University Overview

The University of Pennsylvania, the largest private employer in Philadelphia, is a world-renowned leader in education, research, and innovation. This historic, Ivy League school consistently ranks among the top 10 universities in the annual U.S. News & World Report survey. Penn has 12 highly-regarded schools that provide opportunities for undergraduate, graduate and continuing education, all influenced by Penn’s distinctive interdisciplinary approach to scholarship and learning.

Penn offers a unique working environment within the city of Philadelphia. The University is situated on a beautiful urban campus, with easy access to a range of educational, cultural, and recreational activities. With its historical significance and landmarks, lively cultural offerings, and wide variety of atmospheres, Philadelphia is the perfect place to call home for work and play.

The University offers a competitive benefits package that includes excellent healthcare and tuition benefits for employees and their families, generous retirement benefits, a wide variety of professional development opportunities, supportive work and family benefits, a wealth of health and wellness programs and resources, and much more.

Job Description Summary

The Research Coordinator will primarily work on a longitudinal project relating smoking behavior and neural activity to real-world exposure to point-of-sale-tobacco marketing, utilizing approaches including functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), mobile-phone based geolocation tracking, and self-report surveys collected through ecological momentary assessment (EMA).

Job Description

Primary duties involve interacting with participants to foster a positive experience during their 6-8 weeks of active participation. This includes scheduling and conducting in-person study sessions; assessing subject eligibility; telephone, internet, and in-person recruiting; and being the participants’ primary contact to field concerns and answer questions about the study tasks and protocol. The Research Coordinator will also collaborate with the PI and study team members on study development and protocols; maintain the study database and study documentation; manage undergraduate research assistants; conduct data quality assessment and analysis; and have the opportunity to contribute to study research papers. (If COVID19 prohibits in-person contact, the research coordinator would focus on other health communication and/or neuroscience projects in the lab, with similar primary responsibilities.)

Position is grant funded and continuation is contingent upon continued receipt of grant funds.

Qualifications

A B.S. or B.A., with background in psychology, neuroscience, computer science, statistics, mathematics, public health, communication studies, or a related field, plus 1 to 2 years of experience or equivalent combination of education and experience (e.g., previous lab or community experience) is required. Research and project management experience in a university and/or community setting. Demonstrated ability to work independently, as well as in a team, and be proactive in problem-solving under the direction of the PI. Excellent communication and interpersonal skills. Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail. Ability to work on multiple tasks and projects, developing solutions to basic technical problems. Previous supervisory experience and ability to assist in the training of lab personnel. Given that this project focuses on a community sample of participants, the ideal candidate will have work, volunteer, or lived experience with a wide range of populations, such as socioeconomically diverse or under-served adult groups.

Preferred Experience

Experience with recruitment and running research protocols in fMRI studies. Experience using RedCap, Qualtrics, and/or Adobe Photoshop. Statistical analysis skills (e.g. in R, SPSS, Matlab, SAS, HLM, other). Willingness to work flexible hours (evenings, weekends). Previous experience working with IRB. Programming skills (e.g. in Python, R, Matlab, bash, etc.).

Successful candidates may also have previous experience or working knowledge with fMRI data (e.g. SPM, fsl, AFNI or other imaging analysis package). Stimulus design and presentation in MATLAB, PsychoPy, or Presentation Web skills (e.g., ability to write/edit html). Previous experience in health communication research fields. Previous experience with geolocation data collection or analysis. Successful publication record. Desire/ability to write papers and grants in collaboration with the research team.

We believe that our science is better with a diverse team. We embrace and encourage our lab members’ differences in age, color, disability, ethnicity, family or marital status, gender identity or expression, language, national origin, ability, political affiliation, race, religion, sexual orientation, socio-economic status, veteran status, and other characteristics that make our lab members who they are.

Application Instructions

Resume and cover letter are required. Click the “Upload” button at the bottom of the My Experience page in the application process in order to attach multiple documents.

Working Conditions

Office, library, computer room

Physical Effort

Typically sitting at a desk or table

Job Location - City, State

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Department / School

Annenberg School for Communication

Pay Range

$36,401.00 - $65,521.00

Affirmative Action Statement 

Penn adheres to a policy that prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, religion, creed, national or ethnic origin, citizenship status, age, disability, veteran status, or any other legally protected class.

Special Requirements 

Background check required after a conditional job offer is made. Consideration of the background check will be tailored to the requirements of the job.