Bilingual Research Assistant II

Vanderbilt University Medical Center•Nashville, TN

16h

About The Position

Discover Vanderbilt University Medical Center: Located in Nashville, Tennessee, and operating at a global crossroads of teaching, discovery, and patient care, VUMC is a community of individuals who come to work each day with the simple aim of changing the world. It is a place where your expertise will be valued, your knowledge expanded, and your abilities challenged. Vanderbilt Health is committed to an environment where everyone has the chance to thrive and where your uniqueness is sought and celebrated. It is a place where employees know they are part of something that is bigger than themselves, take exceptional pride in their work and never settle for what was good enough yesterday. Vanderbilt’s mission is to advance health and wellness through preeminent programs in patient care, education, and research. Organization: General Pediatrics Job Summary: Our team conducts community and clinic-based healthy lifestyle interventions for childhood obesity prevention and treatment. In your pivotal role as a Bilingual Research Assistant II, you will support engagement with community members and research participants, with a focus on recruitment, retention, high quality data collection, and meaningful community partnership. If you enjoy working directly with families from diverse backgrounds, including many Spanish speaking and underserved communities, this is the opportunity for you! Under moderate supervision, you will support the day-to-day conduct and continuous improvement research studies focused on healthy lifestyle behaviors in children and families. You will implement IRB approved protocols; coordinate activities across clinics, community organizations, and academic partners; and ensure high-quality, participant-centered interactions throughout the research process. In addition, you will recruit and enroll families; obtain informed consent/assent in English and Spanish; and administer surveys and structured interviews in clinic settings, community locations, and via phone/video. Crucial elements to your role include accurate and timely documentation of all procedures, strict adherence to confidentiality, and careful maintenance of study materials and equipment. You will collaborate closely with clinic staff, nutritionists, social workers, and study leadership to schedule visits, align workflows with busy clinical operations, and troubleshoot routine procedural issues while adhering to all VUMC safety standards and institutional policies. Your success in this role requires culturally responsive engagement, strong bilingual communication skills, and professional collaboration with both community and academic partners. You will be expected to proactively identify and troubleshoot logistical challenges (e.g., scheduling constraints, data entry questions, site logistics), escalate concerns appropriately, and contribute to workflow improvements that enhance participant experience, intervention fidelity, and data completeness. Because we “meet families where they are,” some evening and weekend work is required. Reliable transportation is essential for community-based activities. Training and mentorship are provided, with clear expectations for professionalism, teamwork, and dependable follow through across multiple concurrent studies.

Requirements

Bachelor’s Degree (or equivalent experience)
2 years of pediatric experience; you will be working with children ages 5-17 and their families.
Strong verbal and written communication skills in both English and Spanish; this is especially crucial, given the amount of direct family interaction.
Ability to work evenings and some Saturdays
Ability to travel throughout the middle Tennessee region
Ability to work independently and be accountable to manage multiple tasks with minimum day-to-day supervision
Follow protocols precisely in community settings and communicate proactively when barriers arise.

Responsibilities

Conduct and support community‑ and clinic‑based research under moderate supervision
Recruit and enroll families, obtaining informed consent/assent in English and Spanish
Administer surveys and structured interviews in person, by phone, or via video
Maintain detailed documentation of participant interactions, attendance, and communication using digital spreadsheets and databases
Perform data entry, ensure data integrity, and follow database procedures (e.g., REDCap)
Follow study protocols with strong attention to detail during recruitment and data collection
Complete regular quality‑check procedures to ensure data accuracy, efficiency, and completeness
Prepare, operate, and troubleshoot procedures related to interventions, recruitment, and data collection
Engage respectfully and empathetically with participating families, many from underserved communities
Contribute to participant‑retention strategies to maintain engagement over time
Support intervention delivery for nutritionists, community resource counselors, providers, and other team members
Communicate professionally with academic and community partners
Provide accurate written documentation of meetings, activities, and results for dissemination to multiple stakeholders
Maintain strong organizational skills and self‑direction across multiple concurrent projects
Maintain reliable transportation for community‑based responsibilities