Lead Research Assistant

Mass General Brigham•Boston, MA

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

Through a collaboration between Harvard Medical School Office for Research Initiatives and Global Programs and the Division of Global Health Equity at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, the Program in Global Primary Health Care (PGPHC) aims to create high-quality, sustainable primary health care systems that advance health equity. Our theory of impact focuses on recentering health care systems toward people and communities, where the majority of care is delivered at the primary care level through a people-centered approach. We do this through research, education, advocacy, and implementation science in collaboration with governments, community organizations, private sector partners, non-governmental organizations, and people with lived experience. We are seeking a Research Assistant Lead to take on an independent and supervisory role across multiple global health delivery research projects within PGPHC. The RA Lead will work with significant autonomy, contributing to study design, leading data collection and analysis, developing quality assurance systems, and overseeing the work of junior research staff. In addition to these technical responsibilities, the RA Lead will contribute to manuscript development and project management to ensure timely execution of workplans. The candidate will have the opportunity for mentorship from BWH faculty with extensive experience in global health delivery research. The candidate will need to be highly organized and self-directed, with 3–5 years of relevant research experience and a demonstrated commitment to global health equity. Advanced knowledge of research design and data management is required, along with strong communication and team leadership skills. Experience in implementation science, co-design approaches, and people-centered care — or a strong willingness to develop these competencies — is expected. Experience living or working in low-resource settings and/or with marginalized communities is ideal. The position includes opportunities for international travel.

Requirements

Bachelor’s Degree in a health, science, or international development related field required; experience may be considered in lieu of degree
3–5 years of relevant research and data management experience required
Demonstrated experience contributing to manuscript development and research outputs
Passion for global health and commitment to a career advancing health equity
Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, including in cross-cultural contexts
Careful attention to detail and excellent organizational skills
Ability to prioritize across a variety of concurrent tasks and projects
Advanced computer literacy including database and data management tools
Ability to work independently and lead teams with professionalism

Nice To Haves

Experience supervising or mentoring junior colleagues preferred
Experience in implementation science, co-design approaches, and people-centered care — or a strong willingness to develop these competencies — is expected.
Experience living or working in low-resource settings and/or with marginalized communities is ideal.

Responsibilities

Lead data collection, management, manipulation, analysis, and reporting across designated global health delivery research projects, applying quantitative and qualitative study tools aimed at documenting the design, delivery, and outcomes of people-centered care
Plan, perform, and design statistical analyses independently, exercising judgment on methodological approaches appropriate to each study
Contribute to study design and implementation protocols, including independently assessing the suitability of study populations and data sources
Lead and/or contribute to the development of research manuscripts, including conceptualization, analysis, and writing, with faculty oversight
Collate, organize, and draft material for research papers, progress reports, grant applications, and other outputs for publication and/or presentation
Develop and maintain systems for quality assurance and control across research projects, ensuring consistency and rigor in data and outputs
Monitor study budgets, flagging risks or variances to supervisors in a timely manner
Provide logistical and technical support to research partners and working groups, including developing agendas, documenting meetings, tracking tasks and deadlines, and monitoring progress toward objectives
Submit regular project status reports to supervisor, proactively identifying challenges and recommending solutions
Train, orient, and assess the competence of junior research assistants and students, supporting their development as emerging global health researchers
Schedule staff and allocate work across the research team to ensure timely, high-quality outputs
In the absence of the Project Manager, assume full management responsibility for day-to-day team operations
Travel (1–2 times/year, including international travel) to participate in and support programmatic activities