About Job

Project Summary:

Funding for this position comes from the Department of Defense Congressionally Mandated Research Program Award entitled (Improving Health Care Access and Engagement for Veterans and Service Members with TBI Morbidity; I-HEAL). This project is a large multi-site Center that includes four supportive cores and four individual projects. The overall goal is to address key knowledge gaps that will improve access and engagement in high-quality, evidence-based healthcare services for Veterans/Service Members (V/SM) with traumatic brain injury (TBI)- related disability. Specific foci include the following: (Project 1) Development of a nudge intervention (electronic healthcare reminder) for providers to engage healthcare proxies when interacting with cognitive disability at risk for poor healthcare engagement, (Project 2) Development of a toolkit of adaptations for cognitively impaired individuals in need of guideline-endorsed behavioral health interventions for common polytrauma comorbidities (sleep, PTSD, depression, chronic pain), (Project 3) Adaptation, dissemination, and evaluation of readiness to deliver evidence-based team interventions for managing maladaptive behaviors after TBI, and (Project 4) Evaluation of policy for virtual health modalities for persons with TBI and polytrauma comorbidity. Collectively the four projects propose to accomplish the following overarching objectives of the FPA: (1) adapt existing interventions to promote access and engagement in healthcare; (2) engage stakeholder communities to maximize uptake and translation; (3) promote research translation that informs policy and practice through knowledge translation products and deliverables targeting key stakeholders (clinicians, Veterans, service members, caregivers, policymakers, and other researchers); (4) facilitate research and implementation to enhance access to high-quality healthcare for V/SM with TBI-related morbidity; and (5) foster development of early/mid-career researchers in advancing implementation science research on access to care for V/SM with TBI.

Job Duties:

The candidate will serve as a key collaborator to leading scientists in the field of traumatic brain injury at the Tampa VA and leading institutions across the U.S. involved in the TBI Models Systems. Candidates have the opportunity to advance their own research careers under the umbrella of senior investigators in the fields of traumatic brain injury, healthcare disparity, and engagement science. The candidate will serve as the Co-Director of the Qualitative Division of the Data and Communication Core. More senior candidates will be considered for elevated positions within the Core including Core Co-Director. The candidate will conduct original research and secondary analyses and assist with collaborating with the Cores, Individual Projects, and Overall Study Multi-PIs. The candidate will be involved in all aspects of research including novel study designs for future grants, execution of IRB approved projects, dissemination of project deliverables, and mentorship of early career personnel across the projects.

Participates in all aspects of qualitative data collection, including rigorous qualitative interviewing techniques and/or rigorous observations or other methods. Develops the appropriate data collection plan, based on the research goals, Institutional Review Board (IRB) approvals, participant characteristics, and other study needs and constraints. Acts as a qualitative interviewer, providing overall guidance on the approach to collecting data. Assists in developing qualitative interview guides and data collection templates, such as field note templates. Reviews both the processes for collecting data and the initial data collected (e.g., first few interviews) to ensure they are aligned with the project’s aims and IRB regulations. Conducts data quality assurance of data including audio and transcriptions. Evaluates qualitative data collection efforts for rigor, consistency, and validity, and adhering to Institutional Review Board approved protocols. Troubleshoot data collection issues as they arise.

Works as part of a team with individual investigators to conceptually develop approaches to data collection and data extraction tools specifically for each project.
Sets and maintains data management systems using tools such as R, SAS, and SQL
Implements qualitative data collection and monitoring protocols for difficult and/or complex research and clinical studies.
Participates in data management including cleaning data and preparing data files for analysis.

Contribute methodological expertise to qualitative data analysis on a variety of project including single and multi-site studies. Leads discussions on different analytical tools utilized in a variety of projects. Participates in analytic discussions with an understanding of relevance of study to existing literature. Develops and identifies analytic plan, including:

Assessing strengths and weaknesses of different approaches to analysis
Demonstrating expertise with qualitative analytic software, e.g., ATLAS.ti, NVivo
Using rapid analysis methods when appropriate, such as using matrix or template analysis
Developing novel analytic approaches, such as using Office products (i.e., Excel, Word, or PowerPoint) to organize analysis.
Developing codebooks or coding schemes as appropriate.

