Assistant Director, Epley Lab

Burnham Nationwide, Inc.; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading company seeks an Assistant Director for the Epley Lab, focusing on behavioral science research. The role encompasses overseeing research projects, managing data collection, and collaborating with graduate students. Ideal candidates will possess a strong background in psychology or behavioral science, alongside excellent communication and organizational skills.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in psychology or related field required.
• Experience in behavioral research methodologies preferred.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills essential.

Responsibilities

• Oversee data collection for various research projects.
• Supervise and mentor part-time research assistants.
• Coordinate with other researchers to implement research strategies.

Skills

Research synthesis

Communication

Data management

Independent work

Problem-solving

Education

Bachelor’s degree in psychology or behavioral science

Master’s degree preferred

Tools

MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook)

Job description

The Roman Family Center for Decision Research (RF-CDR) is devoted to the study of how individuals form judgments and make decisions. Researchers at the RF-CDR examine the processes by which intuition, reasoning, and social interaction produce beliefs, judgments, and choices. The Assistant Director of the Epley Lab is primarily responsible for facilitating and managing research for Professor Nicholas Epley’s Self and Social Judgment Laboratory.

Research projects are in the domain of behavioral science, with an emphasis on social psychology, judgment, and decision-making. The Assistant Director is expected to conduct and manage research experiments with human participants, coordinate activities of graduate students and post-doctoral researchers, assist in the maintenance of the lab website and budget, and assist Professor Epley with course preparation.

PRINCIPAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

1. Responsible for the oversight of data collection for human behavioral research projects conducted by Professor Nick Epley, the broader Self and Social Judgment Lab, and any of Professor Epley’s collaborators, including Ph.D. Candidates, postdoctoral principal researchers, University of Chicago faculty, and faculty across other academic institutions.
1. Partner with researchers and lab management to implement, monitor, launch, and sustain human behavioral research projects.
2. Assist researchers with data storage and management as a trusted and conscientious research aide.
3. Work proactively on Epley’s behalf to help researchers develop projects, including providing feedback and proofreading services for in-development studies.
4. Oversee remote data collection through the Center for Decision Research Virtual Lab, Prolific, and other data collection services
2. Supervise, recruit and train 6-8 part-time Research Assistants (RAs) to collect data as well as;
1. Develop their skills around recruitment, time management, multi-tasking and data analytics,
2. Mentor and prepare RAs for serious research in the behavioral sciences, identifying strengths and weaknesses and providing feedback.
3. Partner with Professor Epley with;
1. Directing the multi-stage hiring process for new post-doctoral principal researchers in his lab, including creating job postings, organizing and reviewing job materials, scheduling interviews, and managing the communication with candidates,
2. Generating key figures for his lectures and demonstrations for a variety of audiences within and beyond the Booth community.
3. Synthesizing data from class and speaking engagements into real time infographics to enable active learning about behavioral science.
4. Conducting literature reviews to find reliable and rigorous peer-reviewed research surrounding topics of interest in behavioral science.
5. Finding and reporting on existing and nascent scientific studies, literature, and real-world examples in order to inform Prof. Epley’s ongoing writing and research.
6. Proofreading drafts and pre-publications of research publications.
4. Develop strategies to increase traffic for the CDR's labs on and off campus.
1. Partner with other Lab Managers to better implement common systems for research assistants working across the city in the CDR's Pop-Up Labs.
2. Work directly to recruit participants into ongoing studies.
5. Develop methods for specialized recruitment on human behavioral research projects with more specialized samples, such as speakers of less commonly spoken languages, romantic partners, and roommates.
1. This includes but is not limited to, scheduling those studies, corresponding with participants, and developing promotional materials for the studies.
6. Develop and maintain professional website and Canvas sites and prepare materials for Professor Epley’s courses.
7. Responsible for managing Professor Epley’s RATS account through eLedgers, travel arrangements and expenses, GEMS reimbursement, and reports on expenses.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:

1. Bachelor’s degree in the area of psychology, behavioral science, organizational behavior or marketing required. Master’s degree preferred.
2. Skills around reading, understanding, and synthesizing research in the behavioral and social sciences, including a familiarity with peer-reviewed academic research.
3. Familiarity with methods of experimentation required.
4. Demonstrated proficiency with MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook) required.
5. Outstanding verbal, written, and presentation skills, as well as organizational skills required.
6. Ability to work independently with little supervision; possess a self-motivated disposition; identify opportunities for improvement and recommend effective changes, all while achieving key objectives resulting in desired outcomes required.
7. Ability to handle multiple detailed tasks/projects simultaneously and meet strict deadlines with frequent interruptions required.
8. Demonstrated ability to work effectively and diplomatically with colleagues, as well as with students, faculty and corporate contacts in a multitude of communication methods i.e., in person, email, phone required.
9. Professional demeanor, including conscientiousness, tact, discretion, and a customer service-oriented approach required.