Department: MED-Center for Community Health
Salary/Grade: NEX/13

Job Summary:

This position sits within the Center for Community Health (CCH) which is a center within the Institute for Public Health and Medicine (IPHAM). This position is relationship oriented, and has a primary objective to develop, build, and support community and academic partners to conduct meaningful research related to COVID-19 in criminal justice involved and Hispanic communities.  This position will work closely with Dr. Namratha Kandula on an NIH funded research project to coordinate community engagement activities across study sites, evaluate project outcomes from a stakeholder perspective, and lead and implement Stakeholder-Academic Resource Panels (ShARP). ShARPs are custom panels that bring together eight to 10 community stakeholders with professional and/or personal expertise related to a research project. These community experts offer feedback on adaptations that can improve research relevance, feasibility, and/or dissemination opportunities. ShARPs are one of the consultation services offered by CCH to engage stakeholders in health research.

This position will lead and implement a train-the-trainer model virtually to train each study site in conducting local ShARPs. This individual will also help to organize and support ShARP consultations at the Chicago study sites, including coordinating with community facilitators, managing compensation for participants, procuring transcription and translation services and meeting supplies and space, and coordinating some local travel or remote technology venues for meetings.

This position will help sites develop and maintain community stakeholder partnerships, provide input on a community governance structure for the project, and work to build capacity of each site of the project to equitable engage community members in research.

Coordinates & completes the day to day administrative & technical activities involved in a single complex, large, nationwide or multiple moderately complex concurrent biomedical &/or social-behavioral research study(ies) involving multiple sites& /or longitudinal assessments/ interventions.  Ensures that all activities are completed by strictly following Good Clinical Practices (GCP) & all relevant current local, state, & federal laws, regulations, guidance, policy & procedure developed by the NU Institutional Review Board (IRB), Food & Drug Administration (FDA) Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), & the International Conference on Harmonization (ICH).

Specific Responsibilities:

Technical

• Participates in the planning & conduct of research studies. 
• Reviews project & protocol & recommends strategies to expedite study. 
• Recruits & retains participants.
• Obtains informed consent.
• Administers tests &/or questionnaires following protocols.
• Collects, compiles, tabulates &/or process responses.
• Gathers information.

Communication, Outreach & Recruitment

• Manages program/project marketing/branding efforts. 
• Identifies and implements short- and long-term strategies and plans to meet program/project goals. 
• Engages in outreach/field relations serving a number of goals, including recruitment, participation, sponsorship, relationship building, etc. to support continued program/project development & improvement.
• Interacts with internal/external resources & organizations to identify new markets & opportunities.

Administration

• Manages study databases which may include ensuring that data is collected & entered correctly.

Finance

• May process payments for research participants per study protocol. 
• Creates lab financial plan & budget/audit expenses.
• Obtains sales quotes for lab equipment & supplies.

Supervision

• Trains, directs, assigns duties to & may supervise research staff, students, residents &/or fellows. 
• Acts as a mentor in regard to education of junior coordinators.

Performs other duties as assigned.

Minimum Qualifications:

• Successful completion of a full 4-year course of study in an accredited college or university leading to a bachelor's or higher degree in a major such as social or health science or related; OR appropriate combination of education and experience and 4 years' research study or other relevant experience required; OR
• Successful completion of a full course of study in an accredited college or university leading to a master's or higher degree in a major such as social or health science or related; OR appropriate combination of education and experience and 2 years' research study or other relevant experience.
• Must complete NU's IRB CITI training before interacting with any participants & must re-certify every 3 years.

Minimum Competencies: (Skills, knowledge, and abilities.)

• Excellent organizational, analytical, technical, and problem-solving skills.
• Strong interpersonal communication skills (oral and written) and the ability to prepare accurate, concise reports.

Preferred Qualifications: (Education and experience)

• Fluent in Spanish

Preferred Competencies: (Skills, knowledge, and abilities)

• Preferred: experience in Clinical Trials (both investigator-initiated and multi-site industry-sponsored).
• Preferred experience in community engaged research or community advocacy and health.

Northwestern University is an Equal Opportunity, Affirmative Action Employer of all protected classes, including veterans and individuals with disabilities. Women, racial and ethnic minorities, individuals with disabilities, and veterans are encouraged to apply. Hiring is contingent upon eligibility to work in the United States.