Research Area Specialist-Associate

Under general supervision of Dr. Bertha Flores, this position supports the STOP HCC-HCV program, a statewide initiative to improve the liver health of Texans by expanding hepatitis C virus (HCV) screening, educating communities about HCV and liver cancer, and transforming clinical care to manage and cure HCV. The program works with primary care practices across rural and underserved South Texas, where poorly functioning electronic medical records, limited staff capacity, uninsured patients, and limited local access to specialist care present persistent barriers to guideline-concordant screening and treatment.

The successful candidate will serve as the program’s primary point of contact for participating clinics, supporting the adoption and sustainment of HCV screening and treatment workflows using implementation science methods. This includes conducting site assessments, supporting electronic medical record redesign and testing protocols, delivering and coordinating clinician and staff education, monitoring clinic-level screening and treatment performance data to support rapid-cycle quality improvement, and working alongside onsite clinical champions and patient navigators. The position requires regular travel to partner clinics across South Texas.

The position will also support a mixed-methods pilot study examining acceptability and preferences for cervical cancer screening modalities, including HPV self-testing, among women ages 30-65 and clinic providers in the Mays Cancer Center catchment area. Responsibilities on that project include survey administration in REDCap, recruitment in clinic and community settings, conducting and transcribing in-depth interviews in English and Spanish, and supporting qualitative data management and analysis.

This position offers substantive experience in dissemination and implementation science applied to cancer prevention in a real-world safety net setting, working directly with clinics and communities across South Texas.

- Demonstrated ability to organize and coordinate multiple concurrent tasks across several sites within schedule constraints and handle emergent requirements in a timely manner.
- Strong verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to interact professionally and effectively with clinic leadership, clinicians, clinic staff, community partners, and research participants.
- Ability to work independently with limited day-to-day supervision while traveling to partner sites.
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and willingness to learn study-specific software, including REDCap and ATLAS.ti
- Demonstrated attention to detail in data collection, data management, and documentation.
- Ability to work collaboratively within a multidisciplinary team including physicians, nurses, community health workers, and research staff.
- Demonstrated ability to monitor important and complex projects concurrently.
- Bilingual in English and Spanish required; project activities include Spanish-language participant communication, survey administration, and in-depth interviews.
- Valid driver’s license and ability to travel regularly to clinic sites across South Texas, including occasional overnight travel.

Education:

- Bachelor's Degree in an educational/social science is required.

Experience:

- Up to one (1) year related experience is required.

Preferred:

- Bilingual (English/Spanish).