Discover Vanderbilt University Medical Center:  Located in Nashville, Tennessee, and operating at a global crossroads of teaching, discovery, and patient care, VUMC is a community of individuals who come to work each day with the simple aim of changing the world. It is a place where your expertise will be valued, your knowledge expanded, and your abilities challenged. Vanderbilt Health is committed to an environment where everyone has the chance to thrive and where your uniqueness is sought and celebrated. It is a place where employees know they are part of something that is bigger than themselves, take exceptional pride in their work and never settle for what was good enough yesterday. Vanderbilt’s mission is to advance health and wellness through preeminent programs in patient care, education, and research.

Organization:

General Pediatrics

Job Summary:

JOB SUMMARY
Our research team is currently conducting multiple ongoing community-based randomized trials for childhood obesity prevention and treatment among low-income and minority populations. The Research Assistant II position is an essential member of the team, who will have the opportunity to support multiple ongoing studies. The primary responsibilities will include collecting data from participating patient-families, clinic partners, interventionists, and medical records. The Research Assistant II will also assist with recruitment and retention of participants and obtain informed consent/assent. Data collection will likely occur in multiple settings, including clinic-based survey administration, phone-based interviews, and community-based data collection. The dynamic nature of clinical research means that this position will have the opportunity to assist in other laboratory and research functions as they arise.

A background/interest in community-based and behavioral research is a must. Working and communicating within a team environment is crucial to the success of this position and flexibility is a key attribute. Because we work to meet families where they are, recruitment and data collection may take place at night or during the weekend in the local community context, which will require scheduling flexibility and reliable transportation. The Research Assistant II must also be a native Spanish speaker or bilingual in English and Spanish to meet the needs of our participant populations.

Under moderate supervision, set-up, conduct, and continue research projects following study protocols including the appropriate recording of data and reporting of standard or variant results. Assist in other laboratory and research functions.

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Key Functions and Expected Performances:

• Under moderate supervision, conduct and evaluate community and clinical research
• Collect surveys from participants in person or over the phone
• Must be very detail oriented in following the protocol while collecting data in community and clinical settings
• Regularly complete quality check protocols to ensure data have been entered correctly, efficiently, and effectively
• Be involved in data entry and data integrity with understanding of database systems (i.e. REDCap)
• Have respectful interactions with parent-child pairs who participate in our studies, many of whom represent underserved populations
• Prepare, operate, and troubleshoot intervention, recruitment, and data collection procedures
• Ensure clear communication between academic and community partners, as well as our lab team
• Demonstrate an understanding of acceptable research procedures and techniques
• Provide appropriate written documentation of meetings and results for dissemination to multiple stakeholders
• Participate in participant retention efforts

Additional Information:

This is a full-time position; 40 hours per week; may include some evenings and weekends.

TECHNICAL CAPABILITIES

Our Academic Enterprise is one of the nation’s longest serving and most prestigious academic medical centers. Through its historic bond with Vanderbilt University and integral role in the School of Medicine, Vanderbilt Health cultivates distinguished research and educational programs to advance a clinical enterprise that provides compassionate and personalized care and support for millions of patients and family members each year.

World-leading academic departments and comprehensive centers of excellence pursue scientific discoveries and transformational educational and clinical advances across the entire spectrum of health and disease.

Aligning with Vanderbilt Health’s Strategic Directions, the Office of Research provides shared research resources, administrative expertise and professional guidance to enable the trans-disciplinary environment and highly collaborative culture that advances discovery and training for all the research faculty, trainees, students and staff. 

Core Accountabilities:

Organizational Impact: Executes job responsibilities with the understanding of how output would affect and impact other areas related to own job area/team with occasional guidance. Problem Solving/ Complexity of work: Analyzes moderately complex problems using technical experience and judgment. Breadth of Knowledge: Has expanded knowledge gained through experience within a professional area. Team Interaction: Provides informal guidance and support to team members.

Core Capabilities :

Supporting Colleagues:- Develops Self and Others: Invests time, energy, and enthusiasm in developing self/others to help improve performance e and gain knowledge in new areas.- Builds and Maintains Relationships: Maintains regular contact with key colleagues and stakeholders using formal and informal opportunities to expand and strengthen relationships.- Communicates Effectively: Recognizes group interactions and modifies one’s own communication style to suit different situations and audiences. Delivering Excellent Services:- Serves Others with Compassion: Seeks to understand current and future needs of relevant stakeholders and customizes services to better address them.- Solves Complex Problems: Approaches problems from different angles; Identifies new possibilities to interpret opportunities and develop concrete solutions.- Offers Meaningful Advice and Support: Provides ongoing support and coaching in a constructive manner to increase employees’ effectiveness. Ensuring High Quality: - Performs Excellent Work: Engages regularly in formal and informal dialogue about quality; directly addresses quality issues promptly.- Ensures Continuous Improvement: Applies various learning experiences by looking beyond symptoms to uncover underlying causes of problems and identifies ways to resolve them. - Fulfills Safety and Regulatory Requirements: Understands all aspects of providing a safe environment and performs routine safety checks to prevent safety hazards from occurring. Managing Resources Effectively: - Demonstrates Accountability: Demonstrates a sense of ownership, focusing on and driving critical issues to closure.- Stewards Organizational Resources: Applies understanding of the departmental work to effectively manage resources for a department/area.- Makes Data Driven Decisions: Demonstrates strong understanding of the information or data to identify and elevate opportunities. Fostering Innovation:- Generates New Ideas: Proactively identifies new ideas/opportunities from multiple sources or methods to improve processes beyond conventional approaches.- Applies Technology: Demonstrates an enthusiasm for learning new technologies, tools, and procedures to address short-term challenges.- Adapts to Change: Views difficult situations and/or problems as opportunities for improvement; actively embraces change instead of emphasizing negative elements.

Position Qualifications:

Responsibilities:

Certifications :

Work Experience :

Relevant Work Experience

Experience Level :

2 years

Education :

Bachelor’s

Vanderbilt Health is committed to fostering an environment where everyone has the chance to thrive and is committed to the principles of equal opportunity.  EOE/Vets/Disabled.