Lab Manager - Healthy Hearing Research Lab

Employer
University of Massachusetts Amherst
Location
UMass Amherst

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Position Type
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Employment Type
Full Time
Institution Type
Four-Year Institution
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Job Details

Job no: 517345
Work type: Staff Full Time
Location: UMass Amherst
Department: Communication Disorders
Union: Non-Unit Non-Exempt
Categories: Research, UMass Center - Springfield, School of Public Health & Health Sciences

About UMass Amherst

UMass Amherst, the Commonwealth's flagship campus, is a nationally ranked public research university offering a full range of undergraduate, graduate and professional degrees. The University sits on nearly 1,450-acres in the scenic Pioneer Valley of Western Massachusetts, and offers a rich cultural environment in a bucolic setting close to major urban centers. In addition, the University is part of the Five Colleges (including Amherst College, Hampshire College, Mount Holyoke College, and Smith College), which adds to the intellectual energy of the region.

Job Summary

The lab manager will supervise the day-to-day activities of the Healthy Hearing Research Lab. The overall goal of the research lab is to improve access to hearing health care for older adults. Currently, the lab is running a federally funded study centered on Spanish/English bilingual older adults in the Springfield Metro Area. The study focuses on understanding the hearing abilities, daily communication experiences, and perceptions on aging, disability and access to hearing care in this group of older adults.

The lab manager will be responsible for: recruiting and scheduling participants; assistance with designing experiment protocols, troubleshooting experimental software, setting up and troubleshooting research equipment; collecting and analyzing data; screening hearing and cognition in the community; training and supervising undergraduate and graduate student research assistants; assisting with the preparation of progress reports for the Institutional Review Board (IRB) and for the National Institutes of Health (NIH); assisting with the preparation of scientific research presentations and manuscripts; interfacing/collaborating with community partners; tending to lab administration needs, such as purchasing supplies for the lab.

Essential Functions

  • Subject recruitment: Manage the recruitment plan for experiments; initiate contact and communicate with recruitment sources (e.g., senior centers, residential communities, churches), submit advertisements to local agencies and online sites; manage the lab email account for subject contacts; administer screening questionnaires to potential subjects; schedule research participant appointments. Participant recruitment also involves maintaining contact with community leaders and participants throughout the study.
  • Collecting and analyzing data: Administer standardized questionnaires about hearing, cognition, and language use/background; perform hearing screenings; set up and troubleshoot laboratory hardware equipment (e.g., computer connected to audiometer and sound field speakers); instruct participants and run protocols for experimental tasks; score raw data collected during experimental tasks; set up and manage experimental data spreadsheets.
  • Moderating Focus Groups: A key experimental data collection role of the lab manager will be to moderate focus groups that may take place in English or Spanish or a mixture of both. Training for best practices in moderating focus groups will be provided; the lab manager should have confidence in their ability to lead group discussions and respect the opinions of the research participants.
  • Experimental protocols and data management: Learn to run experimental protocols using lab equipment – audiometers, tablets, recording devices. Gain proficiency with software designed for managing data and literature reviews, such as MaxQDA and ENDNote.
  • Training and supervising research assistants: Assist in the selection process for research assistants (RAs); maintain lab training manuals; assist with interviews, training, and supervising RAs; provide oversight of RA-scored data.
  • Grant management: Create protocol documents; assist with the preparation of progress reports for the UMass Institutional Review Board for human subjects research and the National Institutes of Health; create tables and figures for scientific presentations and manuscripts; assist with the purchase of equipment and supplies.
  • Lab administration: Deal with purchasing supplies for research-related activities; human subjects reimbursement reconciliations, etc.
  • Translating materials to/from English and Spanish.

    • Other Functions

  • Performs other duties as assigned.

    • Minimum Qualifications (Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, Education, Experience, Certifications, Licensure)

  • Associate degree (or higher) OR at least five (5) years of relevant work experience.
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills for communicating with older adults and community organizations, as evidenced by the quality of the application materials and interview.
  • Experience using software such as Excel, Power Point, and Word as evidenced by application materials.
  • Fluent in Spanish and English languages—written and spoken.

