• Job Description

  Req#: RESEA001465

  Position Definition:

  The Research Assistant III (RA) will work with a group of collegial, innovative, and productive health outcomes researchers and clinicians at the University of California, San Francisco and NCIRE who are focused on improving the health of older persons. The Division of Geriatrics highly values mutual respect, diversity of perspectives and collegiality, and the RA is a core member of our team. We are looking for a highly motivated candidate to work in the UCSF Music and Dementia lab on research studies related to music, social wellbeing and the lived experience of a new dementia diagnosis. Reporting directly to the Program Manager and working closely with the UCSF Principal Investigator (PI), the ideal candidate will perform at the fully operational journey level of the series to assist in the execution, management, and coordination of research protocols, data collection and operations of several concurrent clinical research studies under the guidelines of research protocols, UCSF/SFVAMC and regulating agency policies. Examples of studies the RA may work on include mixed methods in-home observational studies of everyday music engagement after a new dementia diagnosis; longitudinal ethnographic studies of music engagement and social well-being for people living with dementia and their care partners; observational study of publicly available events and resources that involve music for people living with dementia and their care partners.

  Essential Functions:

  • Complete requisition orders and reimbursement requests
  • Assist with general office tasks, where needed, related to project operations (e.g., order printer paper, managing calendars for shared spaces, order and manage office supplies, submitting work orders, etc.)
  • Assist research team with onboarding of new hires, where needed
  • Coordinate and attend project meetings, send out agendas, take minutes and track team progress
  • Support research protocol functions to ensure Institutional Review Board (IRB) compliance and approval, as well as with external agencies
  • Organize meetings with the community advisory board and other community members; manner; serve as a liaison between community-based organizations and study PIs
  • Maintain regulatory documents; monitor timelines for data submission; document adverse events and submit to appropriate departments.
  • Ensure that research publications are compliant with the NIH and other external agencies
  • Communicate and collaborate effectively with multiple PIs, statisticians, research coordinators, research fellows and outside agencies to advance many research projects simultaneously
  • Conduct in home interviews and participant observation for qualitative study focused on music and well-being; this includes being able to critically evaluate participant's responses in conjunction with the overall research study questions to tailor the interviews as necessary, particularly in terms of usual (everyday) music activities in the home. Write ethnographic fieldnotes following data collection and analytical memos to explore emerging themes and research questions. Analyze (qualitative coding) audio-recorded interview transcripts in qualitative data analysis software (e.g. ATLAS.ti). The ability to read music is required.
  • Schedule research participants for study visits; meet with them to administer questionnaires, collect medical history and perform study procedures
  • Maintain rapport and relationships with research participants to ensure effective communication and retention; respond to their diverse needs promptly, schedule and perform follow-up interviews with older adults in home, in person, by phone or by video, and become their intermediary; discuss interim findings and events with full research team
  • Assist PIs and biostatisticians with preparation of results to use for presentations at national meetings and for publication in scientific journals (e.g., create tables and figures from data). Co-authoring scientific manuscripts, publication coordination, presentation of the research results in graphical, table and in writing
  • Perform literature reviews to add substantially to survey designs, and manuscript and grant applications.
  • Assist with project management under the directions of the Program Manager and PI
  • Assist with data entry and database management

  • May oversee participant remuneration processes including managing a petty cash fund, gift cards or other cash-equivalent disbursements
  • Perform other project operations duties as assigned

  Job Requirements:

  • BA in a related field (e.g. music therapy, music, cultural anthropology, ethnomusicology, medical sociology, music psychology) or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
  • Knowledge and experience with word processing, spreadsheet, and presentation software (e.g., Excel, Word, and PowerPoint).
  • Ability to read music (either treble/bass clef or guitar notation preferred)
  • Strong attention to detail; excellent organizational skills; outstanding interpersonal skills
  • Effective verbal and written communication skills to coordinate with participants, team members, other departments, and outside institutions.
  • Ability to multi-task in a fast-paced environment while working with a diverse participant population.
  • Ability to work well as part of a team, complete projects in a timely manner, and prioritize multiple projects to ensure completion of essential tasks by deadlines.

  Preferred Qualifications:

  • Music therapy or ethnomusicology training. Note this study does not include music therapy interventions, so Certification Board for Music Therapists (CBMT) music therapy certification is preferred but not required for the position.
  • Previous research or administration experience
  • Experience in REDCap, and ATLAS.ti
  • Experience working with a diverse patient population

  Working Conditions/Environment:

  The work environment is an administrative research office and house calls. It may include minor annoyances such as noise, temperature variations, etc. In-office work at our Mission Bay and/or SFVAHCS sites is expected twice a workweek and as needed. In compliance with local/state/federal health orders, work may be conducted remotely the rest of the time. The incumbent may be required to sustain standing and seated postures and to use a computer keyboard and display monitor for prolonged periods.

  The base pay range for this position is $26.69-$38.19 per hour. The base salary actually offered to a successful candidate will take into account various relevant and non-discriminatory business factors including, without limitation, the candidate’s geographic location, job-related experience, knowledge, and skills, and education, as well as internal equity considerations. A successful candidate may also be eligible to earn additional compensation including bonuses.

  NCIRE is an Equal Opportunity Employer. This position requires access to United States Government research under the Veterans Administration. Per Veterans Administration regulations surrounding access to US research, qualified US Citizens will be selected over other individuals eligible to work in the United States. If you are eligible to work in the United States, you may still be considered for this position but only if no qualified US citizens apply.

  Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities

  The contractor will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor’s legal duty to furnish information. 41 CFR 60-1.35(c)

• About the company

  We are a scientific community of clinicians and researchers and we partner with the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) and the San Francisco VA Health Care System (SFVAHCS) to bring the power of modern medicine to the health of our nation’s...

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