Post Doctoral Associate (Implementation Science)

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CORE JOB SUMMARY
The Post Doctoral Associate performs scientific research and studies under the supervision of managing staff. Moreover, the Post Doctoral Associate promotes institutional recognition through literal contributions to the scientific community.

CORE JOB FUNCTIONS
1. Conducts research on specific areas of study as assigned.
2. Prepares research reports and technical papers for publishing.
3. Investigates the feasibility of applying a wide variety of scientific principles and theories.
4. Maintains substantial knowledge of state-of-the-art principles and theories.
5. Develops advanced analytical models and systems and provides solutions and analyses to support strategic and tactical decisions.
6. Adheres to University and unit-level policies and procedures and safeguards University assets.

This list of duties and responsibilities is not intended to be all-inclusive and may be expanded to include other duties or responsibilities as necessary.

CORE QUALIFICATIONS
Education:
Doctorate degree in relevant field required

Experience:
No previous experience required

Certification and Licensing:
Refer to department description for applicable certification requirements

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

- Learning Agility: Ability to learn new procedures, technologies, and protocols, and adapt to changing priorities and work demands.
- Teamwork: Ability to work collaboratively with others and contribute to a team environment.
- Technical Proficiency: Skilled in using office software, technology, and relevant computer applications.
- Communication: Strong and clear written and verbal communication skills for interacting with colleagues and stakeholders.

This is a core job profile description and is not reflective of all duties that may be assigned to a specific position in each individual department. The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and primary responsibilities of this core job profile. Specific duties and tasks may vary based upon departmental needs. Other duties may be assigned to the above consistent with the knowledge, skills, and abilities required for the job.

Department Specific Functions

The Postdoctoral Associate (Implementation Science) will support research activities under the direction of a PI (Audrey Harkness, PhD) or designee of the PI. Dr. Harkness’ research team uses implementation and behavioral science to address HIV and behavioral health (mental health/substance use) disparities affecting key populations affected by the HIV epidemic, with a focus on Latino men who have sex with men.

The position is full-time and in-person at the School of Nursing and Health Studies at the Coral Gables campus of University of Miami. The position is not eligible for remote/hybrid work.

We anticipate that the Postdoctoral Associate will primarily support two federally funded research projects:

JUNTOS HIV Self Testing : JUNTOS is a website/app that centralizes information about HIV prevention, treatment, and behavioral health services across South Florida. It was originally developed to address the needs of Latino MSM but is being expanded through this funded research project to become available to everyone who orders at-home HIV self-test (HIVST) kits from participating organizations in South Florida. The goal of the project is to improve the reach of HIV prevention, treatment, and behavioral health services among individuals who order HIVST kits. Through co-design workshops, we will develop and then evaluate the effectiveness of different reach strategies to engage HIVST kit users with relevant services through JUNTOS.

Within this project, the Post-doctoral Associate will work with the PI and a Research Coordinator to:

- Lead facilitation of stakeholder co-design workshops to develop and refine implementation and reach strategies
- Oversee data collection activities and ensure adherence to study protocols and research procedures
- Lead development and refinement of implementation strategies and blueprints designed to integrate JUNTOS into organizational workflows
- Collaborate with study staff to ensure appropriate participant screening, consent, enrollment, and randomization procedures
- Conduct or support qualitative, quantitative, and mixed-methods analyses related to implementation and intervention outcomes
- Assist with evaluation of intervention acceptability, appropriateness, and feasibility
- Contribute to interpretation and dissemination of study findings through manuscripts, presentations, and reports
- Lead or support secondary analyses arising from the project

LGBTQ-Affirmative CBT Implementation Trial : This ongoing R01 study is led by colleagues at Yale University, which is evaluating the impact of various implementation strategies for improving the reach, adoption, implementation, and maintenance of LGBTQ-affirmative CBT in community settings. The PI and REACH Equity team contributes to implementation and dissemination activities associated with the trial and its secondary analyses. Primary responsibilities for the Post-doctoral Associate could include:

- Develop and propose secondary analysis projects using existing implementation trial data
- Conduct approved quantitative, qualitative, or mixed-methods analyses
- Lead and/or contribute to preparation of peer-reviewed manuscripts and conference presentations
- Support preparation of primary study manuscripts and dissemination products
- Create individualized feedback reports for participating implementation sites
- Develop and deliver presentations and webinars to disseminate study findings to participating organizations and implementers
- Contribute to interpretation and dissemination of implementation outcomes

In addition to project-specific activities, the Post-doctoral Associate will:

- Support development and submission of grant applications (e.g., preparing sections of grants, coordinating investigators on grant submissions, etc.) and other research proposals
- Provide mentorship and scientific guidance to research staff, trainees, and students involved in research activities
- Collaborate with investigators and study staff to ensure scientific rigor, data integrity, regulatory compliance, and successful project implementation
- Develop and maintain expertise in implementation science, HIV prevention and treatment, behavioral health, and clinical research methods
- Attend weekly lab meetings and project-specific meetings

Beyond these ongoing projects, the REACH team is very active and includes students and staff. The Post-doctoral Associate may have opportunities to support other ongoing projects and new projects. The Post-doctoral Associate will be mentored by the PI and encouraged to utilize resources to support their career development (e.g., UM’s Center for HIV and Research in Mental Health hosts implementation science training programs that will be available for the incumbent to complete). The Post-doctoral Associate will have weekly designated writing time that can be used for grant writing.

The University of Miami is recognized as one of the nation’s premier research institutions and academic health systems and is among the largest employers in South Florida.

With more than 20,000 faculty and staff, the University is committed to excellence and guided by a mission to positively impact the lives of students, patients, and communities locally and globally.

We are dedicated to fostering a culture where every individual feels valued and empowered to contribute meaningfully. United by shared values, the University community works together to build an environment defined by purpose, collaboration, and service.

The University of Miami is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Applicants and employees are protected from discrimination based on certain categories protected by Federal law. Click here for additional information.

Job Status:
Full time

Employee Type:
Staff