GFRP Research Specialist

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.

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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/

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.

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.

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.