Job Description Summary
The University of Maryland Department of Behavioral and Community Health in the School of Public Health has an outstanding opportunity for an independent and well-organized contributor to serve as a RESEARCH COORDINATOR to Dr. Sarah Peitzmeier (Department of Behavioral and Community Health) to help rigorously evaluate novel, impactful interventions for sexual violence prevention as part of our mission to work toward a world without gender-based violence. At the Peitzmeier lab, our mission is to conduct rigorous, community-engaged, high-impact research to end gender-based violence against women and gender minority people.
The primary overarching goal of this position is to help rigorously execute a complex $2 million multisite randomized controlled trial testing the efficacy of a campus sexual assault prevention intervention that we hope will halve the prevalence of campus sexual assault for undergraduate women. The position is funded 90% by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research (description here: https://webapps.cihr-irsc.gc.ca/decisions/p/project_details.html?applId=462223&lang=en&wbdisable=true) and 10% on other projects.
This research coordinator position is essential to that mission through research development and implementation. The scope of the work includes managing recruitment and data collection at 2-4 US college campuses in a large multi-site randomized controlled trial testing a sexual assault prevention intervention for undergraduate women. In this role, the research coordinator will manage recruitment and one-year of longitudinal follow-up for at least 600 participants at these sites, manage relationships with campus stakeholders across the sites, hire and manage two research assistants at the University of Maryland, design systems for effective rollout of the trial across sites, and ensure implementation fidelity of protocols across sites.
The Research Coordinator, will be a vital member of a multidisciplinary team that includes approximately 30 staff and collaborators across the trial sites. They will take lead roles on project activities identified by the team. The position’s direct supervisor and PI for the project is Dr. Sarah Peitzmeier. The research coordinator will also work with Co-PI Dr. Charlene Senn (University of Windsor) and trial manager (trials across US and Canada) Dr. Courtney Williston. Applicants from under-represented backgrounds are strongly encouraged to apply.
We seek highly competent, can-do candidates with excellent communication skills who understand the importance of prioritizing the mission and community-based partner collaboration. An intellectually curious, self-motivated learner who take ownership of tasks and effectively executes them to completion, who is intentional when asking for clarification, help, or support as needed will be successful in this position. . . This individual should enjoy giving and receiving open and respectful feedback as a vehicle for the growth and self-development of self and colleagues, and to support the aims of the research. The ideal candidate will be systems-minded with a knack for designing systems that support high-quality data collection, anticipating and responding to potential issues with the trial, and problem-solving research roadblocks. Commitment to integrity and excellence is an essential requirement for the position.
The School of Public Health (SPH) at the University of Maryland College Park was first accredited as a School in 2010. However, beginning in the 1960’s the Department of Health Education in the College of Physical Education, Recreation, and Health was created and by 1999 had an accredited MPH degree program in public health that served as the foundation for launching the School of Public Health a short eight years later. This MPH in Community Health was the model for the public health degrees that would follow with the official launching of the school. Within the department, this includes a B.S. in Community Health, an MPH and a PhD in Behavioral and Community Health.
Our proximity to both our state and national capitals provide unparalleled opportunities for faculty and students to work with key government health agencies, non-profit associations, public policy organizations, and private corporations. Our department uniquely offers its undergraduates a semester-long full-time internships for our students to take advantage of this proximity but also uniquely offers these same style internships internationally.
Minimum Qualifications:
Education:
- Master’s degree or equivalent experience in public health, health services, epidemiology or related area
- Training in program evaluation, randomized controlled trials, and/or longitudinal studies
Experience:
- Experience with program evaluation, randomized controlled trials, and/or longitudinal studies
- Experience managing complex, multi-stakeholder projects
- Prior experience working with marginalized populations related to health issues.
Knowledge, Skills, Abilities:
- Independent time management skills, including ability to prioritize workload
- Excellent ability to work in teams.
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills
- Strong interest in women’s health, LGBTQ+ equity, and gender-based violence prevention
- Commitment to racial and reproductive justice.
- Intermediate or higher level skills of MS Office suite
Preferences:
- PhD or work experience in public health, health services, epidemiology or related area
- Experience with RedCap or managing participant databases
- Experience with grant writing or management
- Publication history OR motivation to contribute to paper and grant writing
- Analytic skills and understanding (SAS, Stata, R or equivalent)
- Knowledge of feminist research theories, frameworks, principles, and practices.
- History working in prevention or response to violence against women and girls, e.g. as a victim advocate or peer educator
Additional Job Details
Required Application Materials: CV and Cover Letter
Optional: writing sample
Best Consideration Date: March 17, 2025
Open Until Filled: Yes