Research Scientist

Vibrant Emotional Health

8d•$69,000 - $105,000•Remote

About The Position

Under the supervision of the Lead Research Scientist, the Research Scientist supports applied research, evaluation, and evidence synthesis for the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline and other Vibrant research and evaluation activities as applicable. This role designs and conducts independent and collaborative studies, develops and refines data collection tools and methods, and conducts quantitative and qualitative analyses to assess practices, outcomes, and the quality of evidence in crisis service settings. The Research Scientist supports 988 departments in evaluation design and implementation, contributes to literature reviews, and prepares analytic summaries, reports, manuscripts, and other research products. Specific assignments align with the scientist’s area of expertise and organizational priorities to support the continuous improvement of the 988 Lifeline.

Requirements

Ph.D. or equivalent doctoral-level research qualifications in Psychology, Sociology, Public Health, Health Services Research, or a related field required. Equivalent qualifications may include ABD status (All but Dissertation) or, in exceptional cases, a Master’s degree with a substantial record of independent research achievement comparable to doctoral-level preparation.
3+ years of relevant experience designing, conducting, analyzing, interpreting, or disseminating research or evaluation studies, with a preference for candidates with 10+ years of experience.
Minimum of three to five years of relevant experience with: Conducting quantitative and/or qualitative analyses and documenting methods, findings, and limitations.
Minimum of three to five years of relevant experience with: Preparing literature reviews, evidence summaries, analytic summaries, reports, manuscripts, abstracts, or presentations.
Minimum of three to five years of relevant experience with: Working with sensitive behavioral health, crisis services, suicide prevention, overdose prevention, public health, or human services data preferred where applicable to the role.
Minimum of three to five years of relevant experience with: Repeated experience designing or supporting implementation studies, pilot studies, applied evaluation studies, public health research, behavioral health research, or crisis services research.
Strong understanding of applied research, evaluation design, quantitative and qualitative methods, and evidence synthesis.
Familiarity with research frameworks, study design, measurement approaches, and the application of findings to practice.
Ability to design studies, data collection tools, and analytic approaches that are feasible in crisis service or public health settings.
Proficiency in statistical software such as RStudio or comparable tools for quantitative analysis and data visualization.
Ability to conduct or support qualitative data collection, coding, thematic analysis, and mixed-methods interpretation.
Ability to select and apply appropriate statistical methods or modeling techniques to complex datasets, including those with missing data.
Ability to assess data quality, measurement reliability and validity, and methodological limitations as relevant to assigned projects.
Ability to critically evaluate assumptions, assess alternative explanations, and draw conclusions supported by the evidence.
Ability to analyze service and research data to identify patterns, assess outcomes, and inform improvement opportunities.
Ability to translate findings into clear implications for program improvement and decision-making.
Strong writing skills for preparing analytic summaries, literature reviews, reports, manuscripts, abstracts, and presentations.
Ability to communicate complex research findings accurately to technical and nontechnical audiences.
Strong organizational and time-management skills to independently manage multiple projects, timelines, datasets, and stakeholder requests.
Ability to collaborate across departments and work effectively in a fully remote environment using asynchronous communication tools.
Familiarity with research ethics, transparent documentation, and reproducible research practices.
Sound judgment and discretion in handling sensitive research, evaluation, and program data.
Proficiency with relevant statistical, qualitative, productivity, project management, and collaboration tools.

Nice To Haves

At least five years of experience applying implementation science frameworks, translating research into practice, or evaluating emerging practices in complex, real-world settings is preferred.

Responsibilities

Design and conduct independent and collaborative research and evaluation studies that support 988 Lifeline priorities, in coordination with the Lead Research Scientist.
Conduct quantitative and qualitative analyses using 988 Lifeline data, survey data, pilot data, and other relevant sources.
Analyze crisis service data to assess practices, outcomes, and opportunities for service improvement.
Design and support research, pilot studies, and evaluation activities using methods appropriate for crisis service settings.
Develop, refine, and evaluate surveys, measurement instruments, and other data collection tools to support reliable and meaningful findings.
Apply appropriate research frameworks and methods to assess the effectiveness, feasibility, and quality of practices, interventions, and measures.
Support 988 departments in evaluation design, data collection, analysis, and interpretation of findings, with guidance from the Lead Research Scientist as appropriate.
Maintain and update the biannual literature review, including evidence searches, study summaries, citation tracking, and synthesis of findings.
Prepare analytic summaries, reports, manuscripts, conference abstracts, presentations, briefs, and other dissemination materials.
Collaborate with Research and Evaluation colleagues, Lifeline departments, Data Analytics, Data Governance, and other internal partners to support coordinated research and evaluation work.
Interpret findings considering operational context, research design, data quality, methodological limitations, and implications for practice.
Maintain transparent documentation of methods, analytic decisions, limitations, and findings.