Research Manager, Behavioral Insights and Parenting Lab

University of Chicago • Chicago, IL

20d • $63,000 - $67,500

About The Position

The Behavioral Insights and Parenting Lab (BIP Lab) at the University of Chicago brings together interdisciplinary scholars to design, evaluate, and disseminate programs to help children from low-income families to achieve their full potential by improving caregivers’ engagement in their learning. The BIP Lab’s team of full-time staff, post-doc and PhD scholars, and student research assistants have worked with over 500 community partners serving low-income families with young children in Chicago and across the US. We are now launching global initiatives, as well. All the BIP Lab’s research and research-informed programs are informed by systematic data collection and analysis conducted in partnership with community institutions and the many thousands of families they serve who participate in the BIP Lab’s research programs.
Reporting to the Assistant Director, the Research Manager will manage all activities associated with the development and execution of several projects of the BIP Lab. This position oversees all aspects of the implementation of at least one grant-funded field research project including operationalizing the research design, creating research instruments, recruiting implementation partner sites and research participants, providing technical oversight of digital interventions, managing data collection and cleaning for analysis, and supporting writing of implementation reports. The Research Manager oversees the work of student research assistants supporting field research. This position also supports operations for the BIP Lab and dissemination of the lab’s work. This position is grant-funded for one year with the potential for future renewal.

Requirements

• Minimum requirements include a college or university degree in related field.
• Minimum requirements include knowledge and skills developed through 2-5 years of work experience in a related job discipline.

Nice To Haves

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field of study (psychology, public policy, sociology, education, or related social science discipline).
• Master’s degree.
• Project management.
• Familiarity with research design and implementation, data management, and procedures of a university IRB.
• Working with community-based organizations and with racially/ethnically diverse populations.
• Able to take initiative, problem solve with minimal supervision, exercise good judgment, prioritize, make decisions, and work under pressure during high volume times.
• Bilingual in English and Spanish a bonus.
• Driver’s license and willingness to travel to research sites (ownership of a vehicle is not a requirement).
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
• Aptitude for managing logistics, analytical skills, keen attention to detail, resourceful, and effective time manager.
• Excellent team player – collaborative, reliable, able to receive and give constructive feedback, flexible, supportive.

Responsibilities

• Manages project execution according to timeline and budget; oversees project planning and implementation through data collection; prepares and hands data off to data team for analysis; collaborates with data team as needed.
• Recruits and manages relationships with research sites and research participants; provides technical support as needed.
• Onboards, trains, and supervises field research assistants.
• Obtains Internal Review Board (IRB) approval and maintains protocol through project lifecycle; manages project operations according to IRB rules and regulations for research consent, data, and security considerations.
• Supports development of surveys, assessments, and other research instruments.
• Tracks program expenditures; makes program-related purchases in accordance with grant budget terms; manages revolving fund for payments to research participants.
• Documents and maintains project implementation protocols and logs.
• Supports pre- and post- grant writing and reporting processes as needed.
• Conducts pre-award literature reviews and other secondary research.
• Writes post-award implementation sections of grant reports.
• Applies research principles and subject matter knowledge relevant to administer a research project.
• With a moderate level of direction, manages lab and/or research-related duties and tasks.
• Helps develop, design and conduct research projects according to plan.
• Supports data collection and analytical needs of research projects.
• Conducts literature reviews and helps write reports and manuscripts.
• Ensures project compliance with different policies, procedures, directives, and mandates.
• Takes responsibility for the following research-related duties: transcribing and coding data; developing data collection instruments; presenting research; and recruiting and scheduling research subjects.
• Acquires higher-level skills and knowledge in the process.
• Performs other related work as needed.

Benefits

• The University of Chicago offers a wide range of benefits programs and resources for eligible employees, including health, retirement, and paid time off. Information about the benefit offerings can be found in the Benefits Guidebook.

What This Job Offers

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