Research Assistant II, Immigrant and Refugee Health Center

BMC Software • Boston, MA

21h • Onsite

About The Position

The Research Assistant II (RA2) will provide research support to multiple clinical studies undertaken by both the Boston Center for Refugee Health and Human Rights (BCRHHR) and the BMC Immigrant and Refugee Health Center (IRHC). The RA2 will oversee the administrative aspects of a federal Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) grant and its data oversight management. This role involves interacting with study subjects, clinical research coordinators, study investigators, work study or MPH students, and other research and clinical staff. The RA2 will maintain contact with participating sites to ensure complete and timely data collection, oversee client measures/wellbeing plans, maintain patient profiles, assist with documenting financial and budgetary needs of the grant, and support the research team with the preparation of data and other reports. The position also involves overseeing the work of Research Assistants, including training and orientation, and developing and implementing patient recruitment strategies and changes to study protocols. The RA2 will serve as the primary contact between Principal Investigators, internal Boston Medical Center Departments, and external contacts including project sites, regulatory agencies, and project sponsors. They will assist with documenting financial and budgetary needs of the grant, and preparing grant applications and contributing to writing reports to funders. The role includes performing literature searches, contributing to manuscript preparation and submission, and disseminating research findings. The RA2 will assist the Principal Investigator in planning study design and methods, developing teaching tools, enrollment guides, patient handbooks, case reports, and summary reports, and preparing manuscripts and presentations. They will also assist with training and provide guidance to research assistants, interns, students, and support staff. Finally, the RA2 will collaborate with the IRHC’s administrative/operational core team to support data and metric collection needs of the IRHC to inform operational decision-making, quality improvement (QI) initiatives, and ensure alignment with grant requirements.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree is required.
• Major in a field related to the research highly preferred.
• 2-5 years of experience.
• Demonstrated sound independent judgement and competencies in research methodologies.
• Experience with recruiting subjects, with an understanding of the ethical and technical conduct of research.
• Excellent English communication (oral and written) and interpersonal skills.
• Cultural sensitivity and comfort with a wide range of social, racial and ethnic populations.
• Works very independently with limited supervision.
• Knowledge of management programs.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications including Word, Excel, and Access and PowerPoint.
• Ability to perform basic data management tasks (coding, data entry, data cleaning, retrieval).
• Ability to perform basic data analysis and reporting (in words, numbers and graphics).
• Able to resolve technical problems and interpret acceptability of data results.

Nice To Haves

• Master's Degree is preferred.
• Bilingual or multi-lingual skills (beyond that of English) appropriate to the patient population served is a plus.
• Experience with statistical analysis tools a plus.
• Experience using quantitative data analysis software helpful (e.g., SPSS, SAS, Minitab).

Responsibilities

• Responsible for the administrative aspects of the research study, including managing program records and handling communication needs of the program.
• Provides assistance in the development of reports, presentations, and data analysis.
• Assists in data collection and provides feedback on study’s progress.
• Recruits subjects to participate in the study by using approved methodologies, such as, reaching to healthcare providers for referrals, visiting clinics, sending mailouts, using approved advertisements, etc.
• Conducts the enrollment of study participants, including explaining research procedures, and obtaining informed consent of subjects and/or their families.
• Schedules appointments of study participants; conducts reminder phone calls and/or sends mailouts.
• Reviews the data collection forms for each enrollee for completion and quality; checks work of junior staff performing data entry to ensure timely and accurate entry.
• Provides technical guidance to junior staff.
• Obtains and distributes payment vouchers for participant reimbursements/participation.
• Perform administrative duties associated with the study’s Data Monitoring and Safety Board, tracking and reporting adverse events and collecting data specified by the DSMB.
• Responsible for all other administrative duties related to research activities.
• Prepares and maintains Institutional Review Board (IRB) approvals and correspondence, including amendments and renewals as necessary.
• Conducts literature searches.
• Assists Investigators with manuscript and presentation preparation and research.
• Participates in staff meetings/initiatives including appropriate quality improvement and education activities, or if unable to attend non-mandatory activities, accepts responsibility to review meeting minutes and becomes knowledgeable of issues discussed.
• Makes independent judgements of suitability of potential participants for clinical trials.
• Develops and implements patent recruitment strategies.
• Recommends changes to protocols and evaluates data.
• Oversees work of research assistants.
• Conforms to hospital standards of performance and conduct, including those pertaining to patient rights, so that the best possible customer service and patient care may be provided.
• Utilizes hospital's behavioral standards as the basis for decision making and to facilitate the hospital’s goals and mission.
• Follows established hospital infection control and safety procedures.
• Training and orienting new research assistants and other staff.
• May serve as team leader or supervisor in a smaller lab.
• Perform other duties as needed.

Benefits

• Competitive pay
• Tuition reimbursement and tuition remission programs
• Highly subsidized medical, dental, and vision insurance options
• Access a wealth of ongoing training and development opportunities that will not only enhance your skills but also expand your knowledge base especially for individuals pursuing careers in medicine or biomedical research.
• Engage in groundbreaking research projects that are driving the forefront of biomedical science.
• Flexible Spending Accounts
• 403(b) savings matches
• Paid time off
• Career advancement opportunities
• Resources to support employee and family well-being

What This Job Offers

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