Junior Specialist - LEAF Study

Southern Arkansas University; Davis (CA); On-site; USD 45,000 - 65,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Professional development opportunities

Collaborative research environment

Job summary

A leading university in California is seeking a qualified Junior Specialist for an interdisciplinary research study focused on early detection of autism and ADHD at the UC Davis MIND Institute. Candidates should have a bachelor's degree in Psychology or related fields, experience in behavioral coding, and exceptional interpersonal skills. This role involves participant scheduling, data entry, and close collaboration with researchers. The position offers a chance to contribute to major research initiatives in neurodevelopmental conditions.

Qualifications

• Minimum of 1 year of experience in longitudinal research focused on children.
• Experience interacting with children with challenging behavior.
• Experience coordinating team members and workflow.

Responsibilities

• Schedule participant visits and provide information to families.
• Conduct eye-tracking during study visits.
• Assist PI with preparation of grant applications.

Skills

Interpersonal skills

Communication skills

Decision-making skills

Data entry

Behavioral coding

Education

Bachelor's degree in Psychology, Neurobiology, or related field

Tools

BORIS software

Access

REDCap

Job description

Overview

The Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of California, Davis invites applications for a qualified Junior Specialist for the LEAF Study at the UC Davis MIND Institute. This position will be involved in interdisciplinary studies focusing on the early detection of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) among infants/toddlers at familial risk, and middle childhood outcomes of these infants/toddlers.

Major Responsibilities

The incumbent for this position will be involved in interdisciplinary studies focusing on questions related to the early detection of autism and ADHD among infants/toddlers at familial risk, as well as follow-up studies of these infants into middle childhood. Under the direction of the PI, the incumbent will schedule participant visits, provide information to families regarding study objectives and requirements in person and by telephone, communicate instructions to study participants regarding a variety of study related issues, answer questions as they arise, obtain informed consent and child assent for study participation, coordinate the flow of study visits between PI and staff members, administer and scoring questionnaires and behavioral measures, conduct eye-tracking during study visits, perform behavioral coding using BORIS software, acquire psychophysiological data, help coordinate a team of undergraduate volunteers, and enter information in Access and REDCap databases to track visits and study procedures. In addition, the incumbent will attend regular lab meetings and, in collaboration with the PI, prepare manuscripts and presentations. The ideal candidate will have exceptional interpersonal, communication and decision-making skills, a strong interest in children, neurodevelopmental conditions, and clinical psychology, and the ability to work well independently and as part of a team. This candidate will work closely with Meagan Talbott, Ph.D. and Meghan Miller, Ph.D.

General responsibilities

I. RESEARCH ACTIVITY (80% EFFORT)

• Track and schedule study participant visits according to participant age windows
• Coordinate progress of behavioral coding projects including training and establishing/maintaining reliability with more junior lab volunteer coders
• Use BORIS software to code behavioral data obtained during lab visits using coding systems for early social communication development and early ADHD-related behaviors
• Brief study participant families regarding study objectives and obtain informed consent and child assent
• Greet families and coordinate activities during study visits between participating families and staff members
• Facilitate communication between team members including clinicians, examiners, camera operators, and the PI regarding any special circumstances pertaining to study visits
• Facilitate student recruitment and oversee internal student operations, including professional development, task assignments, and workflow coordination
• Accurately enter and track information in study tracking and data entry databases
• Assist with preparing poster and paper presentations and manuscripts
• Capture, digitize, and edit videotape footage obtained from families using specialized audiovisual equipment and train others in the use of this equipment

II. PROFESSIONAL COMPETENCE AND ACTIVITY (15% EFFORT)

• Attend regular lab meetings and MIND Institute study coordinator meetings
• Prepare presentations for conferences and the community in collaboration with the PI, including conducting literature reviews, simple statistical analyses, and slide preparations, and, when appropriate, independently presenting to community organizations or agencies
• As needed, assist PI with preparation of grant applications, including conducting literature searches and simple analyses of pilot data
• Contribute to writing manuscripts for publication, including assisting with data cleaning, literature reviews, and synthesis of information for dissemination of research findings to the public
• Develop individual research question in collaboration with the PI and perform relevant statistical analyses of data collected as part of the research study to be presented at internal and/or professional conferences once per year, including the Society for Research in Child Development, International Meeting for Autism Research, or American Psychological Association (or one of APA’s regional conferences)
• Participate and present during monthly lab journal clubs, including leading the journal club on occasion (selecting a journal article, presenting to the group, and leading discussion)
• Attend research presentations at the MIND Institute, including biweekly Research Seminar Series talks and Monthly Distinguished Lecture Series presentations

