Sr Research Associate, Evidence Synthesis

American Cancer Society; United States; On-site; USD 120,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

American Cancer Society is seeking a Senior Research Associate, Evidence Synthesis to lead systematic evidence reviews informing ACS guidelines for early cancer detection. You will act as PI or co-PI, design and manage multiple projects, and supervise junior staff across diverse backgrounds.

The role requires a Master’s in public health or related field with 5+ years of experience in systematic reviews, strong epidemiology knowledge, and ability to translate findings into actionable reports for

Qualifications

• Master's degree in public health, health policy/services, or related field with a minimum of 5 years leading systematic evidence reviews or related research.
• Knowledge of study design and basic biostatistics in epidemiology/clinical research; current systematic methods.
• Specialized knowledge in medicine, epidemiology, biostatistics, meta-analysis, genetics, data visualization, or AI.
• Ability to translate complex findings into actionable written research products.
• Excellent organization, prioritization, and ability to lead multiple large projects with minimal supervision.
• Ability to communicate effectively to scientific/technical audiences and non-clinical policymakers.

Responsibilities

• Lead all stages of systematic evidence reviews from protocol to synthesis and reporting.
• Critically evaluate study quality and strength of evidence for outcomes.
• Communicate findings through presentations, reports, and manuscripts; coordinate with project team members.
• Mentor and supervise junior research staff; manage review team tasks and deadlines.
• Develop working knowledge of cancer screening guidelines and related topics; train team on tools.
• Coordinate with CrEST leadership and guideline teams on scope and updates.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Project management

Mentoring

Education

Master's degree in public health or related field

5+ years leading systematic reviews or related research

Tools

DistillerSR

EndNote

Data visualization tools

Job description

At the American Cancer Society, we're working to end cancer as we know it, for everyone. Our employees and 1.3 million volunteers are raising the bar every single day. We are a culture comprised of diverse backgrounds and experience, to better serve our communities.

The people who work at the American Cancer Society focus their diverse talents on our lifesaving mission. It is a calling. And the people who answer it are fulfilled.

The Senior Research Associate, Evidence Synthesis works as part of the Center for Early Cancer Detection Science (CECDS) Cancer-related Evidence Synthesis Team (CrEST) to lead systematic evidence reviews used to inform ACS guidelines for the early detection of cancer. Using their advanced understanding of systematic review methods, they will serve as a working principal investigator (PI) or a co-PI to develop and refine evidence needs with CrEST leadership and the CECDS guidelines team, and will subsequently design, lead, and conduct all aspects of a range of evidence synthesis products. In addition, they will supervise, train, and mentor junior research staff, and coordinate and manage multiple tasks and projects simultaneously, including but not limited to, ensuring adherence to deadlines, assigning tasks to project team members, and communicating with relevant internal and external subject matter experts and interest holders.

Essential Functions

• Evidence Synthesis Research and Administration (65%)
  • Lead and conduct all stages of systematic evidence reviews, including protocol development, study selection, critical appraisal, data abstraction, and quantitative and qualitative synthesis
  • Critically evaluate the quality and applicability of included research studies, and assess the strength of the body of evidence for selected outcomes
  • Lead communication of findings; write presentations, reports, and manuscripts for journal publication; review, edit, and combine sections written by project team members
  • Communicate and manage relationships with internal and external subject matter experts and interest holders
  • Manage administration of systematic evidence reviews by delegating tasks, providing guidance, and monitoring progress for review team members of various backgrounds (BA/BS, MPH, MD, PhD, etc.)
  • Ensure adherence to project deadlines
  • Develop working knowledge of current cancer screening practices and guidelines for relevant ACS cancer screening guideline topics
  • Use appropriate software and tools to manage each project (e.g., DistillerSR, EndNote, data visualization tools); train project team members to use relevant software and tools
• Evidence Needs and Scoping (5%)
  • Coordinate with CrEST leadership and the CECDS guideline development team to determine scope of evidence needs for cancer screening topics
  • Communicate project updates and disseminate findings to the CECDS guideline development team and ACS Guideline Development Group
• Research or Research-related (5%)
  • Provide subject matter expertise, peer-review, etc.
  • Represent ACS at professional meetings
  • Perform ad-hoc evidence tasks for ACS CAN or ACS leadership
  • Participate in other research tasks as assigned
• Management and Growth (25%)
  • Participate in staff recruitment efforts (screening, interviewing, etc.)
  • Supervise, train, and mentor junior research staff
  • Provide formal and informal leadership, oversight, mentoring, training, and guidance to volunteers and research team members
  • Professional development; maintain and apply working knowledge of systematic review methods

FORMAL KNOWLEDGE

• Master's degree in public health, health policy/services, or related field AND a minimum of 5 years of experience working with and leading teams conducting systematic evidence reviews, health technology assessments, or rapid reviews.
• Research methods employed in epidemiology and/or clinical research, including study design and basic biostatistics, current systematic evidence review methods
• Prefer advanced or specialized knowledge in at least one of the following areas: medicine or clinical practice, epidemiology, biostatistics, meta-analysis, genetics, biomarkers, data visualization, and/or artificial intelligence

SPECIALIZED TRAINING OR KNOWLEDGE

• Required
• Ability to translate complex findings into digestible and actionable written research products
• Outstanding organization and prioritization skills, including the ability to coordinate and complete multiple large projects simultaneously, on time, and with minimal supervision
• Ability to communicate effectively to scientific/technical audiences and non-clinical policymakers
• Excellent writing, grammatical, and proofreading skills, including the ability to follow a variety of sty