Social Science Research Coordinator- On-Site

The School of Humanities and Sciences (H&S) is the foundation of a liberal arts education at Stanford. The school encompasses 23 departments and 25 interdisciplinary programs. H&S is home to fundamental and applied research, where free, open, and critical inquiry is pursued across disciplines. As the university’s largest school, H&S serves as the foundation of a Stanford undergraduate education no matter which discipline students pursue as a major. Graduate students work alongside world-renowned faculty to pursue and shape foundational research that leads to breakthroughs and discoveries that shed new light on the past, influence the present, and shape the future. Together, faculty and students in H&S engage in inspirational teaching, learning, and research every day.

The Laboratory of Speech Neuroscience (LySN Lab) within the Department of Psychology, Wu Tsai Neurosciences Institute and Stanford Data Science is seeking a full-time Lab Manager. The role involves assisting with psychophysics and neuro-imaging (EEG, MEG, SEEG) research, in order to understand the neural mechanisms that support speech comprehension. Primary responsibilities: research administration, preparing IRB protocols, scheduling and screening participants, behavioral and neuro-imaging data collection, data processing, statistical analysis, help with publication preparation and submission. To learn more about the lab’s research, see: https://lauragwilliams.github.io/.

The Lab Manager will work under general supervision of the Principal Investigator (Prof. Laura Gwilliams) and must demonstrate strong organizational and communication skills, creative thinking and interest in the domain of scientific inquiry, with strong attention to detail and respectful relationship management. This position must also exhibit a strong desire to continuously learn new and unfamiliar scientific topics, policies and procedures as they relate to running a successful neuroscience laboratory.

CORE DUTIES:

• Support the design, programming, piloting, and execution of psychophysics and speech-comprehension experiments, including stimuli creation and task implementation.
• Assist graduate students, postdocs, and the PI with study design, protocol development, data collection, data quality assurance, and statistical analysis.
• Assist with general administrative tasks, such as scheduling meetings, and assembling purchase orders and reimbursement requests.
• Run behavioral and neuroimaging sessions (EEG, MEG, SEEG) and coordinate logistics with relevant facilities; monitor data acquisition and troubleshoot issues.
• Recruit, schedule, screen, consent, and debrief participants; manage calendars for testing and scanning slots.
• Build and maintain experiment-control code and data-processing pipelines (e.g., Python); organize code repositories and ensure reproducible workflows.
• Prepare, submit, and maintain IRB protocols, amendments, and continuing reviews; keep regulatory records and ensure ethical and institutional compliance.
• Manage research data: organization, documentation, preprocessing, backup, secure storage, and sharing in line with policy.
• Contribute to figures, methods, and results for manuscripts; assist with conference abstracts, poster/talk preparation, and submission logistics.
• Serve as a central communication point within the lab and with collaborating labs, imaging centers, and administrative offices.
• Maintain the lab website; post updates on projects, publications, opportunities, and resources.
• Handle administrative operations: create purchase orders, process reimbursements, track expenditures, maintain inventory, and arrange repairs/shipping.
• Book spaces for meetings, testing, and events; coordinate lab meetings, seminars, and visitor schedules; maintain the lab calendar.
• Onboard, train, and mentor research assistants and student volunteers in protocols, data handling, software, and lab policies.
• Develop and update standard operating procedures (SOPs) for experiments, data management, and equipment use.
• Manage basic IT needs: software installation, license tracking, user account setup, and access to computing resources (e.g., high-performance computing).
• Ensure participant safety and confidentiality; maintain secure handling of consent forms and sensitive data.
• Track project timelines and deliverables; use task-management tools to monitor progress and provide regular updates to the PI.
• Support grant-related reporting and documentation as needed.
• Perform other duties that support efficient, compliant, and collaborative lab operations.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE:

Education & Experience: Two year college degree and one year of relevant experience or an equivalent combination of experience, education, and training.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• General understanding of scientific theory and methods.
• General computer skills and ability to quickly learn and master computer programs.
• Ability to work under deadlines with general guidance.
• Excellent organizational skills and demonstrated ability to complete detailed work accurately.
• Effective oral and written communication skills.
• Ability to work with human study participants

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS: Frequently perform desk-based computer tasks, grasp lightly/fine manipulation, lift/carry/push/pull objects that weigh up to 10 pounds. Occasionally stand/walk, sit, use a telephone, writing by hand, and sort/file paperwork or parts. Rarely twist/bend/stoop/squat, kneel/crawl, rarely reach/work above shoulders, and operates foot and/or hand controls.

WORKING CONDITIONS: May be exposed to blood borne pathogens. May be required to work non-standard, extended or weekend hours in support of research work.

The expected pay range for this position is $29.24 to $34.89 per hour.