Job Abstract

The University of Virginia School of Education and Human Development seeks to hire a Research Scientist within Youth-Nex, the Center to Promote Effective Youth Development to collaborate on projects through the Preventive Interventions Team: Collaborative Research on Engagement and Wellbeing lab. Youth-Nex is a dynamic research center committed to expanding and applying the science of positive youth development to address fundamental challenges facing societies around the world.

Youth-Nex project teams focus on collecting and storing large datasets. The incumbent will work collaboratively with project directors to provide leadership across a range of research activities from developing human subjects protocols to publishing papers in scholarly peer-reviewed journal articles. Specific responsibilities may include:

• Working collaboratively with Principal Investigators to analyze data or oversee earlier career researchers’ analyses, write reports, manuscripts, chapters, and other products to disseminate findings

• Research-to-practice translation activities, such as developing novel modes of data sharing (data visualization, dashboards) with partners and assessing approaches for continuous improvement in research translation

• Co-creating systems for efficient, valid, and reliable data collection and sharing.

• Developing paper concepts to lead as first author, contribute as a co-author to all sections of papers.

• Developing IRB and human subjects protocols and modifications.

• Ensuring high quality participant tracking in trials for CONSORT figures (where applicable for RCTs).

• Developing and conducting technical protocols such as for power analyses and randomization.

• Troubleshooting and strategizing about participant engagement supports.

• Supervising post-docs’ and research coordinators’ work to clean, analyze, and complete technical documentation requirements (codebooks, technical reports).

• Ensuring data are securely stored.

• Ensuring quality of technical reports, codebooks and completion of archiving/transparency requirements in coordination with project director.

• Developing agenda content for meetings for topics related to role and responsibilities.

• Providing clear and constructive feedback to peers, direct reports, and supervisors.

• Contributing to development of proposals as requested by PIT CREW faculty.

• In addition to the above job responsibilities, other duties may be assigned.

The ideal candidate will be a highly-motivated and efficient individual with a history of excellent work ethic, attention to detail, high levels of organization, ability to juggle multiple deadlines, and work both independently and collaboratively. The ideal candidate is an early career researcher with a track record of publishing as a first author in scholarly peer-reviewed journals with of focus in school psychology and conducting advanced quantitative statistical analyses. In addition, the candidate will find motivation in our shared mission at Youth-Nex.

We may consider this position for remote, hybrid, or in-person work. 

Minimum Requirements
Education: Requires a doctoral degree or master's degree with significant experience.

Preferred Qualifications

• An earned Ph.D. in a research-oriented Education, Psychology, Public Health, Human Development, Research, Statistics, and Evaluation, or a related, research-focused field is required by the start date of the position.

• Prior experience conducting analyses for writing, and submitting peer-reviewed journal articles as a first author.

• At least one-year postdoctoral experience.

• Highly proficient or advanced skills with quantitative statistical analysis software (R, Mplus, Stata, and/or other statistical) software programs.

• Skilled with qualitative (Dedoose, Nvivo, or other qualitative) analytic software programs.

• Background in observational data collection and video observation systems.

• Background in implementation fidelity tracking systems for school-based interventions.

• Prior experience developing content and contributing to submission of a federal or private grant proposals.

• Expertise in mixed methods and qualitative methods is also welcome and supported.

• Knowledge of cutting-edge statistical methods and research literature on adolescent development.

• In depth understanding of randomized controlled designs, knowledge of report measures used in education and developmental research.

• Technical capacity to run power analyses or implement randomization protocols.

Anticipated compensation: $70,000 - $80,000, plus generous UVA benefits.

Physical Demands
This is primarily a sedentary job involving extensive use of desktop computers. The job does occasionally require traveling some distance to attend meetings, and programs.

Application Instructions: Apply Now. Internal applicants must apply through their UVA Workday profile, search Find Jobs and then R0062270. Complete an application online and include the following documents:

• A CV/resume (addressed to Dr. Jessika Bottiani)

• A cover letter with a statement of research interests

• Two publications

• Contact Information for 3 references, including name, email and phone number for each

All documents can be loaded into the resume submission field, multiple documents can be submitted into this one field. Internal applicants must apply through their UVA Workday profile. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

This is a restricted position and continuation is dependent upon the availability of funding and satisfactory performance. Before a formal offer of employment is extended, the selected candidate will undergo a background check per university policy.

For questions about the position, please contact Youth-Nex. For questions about and assistance with the application process, please contact Margaret Weeks, Academic Recruiter.

The University of Virginia, including the UVA Health System which represents the UVA Medical Center, Schools of Medicine and Nursing, UVA Physician’s Group and the Claude Moore Health Sciences Library, are fundamentally committed to the diversity of our faculty and staff.  We believe diversity is excellence expressing itself through every person's perspectives and lived experiences.  We are equal opportunity and affirmative action employers. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, color, disability, gender identity or expression, marital status, national or ethnic origin, political affiliation, race, religion, sex, pregnancy, sexual orientation, veteran or military status, and family medical or genetic information.