Physical Therapy Assistant/Athletic Trainer - Clinical Research

The Geneva Foundation; Hawaii; On-site; USD 71,635,000 - 100,289,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, and vision benefits

403(b) retirement plan

Paid time off

Life & Disability insurance

Job summary

The Geneva Foundation in Hawaii seeks a Physical Therapy Assistant / Athletic Trainer – Clinical Research to join our on-site team at Tripler Army Medical Center. This full-time position collaborates with physical therapists, researchers, and healthcare professionals on musculoskeletal studies and a Phase II trial evaluating timing of physical therapy after ACDF surgery.

You will work directly with participants during visits, assist with therapeutic exercises and modalities, collect data, and

Qualifications

• Associate degree from an accredited Physical Therapy program for PTA candidates.
• Current Physical Therapy Assistant certification or credentialing.
• Athletic training education and current certification/credentialing for Athletic Trainer candidates.
• 1–3 years of experience in physical therapy, athletic training, rehabilitation, or related healthcare preferred.
• Orthopedic or musculoskeletal experience preferred.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills.
• Strong organization and attention to detail.
• Ability and willingness to learn new clinical and research procedures.
• Ability to work effectively as part of a multidisciplinary team.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
• Motion analysis or similar assessment technology experience is helpful.

Responsibilities

• Work directly with research participants during clinical and study visits.
• Assist with therapeutic exercise, rehabilitation activities, physical modalities, and activities of daily living.
• Support Physical Therapists with participant evaluations and study-related assessments.
• Collect clinical, functional, and research data.
• Assist with motion analysis and specialized research equipment.
• Monitor and document participant progress and response to rehabilitation.
• Enter and maintain accurate study data and research documentation.
• Assist with braces, prostheses, and mobility-related equipment when applicable.
• Maintain confidential medical and research records.
• Prepare progress reports and study-related information.
• Collaborate with Physical Therapists, investigators, research staff, participants, and study partners.
• Follow study protocols, Good Clinical Practice (GCP), OSHA, infection control, and applicable regulatory requirements.
• Support additional activities needed to keep clinical research studies running successfully.

Skills

Interpersonal skills

Verbal/written communication

Organization

Attention to detail

Multidisciplinary teamwork

Adaptability

Learning new procedures

Clinical research awareness

Education

Associate degree from accredited Physical Therapy program

PTA certification

Athletic training certification

Tools

Microsoft Word

Microsoft Excel

PowerPoint

Motion analysis

Job description

Position Details

Position: Physical Therapy Assistant / Athletic Trainer – Clinical Research

Location: Tripler Army Medical Center (TAMC) & Desmond T. Doss Health Clinic, Schofield Barracks, Hawaii

Schedule: Full-Time, 40 hours per week

Work Arrangement: 100% On-Site

Compensation: $25.00–$35.00/hour

Background Requirement: A thorough government background check is required.

What Makes This Opportunity Different?

This isn't a traditional PTA or Athletic Trainer position. You'll work alongside Physical Therapists, research investigators, and other healthcare and research professionals on studies examining musculoskeletal injuries, rehabilitation, recovery, and return to duty. The research program evaluates common musculoskeletal conditions—including back, knee, and shoulder injuries—and investigates approaches that may help service members recover successfully and maintain operational readiness. One of the studies you'll support is a Phase II randomized controlled clinical trial examining early versus delayed physical therapy following anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF) surgery. The goal is to answer an important clinical question: Can the timing of physical therapy after surgery improve rehabilitation and recovery outcomes? Participants are evaluated before surgery and followed throughout their recovery, giving you the opportunity to contribute to meaningful, longitudinal clinical research.

What You'll Do

• Work directly with research participants during clinical and study visits
• Assist with therapeutic exercise, rehabilitation activities, physical modalities, and activities of daily living
• Support Physical Therapists with participant evaluations and study-related assessments
• Collect clinical, functional, and research data
• Assist with motion analysis and specialized research equipment
• Monitor and document participant progress and response to rehabilitation
• Enter and maintain accurate study data and research documentation
• Assist with braces, prostheses, and mobility-related equipment when applicable
• Maintain confidential medical and research records
• Prepare progress reports and study-related information
• Collaborate with Physical Therapists, investigators, research staff, participants, and study partners
• Follow study protocols, Good Clinical Practice (GCP), OSHA, infection control, and applicable regulatory requirements
• Support additional activities needed to keep clinical research studies running successfully

Who We're Looking For

You may be a great fit if you enjoy working with patients, rehabilitation, human movement, and learning new skills and are interested in seeing how clinical research can influence future standards of care.

We welcome candidates with backgrounds in:

• Physical therapy
• Athletic training
• Orthopedics
• Sports medicine
• Rehabilitation
• Human performance
• Clinical research

Qualifications

• Associate degree from an accredited Physical Therapy program for Physical Therapy Assistant candidates
• Current Physical Therapy Assistant certification or credentialing, as applicable
• Athletic training education and current certification/credentialing, as applicable for Athletic Trainer candidates
• 1–3 years of experience in physical therapy, athletic training, rehabilitation, orthopedics, sports medicine, or a related healthcare environment preferred
• Orthopedic or musculoskeletal experience preferred
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills
• Strong organization and attention to detail
• Ability and willingness to learn new clinical and research procedures
• Ability to work effectively as part of a multidisciplinary team
• Ability to adapt to changing priorities while maintaining professionalism
• Working knowledge of Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint
• Additional experience that is helpful, but not required: Motion analysis or similar assessment technology Clinical or general research techniques Healthcare, nonprofit, or research environments Amputee rehabilitation, prosthetics, or adaptive rehabilitation

Grow Your Skills While Making an Impact

This role offers an opportunity to build experience beyond a traditional rehabilitation setting. You'll gain exposure to:

• Clinical research
• Orthopedic and postoperative rehabilitation
• Human movement and functional assessments
• Motion analysis
• Research data collection
• Evidence-based rehabilitation
• Military medicine
• Multidisciplinary research collaboration

Whether you're an experienced PTA or Athletic Trainer or someone looking to expand your clinical experience into research, this position offers the opportunity to develop new skills while contributing to research with meaningful impact.

Ready for Something Beyond the Traditional Clinic?

Bring your rehabilitation or athletic training experience to a role where patient care meets clinical research. Join The Geneva Foundation and help support research designed to improve rehabilitation, recovery, and readiness across the military community.

Transforming Military Medicine to Save Lives Worldwide

Geneva is a 501(c)3 nonprofit that advances military medicine through research, development, and education as we pursue our purpose to ensure optimal health for service members and the communities they serve.

Equal Opportunity Employer

The Geneva Foundation is an equal opportunity employer.

Benefits

• Our benefits package includes financial rewards that are a significant part of the employee's total rewards compensation package.
• Geneva's highly competitive benefits include medical, dental, and vision healthcare, Flexible Spending Account, Health Savings account, with employer contribution.
• Coverage is provided for employees and family members including domestic partners.
• Short-and long-term disability, Employee Assistance Program, Life & ADD insurance, 403b retirement plan with generous employer match, flexible leave options, 11 paid holidays per year, and up to 4 weeks of paid time off in a rolling year.
• Employees may qualify for PSLF as Geneva is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
• Full time positions come with all benefits. Part time and intermittent positions may vary.