Project Coordinator

The incumbent will serve as a project coordinator for an NIH-funded research study. This coordination involves being in charge of training, work assignment, performance appraisal, and day-to-day supervision of full time research staff, students, and volunteers working with participants as part of the study. This study examines how normal differences between people relate to their heart health. There are two samples involved in the study. In the first sample, the goal is to determine whether daily life experiences, biological and social factors, lifestyle characteristics and behaviors, brain function, and brain structure relate to changes in heart health over time. In a second sample, the goal is to investigate whether a 12-month moderate intensity exercise program can improve heart and brain health. Staff and student efforts for both studies will involve scheduling and interviewing participants, training participants to self-monitor during daily life, and other data collection and data management efforts. The incumbent will be in charge of coordinating and supervising all of these efforts, adapting existing practices to address unique situations that arise on a day-to-day basis.

The incumbent will also be in charge of some administrative support (for example, ordering supplies, tracking participant compliance and scheduling) for this project. The incumbent will communicate directly with other research staff who have participant contact, and will make day-to-day decisions about how best to coordinate staffing efforts in order to meet project goals, in consultation with the principal investigator. In addition to day-to-day coordination of participant data collection efforts by other staff and students, the incumbent will also directly work with participants in this study. In this capacity, the incumbent will schedule participants for research visits, will train participants to monitor their blood pressure, mood, and activities during daily life over the course of a week, and will be in charge of handling data quality issues with respect to the information collected. Incumbent will assess clinic blood pressure, conduct interviews and administer questionnaires with these participants. Incumbent will conduct telephone follow-up interviews with participants to ensure that they are following the research protocol, and will help keep records to ensure that training and data collection are occurring in a timely fashion. The incumbent will also be responsible for some data processing, management, and transcription as part of this project. The Dietrich School is committed to building a culturally diverse staff. We are seeking candidates with excellent interpersonal and relationship-building skills and the ability to work effectively with a wide range of individuals and constituencies in support of a diverse community.

Bachelors degree with two to three years of relevant experience. Major in Psychology is preferred. Experience with medical measures (e.g., blood pressure) and medical terminology is preferred. At least three to five years of relevant experience in psychological or medical research is preferred. Equivalent combination of education and experience may be substituted per university guidelines.

The University of Pittsburgh is committed to championing all aspects of diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility within our community. This commitment is a fundamental value of the University and is crucial in helping us advance our mission, which includes attracting and retaining diverse workforces. We will continue to create and maintain an environment that allows individuals to discover, belong, contribute, and grow, while honoring the experiences, perspectives, and unique identities of all.