How to Apply

A cover letter is required for consideration for this position and should be attached as the first page of your resume. The cover letter should address your specific interest in the position and outline skills and experience that directly relate to this position. Please include your GPA and undergraduate institution (if applicable) in your cover letter as well. Note that all of your application materials must be combined into a single document.

In addition to applying online with your cover letter and resume, please send your most recent academic transcript (college transcript if available; unofficial transcript acceptable) and 2 letters of recommendation directly to mindlaboratory@umich.edu.

Job Summary

The Michigan Neurogenetics and Developmental Psychopathology (MiND) lab, directed by Dr. Luke Hyde, is searching for Research Technician Associates. The lab examines the development of youth risk and resilience from multiple levels of analysis (using fMRI, molecular genetics, longitudinal approaches, and in-home interviews with at-risk families). The Research Technician will help to coordinate and collect data on multiple projects in the lab with a focus on the MTwins Project. MTwins is a longitudinal study of families with twins ages 10 – 18 living in impoverished neighborhoods. Families visit the lab for a full day visit including an MRI scan, psychiatric interview, family interaction tasks, biospecimen assay (e.g., saliva, blood), and survey measures. The lab currently needs additional experience with data management/MRI processing and training and oversight of undergraduate students in the lab, as well as project manager roles. For more information about the MiND lab please visit: http://mindlab.psych.lsa.umich.edu/.

Duties for this position will include coordinating projects (e.g., training undergraduate students on their projects and tasks, scheduling and recruiting participants, organizing and cleaning data), doing in-home and in-lab visits with children and families (including psychiatric interviews, administering self-report measures, and functionally supervising undergraduate assistants), running child participants (ages 7 – 18) through MRI scans, and processing and analyzing MRI data. As some of these projects are being done jointly with other labs, the position will entail coordinating with these other labs. Thus, much of the position will include collecting data from and interacting with families and the other portion will include logistics and data management.

Mission Statement

The mission of the University of Michigan is to serve the people of Michigan and the world through preeminence in creating, communicating, preserving and applying knowledge, art, and academic values, and in developing leaders and citizens who will challenge the present and enrich the future.  The University of Michigan is committed to foster learning, creativity and productivity, and to support the vigorous exchange of ideas and information, not only in the classroom but in the workplace by: 

Creating a work environment in which people treat each other with respect and dignity, regardless of roles, responsibilities or differences. 
Providing support, direction and resources enabling us to accomplish the responsibilities of our jobs and to reach the goals that are set for professional and personal growth.

Responsibilities*

• Testing participants, doing home visits and running children through MRI protocol
• Analyzing and processing data, organizing data, and archiving data
• Working on projects to effectively manage large amounts of data and working with IT and other labs to design efficient IT systems for the data
• Participant scheduling and recruitment
• Visit management (e.g., preparing for family visits)
• Helping coordinate projects
• Supporting other members of the lab
• Assisting with IRB submissions
• Coordinating with other labs
• General laboratory maintenance
• The amount of time in some of these activities (e.g., data organization versus preparing for visits) will vary somewhat for each Research Technician based on experience, time of the year, and lab needs.

A very successful applicant will have the opportunity to contribute to the writing of grants and empirical papers.

Required Qualifications*

• High school diploma or Associate's degree
• 1 year of research experience
• Excellent communication and writing skills
• Experience interacting with families and children
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively

Desired Qualifications*

Bachelor’s degree or higher in a field related to psychology, child development, or neuroscience
Experience in several of the following areas: psychiatric interviewing, working with high risk families in the community, computer programing experience (e.g., Matlab, R, command line), and experience with fMRI

Additional Information

The College of Literature, Science, and the Arts seeks to recruit and retain a diverse workforce as a reflection of our commitments to serve the diverse people of Michigan, fulfill the College’s Guiding Principles, and sustain the excellence of LSA.  

To learn more about diversity, equity, and inclusion visit http://lsa.umich.edu/lsa/about/diversity--equity-and-inclusion.html

To learn more about LSA’s Guiding Principles visit http://lsa.umich.edu/lsa/faculty-staff/human-resources/lsa-staff-guiding-principles.html

Additional Information

Please note that there are up to 2 openings available.

These positions are term-limited to one year and renewable depending on funding.  However, note that the aim of the position is to be for at least 2 years as the position will require large amounts of training (with funding likely beyond 2 years).

Start date is flexible depending on applicant availability but would ideally be during April or May 2019, so that new lab managers can overlap with departing lab managers for training.

Background Screening

The University of Michigan conducts background checks on all job candidates upon acceptance of a contingent offer and may use a third party administrator to conduct background checks.  Background checks are performed in compliance with the Fair Credit Reporting Act.

Application Deadline

Job openings are posted for a minimum of seven calendar days.  The review and selection process may begin as early as the eighth day after posting. This opening may be removed from posting boards and filled anytime after the minimum posting period has ended.

U-M EEO/AA Statement

The University of Michigan is an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer.