Associate Scientist

About the role

The Public Health Institute (PHI) is an independent, nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting health, well-being, and quality of life for people throughout California, across the nation and around the world. As one of the largest and most comprehensive public health organizations in the nation, we are at the forefront of research and innovations to improve the efficacy of public health statewide, nationally, and internationally. PHI was distinguished as one of the top 50 “Best Non-Profit Organizations to Work For” by the Non-Profit Times in a national search.

Working independently under the broad supervision of the Principal Investigator, the Research Scientist II (Associate Scientist) contributes to the design and execution of the Alcohol Research Group’s (ARG) scientific activities in the alcohol, drug, and mental health fields, as specified in the relevant grant applications. The position participates in all phases of the research process, including proposal development, study design, data collection and analysis, and dissemination of findings through scientific publications and presentations. This is a remote, temporary, full-time position, which is expected to end on November 30, 2026.

Responsibilities

• Contribute to ARG’s research program in the alcohol, drug, and mental health fields by responding to funding announcements from federal and other sponsors
• Participate in the preparation and submission of grant applications, including development of specific aims, background and significance, research design and methods, budgets, budget justifications, and other required components
• Draft and submit human subjects protocols to the Institutional Review Board, and prepare related modifications and renewals as needed
• Search and review the relevant scientific literature to identify new and related developments within the appropriate fields
• Plan, coordinate, and direct fieldwork, including participating in the design of questionnaires and other data collection instruments
• Interact with administrative and field representatives of study sites, subcontractors, and survey interviewers to support data collection
• Aid in the development of data collection instruments, including editing, proofreading, and verifying final materials against original sources
• Analyze data sets, including data preparation such as cleaning and variable creation or recoding
• Utilize appropriate statistical programs and methods, including but not limited to SPSS, STATA, R and other programs, and methods including bivariate and multivariate modeling, longitudinal methods, and