"Navajo Research Specialist"

Job Summary

Join the Colorado School of Public Health as a Navajo Research Specialist (Research Services Entry Professional). This position is a key member of the school's Lifecourse Epidemiology of Adiposity & Diabetes (LEAD) Center that will support participant-facing data collection for the DISCOVERY study, which seeks to identify risk factors of youth-onset type 2 diabetes.

The position requires an individual with an interest in public health research in indigenous child populations, as well as data collection skills that include interviewing study participants, administering questionnaires, and taking physical measurements (height, weight, and blood pressure). The Navajo Research Specialist should also have strong attention to detail, excellent communication and interpersonal skills, and the ability to be self-directed.

Key Responsibilities:

• Collect physical measurements, blood (via finger stick, blood draw, and IV placement), and oral glucose tolerance tests from study participants.
• Assist with recruitment activities to identify eligible study participants.
• Administer health-related questionnaires to study participants; collect and enter data from visit forms in REDCap database.
• Document and organize data collection procedures in the manual of operations.
• Participate in opportunities to partner with community constituents interested in Native health and willing to participate in recruitment and outreach for the study.
• Attend community and constituent meetings.
• Follow IRB and study protocol guidelines for all study activities.
• This is a full-time (1.0 FTE) position that reports to the Shiprock Project Manager.

Why Join Us:

Onsite – This role is expected to work onsite and is located in Shiprock, New Mexico within the Navajo community.

The Colorado School of Public Health is a unique and collaborative graduate school that combines the collective expertise of three Colorado universities: the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus (CU Anschutz) in Aurora, Colorado State University (CSU) in Fort Collins, and the University of Northern Colorado (UNC) in Greeley. The school is the only accredited school of public health in the Rocky Mountain Region.

The LEAD Center is a groundbreaking research center that seeks to understand the developmental origins of health and disease, particularly obesity, type 1 and type 2 diabetes and the complex interplay of environmental exposures, genetic and epigenetic processes in critical developmental periods across the lifecourse.

Qualifications:

Minimum Requirements

• A bachelor's degree in biological sciences, health/medical research, public health, social/behavioral sciences, physical sciences, healthcare, or a directly related field from an accredited institution. A combination of education and related technical/paraprofessional experience may be substituted for the bachelor's degree on a year-for-year basis.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bilingual Navajo speaker
• Phlebotomy experience
• Intravenous (IV) certification in the state of New Mexico

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

• Ability to communicate effectively, both in writing and orally.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with employees at all levels throughout the institution.
• Outstanding customer service skills.
• Demonstrated experience in fostering a community that values a wide range of backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives.

How to Apply:

For full consideration, please submit the following documents: 1. Curriculum Vitae / Resume 2. A letter of interest describing relevant job experiences as they relate to listed job qualifications and interest in the position 3. Three to five professional references including name, address, phone number (mobile number if appropriate), and email address. Questions should be directed to: Melanie Aspaas at Melanie.Aspaas@cuanschutz.edu.

Screening of Applications Begins:

Screening begins immediately and continues until October 15, 2025.

Anticipated Salary Range:

The starting target salary for this position has been established as $50,000 - $55,000 (1.0 FTE).