Neurocognitive Battery and Client Project Coordinator

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. As an employer Penn has been ranked nationally on many occasions with the most recent award from Forbes who named Penn one of America’s Best Large Employers in 2023.

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.

Posted Job Title

Neurocognitive Battery and Client Project Coordinator (Penn CNB)

Job Profile Title

Clinical Research Coordinator B

Job Description Summary

The Penn Computerized Neurocognitive Battery (CNB) is a web-based platform for neurocognitive assessment used by more than 1,000 registered users across 20+ languages, in studies spanning large multi-site trials, developmental neuroscience, and neuropsychiatry around the world (and in outer space). Developed by the Brain Behavior Laboratory (BBL) within the Department of Psychiatry’s Neurodevelopment & Psychosis Section and the Lifespan Brain Institute (LiBI) at the University of Pennsylvania, the CNB is both a research instrument and service supporting investigators at Penn and institutions worldwide.

We are seeking a Neurocognitive Battery and Client Project Coordinator to coordinate the day-to-day operation of this service. The individual will be the first point of contact for investigators and clients who use the CNB and the bridge between the scientists who design and oversee studies and the developers who build and maintain the CNB platform. The coordinator will help launch and manage CNB projects run through the BBL working with investigators internal and external to Penn. Duties span project design and implementation, client and investigator support, CNB administration and training, data management, documentation, and coordination with the CNB development team on testing and feature launches.

This is an excellent opportunity for an early-career professional interested in the intersection of cognitive neuroscience, large-scale collaborative research, and software. The Coordinator will work closely with CNB faculty and developers; gain hands-on experience with how a scientific instrument is built, deployed, and used across a global user base; and build transferable skills in project and client management, data stewardship, and training.

Job Description

Primary responsibilities include, but not limited to:

Client & Investigator Support

• Serve as liaison for CNB clients and collaborating investigators: gather requirements, negotiate project scope, set up user accounts, configure test batteries, and document project specifications.

• Advise investigators on battery design and test selection in consultation with CNB faculty, and field scientific and technical questions about CNB measures and output

• Provide timely, professional customer and technical support throughout the project lifecycle, triaging requests and escalating to the development team or faculty as appropriate

• Coordinate administrative and technical support across internal teams and external institutions, including multisite and international collaborations

CNB Administration, Training & Documentation

• Become an expert administrator of the CNB

• Train and certify new administrators at Penn and at external sites: review of mock administration sessions, provide feedback, deliver in-person and remote training as needed.

• Maintain the online CNB training platform with current materials and provide documentation for new features

• Establish and maintain all necessary SOPs and documentation for CNB project management, users and tests

Project Coordination & Development Team Liaison

• Track project timelines, milestones, and deliverables and report progress to CNB leadership.

• Participate in the development team’s daily process (stand-up meetings, sprint planning, reviews, and retrospectives), representing client and investigator needs

• Lead user-acceptance testing of new CNB features and releases, document and report bugs, and support the development team in debugging and feature launches

• Maintain accurate records and ensure timely invoicing through iLabs project milestones

Prior experience in managing clients or software product management is a plus. Salary offers are made based on the candidate’s qualifications, experience, skills, and education as they relate directly to the requirements of the position, as well as internal and market factors and the grade profile.

Experienced candidates (CRC-C level) will be expected to perform the duties above with greater independence and autonomy

Qualifications

CRC B

Bachelor’s degree in psychology, neuroscience, biology or a related field and 2 to 3 years of related experience or equivalent combination of education and experience is required.

CRC C

Bachelor’s degree in psychology, neuroscience, biology or a related field and 4 to 6 years of related experience or equivalent combination of education and experience is required.

The position requires initiative, excellent organizational skills, and the ability to manage multiple concurrent projects and track many tasks with close attention to detail. Strong written and verbal communication skills are essential, including the ability to work comfortably with both technical and non-technical colleagues and to communicate clearly with a diverse set of investigators, clients and research collaborators. The candidate must exercise good judgment; handle sensitive, confidential, and difficult situations with tact and diplomacy; maintain confidentiality, as appropriate; and exhibit professional behavior at all times.

