Research Associate

Furman University; United States; On-site; USD 60,000 - 95,000; Full time

Job summary

Furman University invites applications for a Research Associate in the IACH Community Action department. The role focuses on managing collaborative research and evaluation projects with clinical and community health partners, working across multiple projects with the research team.

The position emphasizes learning emerging public health methodologies, supervising junior staff, and coordinating study meetings.

Qualifications

• Requires a degree in a related field such as public health, social work or other health-related field with one year of previous research experience.
• Master’s degree preferred; PhD may substitute for prior research experience.
• Experience in applied health research or program evaluation is expected.
• Knowledge of CBPR methods and community-engaged research is required or strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated experience leading research and evaluation projects in community or clinical settings.
• Experience with quantitative data analysis (e.g., logistic/linear regression, SEM) and with software tools listed above.

Responsibilities

• Learn about emerging methodologies in public health, CBPR, and social sciences.
• Provide indirect supervision and mentorship to junior research staff.
• Schedule and facilitate study meetings with internal and external partners.
• Represent IACH in academic, professional, and community settings to foster partnerships.
• Monitor study timelines and deliverables using project tools like Asana.
• Conduct systematic and literature reviews to ensure evidence-based methods.
• Develop study materials and data collection protocols, IRB applications, etc.
• Provide training on data collection procedures and intervention implementation.
• Collect and oversee data collection with adherence to protocols.
• Develop and maintain REDCap and Qualtrics databases; codebooks and coding rules.
• Use descriptive and inferential statistics to analyze data.
• Contribute to peer-reviewed manuscripts and grant submissions.

Skills

Public health research

CBPR methods

Data analysis

Mentorship

Project management

Communication skills

Education

Master's degree preferred

Bachelor's degree required with 4 years experience

PhD may substitute for experience

Tools

SAS

Stata

SPSS

NVivo

Qualtrics

REDCap

Job description

Job Title: Research Associate

Job Family: Professionals

Full-Time/Part-Time: Full time

Pay Type: Salary

Department: IACH Community Action

Job Summary

The IACH is hiring a Research Associate to help manage collaborative research and evaluation projects with clinical and community health partners. The position will collaborate with other members of the research and evaluation team across several IACH projects.

Job Description

• Learn about emerging research methodologies and best practices in public health, social sciences, and community-based participatory research (CBPR).
• Provide indirect supervision and mentorship to junior research staff such as research assistants and student research assistants to ensure completion of study deliverables.
• Schedule and help facilitate study meetings with internal and external partners, including ensuring development of meeting agendas and meeting minutes.
• Represent IACH in academic, professional, and community settings, fostering partnerships that advance research and programmatic goals.
• Help monitor progress towards study timelines and deliverables using technology solutions (e.g. Asana).
• Conduct systematic reviews and literature reviews to ensure the use of evidence-based practices and appropriate study methodology.
• Assist with the development of study materials including study instruments (surveys, focus group/interview guides), data collection protocols, IRB applications, etc.
• Provide training to internal research staff and external partners on data collection procedures and intervention implementation as needed.
• Collect quantitative and qualitative study data and oversee adherence to data collection protocols.
• Develop and maintain study databases (RED Cap and Qualtrics), including the development of study codebook and coding (skip logic, piping, etc.).
• Use descriptive and inferential statistics to conduct data analyses.
• Assist with the development and submission of peer-reviewed manuscripts.
• Assist with the development and submission of grants to support IACH research and evaluation activities.
• Help compile information for and develop grant reports and community presentations with internal and external partners.
• Follow policies and procedures related to the submission of grant-related expenses in alignment with funding agreements.
• Employees may be requested to perform job-related tasks other than those specifically present in the description.

Relationships: Continuous contact with members of own work unit to plan, coordinate, problem solve, exchange information, and make suggestions related to mutual and institutional goals. Frequent interaction with IACH partners to exchange information, engage in creative problem solving and conduct collaborative evaluations. While this position does not have direct reports, they will be responsible for indirect supervision of junior research staff including delegating tasks and reviewing work.

Responsibility for Final Decisions: Responsible for own work. Reviews work to ensure compliance with policies, procedures, and deadlines. Spends time planning, scheduling, and assigning priorities of several ongoing assignments. Reviews work to ensure compliance with policies, procedures, and deadlines. Tasks involve interpretation of data and/or procedures to address problems or situations that are not clearly defined. Work involves non-routine/diverse work not defined by procedures.

Education/Skill Requirements

• Requires a degree in a related field such as public health, social work or other health-related field with one year of previous research experience.
• Master’s degree preferred.
• Previous experience in applied health research or program evaluation.
• Bachelor’s degree requires four years of experience.
• Master’s degree requires two years of experience.
• A PhD may be substituted for previous post-graduate research experience.
• Knowledge of community-engaged or Community Based Participatory Research (CBPR) methods.
• Demonstrated and progressive experience in leading research and evaluation projects in community or clinical settings.
• Previous experience with quantitative data analysis such a logistic regression, linear regression, and structural equation modeling required.
• Previous qualitative research experience preferred.
• Experience with data analytic platforms such as SAS, Stata, SPSS, NVivo, etc.
• Previous experience in developing academic publications including journal manuscripts, conference abstracts, etc. preferred.
• Previous experience working with community partners in the implementation of or evaluation of community health interventions preferred.
• Effective oral and written communication skills.
• Strong organizational skills and ability to balance deliverables across multiple projects and timelines.

Welcome to Furman University Employment Opportunities!

Furman University is a selective private liberal arts and sciences college committed to helping students develop intellectually, personally, and interpersonally and providing the practical skills necessary to succeed in a rapidly-changing world. Furman professors are exceptional teacher-scholars who mentor undergraduate students within a campus community that values and encourages diverse ideas and perspectives. Our strategic vision, The Furman Advantage, promises students an individualized four-year pathway facilitated by a team of mentors and infused with a rich and varied set of high-impact experiences outside the classroom that include undergraduate research, study away, internships, community-focused learning, and opportunities to engage across differences. Furman University is an Equal Opportunity Employer and adheres to all applicable federal and state laws regarding nondiscrimination. The University is dedicated to fostering an inclusive and welcoming environment where all individuals represent a multiplicity of identities including gender, race, religion, spiritual belief, sexual orientation, geographic origin, socioeconomic background, ideology, world view, and varied abilities are treated equitably and with respect. Employment decisions are based on qualifications, merit, and institutional needs. In keeping with this commitment domestic partners of employees are eligible for comprehensive benefits and faculty/staff affinity groups exist to offer support for faculty/staff that identify as LGBTQIA+ and/or Black/African-American. The Furman student experience is supported by a rich network of centers and institutes that includes The Hill Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, The Riley Institute, The David E. Shi Institute for Sustainable Communities, The Institute for the Advancement of Community Health, The Rinker Center for Study Away and International Education, The Cothran Center for Vocational Reflection, The Furman Humanities Center, The Shucker Center for Leadership Development, The Malone Center for Career Engagement, The Center for Interpersonal Connections, and our newest addition, The Tocqueville Center for the Study of Democracy and Society. Furman is located on traditional Cherokee land in Greenville, South Carolina, a racially and culturally diverse community that is one of the fastest growing cities in the Southeast. It has been ranked among "America's Ten Best" by Forbes Magazine. Greenville has a thriving downtown, excellent private and public schools and a vibrant international community. A 20-mile bike and running trail connects the university to Greenville and Travelers Rest, which was named "one of America's coolest small towns." It is within a short driving distance of Asheville, Charlotte and Atlanta. The Blue Ridge Mountains and Atlantic Beaches are within easy reach.