Position: Research Assistant
Department: Pediatrics (CHEER)
Location: Boston, MA
Schedule: 40 hours per week, Remote
POSITION SUMMARY:
The Center for Health Equity, Education, and Research (CHEER) at Boston Medical Center is a world-class center for maternal child health advocacy, training and research. Its mission is to bring about health equity by collaborating with community-based partners and providing technical assistance, training, evaluation, and inspiration. CHEER focuses on underserved populations, with a particular emphasis on maternal child health and nutrition.
The Research Assistant will participate in and oversee the administrative aspects of CHEER’s programs/grants and interact with program participants, investigators, students RAs, and other research staff. Duties include: assisting with program recruitment, scheduling meetings, administering questionnaires, creating and filing program documents, entering and updating data, maintaining databases, running reports, and performing other administrative tasks. The RA maintains contact with the participating sites to insure complete and timely data collection, maintains sites’ files, assists with documenting financial and budgetary needs of the grant, and supporting the research team with the preparation of data and other reports.
JOB RESPONSIBILITIES:
Responsible for the administrative aspects of CHEER’s programs, including: managing program records and handling communication needs of the program.
Provides assistance in the development of reports, presentations, and data analysis.
Assists in data collection and provides feedback on progress.
Schedules meetings with program participants; conducts reminder communications.
Reviews the data collection forms for programs; checks work of junior staff performing data entry to ensure timely and accurate entry. Provides technical guidance to junior staff.
Conducts literature searches. Assists Investigators with manuscript and presentation preparation and research.
Participates in staff meetings/initiatives including appropriate quality improvement and education activities, or if unable to attend non-mandatory activities, accepts responsibility to review meeting minutes and becomes knowledgeable of issues discussed.
Performs office-related duties such as answering phones, managing email accounts, picking up and delivering mail, ordering and distributing office supplies, handling faxes, scanning, filing, photocopying, collating materials, maintaining the update of policy manuals, etc.
The above statements in this job description are intended to depict the general nature and level of work assigned to the employee(s) in this job. The above is not intended to represent an exhaustive list of accountable duties and responsibilities required
JOB REQUIREMENTS
EDUCATION:
- Bachelor’s degree is required. Major in a field related to the research highly preferred.
EXPERIENCE:
- Minimum of one to two years of experience in the public health field or an equivalent combination of education and experience is preferred.
KNOWLEDGE AND SKILLS:
Experience with recruiting subjects, with an understanding of the ethical and technical conduct of research.
Excellent English communication skills (oral and written).
Bilingual or multi-lingual skills in Spanish is preferred.
Cultural sensitivity and comfort with a wide range of social, racial and ethnic populations
Organizational ability to perform multiple tasks efficiently and to prioritize duties.
Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications including Word, Excel, and Access and PowerPoint. Experience with statistical analysis tools a plus. Ability to perform basic data management tasks (coding, data entry, data cleaning, retrieval).
Ability to perform basic data analysis and reporting (in words, numbers and graphics).
Excellent organizational skills, including ability to prioritize essential tasks.
JOB BENEFITS:
- Competitive pay
- Tuition reimbursement and tuition remission programs
- Highly subsidized medical, dental, and vision insurance options
- Career Advancement/Professional Development: Access a wealth of ongoing training and development opportunities that will not only enhance your skills but also expand your knowledge base especially for individuals pursuing careers in medicine or biomedical research.
- Pioneering Research: Engage in groundbreaking research projects that are driving the forefront of biomedical science.
ABOUT THE DEPARTMENT:
As the primary teaching hospital for Boston University Chobanian & Avedisian School of Medicine and BU schools of public health and dentistry, intellectual rigor shapes our inquiries. Our research is led by a belief that skin color, zip code, and financial circumstances shouldn’t dictate health.
Boston Medical Center is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. If you need accommodation for any part of the application process because of a medical condition or disability, please send an e-mail to [email protected] or call 617-638-8582 to let us know the nature of your request.
