Research Associate in Newton, Massachusetts at William James College, Inc.
Job Description
Institutional Overview
William James College is in an exciting period of growth at a time when access to high-quality behavioral healthcare has never been more important. For over 50 years, our faculty and staff have prepared professionals to bring evidence-based mental health care to healthcare systems, community agencies, schools, correctional facilities, businesses, and private practice settings throughout New England and beyond.
Our mission is clear: to advance educational excellence in applied psychology and to develop skilled, compassionate professionals committed to expanding access to behavioral healthcare for individuals and communities who need it most.
As a community grounded in excellence, fairness, and respect for all individuals, William James College fosters leadership, collaboration, and service in an increasingly complex world. We seek professionals who are energized by meaningful work, committed to student success, and motivated to make a lasting impact in the field of behavioral health.
We are building the next generation of behavioral health leaders and are looking for colleagues who want to help shape that future.
Position Summary
The Research Associate / Human Protections Administrator is a dual-function position within the Office of Program Development, Monitoring & Evaluation that supports the College's research, evaluation, and human-subjects protection infrastructure.
As Research Associate, the position-holder provides advanced research and program-evaluation support across institutional programs and externally funded initiatives, with responsibilities spanning research design, data collection and analysis, research systems, grant development, reporting, stakeholder consultation, and human-subjects protection administration. The position applies specialized expertise in research ethics and human-subjects protections through administration of the College’s Institutional Review Board (IRB), support for compliance with federal human-subjects regulations, management of IRB processes and systems, and consultation with faculty, students, and program leaders on the development and review of human-subjects research.
This position requires a professional with the ability to integrate methodological, regulatory, technical, and operational expertise across the full range of research, evaluation, and human-subjects protection responsibilities associated with the role. The position works across organizational units in a matrix environment and requires strong independent judgment, adaptability, continuous learning, and effective collaboration as research, regulatory, programming, and institutional priorities evolve.Essential Functions
- Design and support applied research and program evaluation using quantitative, qualitative, mixed-methods, and other appropriate approaches; translate program, stakeholder, and funder needs into feasible research and evaluation plans.
- Manage, analyze, interpret, and communicate quantitative and qualitative data; develop reports, visualizations, and other products for program leaders, institutional stakeholders, funders, and external audiences.
- Provide research design, evaluation, data systems, research ethics, and human-subjects protection expertise and consultation to support grant development, externally funded initiatives, program planning, research-practice partnerships, and College-wide activities.
- Develop and support research data-collection processes and systems, including Qualtrics and REDCap.
- Serve as institutional Qualtrics Brand Administrator and contribute to research-system workflows and infrastructure.
- Steward research and evaluation projects in partnership with program leaders, faculty, staff, students, consultants, and external collaborators, providing methodological guidance and maintaining continuity across projects.
- Administer IRB operations, including protocol screening, reviewer coordination, workflow management, revisions and amendments, researcher consultation, compliance monitoring, documentation, and IRB systems management.
- Interpret and apply federal human-subjects regulations, including 45 CFR Part 46, and support institutional requirements related to the Federalwide Assurance, CITI training, conflict-of-interest processes, policy development, and research compliance.
Perform other duties as assigned that are consistent with the responsibilities and objectives of the position and the mission of the College
Education and Experience:
Required Qualifications
- Master's degree in applied social science research, program evaluation, public health, education research, data science, implementation science, research methodology, or a closely related field, with at least 7 years of relevant professional experience; or a doctoral degree in one of these or a closely related field, with at least 5 years of relevant professional experience.
- Professional experience with human-subjects research, research ethics, and research compliance, including working knowledge of the Common Rule (45 CFR Part 46).
- Demonstrated experience designing and implementing applied research and program evaluation using quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods approaches.
- Demonstrated ability to translate complex program, stakeholder, or funder questions into appropriate research designs, measures, data-collection strategies, and analytic approaches.
- Strong quantitative data-management and analysis skills, including proficiency with R, Excel, and/or comparable analytical tools.
- Experience conducting qualitative research and analysis, including systematic coding or analysis using NVivo or comparable software.
- Experience developing and administering research data-collection processes using Qualtrics, including troubleshooting complex survey or system-related issues.
- Experience using REDCap for research, evaluation, or structured data collection and management.
- Experience managing sensitive research data across the project lifecycle, including data quality, documentation, de-identification, analysis preparation, and appropriate data handling.
- Demonstrated ability to collaborate with program leaders and cross-functional stakeholders, steward complex projects, exercise independent judgment, and maintain progress across multiple contributors and changing priorities.
- Strong written, verbal, consultative, and instructional communication skills, including the ability to communicate methodological, analytical, regulatory, and technical information to audiences with varying expertise.
- Ability to work effectively in a matrix organization and integrate research, regulatory, technical, program, and operational perspectives.
- Demonstrated commitment to continuous learning and adaptability as projects, systems, subject areas, funding opportunities, and institutional needs evolve.
Preferred Qualifications
- Direct experience administering or providing operational support to an Institutional Review Board.
- Experience administering research-related technology or institutional systems, particularly Qualtrics, REDCap, or an electronic IRB platform.
- Experience contributing to research grant development and writing for foundations, government agencies, or other external funders.
- Experience with research-practice partnerships or applied research/evaluation in behavioral health, education, public health, human services, forensic or juvenile-justice settings, substance-use initiatives, or related areas.
- Experience mentoring or guiding students, colleagues, or program staff in research methods, evaluation, data analysis, or research compliance.
- Cultural Intelligence (CQ) training, cross-cultural experience, or comparable preparation supporting culturally responsive research and collaboration.
Position Profile
This role requires a distinctive combination of expertise in applied research and program evaluation; human-subjects protections and research compliance; quantitative, qualitative, and mixed methods; research technologies and data systems; and cross-functional consultation. The successful position-holder must be able to operate effectively across the broad scope of research, evaluation, and human-subjects protection responsibilities within the role and understand how research design, systems, compliance, program implementation, and evaluation intersect across an institution.
Compensation Range: $30-40/hour
This range represents the College’s good faith estimate of the compensation for this role. Placement within the range will depend on qualifications, experience, and internal equity. Typically, candidates are hired within the lower to mid-point of the range, with the upper end reserved for individuals who bring significant, directly relevant experience and fully meet or exceed the role’s requirements.
Compliance & Equal Opportunity Statement:
At William James College, we are a community grounded in excellence, fairness, and respect for all. We are committed to developing leaders and change agents who can navigate and shape an increasingly complex world, while fostering an inclusive and supportive workplace.
William James College is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We make all employment decisions based on qualifications, merit, and business needs, in accordance with applicable federal and Massachusetts laws. The College does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, religion, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic.
This position is not eligible for employment visa sponsorship now or in the future. Applicants must be authorized to work in the United States at the time of hire and be able to perform the essential functions of the position.
William James College is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of this position, with or without accommodation.
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