Research Assistant II, General Internal Medicine

Position: Research Assistant II, General Internal Medicine       

Location: Boston, MA/Portland, ME

Schedule: 40 hours per week, Hybrid

POSITION SUMMARY:

The RA2 will be responsible for supporting the management research studies focused on substance use and infectious disease in community, clinical, and carceral settings. Specifically, the RA will implement activities as part of multi-site research study developing, testing, and optimizing a community paramedic and medical legal partnership intervention, as well as support of with research projects on Dr. Wurcel’s team on an as needed basis. The RA2 will oversee the daily and administrative aspects of the research projects, which include interactions with study participants, research coordinators, study investigators, work study students and other research staff.

This will be a full time role based in Portland, Maine. The role will require monthly/bi-monthly travel to Boston. This role will be considered hybrid (allowing for flexibility of time to work from home as well as requiring work in the field in Portland with community partners and for participant recruitment and data collection).

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Responsible for the administrative aspects of the research study, including: managing program records and handling communication needs of the program.
• Provides assistance in the development of reports, presentations, and data analysis. Assists in data collection and provides feedback on study’s progress.
• Recruits subjects to participate in the study by using approved methodologies
• Conducts the enrollment of study participants, including explaining research procedures, and obtaining informed consent of subjects and/or their families, and completing randomization procedures.
• Schedules appointments of study participants; conducts reminder phone calls and/or sends mailouts.
• Reviews the data collection forms for each enrollee for completion and quality; checks work of junior staff performing data entry to ensure timely and accurate entry. Provides technical guidance to junior staff.
• Obtains and distributes participant reimbursements for participation.
• Perform administrative duties associated with the study’s safety monitor, tracking and reporting adverse events and collecting data specified by the lead site. Responsible for all other administrative duties related to research activities.
• Supports preparation and maintenance of Institutional Review Board (IRB) approvals and correspondence, with both the Boston Medical Center IRB, as well as the central IRB used for the multi-site trial, including amendments and renewals as necessary.
• Conducts literature searches. Assists Investigators with manuscript and presentation preparation and research.
• Makes independent judgements of suitability of potential participants for clinical trials. Develops and implements patent recruitment strategies.
• Recommends changes to protocols and evaluates data.
• Oversees work of new or junior research assistants.

OTHER ADMINISTRATIVE DUTIES

• Schedules meetings involving the director, departmental staff, and individuals from other agencies.
• Uses reference database software (e.g., Reference Manager) to incorporate and edit references into grants and manuscripts as needed
• Supports coordination process of research grant submissions as needed 23. Prepares narratives, budgets and tables as necessary
• Assists with reporting to NIH and other government agencies
• Maintains and updates Supervisors’ CV’s, bibliographies, and related documents as needed

OTHER:

• Training and orienting new research assistants and other staff
• May serve as team leader or supervisor in a smaller lab

(The above statements in this job description are intended to depict the general nature and level of work assigned to the employee(s) in this job.  The above is not intended to represent an exhaustive list of accountable duties and responsibilities required).

JOB REQUIREMENTS

EDUCATION:

• Bachelor’s degree is required. Major in a field related to the research highly preferred.
• Master’s Degree is preferred. With a Master's Degree, no work experience is required.

EXPERIENCE:

• 2-5 years of experience and have demonstrated sound independent judgement and competencies in research methodologies.
• Experience with recruiting subjects, with an understanding of the ethical and technical conduct of research.

KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS:

• Excellent English communication (oral and written) and interpersonal skills.
• Bilingual or multi-lingual skills (beyond that of English) appropriate to the patient population served is a plus.
• Cultural sensitivity and comfort with a wide range of social, racial and ethnic populations
• Organizational ability to perform multiple tasks efficiently and to prioritize duties.
• Analytical skill and ability to resolve technical problems and interpret acceptability of data results
• Knowledge of management programs.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications including Word, Excel, and Access and PowerPoint. Experience with statistical analysis tools a plus. Ability to perform basic data management tasks (coding, data entry, data cleaning, retrieval).
• Ability to perform basic data analysis and reporting (in words, numbers and graphics); experience using quantitative data analysis software helpful (e.g., SPSS, SAS)

SPECIAL WORKING CONDITIONS:

• May require flexibility to work weekends and evenings

JOB BENEFITS:

• Competitive pay
• Tuition reimbursement and tuition remission programs
• Highly subsidized medical, dental, and vision insurance options
• Career Advancement/Professional Development: Access a wealth of ongoing training and development opportunities that will not only enhance your skills but also expand your knowledge base especially for individuals pursuing careers in medicine or biomedical research.
• Pioneering Research: Engage in groundbreaking research projects that are driving the forefront of biomedical science.

ABOUT THE DEPARTMENT:

As the primary teaching hospital for Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine and BU schools of public health and dentistry, intellectual rigor shapes our inquiries. Our research is led by a belief that skin color, zip code, and financial circumstances shouldn’t dictate health.

Boston Medical Center is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. If you need accommodation for any part of the application process because of a medical condition or disability, please send an e-mail to Talentacquisition@bmc.org or call 617-638-8582 to let us know the nature of your request.

Compensation Range:

This range offers an estimate based on the minimum job qualifications. However, our approach to determining base pay is comprehensive, and a broad range of factors is considered when making an offer. This includes education, experience, skills, and certifications/licensures as they directly relate to position requirements; as well as business/organizational needs, internal equity, and market-competitiveness. In addition, BMCHS offers generous total compensation that includes, but is not limited to, benefits (medical, dental, vision, pharmacy), discretionary annual bonuses and merit increases, Flexible Spending Accounts, 403(b) savings matches, paid time off, career advancement opportunities, and resources to support employee and family well-being. 

NOTE: This range is based on Boston-area data, and is subject to modification based on geographic location.

Equal Opportunity Employer/Disabled/Veterans

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