Lab Manager and Research Assistant

Commonwealth of VA Careers; Charlottesville (VA); On-site; USD 45,000 - 65,000; Full time

Job summary

The Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy at the University of Virginia seeks a Lab Manager and Research Assistant to support two professors’ social psychology and behavioral science labs in Charlottesville, VA.

The role involves managing daily lab operations, training undergraduates, preparing datasets, and conducting preliminary analyses for multiple projects. This is not a remote position.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in psychology, data science, public policy, or related field by July 2026.
• Two years of behavioral laboratory experience or as a research assistant.
• Familiarity with social psychology/behavioral science methods and IRB management.
• Experience administering studies in Qualtrics.
• Strong interpersonal, oral, and written communication skills.
• Proficiency in Excel and at least one statistical software (R, SPSS, SAS, STATA).
• Able to occasionally work nonstandard hours.

Responsibilities

• Manage day-to-day operations of two professors' labs and supervise undergraduates.
• Administer behavioral studies in lab and field settings.
• Prepare datasets and conduct preliminary analyses.
• Collaborate to develop and program experimental materials and stimuli.
• Coordinate data collection and assist with lab administration tasks.

Skills

Interpersonal communication

Oral communication

Written communication

Excel proficiency

Statistical software (R, SPSS, SAS, ST

Education

Bachelor's degree in psychology, data science, public policy, or related field by July 2026

Tools

Qualtrics

SONA

JavaScript

Python

JSON

Job description

The Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy at the University of Virginia seeks a Lab Manager and Research Assistant to work with Professors Benjamin Converse and Abigail Scholer.

The Lab Manager will be responsible for day-to-day management of multiple research projects, splitting their time equally each week between two professors’ social psychology and behavioral science labs. This will involve administering behavioral studies in the lab and in field settings; preparing datasets and conducting preliminary analyses; and collaborating to produce and program experimental materials and stimuli. The Lab Manager will provide training and supervision of undergraduate research assistants and coordinate data collection. The Lab Manager will also be involved in lab administration tasks: tracking expenses, ordering equipment or materials for studies, leading lab meetings, and meeting with the principal investigators and graduate students regularly about progress and goal-setting and other duties as assigned.

The position is an excellent opportunity to gain multidisciplinary research experience in preparation for graduate study in social psychology, organizational behavior, or a related field. The ideal candidate will have an entrepreneurial mindset, ability to work independently, and a willingness to take initiative and find creative solutions to problems. They should be highly organized and attentive to detail. This is not a remote position.

Minimum qualifications:

• Bachelor's Degree in psychology, data science, public policy, or a related field by July 2026.
• Two years of behavioral laboratory experience or work as a research assistant; experience gained over four academic semesters (or equivalent) as a student will be considered.
• Familiarity with social psychology/behavioral science research methods and IRB management.
• Experience administering studies in Qualtrics.
• Strong interpersonal, oral, and written communication skills.
• Proficient in Excel and an additional statistical program such as R, SPSS, SAS, STATA.
• Able to occasionally work nonstandard hours (e.g., evenings, weekends), depending on data-collection needs.

Preferred qualifications:

• Experience working semi-independently on an original behavioral science research project (e.g., undergraduate honors thesis).
• Experience with platforms that manage human subject pools (e.g., SONA).
• Prior experience with data science methods (e.g., web scraping, data cleaning and manipulation)
• Demonstrated interest in computer programming (e.g., Javascript, Python, JSON) and/or assisted coding using GenerativeAI platforms (e.g., Claude Code).

This position will remain open until filled. This is a non-exempt level, benefited position. For more information on the benefits at UVA, visit hr.virginia.edu/benefits.

This position is a restricted position and is dependent upon project need, availability of funding, and performance. This position is located in Charlottesville, VA.

The University will perform background checks on all new hires prior to employment.

For information regarding the position or the application process, please contact Jessica Speth, Academic Recruiter, [e-mail].

The University of Virginia is an equal opportunity employer. All interested persons are encouraged to apply, including veterans and individuals with disabilities. Learn more about UVA's commitment to non-discrimination and equal opportunity employment.