Post Doc Fellow w/Ret

Job Summary

The College of Social Work at the University of Utah invites applications for a full-time Postdoctoral Research Associate to join a growing portfolio of projects focused on infant and early childhood mental health (IECMH), trauma-informed education, and statewide workforce development initiatives.

Under the mentorship of Dr. Alysse Loomis, the postdoctoral fellow will contribute to several ongoing studies and evaluations aimed at strengthening trauma-informed practices across early childhood systems, including teacher training innovations, statewide workforce initiatives, and IECMH-focused evaluation partnerships.

This position offers advanced training in applied research, project management, data analysis, and grant development, with opportunities to co-author manuscripts, lead analyses, mentor/supervise undergraduate and graduate researchers, and contribute to federal and foundation funding proposals. The postdoc will also have protected time for professional development and independent scholarship aligned with trauma-informed intervention or early childhood workforce topics.

Responsibilities

Research & Evaluation (≈80-85%)

• Lead and support data management, cleaning, and reporting for state- and federally funded early childhood mental health program evaluations, potentially including Utah's Training & Teleconsultation Program (TTP) funded through the Office of Substance Use and Mental Health and the Trauma Program for Young Children funded through the National Child Traumatic Stress Initiative (NCTSI/SAMHSA), both in partnership with The Children's Center Utah.
• Coordinate quantitative and qualitative research activities for pilot studies and emerging projects supported by internal and foundation funding that advance trauma-informed and workforce-focused innovations in early childhood settings.
• Develop summaries and visualizations to communicate findings to non-academic audiences.
• Support grant proposal development, contributing to methods, measures, and analytic plans for federal and foundation submissions.
• Supervise and mentor research assistants, coordinate with community partners and evaluation teams.
• Co-author peer-reviewed manuscripts, policy briefs, and conference presentations.

Professional Development & Independent Scholarship (≈15-20%)

• Pursue independent or secondary analyses related to IECMH systems, trauma-informed workforce supports, or implementation science.
• Participate in structured mentorship around grant writing, project leadership, and research-practice partnerships.
• Engage in statewide and national learning networks.
• Develop mentoring and supervision skills through collaboration with undergraduate and graduate trainees.
• Attend trainings and conferences as relevant to position and career goals.

Required Qualifications

• PhD (or ABD near completion) in Social Work, Psychology, Human Development, Public Health, Education, or a closely related field.
• Strong analytic and data management skills (e.g., SPSS, R, Stata, Excel).
• Demonstrated experience in data cleaning, reporting, and applied program evaluation.
• Excellent writing skills for academic, grant, and practitioner audiences.
• Proven ability to manage multiple projects independently and collaboratively.

Preferred Qualifications

• Knowledge of infant and early childhood mental health systems or trauma-informed practice.
• Experience working with community or state partners on evaluation or workforce initiatives.
• Familiarity with mixed-methods approaches, measure development, or validation studies.
• Proficiency with tools such as Qualtrics, Dedoose, or data visualization platforms.
• Experience contributing to or drafting federal or foundation grant proposals.
• Experience supervising and mentoring undergraduate and graduate students in research.
• Commitment to community-engaged research.