Research Assistant - Biodiversity and Human Health

at  Massey University

Job Description: Research Assistant
Position Purpose: The purpose of this position is to assist the principal investigators in the
day-to-day organisation of field work for the Research Centre for Hauora
and Health’s Biodiversity and Health research programme. This includes
but is not limited to the Health Research Council funded ‘Biodiversity and
microbioata: a novel pathway to allergy and asthma prevention’ project
and the Marsden Council Award project ‘Biodiversity, Microbiota and
childhood allergies and asthma: variation across space and time’.
Department: Research Centre for Hauora and Health
Location: Wellington
Reports to: Director/Head of Research Centre
Responsible for: Nil
Delegations: Delegation Band E
Job Title: Assistant – Research Support
Key relationships: Internal External
Project Coordinator and Research Project participants
Staff
Department administration
Massey University: We are a world-leading university in many academic disciplines and fields
of research. Our point of difference is research that is connected to
community and industry. Our researchers are developing expertise and
skills to advance human knowledge and understanding. Working together
across disciplines and locations, we solve national and global problems
through fundamental, applied and interdisciplinary research, while
culturally and artistically enriching our world.
We are deeply committed to being a Te Tiriti-led university,
demonstrating authentic leadership in contemporary Aotearoa New
Zealand as we uphold Te Tiriti o Waitangi, the founding document of our
nation, and its principles through our practice. We embrace this not just
as an obligation but as a real opportunity for the nation and its people.
Our educators are preparing a new generation of global leaders. Our
students are diverse and are attracted to Massey because they want to
achieve their personal goals or make their mark in the world. They
experience world-class learning that recognises their intellectual and
cultural strengths, expands their horizons and prepares them to
contribute to a rapidly transforming world with skills, critical and creative
thinking and leadership.
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We will be renowned for our passion and caring attitude. All Massey
campuses will be innovation ecosystems, acting as magnets for smart
enterprises. Wherever we are, we will operate in partnerships founded
on respect, trust and mutual benefit. Massey is not only defined by what
we do, but by how we do it.
The Research Centre for Hauora and Health (RCHH) is a research Centre
About this area
based in the College of Health. The main function of the Centre is to
conduct hauora and health research that is of scientific importance and
has the potential to improve public health, reduce health inequities, and
guide policy development.
As well as conducting research, the Centre has a commitment to the
training of new hauora and health researchers including PG DipPH, MPH
and PhD students. It also maintains liaison with policy makers in order to
ensure that the findings of research can inform the policy-making
process.
Massey core capabilities

At Massey we are Tiriti-led, upholding Te Tiriti o Waitangi principles through our practice, we:

• Demonstrate awareness of Te Tiriti o Waitangi and its contribution to Aotearoa New Zealand

society.

• Understand the relevance of Te Tiriti o Waitangi in relation to the work of the University and

the people we serve.

• Embracing Te Reo in relevant and practical ways in our workplace interactions and engagement

with external stakeholders, giving expression to Tikanga Māori and protocols that
demonstrates that we respect and value Māori conventions in appropriate settings.

At Massey we work together with mutual respect and caring. we:

• Act with integrity and trustworthiness and give credit to others for the work they do.
• Work cooperatively and inter-dependently to foster and promote the One University approach.
• Share knowledge and communicate professionally with courtesy and mutual respect.
• Are ethical in all transactions, working within the parameters of our policies and procedures.
• Are direct, truthful and maintain confidentiality.
• Seek to understand and appreciate our differences.
• Keep ourselves and others safe; work together to embrace with the University’s health, safety

and wellbeing policies, procedures and programmes; display commitment by actively
supporting all safety and wellbeing initiatives: and by actively engaging in health and safety
improvement opportunities.

At Massey we are future-focused, results- oriented and strive for excellence. we:

• Take ownership and responsibility for delivering results to support achievement of University

objectives.

• Provide the best quality services to our customers (internal and external) ensuring our

students/ stakeholders are at the heart of everything we do.

• Deliver or support world-class research, teaching and learning and citizenship.

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• Take personal responsibility for our performance, take pride in doing our job well, and commit

to ongoing personal and professional development.

• Are motivated and create a positive working environment where our values are reinforced.
• Anticipate and respond with agility and resilience to the changing needs of the University and

the communities we serve.

