Research Specialist I

JOB DESCRIPTION

This Research Specialist will be part of the MU Math Study team and the research lab of Professor David C. Geary, in the Department of Psychological Sciences at the University of Missouri in Columbia, Missouri. The team is working on a longitudinal, multi-cohort project, studying the cognitive and math skills development of Preschool aged children. The project is funded by a National Institutes of Health grant. The team includes four faculty, three staff, two Graduate Research Assistants, 14—20 Undergraduate Research Assistants, and a Post-Doctoral Fellow. Most work takes place on MU’s campus or in the field (local schools and homes). The person in this position will be hired at 75% FTE (30 hours/week) and will receive benefits such as vacation days and health care coverage options in accordance with UM System HR policies.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

A Bachelor’s degree or an equivalent combination of education and relevant experience and at least 1 year of experience from which comparable knowledge and skills can be acquired is necessary

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Experience with detailed processes and procedures.
• Experience with Microsoft Office (e.g., Excel, Word, Teams).
• Experience with young children.
• Experience teaching or training groups.
• Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Psychology, Education, Human Development and Family Science, or related Social Science field.
• Work experience with demonstrated reliability and ability to work both independently and with teams of coworkers.

§ Coordinate home visit team schedules.
§ Communicate with participating families and schedule home visits.
§ Complete training to conduct home visits; Conduct home visits and assessments (interviews, cognitive experimental tasks, standardized assessments) while maintaining fidelity to established protocols.
§ Train others to conduct home visits.
§ Conduct inter-observer reliability checks during home visits.
§ Lead bi-weekly home visit team meetings.
§ Understand the study design and needs; help with planning and organizing materials and scheduling.
§ Research information, collect data, provide reports.
§ Follow detailed procedures and help modify existing procedures and create new protocols for further lab work; document tasks and procedures- this may involve technical writing and proofreading.
§ Process, score, and code data; train Undergraduate Research Assistants to do the same.
§ Help Lab Manager, Primary Investigator/Professor, and other lab members with archiving of documents and data (paper and digital).
§ Help with hiring and onboarding of new lab members.
§ Use Microsoft 365 (Teams, Outlook, Word, Excel) daily for tasks.
§ Communicate daily with supervisor and other team members; frequently discuss short- and long-term needs and priorities.
Job responsibilities listed herein are a general description of typical job duties, responsibilities, qualifications, and physical demands of the incumbents but should not be considered all-encompassing as actual responsibilities may additionally include other duties as assigned.