Staff Research Associate I

Department Summary

The UCLA Department of Psychology is an exceptional department known for its excellence in research, teaching, and service. With a distinguished faculty comprising more than 60 ladder rank members, it is one of the nation's top psychology departments. Its undergraduate program is the largest within the Division of Life Sciences and the UCLA College, with 5000 undergraduate students enrolled across three majors: Psychology, Psychobiology, and Cognitive Science. The department also offers a comprehensive Ph.D. program with eight areas of study to approximately 200 enrolled graduate students.

Position Summary

An experienced, independent, and highly organized individual is sought for a full-time Staff Research Associate position in the Sumner Stress Lab at the UCLA Psychology Department, run by Jennifer Sumner, PhD. Our research examines how experiences of severe stress and trauma relate to accelerated aging and risk for chronic disease. Most of our studies are focused on studying the psychological and biological mechanisms linking severe stress and trauma with disease risk. Under the supervision of Dr. Sumner, the incumbent will be involved in managing an active research lab with several grants and participate in many aspects of the research process, including recruitment of research participants, development and maintenance of a database for participant recruitment and tracking, preparation and submission of IRB applications, data collection using a variety of modalities, supervision of volunteer assistants, and data management. These duties will primarily focus research pertaining to bidirectional links between posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and cardiovascular health. Data collection for this research involves assessments of trauma exposure, mental health, and cardiovascular health in various trauma-exposed populations.

Salary & Compensation

*UCLA provides a full pay range. Actual salary offers consider factors, including budget, prior experience, skills, knowledge, abilities, education, licensure and certifications, and other business considerations. Salary offers at the top of the range are not common. Visit UC Benefit package to discover benefits that start on day one, and UC Total Compensation Estimator to calculate the total compensation value with benefits.

Qualifications

• Experience working or volunteering in research lab settings. (Required)
• Understanding of lab research methods. (Required)
• Coursework in Statistics and Research Design. (Required)
• Demonstrated interpersonal skills that are needed to elicit sensitive information in interactions with research participants and communicate effectively with research participants, students, staff, and supervisors. (Required)
• Computer skills including word processing, web applications, email, spreadsheets, and databases (especially Excel, Word, Outlook, and SPSS). (Required)
• Skill in independently prioritizing assignments to complete work in a timely fashion and demonstrating flexibility in responding to changing needs and resolving issues. (Required)
• Ability to use standard office equipment, recording equipment, and scanners. (Required)
• Ability to communicate clearly and effectively verbally and in writing, including proper grammar, spelling and punctuation, to obtain and convey information to individuals from diverse and varying backgrounds. (Required)
• Excellent organizational and time management skills. (Required)
• Knowledge of payment processing systems (Cash-net and PCI). (Preferred)
• Knowledge of forms and submission procedures to obtain research approval from the UCLA Institutional Review Board and Office for the Protection of Human Subjects. (Preferred)
• Demonstrated ability to maintain professionalism and good decision making when confronted with difficult people or situations, either on the telephone or in person. (Required)
• Demonstrated ability to handle confidential materials with discretion. (Required)

Education, Licenses, Certifications & Personal Affiliations

• Bachelor's Degree in Psychology, Psychobiology, or related field and/or equivalent experience / training (Preferred)

Special Instructions to Applicants

To be considered for this position, applicants must submit a resume, cover letter, and a list of references. Please have these documents ready for upload when completing your application. You may combine your cover letter and list of references into a single file and copy and paste it in the "Cover Letter" section.

Special Conditions for Employment

• Background Check: Continued employment is contingent upon the completion of a satisfactory background investigation.
• Live Scan Background Check: A Live Scan background check must be completed prior to the start of employment.
• CANRA: The position is designated as a mandatory reporter under CANRA. The employee must sign the "Statement Acknowledging Requirement to Report Child Abuse".

Schedule

8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Union/Policy Covered

RX-Research Support Professionals