Research Assistant - Institute

Location: Boston, MA

Who We Are

Point32Health is a leading not-for-profit health and well-being organization dedicated to delivering high-quality, affordable healthcare. Serving nearly 2 million members, Point32Health builds on the legacy of Harvard Pilgrim Health Care and Tufts Health Plan to provide access to care and empower healthier lives for everyone. Our culture revolves around being a community of care and having shared values that guide our behaviors and decisions. We’ve had a long-standing commitment to inclusion and equal healthcare access and outcomes, regardless of background; it’s at the core of who we are. We value the rich mix of backgrounds, perspectives, and experiences of all of our colleagues, which helps us to provide service with empathy and better understand and meet the needs of the communities where we serve, live, and work.

We enjoy the important work we do every day in service to our members, partners, colleagues and communities. Learn more about who we are at Point32Health.

Job Summary

Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute (HPHCI) is currently seeking a highly motivated individual to join a Division within the Department of Population Medicine (DPM; www.populationmedicine.org) as a Research Assistant. The DPM is jointly sponsored by Harvard Medical School and the Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute.

The Research Assistant will join the Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) project (https://echochildren.org/), a longitudinal research study exploring the effects of prenatal nutrition, neighborhood environments, and lifestyle factors on pregnancy and childhood health outcomes. We are enrolling pregnant persons, and their children once born, as part of a new study cohort.

The Research Assistant will recruit for, schedule, and conduct research visits with infants and children and their caregivers enrolled in our ECHO cohort. The Research Assistant will also be responsible for obtaining informed consent and performing data entry while following all research protocols and scripts. Evening and weekend hours, and some local travel, are required. This position requires excellent communication skills for work with research participants, and close collaboration with investigators and project managers both within HPHCI and with external institutions and collaborators.

Job Description

DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES – what you will be doing

Perform study visits at our office and at participants’ homes. Obtain informed consent from study participants and carefully follow study protocols and scripts to collect data.

Collect biospecimen samples from research participants and safely transport the samples to the lab. Obtain clinical data such as body measurements. Administer additional study assessments, questionnaires, and interviews.

Communication with research participants including but not limited to recruitment; scheduling, confirming, and rescheduling appointments; performing research visits. Maintain a positive and accommodating relationship with study team and participants.

Work collaboratively with study investigators and other staff, both at HPHCI and other institutions.

Enter study data into Microsoft Excel or other databases.

Attend weekly team meetings, project meetings and consortium-wide meetings as necessary.

May coordinate outreach to targeted community for specific research.

May administer questionnaires through personal interviews and record data and follow up as appropriate if additional documentation or clarification is needed.

Perform out-of-the-box thinking, collaborate with others, and make a difference every day!

Other duties and projects as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS – what you need to perform the job

EDUCATION, CERTIFICATION AND LICENSURE

High School diploma or equivalent; Bachelor’s degree preferred.

EXPERIENCE

1 year with related experience in a health care, research, or academic environment preferred.

Experience with Microsoft Office, Word, and Excel required.

SKILL REQUIREMENTS

Capable of completing very detail-oriented tasks.

Excellent organizational, communication, and interpersonal skills.

Able to handle confidential and sensitive information discreetly.

Ability to collaborate effectively with others, prioritize work, operate under tight deadlines, and meet deadlines.

Ability to operate independently and with good judgment.

Resilient, collaborative, flexible, innovative.

Spanish fluency a plus

WORKING CONDITIONS AND ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS (include special requirements, e.g., lifting, travel):

Must be able to work under normal office conditions and work from home as required.

Work may require simultaneous use of a telephone/headset and PC/keyboard and sitting for extended durations.

Some weekend and evening hours required

Must be comfortable around blood and needles, and comfortable performing a heel stick/finger prick blood draw on infants (no prior experience or training necessary

Commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Accessibility (DEIA) and Health Equity

Point32Health is committed to making diversity, equity, inclusion, accessibility, and health equity part of everything we do—from product design to the workforce driving that innovation. Our Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Accessibility (DEIA) and Health Equity team's strategy is deeply connected to our core values and will evolve as the changing nature of work shifts. Programming, events, and an inclusion infrastructure play a role in how we spread cultural awareness, train people leaders on engaging with their teams and provide parameters on how to recruit and retain talented and dynamic talent.  We welcome all applicants and qualified individuals, who will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status.

Salary Range

$21.28 -$31.92

Compensation & Total Rewards Overview

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