Research Area Specialist Senior - Term Limited

Job Summary

The Research Area Specialist Senior serves as a Project Manager for a number of OPEN?s Technical Assistance and related projects, primarily the Rural ED MOUD Technical Assistance Initiative, a multi-year implementation and evaluation initiative designed to improve access to medications for opioid use disorder (MOUD) in rural Michigan.

Responsibilities

• Project Implementation and Operations (40%)
  • Career: Coordinate day-to-day implementation of OPEN's Rural ED MOUD Technical Assistance Initiative, coordinating activities across participating emergency departments, outpatient practices, pharmacies, and other partners.
    • Tasks: Develop and maintain project work plans, timelines, implementation schedules, and tracking systems to ensure timely completion of project milestones and deliverables.
    • Tasks: Coordinate recruitment, onboarding, readiness assessments, and engagement of participating healthcare organizations.
    • Tasks: Organize and facilitate project meetings, site visits, and stakeholder communications, and prepare regular project updates and status reports for leadership.
  • Site Engagement, Technical Assistance, and Learning Collaboratives (30%)
    • Career: Coordinate implementation of technical assistance and quality improvement activities across participating sites.
      • Tasks: Support site assessments, workflow reviews, implementation coaching, and deployment of performance metrics and improvement tools.
      • Tasks: Plan and support virtual and in-person learning collaboratives, stakeholder meetings, advisory groups, and implementation workgroups.
    • Project Tracking, Evaluation, and Reporting (20%)
      • Career: For the Rural ED MOUD Technical Assistance Initiative and other OPEN projects, as required:
        • Tasks: Coordinate project tracking, performance monitoring, and reporting activities to ensure compliance with project goals, sponsor requirements, and funding expectations.
        • Tasks: Maintain project documentation, data collection systems, dashboards, and reporting tools; prepare summaries, reports, presentations, and other project deliverables.
        • Tasks: Monitor project metrics and implementation outcomes, identify operational challenges, and support continuous quality improvement efforts.
      • Administrative and Compliance Activities (10%)
        • Career: Facilitate communication and coordination among project partners, stakeholders, and leadership to support project implementation and care coordination activities.
          • Tasks: Assist with budget tracking, resource management, sponsor reporting, and project administration.
          • Tasks: Ensure compliance with University, sponsor, regulatory, and contractual requirements.

  Required Qualifications

  • Bachelor's degree in public health, health services research, healthcare administration, social sciences, nursing, public policy, or a related field.
  • Minimum of five (5) years of progressively responsible experience in research administration, implementation science, healthcare quality improvement, public health programming, project management, or a related field.
  • Experience working with opioid use disorder treatment, substance use disorder programs, behavioral health initiatives, or rural health systems.
  • Experience managing grant-funded research or implementation projects.
  • Demonstrated experience independently managing complex, multi-site projects involving diverse stakeholders.
  • Experience with program evaluation, performance measurement, quality improvement, and data-driven decision making.
  • Strong organizational, analytical, and problem-solving skills.
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
  • Ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously and work effectively in a collaborative environment.
  • Ability to travel throughout Michigan as needed.

  Desired Qualifications

  • Master's degree in Public Health, Health Services Research, Healthcare Administration, Social Work, Nursing, Public Policy, or a related field.
  • Experience with implementation science, practice transformation, and healthcare quality improvement methodologies.
  • Experience working with hospitals, emergency departments, federally qualified health centers, primary care practices, or public health agencies.
  • Familiarity with healthcare data systems, quality reporting, and performance measurement.

  Mission Statement

  Michigan Medicine improves the health of patients, populations and communities through excellence in education, patient care, community service, research and technology development, and through leadership activities in Michigan, nationally and internationally. Our mission is guided by our Strategic Principles and has three critical components; patient care, education and research that together enhance our contribution to society.

  Benefits

  • Excellent medical, dental and vision coverage effective on your very first day
  • 2:1 Match on retirement savings
  • Competitive salary commensurate with experience
  • Comprehensive healthcare benefits package
  • Professional development opportunities and support for continuing education
  • Paid time off and holiday leave