Compensation Range:
$16.35- $22.84This range offers an estimate based on the minimum job qualifications. However, our approach to determining base pay is comprehensive, and a broad range of factors is considered when making an offer. This includes education, experience, skills, and certifications/licensures as they directly relate to position requirements; as well as business/organizational needs, internal equity, and market-competitiveness. In addition, BMCHS offers generous total compensation that includes, but is not limited to, benefits (medical, dental, vision, pharmacy), discretionary annual bonuses and merit increases, Flexible Spending Accounts, 403(b) savings matches, paid time off, career advancement opportunities, and resources to support employee and family well-being.
NOTE: This range is based on Boston-area data, and is subject to modification based on geographic location.
Equal Opportunity Employer/Disabled/Veterans
According to the FTC, there has been a rise in employment offer scams. Our current job openings are listed on our website and applications are received only through our website. We do not ask or require downloads of any applications, or “apps” job offers are not extended over text messages or social media platforms. We do not ask individuals to purchase equipment for or prior to employment.
Skills Required
- Bachelor's degree (major related to research highly preferred)
- 1-2 years of public health or equivalent experience
- Experience recruiting research subjects and understanding ethical research conduct
- Excellent English communication skills, oral and written
- Bilingual or multilingual skills in Spanish
- Cultural sensitivity and comfort with diverse populations
- Organizational ability to perform multiple tasks and prioritize duties
- Proficiency with Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint)
- Ability to perform basic data management tasks (coding, data entry, data cleaning, retrieval)
- Ability to perform basic data analysis and reporting (words, numbers, graphics)
- Experience conducting literature searches and assisting with manuscript/presentation preparation
- Experience with statistical analysis tools
Boston Medical Center (BMC) Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Boston Medical Center (BMC) and has not been reviewed or approved by Boston Medical Center (BMC).
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Pay Growth & Progression — Recent union agreements delivered significant raises for nurses and many non‑RN groups, lifting pay levels in those cohorts. Feedback suggests these structured increases improved satisfaction for roles covered by the contracts.
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Affordable Benefits — An option for a no‑premium medical plan, strong pharmacy discounts, and low‑cost same‑day care position healthcare as cost‑effective. Additional programs like diabetes support and coaching further reduce out‑of‑pocket burden.
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Leave & Time Off Breadth — Full‑time staff receive a large PTO bank that grows over time and extended parental leave for birth or adoption. Colleagues also have access to emergency child and elder care supports and childcare discounts.
Boston Medical Center (BMC) Insights
What We Do
Boston Medical Center, located in Boston’s historic South End, is a private, not-for-profit, 567-bed, academic medical center and the primary teaching affiliate for Boston University School of Medicine. Recognized for its high-quality, nationally ranked and comprehensive medical care for the entire family, patients have access to the most current treatment and advancements at BMC. BMC physicians lead the way in pioneering new therapies that impact the care of patients locally and worldwide. In 2013, BMC made the decision to invest in a four-year campus redesign that includes additions to buildings, upgrades to existing structures, and an expansion of the Emergency Department. Once completed, the redesign will provide clinical workspaces with state-of-the-art facilities and equipment to solve BMC's most pressing care delivery needs. Already complete, the hospital’s Shapiro Center is Boston’s newest outpatient care facility and features a quarter-million square feet of clinic space, key support services, one of the region’s most technologically advanced pharmacies, and a bright, spacious café. Housed in a facility that provides world-class, patient-centered care at every visit, BMC doctors are among the best in their field. Many are recognized annually as “Top Doctors” in their medical and surgical specialties by publications such as U.S. News & World Report and Boston magazine. Boston Medical Center is also the largest safety net hospital in New England and extends into the community as a founding partner of Boston HealthNet, a network of 15 community health centers throughout Boston serving more than a quarter million people annually. No matter whom you meet at BMC, all are committed to providing every patient and family member with the highest quality of care, respect, warmth and compassion.