Preferred qualifications:

• Experience in clinical and behavioral research, particularly with cognitive or neuropsychological testing

• Experience in client-facing, customer support, or project coordination

• Familiarity with research data tools (e.g., REDCap, spreadsheets, basic data cleaning) and comfort working with structured datasets

• Exposure to software development workflows or Agile tooling (e.g., Jira) and to software or product management

• Experience training or supervising others

Background check required. Must pass Pennsylvania’s Child Protective Services Act (also known as Act 73) background checks within 30–90 days of employment.

Position contingent on funding.

Job Location - City, State

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Department / School

Perelman School of Medicine

Pay Range

$53,418.00 - $67,046.00 Annual Rate

Salary offers are made based on the candidate’s qualifications, experience, skills, and education as they directly relate to the requirements of the position, and in alignment with salary ranges based on external market data for the job’s level. Internal organization and peer data at Penn are also considered.

Equal Opportunity Statement 

The University of Pennsylvania is an equal opportunity employer. Candidates are considered for employment without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, religion, creed, national origin(including shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics), citizenship status, age, disability, veteran status or any class protectedunder applicable federal, state or local law.

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

University Benefits

• Health, Life, and Flexible Spending Accounts: Penn offers comprehensive medical, prescription, behavioral health, dental, vision, and life insurance benefits to protect you and your family’s health and welfare. You can also use flexible spending accounts to pay for eligible health care and dependent care expenses with pre-tax dollars.

• Tuition: Take advantage of Penn's exceptional tuition benefits. You, your spouse, and your dependent children can get tuition assistance here at Penn. Your dependent children are also eligible for tuition assistance at other institutions.

• Retirement: Penn offers generous retirement plans to help you save for your future. Penn’s Basic, Matching, and Supplemental retirement plans allow you to save for retirement on a pre-tax or Roth basis. Choose from a wide variety of investment options through TIAA and Vanguard.

• Time Away from Work: Penn provides you with a substantial amount of time away from work during the course of the year. This allows you to relax, take vacations, attend to personal affairs, recover from illness or injury, spend time with family—whatever your personal needs may be.

• Long-Term Care Insurance: In partnership with Genworth Financial, Penn offers faculty and staff (and your eligible family members) long-term care insurance to help you cover some of the costs of long-term care services received at home, in the community or in a nursing facility. If you apply when you’re newly hired, you won’t have to provide proof of good health or be subject to underwriting requirements. Eligible family members must always provide proof of good health and are subject to underwriting.

• Wellness and Work-life Resources: Penn is committed to supporting our faculty and staff as they balance the competing demands of work and personal life. That’s why we offer a wide variety of programs and resources to help you care for your health, your family, and your work-life balance.

• Professional and Personal Development: Penn provides an array of resources to help you advance yourself personally and professionally.

• University Resources: As a member of the Penn community, you have access to a wide range of University resources as well as cultural and recreational activities. Take advantage of the University’s libraries and athletic facilities, or visit our arboretum and art galleries. There’s always something going on at Penn, whether it’s a new exhibit at the Penn Museum, the latest music or theater presentation at the Annenberg Center, or the Penn Relays at Franklin Field to name just a few examples. As a member of the Penn community, you’re right in the middle of the excitement—and you and your family can enjoy many of these activities for free.

• Discounts and Special Services: From arts and entertainment to transportation and mortgages, you'll find great deals for University faculty and staff. Not only do Penn arts and cultural centers and museums offer free and discounted admission and memberships to faculty and staff. You can also enjoy substantial savings on other goods and services such as new cars from Ford and General Motors, cellular phone service plans, movie tickets, and admission to theme parks.

• Flexible Work Hours:Flexible work options offer creative approaches for completing work while promoting balance between work and personal commitments. These approaches involve use of non-traditional work hours, locations, and/or job structures.

• Penn Home Ownership Services: Penn offers a forgivable loan for eligible employees interested in buying a home or currently residing in West Philadelphia, which can be used for closing costs or home improvements.

• Adoption Assistance: Penn will reimburse eligible employees on qualified expenses in connection with the legal adoption of an eligible child, such as travel or court fees, for up to two adoptions in your household.

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To learn more, please visit: https://www.hr.upenn.edu/PennHR/benefits-pay