate:

- Strong background in occupational health and safety research.
- Expertise in qualitative and quantitative research methodologies.
- Experience in accident investigation and accident analysis
- Knowledge of risk assessment methodologies.
- Experience with systems thinking or systems safety approaches such as FRAM, STPA, or similar methods.
- Experience with AI- based approaches or other quantitative methods applicable to crane safety
- Strong scientific writing skills with a record of peer-reviewed publications.
- Excellent communication and organizational skills.
- Ability to work independently while collaborating effectively within multidisciplinary research teams.





Preferred Qualifications

The following would be considered strong assets:

- Experience in construction safety research.
- Knowledge of crane operations or heavy equipment safety.
- Familiarity with Canadian occupational health and safety legislation and standards.
- Experience with statistical software such as R, SPSS, Python, or similar analytical tools.

How to apply

Please email your application to Dr. Aida Haghighi at [email protected], combining the following documents into a single PDF file.

- A cover letter
- A CV with a complete publication list
- A list of 2 potential referees, which may include current or past employers or academic supervisors
- Please use the subject heading line: Postdoctoral Fellow - Crane Safety - “your name.”

We thank all applicants; however, only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Toronto Metropolitan University’s commitment to equity, diversity and inclusion

- We encourage all First Nations, Metis and Inuit peoples or Indigenous peoples of North America, to self-identify in their applications. If you are an Indigenous applicant and require support during the recruitment process, please reach out to James McKay, Indigenous HR Lead at [email protected].
- Toronto Metropolitan University is committed to the principles of the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA), and aims to ensure that independence, dignity, integration and equality of opportunity are embedded in all aspects of the university culture.
- We will provide an accessible experience for applicants, students, employees, and members of the Toronto Metropolitan University community. We are committed to providing an inclusive and barrier-free work environment, starting with the recruitment process. If you have restrictions that need to be accommodated to fully participate in any phase of the recruitment process, please reach out to to Human Resources:
- Current employees can contact HR by logging into AskHR to submit a request.
- External candidates who do not have TMU login credentials can contact HR by visiting torontomu.ca/human-resources/askhr/.

- All information received in relation to accommodation will be kept confidential.

📌 Postdoctoral Fellow - Crane Safety Risk Assessment and Systems Safety Research (Canada)
🏢 Toronto Metropolitan University
📍 Canada