Nutrition Research Institute - 633300

Research Professionals

11/25/2024

11/29/2024

Temporary Staff (SHRA)

Metabolic Research Specialist

20068276

S024396

Full-Time Temporary

40

Must be able to work a flexible schedule as needed, often including early morning hours, with the possibility of occasional weekend and/or evening hours. Flexible scheduling is shared across team members.

North Carolina, US

$30.00/hr - $32.21/hr

6 months not to exceed 11 months

The UNC Nutrition Research Institute (NRI) is a world-renowned center and a global leader in precision nutrition research. Our on-site facilities include multiple wet labs and clinical facilities as well as a vivarium and a metabolic chamber. Approximately two hours from UNC-Chapel Hill, the NRI is located on the beautiful North Carolina Research Campus (NCRC) in Kannapolis, NC, a mid-size city with a small-town feel. The institute is within walking distance of the city center which includes shops, restaurants, a minor-league ballpark, theater, and music hall of fame. We are also a short drive to Charlotte and Winston-Salem/Greensboro. The NRI offers programs that support a healthy work/life balance. We also offer professional training opportunities for career growth, skill development, and lifelong learning.

Learning how people can eat uniquely!

The UNC Nutrition Research Institute (NRI) is an internationally recognized center conducting innovative basic and translational science to establish how individual differences in nutrient requirements and responses to diet affect our nutritional needs. Our research contributes to the prevention and mitigation of chronic disease across the lifespan from periconception through aging.

Our Mission is to lead precision nutrition research through understanding how genetics and environment affect an individual’s requirements for and responses to nutrients.

NRI principal investigators hold faculty appointments in the departments of Nutrition and Psychology at UNC Chapel Hill. Their research interrogates nutrient roles in disease prevention, disease risk factors, and the impact of gene-environment and gene-nutrient interactions.

The NRI promotes excellence in nutrition knowledge, teaching, and research. We seek and encourage a diversity of experiences and ideas and provide the tools and flexibility for all employees to achieve success and excellence within their chosen occupations and aspirations.

We are committed to open dialogue, careful listening, becoming educated about the systems that hinder or prevent success, and taking action to ensure that all are equally acknowledged for their contributions and equally reap the benefits of being part of our community.

Our Vision is to use scientific discovery to ensure optimal health through individualized nutrition.

Everyone who works at the NRI supports this hopeful vision. Working at the NRI means doing good for the world. Join us!

The NRI and this position are in Kannapolis, NC, in the Charlotte region.

Nutrition for Precision Health (NPH), powered by All of Us is a new initiative to develop algorithms that predict individual responses to food and dietary patterns. The position works closely with two recruitment/clinical data collection locations: Chapel Hill, NC (UNC-CH) and Kannapolis, NC, located at the UNC Nutrition Research Institute (NRI).

The Metabolic Research Specialist will play a lead role in study intervention to assess individualized dietary requirements. Under the general supervision of the Research Project Managers and in collaboration with the Clinical Site Coordinators, the position independently manages the metabolic food laboratory kitchen as it relates to NPH. As a key member of the UNC-CC clinical research team, the position directs, coordinates and supervises Dietetic Technicians and the daily operations of the metabolic food laboratory to meet the production timeline based on the recruitment schedule. It works across functional areas including the metabolic food laboratory and clinical suite. It also works closely with the leadership team to develop and adapt procedures and policies that ensure research needs are met, and controlled diets are delivered. The position is dedicated 100% to NPH. A key resource needed to conduct this trial is a metabolic food laboratory to produce the nutrient controlled meals to the precision and accuracy standards established in the NPH Diet Intervention Manual of Procedures. Three distinct diets are precisely prepared and provided to participants to consume at home, each for two (2) weeks at a time. Strict diet production procedures must be adhered to to ensure consistent production of the study diets across all ten (10) diet production facilities across the six (6) Clinical Centers. Foods must be procured to meet exact brand, nutrient and ingredient specifications. Each food must be weighed to 1/10th of a gram and quality control methods must be used to check each recipe and ensure all foods are included in provisions to participants. The position will establish close relationships with participants in working with them on diet instruction and adherence throughout the total of six (6) weeks consuming these diets. The integrity of the study data relies heavily on this position to carry out the diet intervention procedures as per protocol and manual of procedures. It is critical for ensuring that food safety and sanitation guidelines are adhered to throughout the procurement and production process.

This position works closely with the study coordinator on forecasting visits and metabolic food laboratory needs so that clinic demands and metabolic food laboratory demands are balanced to meet planned milestones. The position will utilize the ProNutra software, designed specifically for metabolic food labs and used to generate the meal production sheets and labels for each participant for each day of diet. The position also oversees and meets with research participants to conduct energy calculations per protocol and adjust master menus with unit foods to achieve energy to the nearest 100kcals of the participants needs. The position meets with participants at meal pick-ups (3-4 days’ worth of food at a time) at which time any weight changes and energy adjustments are assessed as per protocol. At meal pick-ups, participants are evaluated for adverse events, which are documented and evaluated, alongside the research nurse for relatability to the research protocol. Food pick-up also includes a review of the participants daily food log and provision of diet adherence counseling to improve any adherence issues and improve study data. The position collects data at each food pick-up and enters into REDCap, a browser-based, metadata-driven electronic data capture software and workflow methodology for designing clinical and translational research databases. The position is also responsible for evaluation and resolution of data queries as presented by the Data Coordinating Center.

Bachelor’s degree in a discipline related to the field assigned and one year of related training or experience; or equivalent combination of training and experience. All degrees must be received from appropriately accredited institutions.

* Possess an understanding of food resource management strategies, food safety, food preparation, food composition, and basic cooking skills.
* A proven track record in working well both independently and as part of a team. Independent problem-solving skills are essential.
* Must demonstrate exceptional written and verbal communication skills. Excellent customer service and communication skills are required in this position.
* The position requires strong organizational skills to manage multiple workflows (staffing, participant scheduling, and meal production).
* Ability to work a flexible schedule as needed, often including early morning hours, with the possibility of occasional weekend and/or evening hours. Flexible scheduling is shared across team members.

* Registered Dietitian or eligible to sit for Commission on Dietetic Registration exam by hire date.
* Proficient in data management software such as ProNutra and REDCap.
* Prior management and/or supervisory experience.
* Knowledge of clinical research and regulatory standards that apply to research and human clinical trials. Possess an understanding of the importance of following protocol and reporting any formulation changes or errors immediately as it relates to study integrity.
* ServSafe certification
* Bilingual (Spanish) candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.

Must be able to perform the following functions with or without reasonable accommodation:
* Must be comfortable using industrial kitchen appliances and tools.
* Ability to move or lift objects weighing up to 50 lbs.
* Ability to stand for extended periods of time; bend, stoop, and pull to complete work.
* Must have strong hand-eye coordination and work with detailed precision while maintaining quality assurance expectations.
* Visual attention, mental concentration, and manipulative skills are critical when ordering materials, calculating units of measure, and recording data.

Not Applicable.