Westat is an employee-owned corporation providing research services to agencies of the U.S. Government, as well as businesses, foundations, and state and local governments. Westat's research, technical, and administrative staff of more than 2,000 is located at our headquarters in Rockville, Maryland, near Washington, DC.

Westat is committed to building a diverse workforce and a culture of inclusivity, belonging and equity for all. We believe that our greatest strength draws on the different backgrounds, cultures, perspectives and experiences of our employees.

Westat seeks a Lead Research Associate to contribute to nationally significant maternal and child health research funded by HRSA, CDC and NIH. In this role you will assist in managing the day-to-day activities of ongoing research projects involving project planning and implementation, protocol, and materials development, liaising with clinical sites and external investigators, and the collection, processing, analysis and presentation of data and summary results.

Job Responsibilities:

•     Lead task areas for large multi-site network studies and serve as project lead/manager for smaller projects. Assist with managing and overseeing routine tasks performed by junior staff as needed. 
•     Work with clients, study collaborators and project staff to develop and implement research plans and study materials, including conducting literature reviews, environmental scans, formative research (e.g., cognitive interviews, focus groups), and preparing data collection instruments, manuals of operations, and monitoring reports. 
•     Provide technical assistance to collaborators and researchers in program implementation, research activities and data collection and oversee the development of training materials and workshops. 
•     Track data submissions across multiple sources and serve as the liaison and point of contact across groups. 
•     Draft IRB packages and other clearances and coordinate multiple site approvals. 
•     Draft and maintain study documents, host meetings with study collaborators and project staff, and be responsible for project-related day-to-day study communications. 
•     Provide logistical support for network committees and working groups by organizing meetings, preparing, and distributing meeting materials, and drafting meeting minutes and action items. 
•     Develop requirements for data collection and data management systems and work with programmers to develop web-based management systems and implement other innovative data collection techniques; conduct QA/QC and review of generated data reports. 
•     Assist senior data managers and analysts with receiving, cleaning, harmonizing, and managing datasets and analyzing and preparing associated health data for presentation. 

Basic Qualifications:

•     Master's degree in public health with a concentration in maternal and child health and a minimum of 4 years of experience managing public health research projects that include data collection is required.
•     Experience managing research studies involving multiple collaborators/partners or research sites.
•     Demonstrated understanding of maternal and child health measures, special issues and health programs through coursework or job experience.
•     Demonstrated writing skills and the ability to interpret analytic data.

Preferred Qualifications:

•     Experience in federally funded maternal and child health programs and research and evaluation projects related to these programs.

Minimum Qualifications: 

•     Demonstrated communication skills
•     Collaboration with teams, managers and/or clients
•     Organization skills, including time management ability
•     Detail oriented

Westat offers a well-rounded and comprehensive benefits program focused on wellness and work/life balance. Eligible employees may participate in:

• Employee Stock Ownership Plan
• 401(k) Retirement Plan
• Paid Parental Leave
• Vacation Leave
• Sick Leave
• Holiday Leave
• Professional Development
• Health Advocate
• Employee Assistance Program
• Travel Accident Insurance
• Medical Insurance
• Dental Insurance
• Vision Insurance
• Short Term Disability Insurance
• Long Term Disability Insurance
• Life and AD&D Insurance
• Critical Illness Insurance
• Supplemental Life Insurance
• Flexible Spending Account
• Health Savings Account

 

Westat is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, creed, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, veteran status, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, citizenship status, genetic information, gender identity or expression, or any other protected status under applicable law.