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Research Project Manager, THRIVE

Job Summary:

Manages all activities associated with biomedical &/or social-behavioral research studies considered very complex by the inclusion of several of the following: multiple investigators, teams, sites, sub-contracts, participants, longitudinal assessments/ interventions; &/or multi-million dollar budgets.  Ensures completion of contract requirements & client specifications.  Oversees day-to-day operations including identifying & securing needed resources; creating, implementing, monitoring, & updating project plans; facilitating meetings with appropriate parties; tracking tasks/deliverables to ensure timelines, milestones &/or goals are attained; monitoring & reporting progress as appropriate; & resolving or escalating issues in a timely manner.   May co-author scientific papers for presentation & publication & coordinates writing, submission & administration of grants.  Ensures that all study activities are completed by strictly following Good Clinical Practices (GCP) & all current local, state, & federal laws, regulations, guidance, policy & procedure developed by the NU Institutional Review Board (IRB), Food & Drug Administration (FDA) Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), & the International Conference on Harmonization (ICH).

Program Description: The Institute for Sexual and Gender Minority Health and Wellbeing (ISGMH) at Northwestern University is the nation’s largest university-wide center focused exclusively on SGM health. It promotes innovative, multidisciplinary research to improve the health and wellbeing of SGM individuals and communities. The Center for Translational Health Research and Interventions advancing Equity for Sexual and Gender Minorities (THRIVE) is housed within ISGMH. The THRIVE Recruitment and Retention (R&R) Core is made up of study staff involved in recruitment and retention activities. They design recruitment plans for diverse SGM youth and adults and create culturally and developmentally appropriate participant retention contact techniques. THRIVE is seeking a Research Project Manager to advance recruitment and retention aims of THRIVE researchers and collaborators at partner sites. The focus of this position is (1) overseeing and managing SGM focused study participant recruitment and retention activities at THRIVE and (2) providing consultations on best practices in study participant recruitment and retention to collaborators, both internal and external to Northwestern University, who focus on non-SGM populations.

Specific duties and responsibilities include creating and implementing successful recruitment and retention strategies, collaborating with R&R staff to troubleshoot recruitment and retention issues, being point person for researchers needing assistance with recruitment and retention, staying current with social media trends and methods for paid and organic content, using analytics to identify successes and challenges in online ad campaigns, developing visually appealing recruitment materials with support from graphic designers as needed, and documenting recruitment and retention best practices. The Project Manager will also be responsible for community engagement by building and maintaining relationships with local organizations and disseminating information through webinars. Miscellaneous administrative tasks, such as training R&R staff and facilitating R&R meetings, creating internship opportunities for students, and managing advertising budgets, are additional responsibilities.

Candidates for this position must have a bachelor’s or master’s degree in social/behavioral sciences (e.g., psychology, sociology, anthropology), public health, humanities, marketing, advertising, or a related field. They must have a strong interest and/or experience in research with sexual & gender minority populations, gender and sexuality research, health disparities and public health research, or health services. They should have experience using social media platforms for sales, marketing, or recruitment purposes, and experience retaining participants in research studies. Excellent interpersonal, oral, and written communication skills are necessary for this position. The candidate should also be able to prioritize multiple tasks and meet timelines, work independently and as part of a team, and coordinate work with numerous contributors. Candidates with a background in marketing, advertising, or graphic design, experience working with community-based organizations, and experience in managing project budgets and financials are preferred.

This is a one-year term position ending with the opportunity for renewal will be based on performance and available funding.

Please note: Supervisor provides objectives and deadlines.  Work is reviewed for fulfillment of objective and deadlines and overall compliance with policy and procedures. Employee may be asked to work on weekends and after-hours on weekdays in concert with her/their/his supervisor.  Employee completes some activities without direction, informing supervisor only of potentially controversial matters, and/or far-reaching implications.   

Specific Responsibilities:

Technical

  • Provides complex scientific & technical leadership in determining research priorities & the plan, design & execution of research projects ensuring that programs of investigation meet specified objectives. 
  • Plans, develops & implements new processes & protocols to support research studies & maximize/extend study capabilities. 
  • Oversees completion of study activities per protocol. 
  • Ensures that study protocols are in compliance with appropriate rules & regulations & reviews study progress and recommends revisions, amendments, and/or other study changes as necessary to better meet needs of sponsors. 
  • Reviews scientific literature & evaluates & recommends applicable techniques & procedures.  

Administrative

  • Analyzes, evaluates & interprets data to determine relevance to research. 
  • Prepares results & may co-author scientific papers for presentation & publication & disseminates information via seminars, lectures, etc. 
  • Acts as liaison between sponsoring agencies, collaborating organizations &/or other research &/or educational institutions. 
  • Ensures that all study documents associated with current local, state, & federal regulatory guidelines, requirements, laws & research protocols are completed in a timely manner.

Finance

  • May create &/or manage research study budget which may include deciding on & approving expenditures of funds based on budget.
  • Monitors accounts.
  • Negotiates prices & specifications with vendors.
  • Purchases supplies, materials, equipment & services.

Supervision

  • Trains, directs, assigns duties to & may supervise lab EEs, students, residents &/or fellows. 
  • Acts as a mentor in regard to education of junior coordinators. 

Miscellaneous

  • Performs other duties as assigned.

 

Benefits:
At Northwestern, we are proud to provide meaningful, competitive, high-quality health care plans, retirement benefits, tuition discounts and more! Visit us at https://www.northwestern.edu/hr/benefits/index.html to learn more.

Work-Life and Wellness:
Northwestern offers comprehensive programs and services to help you and your family navigate life’s challenges and opportunities, and adopt and maintain healthy lifestyles.
We support flexible work arrangements where possible and programs to help you locate and pay for quality, affordable childcare and senior/adult care. Visit us at https://www.northwestern.edu/hr/benefits/work-life/index.html to learn more.

Professional Growth & Development:
Northwestern supports employee career development in all circumstances whether your workspace is on campus or at home. If you’re interested in developing your professional potential or continuing your formal education, we offer a variety of tools and resources. Visit us at https://www.northwestern.edu/hr/learning/index.html to learn more.

To Apply: To apply for this position, navigate to careers.northwestern.edu, search for job ID 48286 , and click Apply for Job.

ISGMH Diversity Statement: ISGMH’s commitment to diversity is critical to our mission of advancing access to excellence in academic programs, world-class research, and health programs. Engagement in discrimination or harassment against any person because of race, color, sex, religion, national origin, ancestry, age, marital status, military service, disability, sexual orientation, and gender identity or expression will not be tolerated. Through its work, ISGMH advances the health and wellbeing of LGBTQ individuals. Staff and trainees should expect to find a diversity of sexual orientations and gender identities among ISGMH staff, trainees, research participants, and in outreach experiences. We highlight the importance of respecting and valuing this aspect of diversity among staff and trainees.

Northwestern requires all staff and faculty to be vaccinated against COVID-19, subject to limited exceptions. For more information, please visit our COVID-19 and Campus Updates website.

The Northwestern campus sits on the traditional homelands of the people of the Council of Three Fires, the Ojibwe, Potawatomi, and Odawa as well as the Menominee, Miami and Ho-Chunk nations. We acknowledge and honor the original people of the land upon which Northwestern University stands, and the Native people who remain on this land today.

Northwestern University is an Equal Opportunity, Affirmative Action Employer of all protected classes, including veterans and individuals with disabilities. Women, racial and ethnic minorities, individuals with disabilities, and veterans are encouraged to apply. Click for information on EEO is the Law.