Lead Research Scientist

Vibrant Emotional Health

7d•$92,800 - $138,350•Remote

About The Position

Under the supervision of the AVP of Research and Evaluation, the Lead Research Scientist provides scientific leadership and methodological guidance for a high-impact research and evaluation portfolio supporting the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline and other Vibrant research and evaluation activities as applicable. This role leads analytic planning and interpretation of 988 Lifeline data for the Research and Evaluation Department, oversees literature review activities, provides methodological guidance for evaluation and survey work, and serves as the scientific lead for SAMHSA cross-site evaluation participation. The Lead Research Scientist supervises research scientists, mentors Research and Evaluation staff interested in growing their research and evaluation expertise and collaborates with Research and Evaluation and Vibrant colleagues on research products, conference abstracts, presentations, and dissemination materials. This role also partners with the Director of Research Operations and Compliance to ensure scientific findings are supported by appropriate operational coordination, research governance processes, and quarterly Research Translation Meetings that help translate research and evaluation findings into actionable insights, emerging or refined best practices, and continuous quality improvement opportunities across the 988 Lifeline network.

Requirements

Strong expertise in research design, evaluation methods, analytic planning, statistical interpretation, and scientific communication.
Experience working with complex datasets, including datasets with high levels of missingness, data quality limitations, or operational constraints.
Proficiency in RStudio and applied quantitative analysis; ability to support or guide analytic workflows, documentation, and interpretation.
Ability to critically evaluate theories, methods, analytic assumptions, and evidence quality, and contribute to theoretical or conceptual development.
Familiarity with philosophical foundations of research methods, open science practices, research transparency, and questionable research practices.
Strong written communication skills, including the ability to prepare clear reports, manuscripts, abstracts, presentations, analytic summaries, and interpretation memos.
Ability to convey complex research findings to diverse audiences through remote communication tools, data storytelling, and practical recommendations.
Strong supervisory, mentoring, organizational, and time-management skills, including the ability to manage multiple projects in a fully remote environment with minimal supervision.
Ability to work effectively in a remote environment using asynchronous communication and collaboration tools.
Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral-level research qualifications in Psychology, Sociology, Public Health, Health Services Research, or a related field required.
Minimum of five years of relevant experience designing, conducting, analyzing, interpreting, or disseminating research or evaluation studies.
Experience supervising, mentoring, or providing scientific guidance to research staff, analysts, students, or project teams.
Experience participating in grant-funded research projects as a Principal Investigator, Co-Investigator, consultant, senior researcher, evaluator, or comparable scientific contributor.
Experience submitting research materials to an IRB, navigating IRB processes, and applying research ethics standards to study design and dissemination.
Strong understanding of 45 CFR 46, the Belmont Report, and the Declaration of Helsinki.
Minimum of two first-authored peer-reviewed publications or equivalent scholarly work demonstrating research skills and contributions to a field.
Proficiency in RStudio required; experience or comfort with Tableau, SQL, or similar data tools preferred where applicable to assigned work.
Proficient use of Microsoft Office Suite and remote collaboration tools needed to manage research, analysis, writing, and dissemination activities.

Nice To Haves

Experience or comfort with Tableau, SQL, or similar data tools preferred where applicable to assigned work.

Responsibilities

Lead analytic planning, interpretation, and synthesis of 988 Lifeline data to support research, evaluation, and research to practice translation as appropriate.
Provide methodological guidance for evaluation studies, survey design, analytic plans, sampling approaches, measurement strategies, and interpretation of findings.
Oversee evidence synthesis, literature review activities, research summaries, and related products that inform 988 Lifeline research and evaluation priorities.
Serve as the scientific lead for SAMHSA cross-site evaluation participation, including coordination of analytic interpretation, scientific input, and internal review of cross-site evaluation materials.
Supervise and mentor Research Scientists and provide research and evaluation guidance to R&E operations and compliance staff seeking to strengthen analytic, evaluation, or dissemination expertise.
Collaborate on and review research products, including analytic outputs, conference abstracts, presentations, manuscripts, reports, briefs, and other dissemination materials, to ensure clarity, methodological soundness, transparent limitations, and accurate interpretation.
Partner with the Director of Research Operations and Compliance to ensure quarterly Research Translation Meetings are supported by appropriate scientific content, evidence materials, operational coordination, and follow-up documentation.
Support continuous improvement in research transparency, analytic documentation, reproducibility, and ethical scientific practice across assigned research and evaluation activities.