GFRP Research Specialist

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; Chapel Hill (NC); On-site; USD 65,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill invites applications for a GFRP Research Specialist within the Global Food Research Program. The role leads data procedures for evaluating regulations worldwide, defining data collection standards for nutrition facts panel data, and translating regulations into coding instructions for programmers.

You will collaborate with Vietnam-based partners, train staff and students, support dissemination of findings, and contribute to publications and

Qualifications

• Strong public health and nutrition research skills.
• Strong project coordination, interpersonal, and written and verbal communication skills.
• High level of organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Resourceful problem solving and ability to work with international collaborators.
• Bilingual in Vietnamese and English (preferred).

Responsibilities

• Lead data procedure and protocol design for evaluations of regulations worldwide.
• Define standards for collection of nutrition facts panel data and instruct others in applying them.
• Evaluate and design methods for reviewing, cleaning, and linking datasets.
• Translate regulations into coding instructions for programmers to apply to datasets.
• Collaborate with global colleagues to train staff, students, and partners; develop training materials.
• Prepare documents for publications, reports, and proposals; disseminate findings to inform policy.

Skills

Public health research

Project coordination

Interpersonal skills

Vietnamese-English bilingual

Education

Bachelor’s degree in related field

Master’s degree (preferred)

Job description

Department:

Carolina Population Center-631100

Career Area :

Research Professionals

Posting Open Date:

10/02/2026

Application Deadline:

10/16/2026

Open Until Filled:

No

Position Type:

Permanent Staff (EHRA NF)

Working Title:

GFRP Research Specialist

Appointment Type:

EHRA Non-Faculty

Position Number:

20078859

Vacancy ID:

NF0010092

Full Time/Part Time:

Full-Time Permanent

FTE:

1

Hours per week:

40

Position Location:

North Carolina, US

Hiring Range:

$65,000 to $75,000 dependent on qualifications

Proposed Start Date:

11/02/2026

Be a Tar Heel!:

A global higher education leader in innovative teaching, research and public service, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill consistently ranks as one of the nation’s top public universities. Known for its beautiful campus, world-class medical care, commitment to the arts and top athletic programs, Carolina is an ideal place to teach, work and learn.One of the best college towns and best places to live in the United States, Chapel Hill has diverse social, cultural, recreation and professional opportunities that span the campus and community.University employees can choose from a wide range of professional training opportunities for career growth, skill development and lifelong learning and enjoy exclusive perks for numerous retail, restaurant and performing arts discounts, savings on local child care centers and special rates on select campus events. UNC-Chapel Hill offers full-time employees a comprehensive benefits package, paid leave, and a variety of health, life and retirement plans and additional programs that support a healthy work/life balance.

Primary Purpose of Organizational Unit:

Since 1966, researchers at the Carolina Population Center have pioneered data collection and research techniques that move population science forward by emphasizing life course approaches, longitudinal surveys, the integration of biological measurement into social surveys, and attention to context and environment. We are also at the forefront of creating interdisciplinary training programs that integrate approaches from the social and biological sciences, building research capacity and training the next generation of scholars. Our faculty fellows address pressing research questions about population dynamics, fertility, health, mortality, migration, and the environment. Faculty come from multiple disciplines, benefiting from the cross-pollination of ideas. Our dedicated research and programming staff support fellows at every stage of project development, from conception through data collection or acquisition, analysis and dissemination, and project administration. https://www.cpc.unc.edu/about/

Position Summary:

As a member of the Global Food Research Program (GFRP) team, the GFRP Research Specialist will have primary responsibility for leading GFRP’s data procedure & protocol design for evaluations of regulations around the world. The GFRP Research Specialist must be able to comprehensively identify and interpret regulations and legislation (including taxation, labeling, and marketing regulations) and remain abreast of related changes, timelines, nutrient profiles, and thresholds. This position will define standards for collection of nutrition facts panel (NFP) data, and instruct others in implementing such standards for accuracy, validity, and integrity. This position will be responsible for evaluating and designing methods and procedures for reviewing, cleaning, and linking datasets (including data on commercial products, marketing, dietary intake, and NFP), will translate regulations into coding instructions for programmers to apply to various datasets, and verify coding applied accurately. This position will continually trouble-shoot and resolve quality control issues and will work towards improving efficiency and accuracy in protocols and procedures for applying regulatory schemes to various datasets.

In the role as Lead for Vietnam, this position will plan, assign, and review work of others, including GFRP staff, contractors, and global collaborators, and will routinely assess needs of the projects and make changes in processes, workflow, and/or assignments. In collaboration with our global colleagues, this position will define work plans to meet objectives and established deadlines.

The GFRP Research Specialist will collaborate closely with colleagues at our global collaborators’ research institutions in Vietnam to develop and coordinate instruction and training of staff, students, faculty, and collaborators in the performance of specialized methods of data collection, entry, cleaning, and utilization (including interconnection of data sources). Instruction may use in-person, virtual, recorded, or documentary methods, and communication may be in language of collaborators (Vietnamese). To support GFRP’s aims of capacity building with each of our collaborators, the work performed by this position to develop and train these teams is essential to fulfilling our goals.

This role will also include the preparation of documents required for preparation of publications, reports, and proposal development. A critical piece of GFRP’s research and evaluation is dissemination of research findings to stakeholders to inform development and refinement of food policies. As needed, this position will also be responsible for the development of policy briefs, fact sheets, presentations, and other materials required to disseminate these findings.

This position requires knowledge and understanding of complex research concepts from multiple disciplines, including dietary intake, dietary quality, obesity, non-communicable diseases, health disparities, food systems, food environment, consumer psychology, food marketing and advertising. As regulation and legislation is proposed, considered, and passed in various jurisdictions, this position will evaluate regulatory schemes by designing methods of application to databases and understanding of typical industry and consumer responses.

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:

• Strong public health and nutrition research skills (e.g., reviewing scientific literature, creating data collection instruments, managing databases, IRB applications and protocols, training data collectors).
• Strong project coordination, interpersonal, and written and verbal communication skills.
• High level of organizational skills, attention to detail, and demonstrated capacity to independently coordinate multiple aspects associated with large research studies.
• Resourceful approach to problem solving.
• Experience collaborating well in teams and ability to function well with culturally diverse colleagues and contacts, as many of our collaborators are international.

Preferred Qualifications, Competencies, and Experience:

• Master’s degree and at least 2 years of experience in research preferred.
• Experience planning, implementing, and coordinating research projects.
• Experience with managing research compliance, Institutional Review Board (IRB) processes and submissions.
• Bilingual in Vietnamese and English.

Campus Security Authority Responsibilities:

Not Applicable.