III. UNIVERSITY AND PUBLIC SERVICE (5% EFFORT)

• Establish and maintain positive relationships with, and provide outreach presentations to, community and neurodevelopmental disorder advocacy agencies, schools, and service providers

Qualifications

Basic qualifications (required at time of application)

Bachelors degree in Psychology, Neurobiology, or a related field by mid-June 2025 with a minimum of 1 year of experience in longitudinal research focused on children at risk for neurodevelopmental or psychiatric conditions. Experience in behavioral coding using BORIS software and reviewing behavioral codes for reliability. Experience tracking and entering data in Access, REDCap, or similar database systems. Experience interacting with children with challenging behavior and engaging with children both with neurodevelopmental conditions and typical development in an unstructured setting. Experience coordinating team members and workflow. Experience handling protected health information (PHI) and preparing administrative patient charts and forms. Experience coordinating logistical aspects of participant visits.

Additional qualifications (required at time of start)

Demonstrated ability to perform detail-oriented tasks with a high degree of accuracy. Experience conducting multiple tasks simultaneously. Demonstrated ability to work effectively both independently and as part of a team. Demonstrated ability to work in a fast-paced setting with composure, courtesy, and professional attitude. Ability to participate in discussion of research results and contribute to manuscript preparation, including literature reviews, data cleaning activities, and synthesis of information. Excellent communication and written skills to communicate effectively with the interact with the community and research participants, PIs, postdoctoral fellows, and train undergraduate research assistants.

Preferred qualifications (other preferred, but not required, qualifications for the position)

Ability to assist with data/processing tracking in R and conduct simple statistical analyses in R and/or SPSS

Application Requirements

Document requirements

Curriculum Vitae - Your most recently updated C.V.

Authorization to Release Information Form - This form is required for all applicants applying to academic recruitments. Please see the Employment Disclosure Requirements webpage for more information. Download, complete, sign, and upload the form.

As a condition of employment, the finalist will be required to disclose if they are subject to any final administrative or judicial decisions within the last seven years determining that they committed any misconduct, are currently being investigated for misconduct, left a position during an investigation for alleged misconduct, or have filed an appeal with a previous employer.

• Misconduct means any violation of the policies or laws governing conduct at the applicant’s previous place of employment, including, but not limited to, violations of policies or laws prohibiting sexual harassment, sexual assault, or other forms of harassment, discrimination, dishonesty, or unethical conduct, as defined by the employer.

To implement this process, UC Davis requires all applicants for any open search to complete, sign, and upload the form entitled, Authorization to Release Information, into UC RECRUIT as part of their application. If an applicant does not include the signed authorization with the application materials, the application will be considered incomplete, and as with any incomplete application, will not receive further consideration.

The University of California is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status, or other protected status under state for federal law.

Under Federal law, the University of California may employ only individuals who are legally able to work in the United States as established by providing documents as specified in the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986. Certain UC Davis positions funded by federal contracts or sub-contracts require the selected candidate to pass an E-Verify check. More information is available at: http://www.uscis.gov/e-verify

The University of California, Davis (UC Davis) is committed to creating a welcoming and inclusive environment for all employees and students. Our excellence in research, teaching, and service are embodied by members of our academic community who share our commitment to these values. A variety of resources and programs are available to academics, staff, and students that reflect the core values reflected in our strategic plan: To Boldly Go, our Principles of Community, the Office of Academic Affairs Mission Statement, and the UC Board of Regents Policy 4400.

UC Davis is also a national leader in inclusive practice. There are numerous links available on the About Us webpage where you can learn more about our administration, campus rankings, locations, campus safety, sustainability, visiting UC Davis and UC Davis Health.

As a University employee, you will be required to comply with all applicable University policies and/or collective bargaining agreements, as may be amended from time to time. Federal, state, or local government directives may impose additional requirements.