Columbia University

The Department of Epidemiology at the Mailman School is seeking a Spanish-speaking Postdoctoral Scientist for two funded studies on community engagement and partnership using qualitative methods. We are looking for an individual who brings a qualitative research background, an aptitude for managing multiple projects, and who is looking for an opportunity that is aligned with our focus on health equity and justice.

For the first study, the Postdoctoral Scientist will be responsible for the day-to-day duties of the study including interviewing community members (potentially in Spanish) to explore structural determinants, trust, and clinical trial participation. The Postdoctoral Scientist will lead qualitative data collection and analysis, presentation and publication development, and reporting to stakeholders. For the second study, the Postdoctoral Scientist will assist with the Principal Investigator with planning research activities for a community-partnered study. The Postdoctoral Scientist will play an essential role in streamlining processes and workflow and coordinating ongoing administrative operations. Other responsibilities will include conducting and preparing literature reviews, as well as assisting with (editorial/administrative) tasks in the preparation of manuscripts and PowerPoint presentations. This position is contingent upon availability of grant funding.

Responsibilities may include:

• Work closely with the PI and other members of the research team
• Lead and support research design and development of study tools, IRB protocols, and consent forms
• Assist with the development and implementation of a qualitative study protocol
• Assist with communication and reporting to the Institutional Review Board
• Recruit participants
• Schedule and conduct qualitative interviews (in-person home or office visits, or alternatively, via Zoom)
• Develop the codebook and coding scheme for the qualitative data
• Tanscribe, code, and analyze qualitative interviews
• Lead and support the development of scientific manuscripts for publication and manage the submission process
• Support and present research findings at national or global conferences
• Manage students who support the research
• Facilitate communication and collaboration among investigators and staff, community partners, and the Institutional Review Board
• Support the planning and coordination of meetings with partner organizations or larger stakeholder groups of relevance
• Assist with the dissemination of findings to community, funders, and the public
• Support research translation efforts, including the development of policy briefs, creation of social media, webinars, knowledge management products (infographics, toolkits), op-eds and other advocacy outputs
• Identify new funding opportunities, conceptualize new projects, support fundraising through developing grant proposals and concept notes (solicited or unsolicited) and managing submission processes
• Conduct other administrative and miscellaneous duties as requested/assigned
• Minimum Qualifications
• Doctoral degree or equivalent in public health, behavioral, or social science (e.g. sociology, psychology, anthropology) with previous graduate-level or postdoctoral-level training in qualitative research
• Prior experience with designing and conducting qualitative research (IRB protocol preparation, qualitative interviewing-data collection, data analysis, writing of scientific manuscripts)
• Proficiency in ATLAS.ti, NVivo, Dedoose, or another qualitative data analysis software
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (e.g., Word, Excel, PowerPoint) Adobe Professional, Zoom, and reference/citation manager software
• Familiarity with communities racialized as Black and LatinX
• Bilingual (English/Spanish)
• Ability to travel to for extended periods of time for data collection activities
• Strong ability to work independently and as a key member of a team
• Detail-oriented
• Anticipate and resolve issues
• Well-organized with the ability to handle multiple deadlines under pressure and on time
• Have excellent organizational, written and oral communication skills, including editorial skills
• Enthusiasm to collaborate with a dynamic network of partners
• Superb interpersonal skills

Preferred Qualifications

• Familiarity with behavioral and/or social sciences
• At least 2 years of prior experience with qualitative research
• Familiarity with academic research setting
• Flexible
• Experience conducting public health research in low-resource contexts
• Project management skills
• Experience in grant writing
• Ability to support the development and/or monitoring of program’s budget

The salary of the finalist selected for this role will be set based on a variety of factors, including but not limited to departmental budgets, qualifications, experience, education, licenses, specialty, and training. The above hiring range represents the University's good faith and reasonable estimate of the range of possible compensation at the time of posting. 

Columbia University is an Equal Opportunity Employer / Disability / Veteran

Pay Transparency Disclosure

The salary of the finalist selected for this role will be set based on a variety of factors, including but not limited to departmental budgets, qualifications, experience, education, licenses, specialty, and training. The above hiring range represents the University’s good faith and reasonable estimate of the range of possible compensation at the time of posting.