Postdoctoral Scholar - Florida Center for Prevention Research (Full-time, OPS) (Multiple Vacancies)

Florida State University; Tallahassee (FL); On-site; USD 52,000 - 70,000; Full time

Job summary

Florida State University’s Florida Center for Prevention Research seeks a Postdoctoral Scholar to join our team as a mentored researcher focused on opioid-related prevention and policy topics. The role emphasizes quantitative analyses, data management, and collaboration with university and state partners.

You will contribute to manuscripts, technical reports, and grant proposals while working in a dynamic, interdisciplinary environment and traveling for conferences as needed.

Qualifications

• A Ph.D. in Public Health or related field; ABD candidates eligible with degree conferral before employment.
• Proficiency in quantitative research methods and data management with statistical software.
• Experience working with medium to large datasets and diverse data sources.
• Excellent written and verbal communication, and ability to publish manuscripts and reports.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a fast-paced, research setting.

Responsibilities

• Support data acquisition, cleaning, and management for opioid-related datasets.
• Conduct quantitative and geospatial analyses for reports and manuscripts.
• Prepare, submit, and amend IRB protocol and data use agreements.
• Contribute to technical and evaluation reports for state partners.
• Lead and co-author conference proposals and manuscripts using project data.
• Assist in drafting grant proposals to advance the program's mission.
• Participate in meetings with university and state stakeholders and translate findings for policy audiences.

Skills

Quantitative methods

Data management

Statistical software

Communication skills

Collaboration

Education

PhD in Public Health

ABD eligible

Tools

SPSS

Stata

R

SAS

MPlus

Python

Excel

PowerPoint

Teams

SharePoint

Job description

Job Title: Postdoctoral Scholar - Florida Center for Prevention Research (Full-time, OPS) (Multiple Vacancies)

Location: Tallahassee, FL

Regular/Temporary: Temporary

Full/Part Time:

Job ID: 61873

Department

The Florida Center for Prevention Research (FCPR)

Responsibilities

• Support data acquisition, cleaning, and management for large-scale opioid-related datasets (e.g., state administrative data, health care utilization data, survey data, geospatial data).
• Conduct quantitative and, as applicable, geospatial analyses for technical reports, peer-reviewed manuscripts, and presentations at professional conferences.
• Prepare, submit, and amend IRB protocol and data use agreements related to opioid and substance use research.
• Contribute to the writing of technical and evaluation reports for FL state partners (e.g., agency funders).
• Serve as lead and co-author on conference proposals and manuscripts using data from Applied Opioid Research and related projects.
• Assist in conceptualizing, drafting, and revising grant proposals to internal and external funding sources that advance FCPR's mission and research.
• Participate in team meetings with university and state stakeholders and contribute to translation of research findings for policy and practice audiences.

Qualifications

• A Ph.D. in Public Health, Epidemiology, Social Work, Psychology, Education, Human Development & Family Science, or a related social or behavioral science field.
• ABD candidates who will complete all degree requirements prior to the start date are eligible to apply. Proof of degree conferral is required before employment begins.
• Demonstrated proficiency in quantitative research methods, including data management and analysis using statistical software (e.g., SPSS, Stata, R, SAS, MPlus, Python).
• Experience working with medium to large datasets (e.g., survey, administrative, or health data).
• Highly proficient with standard computer software and collaboration platforms, including Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint), Teams, and SharePoint (or similar tools).
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including experience contributing to manuscripts, reports, and conference presentations.
• Ability to work both independently and collaboratively in fast-paced, team-based research environment.
• Strong organizational skills and attention to details to manage multiple projects and deadlines.
• Availability to travel and participate in occasional overnight, out-of-town meetings and conferences.

Preferred Qualifications

• Research experience focused on opioid misuse, Opioid Use Disorder (OUD), Medication for OUD, overdose prevention, or broader substance use epidemiology.
• Experience with prevention or intervention programs in family, school, or community contexts, especially those addressing substance use or associated risk/protective factors.
• Training and experience in advanced quantitative methods (e.g., longitudinal analysis, structural equation modeling, multilevel modeling, causal inference methods, geospatial modeling, or machine learning).
• Experience with data management and secondary analysis of large administrative, health services, or population-based datasets (e.g., Medicaid/claims data, EHR data, state surveillance systems, or multi-wave survey data).
• Experience preparing technical or evaluation reports for government or community partners.

Other Information

The Florida Center for Prevention Research (FCPR) at Florida State University seeks a dedicated postdoctoral scholar to join our team as a mentored researcher on the Applied Opioid Research project funded by the Florida Department of Children and Families. We seek candidates with an established or developing program of research focused on opioid research or closely related to substance use topics whose work and passions align with the FCPR mission.

This position offers the opportunity to collaborate with an interdisciplinary team of researchers at FCPR, including affiliate faculty from the FSU College of Social Work, Department of Human Development & Family Science, and Geography, as well as state partners engaged in opioid research, data analysis, and prevention policy.

University Information

One of the nation's elite research universities, Florida State University preserves, expands, and disseminates knowledge in the sciences, technology, arts, humanities, and professions, while embracing a philosophy of learning strongly rooted in the traditions of the liberal arts and critical thinking. Founded in 1851, Florida State University is the oldest continuous site of higher education in Florida. FSU is a community steeped in tradition that fosters research and encourages creativity. At FSU, there’s the excitement of being part of a vibrant academic and professional community, surrounded by people whose ideas are shaping tomorrow’s news! Learn more about our university and campuses.

Considerations

This is an OPS/temporary job.

Based on the duties, this position may require completion of a criminal history background check.

This position is being advertised as open until filled.

Equal Employment Opportunity

FSU is an Equal Employment Opportunity Employer.