Research Assistant II Non-Lab

Harvard University • Boston, MA

5d • Hybrid

About The Position

The Center for Work, Health, and Well-being, within the Department of Social and Behavioral Sciences, focuses on research and dissemination concerning workplace practices, policies, and programs that enhance worker safety, health, and well-being. It is recognized as a CDC National Institute for Occupational Safety & Health (NIOSH) Total Worker Health® Center of Excellence. This Research Assistant (RA) will report to Dr. Susan Peters, the Center Associate Director and Co-Principal Investigator of the Residential Staff Health and Advancement Program for Excellence in Care (Re-SHAPE) project. The Re-SHAPE project is an intervention study funded by the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) designed to improve the well-being and retention of workers in residential addiction treatment facilities. The study's core idea is that by addressing stressful working conditions in these facilities, worker well-being will improve, leading to better workforce retention and patient care. The research team will implement an evidence-based, participatory organizational intervention involving training, a toolkit, and technical assistance for a continuous improvement process. This process will involve a worker-manager committee identifying stressful conditions and developing action plans. The project is a collaboration between Boston College, Harvard University, Washington University in St. Louis, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and the Workforce Development Unit of the Bureau of Substance Addiction Services at the Massachusetts Department of Public Health. This RA position is supported by the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health Center for Work, Health, and Well-being Emerging Issues program. From September 2026 to August 2027, the study will pilot the intervention and data collection methods at three residential addiction treatment facilities in eastern and central Massachusetts. The RA's main responsibility will be to support the Boston College-based project manager in delivering the intervention and collecting data. This includes assisting with recruitment and data collection materials, collaborating with the project manager during intervention delivery, setting up meetings, traveling to facilities, attending committee meetings, managing data collection, serving as an alternate interventionist, providing technical assistance, and adjusting materials as needed.

Requirements

• 2+ years of relevant experience is required; a combination of education and experience may be considered.
• Master’s degree in public health, social work, or a related field, or a Bachelor’s degree plus multiple years of relevant research project experience
• At least 1-2 years of related work experience in an academic research center or as part of a research study (relevant coursework may count toward experience)
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and Adobe programs
• Willingness to travel to different addiction treatment facilities in eastern and central Massachusetts
• Strong interest in public health intervention delivery, community-based research, worker well-being, and research project management and administration
• Interest in, and understanding of, addiction services delivery and substance use disorder treatment
• Strong verbal, writing, editing, and presentation skills
• Strong interpersonal skills, kindness, and aptitude for building rapport with community partners working at addiction treatment facilities
• Attention to detail; time management and organizational skills; experience balancing multiple tasks; efficiently and effectively work remotely
• Team player and also willing to work independently as part of a large, multi-disciplinary, multi-institution team; willingness to develop new skills to meet the needs of the position
• A demonstrated aptitude for working with minimal supervision, at times under tight deadlines

Nice To Haves

• Familiarity with this study’s population (workers at addiction treatment centers) is preferred
• Proficiency in Canva is preferred
• RedCAP proficiency is highly preferred

Responsibilities

• Participate as a member of the study team to pilot the intervention and associated data collection procedures at residential addiction treatment facilities
• Develop required materials for the pilot study
• Assist with preparing, adjusting, and finalizing intervention data collection materials (process tracking forms, data collection tools and protocols)
• Assist the project manager with intervention delivery and data collection
• Help manage survey, administrative, and process data collection, data entry, and data management
• Update the intervention manual and resources throughout the pilot
• Assist with finalizing intervention materials as a result of the pilot study for a full trial
• Assist with post pilot interviews and focus groups, qualitative data collection, qualitative data management, and coding of transcripts
• Assist with literature reviews for papers and citation management
• Assist with other project-related tasks as needed
• Coordinate and schedule meetings with study sites and other study stakeholders
• Travel to intervention sites based in Massachusetts for intervention activities and data collection
• Provide logistical and administrative support to the study team
• Attend and present study updates at study team meetings
• Assist study team with other project-related tasks as needed

Benefits

• Generous paid time off including parental leave
• Medical, dental, and vision health insurance coverage starting on day one
• Retirement plans with university contributions
• Wellbeing and mental health resources
• Support for families and caregivers
• Professional development opportunities including tuition assistance and reimbursement
• Commuter benefits, discounts and campus perks

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level