Research Program Assistant I - Children's Learning Institute

The Children’s Learning Institute (CLI) at UTHealth Houston is a nationally recognized leader in early childhood development, educational research, and large-scale program implementation. The Research Program Assistant I supports a grant-funded early childhood workforce initiative through primarily administrative and data‑focused tasks. Under general supervision, this role assists with participant intake processes, data entry, record maintenance, and basic data organization to support program operations and reporting. Responsibilities include maintaining accurate databases, tracking participant information, supporting workflow processes, and providing general customer service to program participants. This role is key to ensuring data accuracy, timely information processing, and smooth day‑to‑day program implementation. A strong candidate may have experience tracking and following up on multiple requests, and managing large datasets while working in early childhood education or behavioral health/pediatrics with human subjects research. This is an entry‑level, external‑facing role, so participant support is key! Bilingual is a plus. This role is in‑office with a telework agreement, occasional statewide travel, and potential weekend travel, contingent upon project need. Mileage reimbursed. Once you join us you won't want to leave. It’s because we reward our team for the excellent service they provide. Our total rewards package includes the benefits you’d expect from a top healthcare organization, plus: 100% paid medical premiums for our full‑time employees Generous time off (holidays, preventative leave day, both vacation and sick time – around 37‑38 days per year) Longevity Pay (monthly payments after two years of service) Build your future with our awesome retirement/pension plan! We take care of our employees. As a world‑renowned institution, our employees’ wellbeing is important to us. We offer work/life services such as: Free financial and legal counseling Free mental health counseling services Gym membership discounts and access to wellness programs Other employee discounts including entertainment, car rentals, cell phones, etc. Resources for child and elder care Plus many more! Position Summary Responsible for a variety of projects and programs with a diverse array of subjects focusing on research in child development. Position Key Accountabilities Provide reliability status on various objective and subjective coding analysis measures pertaining to projects within the department. Perform cognitive, social, and emotional assessments with children and additional interviews with teachers and families, which include an extensive battery of psychological and educational‑based evaluations, and manage appropriate research equipment and supplies. Perform observational evaluations performed in schools and classrooms and focus on cognitive readiness activities by means of a complex live‑coding scheme. Work on a range of data and information including but not limited to transferring, verifying, entering, processing, managing and analyzing. Attend relevant trainings and assist in recruiting subjects (teachers, students, families, and individuals) and obtaining informed consent from potential research study participants. This often occurs in parent‑teacher meetings and sometimes in a family's home. May serve in an intervention or coaching role in home or school settings to train parents or teachers in parenting, including extensive trainings and regular meetings to maintain certification and reliability. Perform other duties as assigned. Certification / Skills Excellent interpersonal and communication skills. Bilingual skills in English/Spanish preferred. Reliable personal transportation, as some projects may require extensive out‑of‑town travel, which will vary from Houston and the surrounding areas to various sites across the state of Texas. Human Subjects Research (HSR) by Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI Program) required within five days of employment. Minimum Education Bachelor's Degree in Psychology, Human Development, Biology or relevant field required. Master's Degree preferred; may substitute required education with equivalent years of experience beyond the minimum experience requirement. Minimum Experience Experience in customer service, behavioral analysis or research experience is preferred. Physical Requirements Exerts up to 20 pounds of force occasionally and/or up to 10 pounds frequently and/or a negligible amount constantly to move objects. Security Sensitive This position is a security-sensitive position pursuant to Texas Education Code and relevant Texas statutes. The holder must be able to maintain the security or integrity of the infrastructure, and such positions will be routinely reviewed for qualifications such as criminal history or connections to the government or political apparatus of a foreign adversary. 51.215 and Texas Government Code 411.094. To the extent that a position requires the holder to research, work on, or have access to critical infrastructure as defined in Texas Business and Commerce Code 117.001(2). Foreign adversary is a nation listed in 15 C.F.R. 791.4. Residency Requirement Employees must permanently reside and work in the State of Texas. #J-18808-Ljbffr UTHealth Houston