Sr. Research Assistant (Mental Health)

We are seeking a Sr. Research Assistant who will work under the general direction of a faculty researcher or senior research staff and independently conducts a variety of operational and technical activities key to the conduct of and direction of the research. The Senior Research Assistant provides independent operational and technical leadership for the UM1 medicinal cannabis registry, including overseeing data collection systems, developing and implementing study procedures/SOPs, and guiding day-to-day study execution and staff training. This role helps ensure the registry scales successfully while maintaining high-quality, protocol-consistent research operations.

Specific Duties & Responsibilities

• Develop data collection tools based on understanding of underlying study design.
• Participate in developing standard operating procedures for one or more studies.
• Design and set up standard operating procedures.
• Oversee data collection.
• Analyze data under general oversight and make data-driven recommendations.
• Oversee day-to-day activities and provide training for new staff on study.
• Conduct literature searches to pull background material and identify information relevant and applicable to research interest.
• Other duties as assigned.
  
  

In Addition to the Duties Listed Above

• Lead day-to-day registry operations during scale-up, including oversight of recruitment pipelines, participant tracking systems, and performance against enrollment/follow-up targets.
• Develop and implement SOPs and workflow infrastructure for recruitment, follow-up scheduling, participant communications, and data QA, ensuring consistency across staff and sites/partners.
• Supervise REDCap / data systems, including form logic/QC rules, user permissions, audit trail compliance, and issue resolution with JHU support teams.
• Coordinate partner and stakeholder communication (internal external), including regular reporting, troubleshooting operational bottlenecks, and preparing study progress summaries for leadership/NIH-facing needs.
  
  

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's Degree in a related field.
• Two years of related experience.
• Additional education may substitute for required experience and additional related experience may substitute for required education beyond a high school diploma/graduation equivalent, to the extent permitted by the JHU equivalency formula.
  
  

Preferred Qualifications

• Master's Degree in a related field.
• Advanced experience managing REDCap projects (or equivalent) including building/modifying instruments, implementing logic rules, managing user roles/permissions, and supporting data quality monitoring.
• Demonstrated ability to independently manage study operations (e.g., recruitment tracking, retention workflows) with strong project management and problem-solving skills in a fast-paced research environment.
• Experience leading operations for NIH-funded research (e.g., multi-site/consortium projects) including reporting, milestones, and coordination with internal/external stakeholders.
  
  

Technical Skills & Expected Level Of Proficiency

• Analytical Skills - Developing
• Attention to Detail - Developing
• Electronic Office Tools - Developing
• Information Gathering - Developing
• Oral and Written Communications - Developing
• Organizational Skills - Developing
  
  

The core technical skills listed are most essential; additional technical skills may be required based on specific division or department needs.

Classified Title: Sr. Research Assistant

Role/Level/Range: ACRP/03/MB

Starting Salary Range: $41,300 - $72,300 Annually (Commensurate w/exp.)

Employee group: Full Time

Schedule: Monday to Friday: 9:00am - 5:00pm

FLSA Status: Exempt

Location: Hybrid/School of Medicine Campus

Department name: Mental Health Research Projects

Personnel area: School of Public Health