Lab Assistant II - Psychiatry - 141416

UC San Diego Health; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 57,000 - 69,000; Part time

Job summary

UC San Diego Health Department of Psychiatry is seeking a Lab Assistant II to support studies on brain, addiction, and development under supervision. You will assist with data collection, collect saliva, urine, and hair samples, and help with neuroimaging processes.

Responsibilities include recruiting participants, obtaining informed consent, entering data, scheduling appointments, and ensuring accurate documentation. Strong organizational skills and confidentiality are essential.

Qualifications

• Graduation from high school or a GED with two years of laboratory experience or two years of college with Psychology or related field and one year of laboratory experience.
• Previous lab experience in a research setting.
• Attention to detail and strong organizational skills.
• Ability to maintain confidentiality of participant information with knowledge of reporting procedures.

Responsibilities

• Assist PIs with studies investigating brain, addiction, and development; collect data and biological specimens (saliva, urine, hair).
• Administer behavioral and neurocognitive measures and assist with neuroimaging acquisition.
• Recruit participants, obtain informed assent/consent, enter and verify data, schedule study appointments.
• Maintain equipment and supplies; prepare data collection forms and correspondence; assist with other tasks as needed.

Skills

Lab techniques

Data collection

Neurocognitive measures

Communication skills

Education

High school diploma or GED

Two years college with Psychology courses

Equivalent education/experience

Tools

REDCap

MS Office Suite (Word/Excel/PowerPoint)

Job description

Payroll Title

LAB AST 2

Department

PSYCHIATRY/Substance Abuse

Hiring Pay Scale

$27.54 - $33.13 / Hour

Worksite

Campus

Appointment Type

Limited Appointment

Appointment Percent

40%

Union

TX Contract

Total Openings

1

Work Schedule

Days, Variable

#141416 Lab Assistant II - Psychiatry

Filing Deadline

Wed 9/30/2026

UC San Diego values and welcomes people from all backgrounds.

If you are interested in being part of our team, possess the needed licensure and certifications, and feel that you have most of the qualifications and/or transferable skills for a job opening, we strongly encourage you to apply.

This position is a part-time limited position with the possibility of extension/career conversion.

Reassignment Applicants: Eligible Reassignment clients should contact their Disability Counselor for assistance.

Description

UCSD Department of Psychiatry is one of the most innovative and productive academic departments of psychiatry in the country with cutting-edge research and state-of-the-art clinical services. The department is committed to offering challenging career opportunities with potential for growth and a dynamic learning environment to its talented and dedicated employees.

Under supervision, the incumbent will assist the PIs on studies investigating brain, addiction, and development within the Department of Psychiatry. Primary responsibilities include assisting with data collection, administering behavioral and neurocognitive measures; collecting biological specimens including saliva, urine, and hair; and assisting with neuroimaging acquisition. Duties also include recruitment, obtaining informed assent/consent on participants; entering and verifying study data; and scheduling study appointment and research facilities. General lab assistance duties may include maintaining equipment and supplies and preparing data collection forms and various correspondence. Assist with other tasks as needed.

Minimum Qualifications

• Graduation from high school or a General Education Diploma and two years of laboratory experience or two years of college including courses in Psychology or related field and one year of laboratory experience, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Previous lab experience in a research setting.
• Attention to detail and strong organizational skills.
• Ability to maintain and protect confidentiality of participant information with working knowledge of mandated reporting procedures.
• Ability to prioritize workload and work independently and seek guidance or information when appropriate.
• Strong basic computer skills such as word processing and data entry, as well as experienceusing Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint; Adobe PDF.
• Proven effective interpersonal, oral, and written communication skills in English.
• Experience assisting with administering neurocognitive and behavioral assessments.
• Experience assisting with administering the structural clinical interview, substance use assessments, and NIH-Toolbox.
• Experience setting up and administering surveys on REDCap.
• Experience working with clinical populations, including substance use disorder.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience collecting, handling, and shipping biological specimens.
• Previous experience in a clinical research setting.
• Experience administering detailed clinical interviews.
• Experience collecting, coding, and scoring data using computerized measures according to study protocol.

SPECIAL CONDITIONS

• Employment is subject to a criminal background check and pre-employment physical.
• Ability to safely work near a strong magnetic field.
• Availability to work evenings, weekends, and holidays, as needed.
• Must have reliable mode of transportation.
• Must be able to work a variable hour schedule.

Pay Transparency Act

Annual Full Pay Range: $57,504 - $69,175 (will be prorated if the appointment percentage is less than 100%)

Hourly Equivalent: $27.54 - $33.13

Factors in determining the appropriate compensation for a role include experience, skills, knowledge, abilities, education, licensure and certifications, and other business and organizational needs. The Hiring Pay Scale referenced in the job posting is the budgeted salary or hourly range that the University reasonably expects to pay for this position. The Annual Full Pay Range may be broader than what the University anticipates to pay for this position, based on internal equity, budget, and collective bargaining agreements (when applicable).

Compliance and Policy Constraints

If employed by the University of California, you will be required to comply with our Policy on Vaccination Programs, which may be amended or revised from time to time. Federal, state, or local public health directives may impose additional requirements.

Certification Requirements

If applicable, life-support certifications (BLS, NRP, ACLS, etc.) must include hands-on practice and in-person skills assessment; online-only certification is not acceptable.

UC San Diego Health Sciences is comprised of our School of Medicine, Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, The Herbert Wertheim School of Public Health and Human Longevity Science, and our Student Health and Well-Being Department. We have long been at the forefront of translational — or "bench-to-bedside" — research, transforming patient care through discovery and innovation leading to new drugs and technologies. Translational research is carried out every day in the hundreds of clinical trials of promising new therapies offered through UC San Diego Health, and in the drive of our researchers and clinician-scientists who are committed to having a significant impact on patient care. We invite you to join our team!

To foster the best possible working and learning environment, UC San Diego strives to cultivate a rich and diverse environment, inclusive and supportive of all students, faculty, staff and visitors. For more information, please visit UC San Diego Principles of Community.

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 or federal law.

For the University of California’s Anti-Discrimination Policy, please visit: https://policy.ucop.edu/doc/1001004/Anti-Discrimination

UC San Diego is a smoke and tobacco free environment. Please visit smokefree.ucsd.edu for more information.

UC San Diego Health maintains a marijuana and drug free environment. Employees may be subject to drug screening.

Misconduct Disclosure Requirement

As a condition of employment, the final candidate who accepts an offer of employment will be required to disclose if they have been subject to any final administrative or judicial decisions within the last seven years determining that they committed any misconduct; or have filed an appeal of a finding of substantiated misconduct with a previous employer.

• "Misconduct" means any violation of the policies governing employee conduct at the applicant’s previous place of employment, including, but not limited to, violations of policies prohibiting sexual harassment, sexual assault, or other forms of harassment, or discrimination, as defined by the employer. For reference, below are UC’s policies addressing some forms of misconduct:
• UC Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment Policy
• UC Anti-Discrimination Policy
• Abusive Conduct in the Workplace