Senior Research Associate - Public Health

About the role

The Senior Public Health Research Associate manages and coordinates research activities for projects focused on substance use among justice-involved individuals, aiming to improve public health and safety outcomes across multiple states (e.g., Missouri, Texas, New Mexico, Wisconsin, Illinois, Pennsylvania, and Colorado). This position is grant funded.

Responsibilities

• Lead support for program and research implementation, including developing intervention materials, study protocols, and updating a management information system for ongoing research projects.
• Expedite and conduct field data collection through interviews and focus groups, and assist with basic research tasks.
• Assist the Project Director with training, development of data collection materials, report preparation and editing, and graphical design of materials.
• Maintain project files and oversee field management and data collection.
• Train, plan, monitor, and appraise job results for Public Health Research Associates (PHRAs) and Research Assistants (RAs).
• Lead field coordination of PHRA and RA activities.
• Perform other related duties as assigned.

Requirements

• Master’s degree in criminal justice, health education, social work, health behavior, psychology, or other health services research fields.
• 3 years’ experience in health behavior or health services, including providing substance use intervention services and assisting in the management of at least one research project.
• At least one year of experience managing study field staff.
• Documented experience developing substance use intervention materials.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience providing substance use treatment interventions.
• Experience conducting research studies within a criminal justice setting.
• Social work or public health education and experience, particularly with justice-involved individuals who have a history of substance use.
• Experience using REDCap Cloud as a data collection and project management platform.

Skills

• Knowledge of applied research techniques and basic statistical principles.
• Knowledge of best practices for preventing substance use.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Excel, Word) and Microsoft Windows navigation.
• Skill in qualitative research practices and conducting interviews with staff and clients.
• Ability to communicate clearly verbally and in writing, compose technical reports, and make process improvement recommendations.
• Ability to organize complex tasks, train and lead staff.

Physical Requirements

• Visual acuity to read information from computer screens, forms, and printed materials.
• Able to speak clearly for verbal communication via telephone and face-to-face interactions.
• Hearing ability for verbal communication and responses.
• Manual dexterity for typing, writing, standing, reaching, and body movement for bending, crouching, walking, kneeling, and prolonged sitting.
• Ability to lift and move objects and equipment up to 10 lbs.

Work Environment

Work is primarily indoors and sedentary, subject to schedule changes and variable work hours. The noise level is usually moderate. This is an on-campus, in-person position requiring frequent travel to participating study sites.