• Seek ways to improve our services to deliver in an efficient and effective way.
• Embrace technology and apply this innovatively to better meet the needs of those we serve.
• Challenge ourselves to reach our potential and help bring out the best in others.
• Understand how what we do contributes to the objectives of the University.

Accountabilities
Recruitment • Assist with the recruitment of children and their parents for a health
research study that will assess the effects of biodiversity on respiratory
health. This includes liaising with organisations to coordinate

recruitment activities and face-to-face recruitment at specific events.

• Booking and coordinating study visits with schools, daycare centres, and

study participants and their families.

• Assist with recruitment of study participants and data collection for

other research projects at RCHH, when required.

Meetings and Records • Organise meetings, writing meeting minutes and agendas.

• Assist with writing progress reports if/when required.
• Represent the principal investigators in meetings with school, daycare

centre staff and study participants and their families.

Interviewing

• Complete questionnaires face-to-face with study participants or their

parents in the field, at RCHH’s offices (if based in Wellington) or
elsewhere (if not based in Wellington), or over the phone, including
following up with participants previously recruited.

Project Assistance

• Provide technical assistance with exposure measurements of the indoor

and outdoor environment, including preparation of sampling
equipment and materials in the laboratory and taking environmental

samples in the field.

• Assist nursing and project staff with clinical testing and biological

(human) sample collection, where appropriate

• Assist with laboratory work (where appropriate), including storing,

transporting, and processing of biological samples.

• Keep detailed records of various aspects of the sampling conducted and

samples collected.
Research Support • Assist in preparing progress reports for funders and, where appropriate,
research papers for publication.

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• Assist in developing literature reviews, where appropriate.
• Collect research data and, where applicable, assist colleagues in

quantitative data analyses.

• Other duties or responsibilities that may be assigned by the principal

investigators from time to time.
Service • Support the Centre to develop an environment which gives practical

effect to the obligations of the Treaty of Waitangi.

• Be responsible for one’s own safety and for the safety of others.

University • Ensure the observance of University Policy and codes of practice in all

Responsibilities work undertaken.

• Support an environment of collaboration, teamwork, and cooperation.

Qualifications and Experience

Qualifications: • Preferable: Tertiary degree – Desired

• A current full New Zealand driver’s licence - Essential

Experience: • Prior research of research administration experience would be an
advantage.
Capabilities - Behaviour
Communication • Demonstrates the ability to speak, write and present clearly.
Essential • Identifies the primary means of communication and their appropriateness
for different occasions.
Working Together • Ability to work independently as well as part of a team.

Essential • Works well with key stakeholders internally and externally.

• Adapts interaction style appropriate to different situations and people.
• Self-motivated.
• Works to understand alternative points of view to guide productive working

relationships.

Service Centric

• Able to respond to common stakeholder queries and problems or escalate if

Essential
required.
Capabilities - Technical
Accuracy and • Well organised.
Attention to Detail • Identifies tasks or outputs that require accuracy and detail-level attention.
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Essential • Utilises specific approaches and tools for checking and cross-checking

outputs.

• Develops and uses checklists to ensure that information goes out error-free.
• Learns from mistakes and applies lessons learned.

Priority Setting • Understands basic concepts of time and priority management in relation to
Essential role.
Information • Collects and processes field data with accuracy, efficiency, and attention to
Capture detail.

Essential • Follows defined procedures to process and document all field data.

• Uses appropriate tools to capture, organise and archive relevant field data.

Digital Skills • Good working knowledge of MS Office computer suite such as E-mail
Essential (Outlook), Word, and Excel. Some knowledge of working with MS Office

Access is desirable, but not essential.

• Competent in the use and maintenance of spreadsheets used for data

collection, processing and checking.
Pre-employment checks

Essential • Requirement to pass a Qualifications Validation Check.

• A safety check in accordance with the Vulnerable Children Act 2014

and the Vulnerable Children (Requirements for Safety Checks of
Children’s Workers) Regulations 2015 is required. Part of this
process includes a requirement to pass the police vetting part of the
safety check.
Other
Travel:
Availability to travel within the greater Wellington area for fieldwork, with
Essential flexibility to occasionally work in the early evening and weekends.
Availability to travel and stay outside of Wellington for occasional
fieldwork trips of 2-3 days and, depending on the situation, start early
(e.g. 5:30am) and/or finish late (e.g. 8pm).

• Support an environment of collaboration, teamwork, and cooperation