Research Assistant - Tate Lab
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

Job Info

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Department:

Nutrition Research Institute-633300

Career Area:

Research Professionals

Is this an internal only recruitment?:

No

Posting Open Date :

11/25/2024

Application Deadline:

12/09/2024

Position Type:

Permanent Staff (SHRA)

Position Title:

Soc/Clin Research Assistant - Contributing

Salary Grade Equivalent:

GN06

Working Title:

Research Assistant - Tate Lab

Position Number:

20068265

Vacancy ID:

P019886

Full-time/Part-time Permanent/Time-Limited:

Full-Time Time-Limited

If time-limited, estimated duration of appointment:

07/01/2026

Hours per week:

40

Work Schedule:

1.0 FTE. Flexible scheduling with frequent potential for early morning, evening, or weekend hours to be shared across team members

Work Location:

KANNAPOLIS, NC

Position Location:

North Carolina, US

Hiring Range:

$36,320-$44,400

Pay Band Information:

To learn more about the pay band for this branch and role, please see the Career Banding rates spreadsheet.

Be a Tar Heel!:

The UNC Nutrition Research Institute (NRI) is a world-renowned center and a global leader in precision nutrition research. Our on-site facilities include multiple wet labs and clinical facilities as well as a vivarium and a metabolic chamber. Approximately two hours from UNC-Chapel Hill, the NRI is located on the beautiful North Carolina Research Campus (NCRC) in Kannapolis, NC, a mid-size city with a small-town feel. The institute is within walking distance of the city center which includes shops, restaurants, a minor-league ballpark, theater, and music hall of fame. We are also a short drive to Charlotte and Winston-Salem/Greensboro. The NRI offers full-time employees a comprehensive benefits package, paid leave, and a variety of health, life, and retirement plans and additional programs that support a healthy work/life balance. We also offer professional training opportunities for career growth, skill development, and lifelong learning.

Primary Purpose of Organizational Unit:

Learning how people can eat uniquely!

The UNC Nutrition Research Institute (NRI) is an internationally recognized center conducting innovative basic and translational science to establish how individual differences in nutrient requirements and responses to diet affect our nutritional needs. Our research contributes to the prevention and mitigation of chronic disease across the lifespan from periconception through aging.

Our Mission is to lead precision nutrition research through understanding how genetics and environment affect an individual's requirements for and responses to nutrients.

NRI principal investigators hold faculty appointments in the departments of Nutrition and Psychology at UNC Chapel Hill. Their research interrogates nutrient roles in disease prevention, disease risk factors, and the impact of gene-environment and gene-nutrient interactions.

The NRI promotes excellence in nutrition knowledge, teaching, and research. We seek and encourage a diversity of experiences and ideas and provide the tools and flexibility for all employees to achieve success and excellence within their chosen occupations and aspirations.

We are committed to open dialogue, careful listening, becoming educated about the systems that hinder or prevent success, and taking action to ensure that all are equally acknowledged for their contributions and equally reap the benefits of being part of our community.

Our Vision is to use scientific discovery to ensure optimal health through individualized nutrition.

Everyone who works at the NRI supports this hopeful vision. Working at the NRI means doing good for the world. Join us!

The NRI and this position are in Kannapolis, NC, in the Charlotte region.

Position Summary:

NOTE: This position is located in Kannapolis, NC, approximately 2 hours from UNC's main campus.

Chapel Hill received funding to establish both a targeted Health Care Provider Organization (HPO) for the All of Us Research Program and a Clinical Center (UNC-CC) site for the first ancillary study, Nutrition for Precision Health (NPH). All of Us is a unique research program funded by NIH to build one of the most diverse health databases in history. Nutrition for Precision Health, powered by the All of Us Research Program is a new initiative to develop algorithms that predict individual responses to food and dietary patterns. The NPH Consortium consists of 12 awardees across the US with whom UNC is partnering to implement data collection and analysis. The UNC-CC includes two recruitment/clinical data collection locations, one in Chapel Hill, NC, (UNC-CH), and one in Kannapolis, NC, located at the UNC Nutrition Research Institute (NRI).

Come join our team as we work on these innovative studies. Working under the general supervision of the Research Project Managers and Coordinators, this Research Assistant will be responsible for a variety of duties. Specific duties will vary depending on the needs of the study. We anticipate the primary and secondary duties as noted below, but these may be subject to change over the course of the study.

Please note: Fluency in English and Spanish is a necessary to communicate effectively with study participants and implement study-specific protocols and procedures. A language assessment will be administered as part of the interview process to evaluate proficiency and communication skills.

Primary
Processing and shipping of biological specimens (blood, urine, saliva, and other specimens)
Data collection including obtaining informed consent, biospecimen collection, study measurements and providing instructions to study participants
Assist with other study activities to ensure the successful completion of the study aims

Secondary
Communication with study participants for purposes of recruitment, retention, and scheduling

Our goal is to work together as a cohesive team to ensure successful implementation of the study protocols.

Additional benefits associated with this position include the opportunity to join a research team that highly values professional development. We will work with the selected candidate to help build the skills and experiences desired to further their individual career goals.

Due to the requirements of this position, we anticipate work will be completed on site. The primary location for this position is at the Nutrition Research Institute in Kannapolis with the possibility of providing some support to our other data collection site in Chapel Hill.

Minimum Education and Experience Requirements:

Bachelor's degree; or equivalent combination of training and experience. All degrees must be received from appropriately accredited institutions.

Required Qualifications, Competencies, and Experience:

- Willingness to be trained in and follow study-specific protocols and procedures
- Exceptionally strong detail-oriented organizational and time management skills are required
- Ability to work both independently and within a team to achieve research aims
- Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively and respectfully with individuals of diverse backgrounds
- Excellent problem-solving skills. Capacity to perform and meet deadlines under pressure. Demonstrated ability to rapidly adjust priorities in a high-paced environment while maintaining participant safety and data quality
- Excellent computing skills including experience with Microsoft Office 365 and study data management
- Flexible scheduling with potential for early morning, evening, or weekend hours to be shared across team members
- Ability to maintain a high level of detail and accuracy in work
- Exposure to bloodborne pathogens
- Fluent in both English and Spanish

Preferred Qualifications, Competencies, and Experience:

- Prior research experience not required, but must be willing to implement study protocols and procedures according to Good Clinical Practice guidelines
- Phlebotomy skills or willing to learn a plus
- Food service training beneficial

Campus Security Authority Responsibilities:

Not Applicable.

Position/Schedule Requirements:

Evening work occasionally, Exposure to Bloodborne Pathogens, Laboratory, Overtime occasionally, Rotating shifts occasionally, Weekend work occasionally

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