    • Preferred Qualifications (Knowledge, Skills, Abilities, Education, Experience, Certifications, Licensure)

  • Bachelor’s degree in related field.
  • Experience working with older adults, including the administration of standardized tests or interviews as evidenced by application materials.
  • Experience supervising personnel as evidenced by application materials.
  • Located in Springfield and connected with community organizations.
  • Familiar with the Hispanic community and culture in the Springfield Metro Area.

    • Additional Details

    • Two (2) year appointment. Reappointment contingent on grant funding availability.

    Work Schedule

    • The office location will be at the UMass Amherst Center at Springfield in Tower Square.
    • Monday - Friday with flexible hours and some nights and weekends required.
    • This position has the opportunity for a hybrid work schedule, which is defined by the University as an arrangement where an employee’s work is regularly performed at a location other than the campus workspace for a portion of the week. As this position is non-unit, it is subject to the terms and conditions of the University of Massachusetts Board of Trustees Non-Unit (Professional/or Classified) Employee Personnel Policy.

    Salary Information

    • Commensurate with experience.

    Special Instructions to Applicants

    Along with the application, please submit a resume/CV, cover letter, a personal statement about your experience working with community members and/or advocating for the health and wellness of underserved populations and contact information for three (3) professional references.

    UMass Amherst is committed to a policy of equal opportunity without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, age, sexual orientation, national origin, ancestry, disability, military status, or genetic information in employment, admission to and participation in academic programs, activities, and services, and the selection of vendors who provide services or products to the University. To fulfill that policy, UMass Amherst is further committed to a program of affirmative action to eliminate or mitigate artificial barriers and to increase opportunities for the recruitment and advancement of qualified minorities, women, persons with disabilities, and covered veterans. It is the policy of the UMass Amherst to comply with the applicable federal and state statutes, rules, and regulations concerning equal opportunity and affirmative action.

    Advertised: Jan 6 2023 Eastern Standard Time
    Applications close:

    Organization

    The University of Massachusetts Amherst is one of the preeminent public research universities in America. Nestled in idyllic Amherst, Massachusetts—often called “The top college town in North America”—the campus is consistently ranked among the top public research universities in the nation, and offers a rich cultural environment in a rural setting close to major urban centers. 

    As one of the nation's top public research universities – as measured by national and international rankings, academic citations, and research funding – the campus spends more than $180 million on research each year, demonstrating its contribution to the nation’s position as a technological and economic leader. The university works in conjunction with academic, government, and private partners to translate new knowledge and scientific discoveries into technical innovations and scholarly works that create opportunities for students, faculty and the public. 

    Eight schools and colleges offer more than 85 undergraduate majors, 68 master’s and 48 doctoral degree programs, many counted among the top programs in the nation and world. UMass Amherst is also home to New England's premier honors college.

    The 1,159 full-time faculty members are dedicated teachers and world-renowned researchers and the campus has regularly been listed among the top performers in terms of faculty awards. With over 24,000 students from all 50 states and over 70 countries, the student body is the most academically successful in the history of the campus. Students participate in 240 organizations, 21 NCAA Division I athletic teams, extensive intramurals, living-learning residence halls, community service, and internships. With one of the largest residential life systems in the nation, UMass Amherst houses approximately 12,000 students on campus. The university is enjoying a facilities renaissance, including new buildings in the sciences, the arts, and recreation. UMass Amherst is part of the Five College consortium with Smith, Mount Holyoke, Hampshire and Amherst colleges.

    As an employer, the University of Massachusetts Amherst is a national leader in developing family-friendly policies, benefits and amenities designed to help faculty members develop both productive careers and satisfying personal lives. The university offers one of the nation’s most generous parental leave policies. The university is also part of the Academic Career Network, a regional consortium formed to serve dual-career couples and encourage greater diversity in the academy.

     

    Find Us
    Website
    Telephone
    4135454894
    Location
    181 PRESIDENTS DR
    Whitmore Administration Building
     Amherst
    Massachusetts
    01003
    US
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