Bilingual Research Asst II - ON SITE

Vanderbilt University Medical Center•Nashville, TN

3d•Onsite

About The Position

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 independently and be accountable to manage multiple tasks with minimum day-to-day supervision.
Ability to follow protocols precisely in community settings and communicate proactively when barriers arise.

Responsibilities

Independently conducts high-quality qualitative and quantitative data collection activities across active studies.
Leads participant recruitment, consent, and follow-up activities with minimal supervision.
Builds rapport with participants to support retention, engagement, and completion of study visits.
Ensures accurate and complete documentation of study activities in accordance with protocol requirements.
Identifies and resolves routine participant and workflow challenges in real time.
Serves as a lead member of the data collection team, supporting day-to-day coordination of study activities.
Assists with scheduling data collection activities and adjusting plans to meet enrollment and staffing needs.
Provides guidance to other research assistants during data collection, helps with troubleshooting issues, and maintains consistency.
Acts as a point of support for problem solving related to participant availability, protocol, coordination, and fieldwork challenges.
Elevates issues appropriately while independently implementing practical solutions when possible.
Demonstrates strong ownership of assigned study tasks, requiring less direct supervision than an entry-level research assistant.
Anticipates study needs and proactively communicates potential challenges or solutions to the project team.
Ensures readiness for data collection by confirming materials, schedules, and participant communication in advance.
Supports smooth implementation of study protocols through reliability and consistent follow-through.
Contributes to maintaining momentum during high-volume or time-sensitive data collection periods.
Maintains a high standard of data quality through careful review of collected data and documentation.
Identifies missing or inconsistent data and takes corrective action or escalates concerns appropriately.
Ensures adherence to IRB-approved protocols, consent procedures, and study guidelines.
Models best practices in ethical research conduct and participant interaction for other team members.
Communicates clearly and effectively with supervisors and team members regarding study progress and challenges.
Shares insights from fieldwork to support continuous improvement in recruitment and data collection strategies.
Assists with onboarding or informal mentoring of newer research assistants as needed.
Contributes to a collaborative team environment that supports efficient and high-quality research execution.