Collaborates and participates in a team, including:

Working as a member of a team, coordinating complex and novel problems while negotiating project, center, national deadlines
Participating in team meetings related to qualitative analysis.
Drafts codebooks, and maintains audit trails, ensuring adherence to timelines, navigating and problem-solving software challenges.
Involving principal investigators and operational partners to regularly check in on emerging findings as appropriate.

Plays a role in qualitative data analysis, including (but not limited to reviewing and categorizing (“coding”) verbatim interview transcripts or detailed descriptive notes. Is an active team member in analyzing and summarizing qualitative findings. Ensures quality by periodically checking that analysis stays on topic and meets project goals and team needs, and results in timely deliverables. Ensures overall data needs for existing, new, and upcoming projects in the research pipeline and ensures that initial and continuing projects are of high quality and timely.

Participates in a variety of activities supporting the goals of the research program:

a. Dissemination and publication

Participates in dissemination efforts through drafting reports.
Prepares and present project updates, preliminary findings, summative findings, etc. to Principal Investigators, research teams, and/or operational partners.
Co-authors manuscripts on research and evaluation findings
Co-authors manuscripts on qualitative methods and theories
Draft qualitative methods and theory sections of manuscripts.
Translates qualitative findings into different formats (e.g., written vs. poster, or conference presentations).

b. Center/Core service

Regularly participates in local research review committee, works in progress seminars, etc.
Reviews center proposals that include qualitative methods and offer feedback and expertise.
Navigates VA-wide qualitative methods issues/challenges.
Provides mentorship to early career or new to qualitative research personnel.

Performs other duties as assigned.

Education and Qualifications:

The employee will have a doctoral degree in a relevant field (e.g., communications, public health, anthropology, sociology, psychology). The incumbent must have demonstrated knowledge of a wide range of concepts, principles, and practices initiating, directing, and successfully concluding original social and/or behavioral science research on health-related topics.

Knowledge of the theory, professional concepts, principles, and practices of social and/or behavioral science research methods, including design and methods of analysis. Ability to apply social and/or behavioral science research methods to examine questions concerning health, health care delivery, and health outcomes. The position uses skill in applying this knowledge base to the development of new methods, approaches, or procedures in the coordination of research projects, clinical studies, and information processing.

Ability to collaborate across disciplines within and across the various social, behavioral, and health sciences to address complex health-related research questions. Ability to design and execute social and/or behavioral science research designs that ensure high levels of internal and external validity. Expert knowledge of how to manage and account for missing data in social and/or behavioral science research.

The position will have the ability to perform complex analytical studies and interpretation of results to coordinate the evaluation of medical/scientific programs and policies and to recommend improvements. This position requires a background check.

Location:

This position is located within the James A. Haley Veterans’ Hospital (JAHVH), Tampa, FL. The incumbent will be an employee of the Tampa VA Research and Education Foundation Inc., a nonprofit corporation partnering with JAHVH in support of VA’s research and education missions.

Hiring Process

Applicants must submit a cover letter and resume.
References will be requested prior to hiring.
Scientific work samples will be requested (publications, conference presentations).
This job posting will remain active for up to 30 business days, or until a sufficient number of qualified candidates have applied. A preliminary review of applicants’ resumes will occur during this period to determine if they meet the minimum specified requirements. Those who don’t meet the minimum qualification will be rejected at this point.
For any candidates that meet the specified qualifications, a phone or virtual interview with the research project team will be arranged (approximately 15 business days).
After a candidate is approved by the project team, the ensuing step is a phone or virtual interview will be conducted with the TVAREF Executive Director who makes the final hiring decision (approximately 15 business days).
If selected for the position, the candidate will need to go through the federal government “vetting” process (government background and fingerprint check, etc.), which could take up to 90 days.
The final hiring process may not proceed until all government approvals have been received.

Job Type: Full-time

Pay: $105,383.00 - $124,531.00 per year

Benefits: