"Temporary Research Support - Public and Ecosystem Health"

The Meredith Lab in Cornell University’s Department of Public and Ecosystem Health is seeking an outstanding research support specialist to support a series of implementation science projects to support public health systems optimization. This position involves proposal development, designing and conducting research, managing projects, supervising students and other personnel, coordinating with partners, and writing research manuscripts. The candidate will pursue established questions, and will also have latitude to develop their own questions within the context of on-going projects or other topics that our group works on.

Our group broadly explores strategies to optimize public health systems design, function, and utilization, primarily with field studies. We are interested in methods that ensure right-fit skills and capacities at the right place and time, and systems optimization that supports strategic decision making to advance health impacts. Specifically, we are investigating post-pandemic public health systems re-development in areas related to communicable disease prevention, cardiometabolic disease prevention, mental health and wellbeing support, and health services utilization. Current project work is focused on public health in the U.S., particularly among rural communities.

Qualifications:

• Expertise in a relevant discipline (e.g., epidemiology, biostatistics, public health, implementation science, economics, nutrition) with advanced degree preferred
• Experience in quantitative research, including organization and analysis of complex, quantitative datasets, statistical modeling in Stata or R
• Experience in qualitative research that complements quantitative analyses (mixed-methods), including the ability to thematically code
• Interest in interdisciplinary methodologies and the integration of different data types
• Experience with transparent and reproducible research processes, including up-to-date experience with tools and methods
• Experience in planning research activities and writing grant proposals, including project planning, partnership building, research design, narrative writing, and budgets
• Detail oriented in the execution of data management and analysis
• Excellent organizational skills to plan, coordinate, and execute applied research in a collaborative environment
• Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills, including established record writing high-quality documents
• Ability to work independently, collaboratively, and with culturally diverse colleagues, including:
  • Ability to create work plans and manage priorities
  • A thoughtful and reflective approach to cultural competence
  • Ability to provide clear and consistent communication to actively engage colleagues
• Prior experience providing formal and informal mentorship to students and junior colleagues, including cultivating professional and technical skills, developing research ideas and achieving creative solutions to anticipated and unanticipated challenges.

Position details:

Pay range: $62,500 - $75,000/yr
Scheduled Weekly Hours: 40 hours
Position Duration: 1 year
Location: Ithaca, NY

The salary for this position will be based on educational background and relevant experience. The position will be full-time with benefits. The researcher is expected to be present in Ithaca, NY throughout the contract, and office space will be provided at Cornell University. The position is for one year, with a possible extension contingent on funding and performance.

Applications will be reviewed starting immediately, with hiring to take place as soon as possible. Ideally the candidate will begin the position as soon as February 2026, though the position start date can be negotiated.

University Job Title: Temporary Research Support
Job Family: Temporary Academic Support
Level: No Grade - Annual
Pay Rate Type: Salary
Pay Range: Refer to Posting Language
Remote Option Availability: Onsite