"Research Technology Specialist"

Research Technology Specialist

Posted: 06-Dec-25

Location: Hamilton, New York

Categories: Research Support - Laboratory/Non-Laboratory, Staff/Administrative

Internal Number: 6719

Accountabilities:

The Research Technology Specialist provides integrated technical and research support to the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences at Colgate University. The position plays a key role in enabling high-quality undergraduate and faculty research through experiment programming, data workflows, systems support, and troubleshooting of research-related hardware and software. The Specialist supports the department's technological infrastructure in ways that directly enhance both teaching and research. The role offers the opportunity to work closely with faculty across cognitive, social, clinical, developmental, and neuroscience subfields.

Responsibilities include:

• Design and program custom software for teaching and research, including developing behavioral experiments using PsychoPy (Python) and related tools.
• Provide training and support to students and faculty using research software platforms (e.g., Qualtrics, PsychoPy).
• Provide technical support for specialized laboratory and classroom instruction, ensuring smooth operation of research and teaching related technologies.
• Serve as a liaison between PBSC and Colgate ITS regarding research related technology needs.
• Maintain, update, and troubleshoot macOS and Windows hardware and software across labs, classrooms, and offices.
• Maintain equipment inventory and storage and assist faculty with technology purchases, coordinating with ITS where required by university procurement guidelines.
• Assist with routine maintenance of departmental servers and internal websites, including updates, backups, and basic configuration, consulting with ITS as appropriate on higher-level security or infrastructure questions.
• Administer the department's SONA research participation system, including managing user accounts, postings, and data import/export.
• Support secure data storage, networking, and backup solutions for faculty research workflows.
• Troubleshoot specialized research tools used by faculty (e.g., REDCap, Mindware) and learn new technologies as needed.
• Provide basic support for student and faculty use of R for introductory-level data analysis, including troubleshooting script errors, loading data, installing packages, and helping students run simple analyses.

Professional Experience/Qualifications:

• Relevant experience in programming or technical support (through coursework, internships, research experience, or professional work).
• Strong Python skills and the ability to learn new technologies quickly.
• Experience supporting users with varied levels of technical sophistication.
• Commitment to ongoing learning and professional development.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Python for research applications (PsychoPy experience a plus).
• Experience with HTML, CSS, JavaScript.
• Familiarity with relational databases (e.g., MySQL/MariaDB).
• Experience with Linux-based systems or willingness to learn basic server administration.
• Desktop support experience (macOS and Windows).
• Experience with Qualtrics customization, PsychoPy, REDCap, or Mindware.
• Familiarity with R or willingness to learn R to provide basic troubleshooting support for student analyses.
• Prior experience in an academic or research support setting.

Education:

Bachelor's degree in computer science, psychology, neuroscience, information systems, or another field with strong technical experience; or equivalent combination of education and experience.

Physical Demands:

Responsible for immediately reporting any unsafe conditions to the supervisor and/or Environmental Health and Safety.

EEO Statement:

The University recognizes that equal employment opportunity can only be achieved through demonstrated leadership. It is the Policy of the University to recruit, employ, retain, promote, and train employees on the basis of skills and experience, capacity to do the job, and valid job qualifications without regard to any characteristics protected by applicable local, state or federal laws.

About Colgate University

Colgate University is a highly selective residential liberal arts institution distinguished by academic excellence and interdisciplinary inquiry. Located on a beautiful campus in upstate New York, Colgate takes pride in the active engagement of its students and faculty in local, national, and global communities.