Research Area Specialist Sr

Research Area Specialist Senior for the Mixed Methods Program Summary

The Department of Family Medicine is seeking candidates for a Research Area Specialist Senior position in the Mixed Methods Program (MMP). The Research Area Specialist Senior will serve as the lead research staff for the mixed methods and qualitative core. The Research Area Specialist will work with MMP leadership, faculty, and staff on research projects and core MMP programs, including MMP training workshops, seminars, methodological consultations, and grant reviews. For this position, we seek candidates with strong qualitative and mixed methods research backgrounds with a genuine desire advance the field of mixed methods research through training and grant-related work.

• Support the execution of research grants and projects, including but not limited to mixed methods and qualitative study design, human subjects activities, qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis, regulatory reporting, manuscript preparation and submission, dissemination of findings, and grant writing
• Supervise the work of 2-4 mixed methods analysts, in conjunction with MMP faculty or other principal investigators, providing guidance, mentorship, and regular performance feedback to ensure high-quality deliverables.
• Oversee and manage the intake process for new projects, including evaluating project requests, prioritizing workload, and assigning projects to team members based on expertise and availability.
• Ensure effective communication and coordination within the team to facilitate successful project execution and timely completion.
• Support all MMP training and educational activities, including in-person and online workshops, works-in-progress seminars, and one-on-one consultations for learners across disciplines and stages of training
• Develop and implement ongoing training and professional development of research staff carrying out MMP activities and research
• Support MMP faculty to develop and evaluate new and established methodological training opportunities (e.g., workshops, seminars) for faculty, staff, and learners across UM
• Collaboratively build a community of practice among mixed methods and qualitative researchers and staff at UM, including IHPI faculty and staff, through trainings, peer mentorship, networking, and other community-building activities
• Participate in proposal reviews and study consultations to inform qualitative and mixed methods study design
• Attend and contribute to group and on-on-one meetings

Required Qualifications

1. A Master's degree, in a health or social sciences field, including but not limited to nursing, social work, medicine, public health, medical anthropology, epidemiology, health promotion, health behavior, psychology or health education. Doctoral degree strongly preferred
2. Minimum 5 years of experience as a team member on qualitative and mixed methods studies/projects
3. Hands-on experience with collecting data from study participants via quantitative and qualitative methods, including one-on-one interviews and surveys
4. Experience with qualitative analysis software, including data management and analysis (e.g., MAXQDA, NVivo, Dedoose)
5. Basic understanding, experience, and/or formal didactic training in biostatistics
6. Experience with all stages of the research cycle, including but not limited to grant preparation and submission, study protocol development, and project management, including IRB submission and management for human subjects research
7. Experience managing or supervising others
8. Experience teaching or mentoring others in qualitative and/or mixed methods research
9. Experience leading and contributing to dissemination through mixed methods presentations and publications
10. A strong commitment to developing a career as a mixed methods research methodologist
11. Consistently demonstrates professionalism in interactions with others

Desired Qualifications

1. Formal mixed methods training (workshop, certificate program, coursework)
2. Research experience on projects in health-related field