Project Coordinator and REACH Lab Manager

University of Colorado System; Allenspark (CO); Hybrid; USD 61,000 - 83,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

72k salary

Hybrid work option

Mentorship and collaboration

Professional development

Transit benefits

Job summary

The University of Colorado Boulder’s Institute of Behavioral Science (IBS) seeks a Project Coordinator and REACH Lab Manager to oversee day-to-day coordination of an NIH-funded mixed-methods study and support broader REACH Lab activities. Responsibilities include recruitment, training, data management, and multi-site coordination across investigators and cohorts.

The role requires strong organizational skills, collaboration, and attention to detail.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in public health, geography, sociology, psychology, gerontology, epidemiology, social sciences, or related field.
• Demonstrated organizational and communication skills; ability to coordinate multiple tasks, timelines, or collaborators; work independently and collaboratively.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate NIH-funded Life Course Cognability study across multiple sites and cohorts.
• Support onboarding, training, and supervision of research assistants; organize lab meetings and shared resources.

Skills

Organizational skills

Communication

Project coordination

Education

Bachelor’s degree in a related field

Master’s or PhD preferred

Job description

Job Summary

The Project Coordinator and REACH Lab Manager will oversee the day-to-day coordination of a NIH-funded mixed-methods study examining how neighborhood environments shape cognitive health and dementia risk across adulthood, while also supporting the broader research activities of the REACH Lab (Research on Environments, Aging, Communities, and Health). Responsibilities will include coordinating research activities across multiple qualitative field sites and national longitudinal cohort studies; organizing project meetings, timelines, and study documentation; supporting participant recruitment and community partnerships; coordinating training and supervision of graduate and undergraduate research assistants to ensure standardized protocols and secure data management; managing interview transcription, qualitative data organization, and multi-site data workflows; and facilitating coordination with collaborators conducting geospatial and quantitative analyses. The position will also support general REACH Lab operations, including onboarding and coordinating research team members, maintaining shared protocols and project resources, assisting with lab meetings and research dissemination, and supporting communication across multiple ongoing projects. Additional responsibilities include tracking project spending and milestones, assisting with NIH progress reports, IRB submissions and renewals, manuscripts, presentations, and other research products. The ideal candidate will be highly organized, collaborative, detail-oriented, and comfortable coordinating interdisciplinary research involving multiple investigators, trainees, institutions, and methodological approaches.

CU is an Equal Opportunity Employer and complies with all applicable federal, state, and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment. We are committed to creating a workplace where all individuals are treated with respect and dignity, and we encourage individuals from all backgrounds to apply, including protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.

Who We Are

The Institute of Behavior Science (IBS) is a leading interdisciplinary research institute dedicated to addressing problems of societal importance through collaborative social and behavioral science research. The institute includes approximately 400 members, including fellows, research and administrative staff, postdoctoral scholars, and graduate and undergraduate student researchers, and manages a typical annual grant portfolio of approximately $40 million. By engaging faculty from the social and behavioral sciences at the University of Colorado Boulder, IBS encourages work that transcends disciplinary boundaries, illuminates the complexity of social behavior and social life, and has important implications for social policy. The institute is connected to a wide range of academic departments, including Anthropology, History, Economics, Environmental Studies, Geography, Psychology, Political Science, Sociology, Women and Gender Studies, and others. The institute is home to 13 programs and centers, including the Prevention Science Program, International Development Program, Center for the Study and Prevention of Violence, Natural Hazards Center, and CU Population Center. While IBS has historical strengths in research related to population, the environment, violence prevention, health, and international issues, it also embraces scholarship on well-being and resilience, archaeology, and crime and justice, among myriad other topics.

What Your Key Responsibilities Will Be

Life Course Cognability Project Coordination

Coordinate day-to-day activities for the NIH-funded Life Course Cognability study across multiple qualitative field sites and national longitudinal cohort studies. Support launch and implementation of qualitative fieldwork, including participant recruitment, community partnerships, interviewer scheduling, and multi-site coordination. Coordinate training of graduate and undergraduate research assistants to ensure standardized research protocols. Manage transcription workflows, organization of qualitative data, secure data storage, quality-control procedures, and documentation across field sites. Facilitate coordination within investigators, collaborators, and national cohort studies conducting geospatial and quantitative analyses. Support workflows for custom neighborhood exposure measures, data-use procedures, documentation, data transfers, and integrated analyses across cohort studies. Maintain project timelines, organize team and investigator meetings, track milestones and deliverables, coordinate communication across collaborating institutions, and maintain study documentation and shared project resources.

Research Dissemination and Project Communications

Support preparation of manuscripts, conference presentations, reports, figures, community-facing materials, and other research products. Assist with communication of study activities and findings to collaborators, community partners, participants, and broader audiences.

Research Team Training, Supervision, and REACH Lab Management

Support onboarding, training, coordination, and day-to-day supervision of graduate and undergraduate research assistants. Help organize REACH Lab meetings, maintain lab protocols and shared resources, coordinate research team activities, and facilitate communication across multiple ongoing projects. Support a collaborative, organized, and professional research environment.

Research Administration, Compliance, and Financial Tracking

Track project spending, personnel effort, milestones, and other administrative requirements. Assist with NIH annual progress reports, IRB submissions and renewals, data-use agreements, study documentation, and other institutional and sponsor reporting requirements.

What You Should Know

The start date is flexible. Ideally late fall 2026, with January 2027 as the preferred latest start date. The position may be fully in person at the Institute of Behavioral Science (IBS) at CU Boulder or hybrid. Residence in the Denver-Boulder metropolitan area is strongly preferred.

What We Can Offer

• $72,000 annual salary plus benefits.
• Dedicated workspace at CU Boulder’s Institute of Behavioral Science, with in-person or hybrid flexibility.
• Hands-on experience managing a large NIH-funded, multi-site research project.
• Close mentorship and collaboration with an interdisciplinary national research team.
• Opportunities to contribute to manuscripts, presentations, and other scholarly products.
• Professional development in project management, grant administration, research coordination, and team supervision.
• Access to CU Boulder and IBS seminars, workshops, and research networks.

Benefits

At the University of Colorado Boulder, we are committed to supporting the holistic health and well-being of our employees. Our comprehensive benefits package includes medical, dental, and retirement plans; generous paid time off; tuition assistance for you and your dependents; and an ECO Pass for local transit. As one of Boulder County’s largest employers, CU Boulder offers an inspiring academic community and access to world-class outdoor recreation. In fact, CU Boulder has been named one of Forbes America’s Best Large Employers, ranking #4 among large employers in Colorado and #28 among universities nationwide. Explore additional perks and programs through the CU Advantage program.

Be Statements

Be ambitious. Be groundbreaking. Be Boulder.

What We Require

• Bachelor’s degree in public health, geography, sociology, psychology, gerontology, epidemiology, social sciences, or related field.
• Relevant experience supporting research, project coordination, or program administration.
• Candidates should have demonstrated organizational and communication skills; experience coordinating multiple tasks, timelines, or collaborators; and the ability to work independently and collaboratively within an interdisciplinary research team.

What We Would Like You to Have

• Master’s or PhD in public health, geography, sociology, psychology, gerontology, epidemiology, social sciences, or related field; and/or prior work experience working with human-subjects research, research assistants, qualitative or mixed-methods projects, data management, or university research administration.