Associate Research Scientist

Yale University•New Haven, CT

About The Position

The Yale School of Public Health seeks an Associate Research Scientist for a multidisciplinary research program focused on improving maternal, adolescent, and community health in American Samoa. The successful candidate will work closely with Dr. Nicola Hawley and collaborators at Yale and in American Samoa, engage regularly with project partners virtually, and make occasional site visits as needed to support research and programmatic activities. A major focus is leadership of two newly funded randomized controlled trials in American Samoa: one evaluating implementation and scale-up of a group prenatal care intervention, and another focused on improving adolescent mental health through a community-based intervention. The Associate Research Scientist may also contribute to other studies in the research program, depending on project needs, expertise, and scientific interests. The role has substantial responsibility for translating study protocols into effective research operations and ensuring rigorous trial implementation. It also offers opportunities to contribute to implementation science, intervention adaptation, data analysis, and dissemination through scientific presentations and publications. The successful candidate will join a collaborative research environment at the Yale School of Public Health, with opportunities to contribute intellectually to ongoing studies, develop independent areas of scholarship, participate in publications and future grant development, and collaborate with investigators across Yale and partner institutions.

Requirements

Doctoral degree (PhD, DrPH, ScD, MD, or equivalent) in epidemiology, public health, behavioral or social sciences, implementation science, or a closely related field.
Experience conducting intervention or clinical research; randomized controlled trials or pragmatic/community-based intervention studies are preferred.
Strong organizational skills and demonstrated ability to coordinate complex, multi-component research projects.
Experience developing or implementing research protocols and study procedures.
Strong quantitative, qualitative, or mixed-methods research skills and experience contributing to scientific analysis and publication.
Excellent interpersonal and communication skills and ability to work effectively with multidisciplinary and geographically distributed teams.
Demonstrated commitment to collaborative and community-engaged research.

Nice To Haves

Experience in implementation science.
Experience in maternal and child health.
Experience in adolescent mental health.
Experience conducting research in Pacific Island communities or other under-resourced settings.
Experience with culturally adapted interventions.

Responsibilities

Provide scientific and operational leadership for two randomized controlled trials conducted in American Samoa.
Lead study start-up activities, including development and refinement of study protocols, standard operating procedures, implementation plans, and study workflows.
Work with investigators and the American Samoa research team to support high-quality implementation of study protocols.
Oversee intervention implementation, assess fidelity, document adaptations, and identify opportunities to strengthen intervention delivery.
Monitor participant recruitment, retention, intervention engagement, and overall study performance, and develop strategies to address emerging challenges.
Oversee data quality and routinely review study performance and data-quality reports.
Troubleshoot operational and implementation challenges with study investigators and the American Samoa research team.
Support regulatory activities, protocol amendments, and other study modifications in collaboration with investigators and regulatory staff.
Contribute to implementation science activities, including assessing implementation outcomes and examining factors influencing intervention delivery, adaptation, and sustainability.
Contribute to analytic planning and interpretation of quantitative and qualitative study data.
Lead and contribute to scientific abstracts, presentations, manuscripts, and other research products.
Participate in grant reporting, development of future research proposals, and activities supporting the broader research program.
Contribute, as appropriate, to other ongoing maternal, child, adolescent, cardiometabolic, or community health studies within the research portfolio.
Support mentorship and scientific development of research staff, trainees, and students involved in the projects.
Engage regularly with project partners virtually and make occasional site visits as needed to support research and programmatic activities.