Posting Information
Posting Information
Department |
Carolina Population Center-631100 |
Career Area |
Research Professionals |
Posting Open Date |
07/09/2025 |
Application Deadline |
07/23/2025 |
Open Until Filled |
No |
Position Type |
Permanent Staff (EHRA NF) |
Working Title |
GFRP Research Specialist |
Appointment Type |
EHRA Non-Faculty |
Position Number |
20071482 |
Vacancy ID |
NF0009180 |
Full Time/Part Time |
Full-Time Permanent |
FTE |
1 |
Hours per week |
40 |
Position Location |
North Carolina, US |
Hiring Range |
$78,000 - $84,000 |
Proposed Start Date |
08/04/2025 |
Position Information
Be a Tar Heel! |
A global higher education leader in innovative teaching, research and public service, the
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill consistently ranks as
one of the nation's top public universities. Known for its beautiful campus, world-class medical care, commitment to the arts and top athletic programs, Carolina is an ideal place to teach, work and learn.
One of the best college towns and best places to live in the United States, Chapel Hill has diverse social, cultural, recreation and professional opportunities that span the campus and community.
University employees can choose from a wide range of
professional training opportunities for career growth, skill development and lifelong learning and enjoy
exclusive perks for numerous retail, restaurant and performing arts discounts, savings on local child care centers and special rates on select campus events.
UNC-Chapel Hill offers full-time employees a
comprehensive benefits package, paid leave, and a variety of health, life and retirement plans and additional programs that support a healthy work/life balance. |
Primary Purpose of Organizational Unit |
Since 1966, researchers at the Carolina Population Center have pioneered data collection and research techniques that move population science forward by emphasizing life course approaches, longitudinal surveys, the integration of biological measurement into social surveys, and attention to context and environment. We are also at the forefront of creating interdisciplinary training programs that integrate approaches from the social and biological sciences, building research capacity and training the next generation of scholars. Our faculty fellows address pressing research questions about population dynamics, fertility, health, mortality, migration, and the environment. Faculty come from multiple disciplines, benefitting from the cross-pollination of ideas. Our dedicated research and programming staff support fellows at every stage of project development, from conception through data collection or acquisition, analysis and dissemination, and project administration. https://www.cpc.unc.edu/about/ |
Position Summary |
As a member of the Global Food Research Program (
GFRP) team, the Research Specialist (RS) will have primary responsibility for leading data procedure & protocol design evaluating global regulations. The RS will comprehensively identify and interpret regulations and legislation (around taxation, labeling, and marketing) and remain abreast of related changes, timelines, nutrient profiles, and thresholds. The RS will define standards for collection and analysis of various types of data and instruct others in implementing standards for accuracy, validity, and integrity. The RS will be responsible for evaluating and designing methods and procedures for cleaning and linking datasets (including commercial products, marketing, dietary intake, nutrition facts panel (
NFP), electronic health records, survey data), translating regulations to code for programmers, and verifying coding is applied accurately. The RS will continually trouble-shoot and resolve quality control issues and work towards improving efficiency and accuracy in protocols and procedures. The RS will lead others in implementing standards and serve as an expert on data management for other
GFRP work groups.
The RS will independently plan, organize, coordinate, and direct nutrition/food policy research activities for multiple concurrent, complex multi-faceted long-term research projects within
GFRP: United States, Mexico, and a major project to utilize machine learning and AI elements to affect behavior change in food purchasing.
In the role as Lead for these projects, the RS will plan, assign, and review work of others, including
UNC team members and global collaborators, and will independently monitor, assess, and modify activities, timelines, protocols, processes, workflow, and/or assignments to meet the needs of the projects. In collaboration with global colleagues, the RS will define work plans, objectives, and deadlines. The RS collaborates closely with colleagues at global collaborators' research institutions to develop and coordinate instruction and training of staff, students, faculty, and collaborators in the performance of specialized methods of data collection, entry, cleaning, and utilization (including interconnection of data sources).
As Lead for a grant-funded project to develop and harness AI in the creation of tools to influence and modify food purchasing behavior to promote health, the RS will collaborate across disciplines to organize and lead work of others. In this role, the RS will manage a multi-faceted project with multiple external partners, involving data extraction, experimental surveys, food purchase data, and innovations in machine learning and artificial intelligence. The RS will manage the project's related tasks, activities, protocols, and timelines. This includes onboarding and associated human resources tasks with project-related students and staff. The RS will manage regulatory and
IRB documentation and review processes and contribute to preparation of publications, reports to funders, and potential further proposal development.
The RS requires comprehensive knowledge and understanding about research principles, study design, and complex research concepts from multiple disciplines, including food science and technology, dietary intake and quality, qualitative surveys, health records data, obesity, non-communicable diseases, health disparities, food systems and environments, consumer psychology, marketing and advertising. As regulation and legislation is proposed, considered, and passed in various jurisdictions, the RS will evaluate regulatory schemes by designing methods of application to databases, and understanding of typical industry and consumer responses, along with study designs to evaluate such policies. As country-specific tasks change and new projects and policy evaluations arise, the RS will continue to perform similar essential project coordination and leadership tasks. |
Minimum Education and Experience Requirements |
Relevant post-Baccalaureate degree required (or foreign degree equivalent); for candidates demonstrating comparable independent research productivity, will accept a relevant Bachelor's degree (or foreign degree equivalent) and 3 or more years of relevant experience in substitution. May require terminal degree and licensure. |
Required Qualifications, Competencies, and Experience |
- Strong public health research skills (e.g., reviewing scientific literature, creating data collection instruments, managing databases, IRB applications and protocols, training data collectors).
- Strong project coordination, interpersonal, and written and verbal communication skills.
- High level of organizational skills, attention to detail, and demonstrated capacity to independently coordinate multiple aspects associated with large research studies.
- Resourceful approach to problem solving.
- Experience collaborating well in teams and ability to function well with culturally diverse colleagues and contacts, as many of our collaborators are international.
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Preferred Qualifications, Competencies, and Experience |
- Master's degree and at least 2 years of experience in research preferred.
- Experience planning, implementing, and coordinating complex global public health research projects.
- Experience instructing and supervising data collectors, research staff, students, or interns.
- Experience working with different database schemas and attributes, pulling nutrition and/or product data via APIs, and using SQL queries.
- Registered Dietitian (RD/RDN) credential preferred but not required.
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Special Physical/Mental Requirements |
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Campus Security Authority Responsibilities |
Not Applicable. |
Special Instructions |
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Quick Link |
https://unc.peopleadmin.com/postings/303641 |
Posting Contact Information
Department Contact Name and Title |
Annette Brothers, Manager, HR & Administration |
Department Contact Telephone or Email |
annette.brothers@unc.edu |
Office of Human Resources Contact Information |
If you experience any problems accessing the system or have questions about the application process, please contact the Office of Human Resources at (919) 843-2300 or send an email to employment@unc.edu Please note: The Office of Human Resources will not be able to provide specific updates regarding position or application status. |
Equal Opportunity Employer Statement |
The University is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes all to apply without regard to age, color, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex, or sexual orientation. We encourage all qualified applicants to apply, including protected veterans and individuals with disabilities. |
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