Research Coordinator

University of Pennsylvania

2d • $45,278 - $55,000 • Onsite

About The Position

Angela Duckworth's lab at the University of Pennsylvania is hiring a full-time Research Coordinator to lead participant recruitment and content production for the next phase of Phones In Focus (PIF) — a national quasi-experimental study of K–12 cell-phone policies — and to support day-to-day operations of related lab projects on Gen Z mental health and AI-assisted interventions. This is a full-time, one-year position contingent on continued funding, beginning July 22, 2026. The Research Coordinator's primary charge is to design and execute a multi-channel recruitment strategy for PIF — Phase 2, with the ambitious goal of reaching students at every U.S. public high school (~24,000 schools). The student arm of the study is fully anonymous by IRB design, so recruitment cannot rely on raffles or email-based incentives; it must instead be driven by paid social campaigns (Meta, TikTok, Google Ads, YouTube Shorts), original video and graphic content, email outreach to educators and librarians, and partnerships with school districts and adolescent-facing organizations. The Coordinator will own recruitment strategy end-to-end: creative development, audience targeting against NCES-stratified samples, performance optimization, and weekly reporting to the PI. Secondary responsibilities include supporting IRB protocols and participant-facing materials, assisting with data collection and cleaning across PIF arms (educator, student, librarian side-study on school library book circulation), and supporting graduate student–led projects on Gen Z mental health and AI-assisted interventions. This position is ideal for an early-career researcher with a background in psychology or behavioral science, hands-on research coordination experience, and demonstrated fluency in digital outreach (paid social, email marketing, content creation). Position is contingent on continued funding. This role is a strong fit for someone with a background in psychology or behavioral science, hands-on research coordination experience, and a working fluency in digital outreach (email marketing, paid social, content creation). You will sit at the intersection of rigorous research and large-scale public engagement — and be part of a lab where your work directly shapes what the field learns about adolescent mental health.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in psychology, behavioral science, communications, or a related field
• 1+ year of research coordination or equivalent experience
• Demonstrated experience running recruitment or outreach campaigns — email, paid social, or community partnerships
• Strong project management skills; comfort running multiple workstreams in parallel
• Excellent written communication; ability to adapt voice for educators, adolescents, and academic audiences
• Working proficiency with Google Workspace; familiarity with Qualtrics, REDCap, or comparable survey platforms

Nice To Haves

• Experience with paid ad platforms (Meta Ads Manager, Google Ads, TikTok Ads)
• Experience with marketing platforms (Mailchimp, Flodesk, or similar)
• Background in digital content creation (Canva, Adobe Creative Suite, video editing)
• Prior exposure to adolescent mental health research, education research, or school-based studies
• Interest in pursuing a PhD in behavioral science, organizational behavior, psychology, or a related field

Responsibilities

• Design and execute a multi-channel recruitment strategy for PIF — Phase 2, with the ambitious goal of reaching students at every U.S. public high school.
• Own recruitment strategy end-to-end: creative development, audience targeting, performance optimization, and weekly reporting.
• Support IRB protocols and participant-facing materials.
• Assist with data collection and cleaning across PIF arms.
• Support graduate student–led projects on Gen Z mental health and AI-assisted interventions.

Benefits

• Excellent healthcare
• Tuition benefits for employees and their families
• Generous retirement benefits
• Wide variety of professional development opportunities
• Supportive work and family benefits
• Wealth of health and wellness programs and resources
• Comprehensive medical, prescription, behavioral health, dental, vision, and life insurance benefits
• Flexible spending accounts for eligible health care and dependent care expenses
• Tuition assistance for employee, spouse, and dependent children
• Retirement plans (Basic, Matching, and Supplemental) with pre-tax or Roth basis options
• Substantial amount of time away from work
• Long-Term Care Insurance
• Wellness and Work-life Resources
• Professional and Personal Development resources
• Access to a wide range of University resources as well as cultural and recreational activities
• Discounts and Special Services (arts and entertainment, transportation, mortgages, new cars, cellular phone service, movie tickets, theme parks)
• Flexible Work Hours
• Penn Home Ownership Services (forgivable loan for eligible employees)
• Adoption Assistance

What This Job Offers

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