Soc/Clin Research Specialist

at  University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

POSITION SUMMARY

This position is responsible for the design & implementation of all study-specific training activities for study staff serving as a caller/participant data collection personnel. This includes designing & completing onboarding and training activities for new callers per developed training milestones. The position will work with the Project Director & Project Manager to identify training opportunities for the maintenance and growth of required & desired skills within the caller group and develop relevant performance plan goals/objectives regarding data collection activities for study callers. This position will include direct supervision of 6-10 Research Assistants/Callers, including training, career development & evaluations. This position will also work with study teams including Investigators, Project Director, Project Manager, Study Coordinators, & Research Assistants to ensure research recruitment & retention protocols & procedures are developed & implemented to achieve successful completion of study aims. This position is responsible for the development of Population Group standard operating procedures for groupwide & study-specific data collection activities. This requires coordination with the Project Director, Project Manager, & Study Coordinators to ensure procedures are consistent across studies as well as make recommendations for improvement & streamlining processes. Procedures will be adequately detailed to ensure callers complete data collection activities in a systematic & coordinated fashion to ensure data quality for all Population Group studies. This position will also participate in preparation of study-specific reporting to monitor data quality regarding data collection & data entry. These reports will be utilized to identify potential adjustments to protocols and procedures, or direct additional training as needed. This position will assist with grant writing by supporting the development or review of language pertaining to data collection & data quality monitoring activities, the development of data collection tools (surveys, interview guides, scripts, etc.) & with IRB submissions via review and feedback to Project Director, Project Manager, and/or Study Coordinators to ensure study activities are clearly communicated to both the IRB & study data collection staff. Additional duties include:
Participate in survey data collection via telephone interviewing & data mgmt. for the Population Group. Conduct telephone recruitment & interviews with study participants at study milestones (baseline and/or follow-up) to collect information regarding cancer diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes. Assist with cleaning, coding, & entering study data in data management systems. Gather, clean, & enter medical record provider information into data management systems. Processing of participant reimbursements; organizing & maintaining participant files; and scanning & cleaning surveys. Regular participation in meetings with the study team & study leadership. Conduct maintenance of appropriate personal training certification is also required including HIPAA and Human Subjects Training. Maintain regulatory documentation & standard operating procedures for study callers as designated by the Project Director & Project Manager. Identify & disseminate information to study participants regarding available local community resources as well as researching & advising on resources that may be beneficial for study participants. Track participants that are lost to contact and/or coordinating with study coordinators to complete this task

MINIMUM EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS

Bachelor’s degree in a discipline related to the field assigned and one year of related training or experience; or equivalent combination of training and experience. All degrees must be received from appropriately accredited institutions.

REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS, COMPETENCIES, AND EXPERIENCE

• Previous research experience supervising staff, including training study staff and development of study documentation.
• Experience with data collection for human subjects research.
• Exceptionally strong organization and time management skills are required.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills are necessary to ensure successful communication with the full study team and with study participants.
• Ability to coach and mentor staff, arbitrate conflict and develop team cohesion.
• Ability to work well independently and within a research team is critical to ensure aims of the Population Group studies are met efficiently and effectively.
• Ability to lead and complete work that requires a high-level of accuracy.
• Ability to complete work via both remote (electronic) and in person communication.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS, COMPETENCIES, AND EXPERIENCE

• The preferred candidate will have prior experience in working with diverse patient populations or with large epidemiology and/or cancer research studies with human subjects.
• Possess good investigative/analytic skills, excellent attention to detail, proficiency in Microsoft Office 365.
• Ability to inform the design of RedCap instruments and reports and assist with testing and validation efforts.

PRIMARY PURPOSE OF ORGANIZATIONAL UNIT

The UNC School of Medicine has a rich tradition of excellence and care. Our mission is to improve the health and wellbeing of North Carolinians, and others whom we serve. We accomplish this by providing leadership and excellence in the interrelated areas of patient care, education, and research. We strive to promote faculty, staff, and learner development in a diverse, respectful environment where our colleagues demonstrate professionalism, enhance learning, and create personal and professional sustainability. We optimize our partnership with the UNC Health System through close collaboration and commitment to service.