A cover letter is required for consideration for this position and should be attached as the first page of your resume. The cover letter should address your specific interest in the position and outline skills and experience that directly relate to this position.

The Department of Psychiatry is seeking an experienced Research Project Specialist to lead a NIH funded, 5-year clinical trial focused on risky alcohol use among young adults. The study will examine the efficacy of a therapeutic intervention, delivered using Snapchat, at reducing risky drinking and associated consequences among 18-25 year olds.

In this role, you'll be responsible for shepherding the study through all phases of the project lifecycle: study start-up, trial conduct, study wrap-up and dissemination efforts. You'll manage a team of study Research Assistants and undergraduates, develop study procedures and refine intervention content, coordinate regulatory activities, and assist the Principal Investigator (PI) with funder progress reports and publications. You'll also work with multiple groups of people, both within and outside of our department, to manage the dynamic needs of building a study from the ground up. This community-engaged project will involve forming an advisory board of young adults that will interact with the study team to ensure relevance of the research procedures. This is a wonderful opportunity for someone who is excited about developing new ways of sharing health information with young people in a format that is accessible and user-friendly. Our team is passionate about serving the public through clinical research that leverages technologies to reach young people where they are and support their goals and wellness. Ultimately, we are looking for an organized, driven, and collaborative leader who can share that energy and commitment.

Responsibilities may shift over time based on study and participant needs, but generally reflect these activities:

70%

• Provide oversight and support for a federally sponsored research project on high risk drinking. Responsible for development and/or refinement of study protocols for recruitment, intervention delivery, and follow-up study procedures, as well as data management/archiving procedures. 
• Responsible for the hiring, training, oversight and/or evaluation of research assistants, data managers, and/or other research staff as needed.  Assists with these staff's activities as needed during periods of illness, absence, or under-staffing.
• Provide management and oversight for all regulatory compliance (IRB, etc.), sponsor communication, recruitment, screening, consenting participants, coordinating and executing study visits, and electronic data capture and reporting.
• Coordinates submission of research products. In collaboration with investigators, will prepare sections of working papers, progress reports, final reports, and/or manuscripts for submission. 

30% 

• Supervision of individual staff, coordination of meetings, general administration (e.g., procurement, scheduling)

Michigan Medicine is one of the largest health care complexes in the world and has been the site of many groundbreaking medical and technological advancements since the opening of the U-M Medical School in 1850. Michigan Medicine is comprised of over 30,000 employees and our vision is to attract, inspire, and develop outstanding people in medicine, sciences, and healthcare to become one of the world’s most distinguished academic health systems.  In some way, great or small, every person here helps to advance this world-class institution. Work at Michigan Medicine and become a victor for the greater good.

What Benefits can you Look Forward to?

• Excellent medical, dental and vision coverage effective on your very first day
• 2:1 Match on retirement savings

Your responsibilities in this position will include, but are not limited to: 

• Project management including, coordinating study meetings and triaging concerns between study participants, study staff and study leadership
• Create IRB application documents and prepare IRB amendments, scheduled continuing reviews, and adverse event/other reportable incident reporting as needed  
• Refine and/or develop recruitment, intervention content, and follow-up study procedures, and maintain associated documentation
• Hire, train and oversee Research Assistants and undergraduates 
• Monitor study performance and suggest changes to enhance participant recruitment and retention 
• Assist with preparation of progress reports and publications 
• Help with participant interaction activities as needed, such as participant recruitment, intervention delivery, risk assessments, and survey administration 
• Adhering to risk management procedures for triaging and responding to participant distress, including serving on-call within a rotation of colleagues

• Bachelor's degree in a health-related field such as Psychology, Public Health or Social Work with prior experience with administering behavioral interventions (e.g. Motivational Interviewing, CBT, etc.).
• Experience in management of people and large-scale research programs involving humans. 
• The successful candidate will possess knowledge, skill and experience devising and training others on following protocols, enrolling and interviewing participants, obtaining informed consent, and collecting data (through participant interviews, survey administration, and/or electronic medical records or databases).  
• Candidates must be detail-oriented, possess the ability to work productively with others in a cooperative team environment, and have excellent interpersonal and organizational skills. 
• The successful candidate will be adept at multi-tasking, able to work independently, maintain orderly records, and seek guidance as needed. 
• Excellent oral and written communication skills, critical thinking and attentiveness to detail are required.   

Research Area Specialist Senior: 

• 5-6 years of related experience in research is necessary

Research Area Specialist Intermediate: (Underfill Option) 

• 4-5 years of related experience in research is necessary. 

• Previous experience working with individuals with  young adults with attention to substance use and/or mental health concerns
• Previous experience with Motivational Interviewing approaches using virtual, chat-based, and/or telehealth approaches, along with creating personalized feedback to guide interventions
• Familiarity with social media platforms (e.g., Snapchat)
• Experience implementing quality assurance procedures for data management and regulatory activities such as sharing data for NIH-required archiving
• Experience with collecting, analyzing, and reporting qualitative (including interviewing, transcription) and quantitative data (including use of software like SPSS; developing and testing Qualtrics surveys)
• Experience tracking recruitment activities and reporting consistent with CONSORT guidelines

This position is located in Ann Arbor. Hybrid and remote work options are also possible.

Full-time during regular business hours during study start-up.  Active recruitment, intervention delivery, and follow-up periods for enrolled participants require flexibility to work scheduled evening and weekend shifts. These shifts are shared across the team to meet participant needs across time zones for this national study during periods when young adults are most active in our interventions and assessments.

Positions that are eligible for hybrid or mobile/remote work are at the discretion of the hiring team. Work agreements are reviewed annually at a minimum and are subject to change at any time, and for any reason, throughout the course of the role.

Positions that are eligible for hybrid or mobile/remote work mode are at the discretion of the hiring department. Work agreements are reviewed annually at a minimum and are subject to change at any time, and for any reason, throughout the course of employment. Learn more about the work modes.

This position may be underfilled at a lower classification depending on the qualifications of the selected candidate.

Michigan Medicine conducts background screening and pre-employment drug testing on job candidates upon acceptance of a contingent job offer and may use a third-party administrator to conduct background screenings.  Background screenings are performed in compliance with the Fair Credit Report Act. Pre-employment drug testing applies to all selected candidates, including new or additional faculty and staff appointments, as well as transfers from other U-M campuses.

In addition to the screenings indicated above under Michigan law, a criminal history check including fingerprinting is required as a condition of transfer or employment for this position.

Job openings are posted for a minimum of seven calendar days.  The review and selection process may begin as early as the eighth day after posting. This opening may be removed from posting boards and filled anytime after the minimum posting period has ended.

The University of Michigan participates with the federal EVerify system.  Individuals hired into positions that are funded by a federal contract with the FAR EVerify clause must have their identity and work eligibility confirmed by the EVerify system.  This position is identified as a position that may include the EVerify requirement.

The University of Michigan is an equal employment opportunity employer.