"Research Specialist III"

Overview

We seek to fill one fulltime Research Specialist III position to conduct study activities on two federally-funded studies in the area of HIV prevention and treatment. The first study is to collect longitudinal survey and biological data to inform communication about PrEP messaging to persons at high risk for HIV in the US. The second study is a mobile health intervention study to assess the impact of a positive affect intervention on treatment outcomes among persons with HIV. Both studies are within the Improving Health Outcomes Through Technology (iHOTT) lab in the Department of Psychology at San Diego State University under the direction of Dr. Keith Horvath.

This position will help to oversee the daily operations of activities in both studies, which includes engagement with study participants, administering participant payments, coordinating communication between the study team and technology development partners, assisting the Principal Investigators in creating reports and with scientific outputs, and other duties as assigned.

Responsibilities

The Research Specialist III is responsible for but not limited to:

• Day-to-day oversight of the project
• Regularly communicating with the PIs and study staff about study progress
• Attending weekly study team study calls
• Conducting participant study visits
• Communicating with participants regarding study activities
• Regularly communicating with the PIs and study staff about study progress
• Creating intervention content
• Communicating with the technology partner during intervention development
• Tracking and managing study site activities and timelines
• Developing weekly intervention engagement reports
• Other study activities as needed
• Assisting with grant progress reports
• Assisting the PIs in the creation and maintenance of study protocols
• Managing study-related payments and invoices

Qualifications

Experience/Education

• Equivalent to graduation from a four-year college or university
• Three years of experience in technical research or statistical work experience

Knowledge and Abilities

• Ability to interact effectively with co-workers and study participants
• Ability to understand and follow posted work rules and procedures
• Ability to relate well to others within the project environment
• Ability to display motivation and strong interpersonal skills
• Ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing
• Ability to display organization, meet deadlines, display detail orientation, possess good judgment and common sense
• Knowledge of health research and research methods
• Ability to demonstrate a high level of cultural sensitivity to persons impacted by HIV and substance use
• Knowledge of applicable program policies, regulations, and procedures in order to provide for the continuity of operations within the program/project
• Knowledge of computers, including a working knowledge of Microsoft Office programs, e-mail, and internet
• Ability to coordinate work projects, determine priorities, set deadlines and organize project staff
• Ability to complete all necessary human subjects and project-related trainings
• Ability to work independently and carry out assignments with or without detailed instructions
• Ability to understand and follow posted work rules and procedures

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS AND SPECIAL SKILLS

• Bachelor's degree in Psychology, Science, Public Health or related area
• Knowledge of grant proposal, summary reports and progress reports
• Proficiency with online survey (e.g., Qualtrics) and participant management (e.g., RedCap) tools
• Proficiency and demonstrated skills with one or more statistical software packages (SPSS, R, Stata)