Research Program Coordinator

Position Summary

The Heilbrunn Department of Population and Family Health at Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health seeks a part-time Research Program Coordinator to support a portfolio of maternal health, health equity, and education initiatives led by Dr. Stephanie Grilo.

This position is ideal for an early-career public health professional interested in working across multiple interdisciplinary projects spanning research, education, and mentorship. The Research Program Coordinator will play a central role in ensuring the successful implementation of projects in collaboration with clinical partners in OBGYN, while also providing administrative support for programmatic and educational initiatives in Dr. Grilo’s portfolio.

This is a dynamic role requiring strong organizational, analytical, and communication skills, as well as the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced academic environment.

Responsibilities

1. Research & Project Coordination

• Coordinate day-to-day activities across multiple maternal health research projects.
• Serve as a liaison between the Departments of Population and Family Health and OBGYN collaborators.
• Track project timelines, deliverables, IRB requirements, and reporting deadlines.
• Support study implementation, including recruitment coordination, data collection processes, and documentation.
• Maintain organized systems for project management across multiple grants.

2. Data & Research Support

• Support qualitative and/or mixed-methods data collection and analysis (depending on experience).
• Assist in drafting manuscripts, abstracts, and reports for publication.
• Coordinate manuscript submission processes and revisions.
• Support grant writing, including literature reviews, formatting, and submission preparation.
• Contribute to data presentation (tables, figures, slide decks).

3. Team Supervision & Mentorship

• Supervise and mentor graduate student research assistants.
• Delegate tasks and monitor progress across student team members.
• Provide feedback on writing, analysis, and deliverables.
• Support onboarding and training of new student team members.

4. Program & Administrative Management

• Support coordination across Dr. Grilo’s portfolio, including: Research projects; Educational leadership roles; Mentorship initiatives.
• Manage scheduling, meeting coordination, and follow-ups across multiple stakeholders.
• Develop and maintain systems to track priorities and workflows.
• Assist with event planning (e.g., student programming, workshops, community-building activities).

5. Communications & Materials Development

• Draft presentations, reports, and internal/external communications.
• Support development of training or educational materials.
• Assist with dissemination of research findings to academic and non-academic audiences.

6. Perform other related duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications

• Requires a Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in education and experience.
• Strong organizational, analytical, and communication skills.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities in a fast-paced academic environment.
• Computer proficiency in Microsoft programs, including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree in Public Health or related field (or currently enrolled with significant experience).
• Strong project management skills.
• Excellent writing and editing skills (academic writing preferred).
• Experience with qualitative or mixed-methods research strongly preferred.
• Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously and meet deadlines.
• Experience working in multidisciplinary teams (e.g., public health + clinical settings).
• Demonstrated interest in maternal health, health equity, and/or reproductive health.
• Experience supervising or mentoring students is a plus.