Research Associate

Overview

The Research Associate position supports a NIDA-funded Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant investigating telehealth buprenorphine treatment within five high-risk environments: Emergency Department, correctional diversion program, Tribal recovery community, residential substance use disorder (SUD) treatment, and perinatal care. This role serves as the main participant-facing staff, handling recruitment, consent, follow-up, stipend administration, qualitative interview assistance, and routine data management using REDCap. Reporting to the Study Director and collaborating with the Study Coordinator, the associate ensures consistent participant engagement and data integrity across all sites.

Key Duties

• Collaborate with site referral systems to sustain ongoing participant recruitment across all five sites.
• Screen candidates for eligibility and facilitate informed consent via telephone.
• Enter enrollment and baseline data into REDCap for new participants.
• Conduct timely follow-up outreach at 4, 8, 12, and 16 weeks post-enrollment for survey completion, conducting phone assessments when online responses are unavailable.
• Monitor follow-up completion rates by site, alerting the Study Director about missed targets.
• Manage participant stipends through ClinCard, ensuring funds are loaded and disbursed at each assessment phase after confirmation of card distribution.
• Keep detailed participant contact logs and follow-up tracking records.
• Administer and maintain participant data in REDCap with careful accuracy, promptly resolving data issues and discrepancies.
• Provide scheduled data exports to the biostatistics partner at UMass Chan Medical School.
• Collaborate with Boulder’s Data Director for quality control checks.
• Coordinate scheduling for qualitative interviews post 16-week follow-ups and oversee transfer of recordings to transcription services.
• Document and distribute notes from monthly operational calls with sites.
• Draft portions of NIDA progress reports under leadership guidance.
• Support literature reviews and reference management as needed.
• Assist in compiling interim data summaries and reports.
• Deliver miscellaneous administrative support to the study team.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in social work, public health, psychology, community health, or closely related discipline.
• Minimum of two years’ direct professional experience serving populations affected by substance use disorders, homelessness, justice system involvement, or similar structural vulnerabilities within clinical, community, peer support, or research frameworks.
• Excellent interpersonal abilities to build trust with participants navigating turbulent life circumstances.
• Resilient approach to extensive outreach through phone and email, successfully engaging difficult-to-reach individuals.
• Strong commitment to harm reduction and advancing health equity for people who use drugs.
• Detail-oriented with proficiency in data entry and management tasks.
• Comfortable working remotely and utilizing virtual collaboration tools.

Preferred Experience

• Personal lived experience with substance use disorder or recovery is valued.
• Prior exposure to startup or rapid-growth organizational environments.
• Experience using REDCap or comparable electronic data platforms.
• Knowledge of Institutional Review Board (IRB) processes and Good Clinical Practice (GCP) standards.
• Experience working within Tribal, correctional, perinatal, or Emergency Department contexts.
• Familiarity with ClinCard or similar participant payment technologies.
• Understanding of NIH grant mechanisms including progress report submission.

Work Conditions and Physical Requirements

• The role primarily involves office or remote work using computers, telephones, and printers.
• It is mostly sedentary, with occasional light physical activity including lifting up to 10 pounds, bending, or standing as needed.
• Ability to remain seated or standing for extended durations and focus on computer screens for data handling tasks is required.

Employment Details

• This is a full-time position funded by a grant for two years at 100% FTE.
• Work hours can be flexibly arranged with leadership but preferably aligned with Pacific Time Zone hours.
• Travel is about 5%, involving planned visits to partner sites in Washington and Ohio for study initiation, training, and ongoing engagement. All travel expenses are grant-funded.

Compensation and Benefits

• Annual base salary range between $60,000 and $65,000, with exact pay based on qualifications, experience, and location.
• Comprehensive healthcare benefits including medical, dental, vision, plus short-term disability coverage.
• Mental health support through insurance including Talkspace and Employee Assistance Programs.
• Four weeks of paid vacation annually, increasing to five weeks after two years of service.
• Sick leave accrued at a rate of one hour per 30 hours worked.
• Nine paid holidays per year.
• Paid parental leave for 12 weeks at full pay after six months of employment.
• 401(k) retirement plan with eligibility.
• Remote-friendly with necessary hardware provided.

Organizational Values

• Patient-centered care is the utmost priority.
• Responsibility in service to our community is fundamental.
• Use data to inform change and foster empathy.
• Commitment to advancing the field through evidence-based practices.
• Collaborative strength enhances individual efforts.
• Diverse lived experiences enrich the organization; candidates with such backgrounds or peer recovery specialist training are strongly encouraged to apply.

Hiring Process

• Initial 30-minute phone discussion with recruiter.
• 45-minute video interview with hiring manager.
• 30-minute video interview with executive leadership.
• Background checks and reference verification required for final candidates, covering employment, criminal records, education/licenses, and references. Transparency and confidentiality are maintained throughout.

Additional Information

This description does not encompass all potential duties and responsibilities, which may evolve with or without notice. Boulder Care commits to inclusive hiring practices and is an equal opportunity employer valuing diversity across all identities and statuses.