Research Associate

Research Associate

The Research Associate will serve as the primary participant-facing team member on a NIDA-funded SBIR grant studying telehealth buprenorphine treatment across five high-risk settings: an Emergency Department, a correctional diversion program, a Tribal recovery community, a residential SUD treatment program, and a perinatal care program. This role manages all direct participant engagement — from recruitment and consent through longitudinal follow-up, stipend management, and qualitative interview support — as well as day-to-day data management in REDCap. The Research Associate reports to the Study Director and works closely with the Study Coordinator.

Patient Participant Recruitment, Follow-Up & Stipends - 50%

• Coordinate with site referral pipelines to maintain rolling patient participant recruitment across all five sites
• Screen participants for eligibility and conduct informed consent via phone across all five sites
• Complete REDCap enrollment and baseline data entry for newly consented participants
• Conduct proactive follow-up outreach with enrolled participants at 4, 8, 12, and 16 weeks after enrollment for survey completion
• Administer phone-based assessments when web-based responses are not received
• Track follow-up completion rates by site and flag gaps to the Study Director
• Manage participant stipend disbursement via ClinCard at each assessment timepoint across all five sites; once the Study Coordinator has confirmed a ClinCard has been distributed to a participant by the site, the Research Associate loads funds and tracks disbursement
• Maintain participant-level contact logs and follow-up tracking records

Data Management - 30%

• Manage (and enter when needed) all participant data in REDCap with a high degree of accuracy
• Resolve edit queries and data discrepancies in a timely manner
• Prepare and submit data exports to UMass Chan Medical School on schedule
• Conduct regular data quality checks in collaboration with Boulder's Data Director
• Assist with scheduling participant qualitative interviews after 16-week follow-up completion; coordinate delivery of completed recordings to transcription vendor

Administrative Support - 20%

• Document and distribute notes from monthly site operations calls
• Draft administrative sections of NIDA progress reports under the direction of the Study Director
• Support literature searches and reference management as needed
• Assist with preparation of interim data summaries and reports
• Provide general administrative support to the study team as needed

Qualifications

• Master's degree in social work, public health, community health, psychology, or a related field
• 2+ years of direct experience working with people experiencing substance use disorder, homelessness, justice involvement, or other forms of structural marginalization — in a clinical, community health, peer support, or research context
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to build rapport with participants in active, chaotic periods of their lives
• Persistence and comfort with high-volume outreach via phone and email, including engaging participants who are hard to reach or intermittently responsive
• Deep commitment to harm reduction and improving the health and dignity of people who use drugs
• Strong attention to detail and comfort with data entry and data management
• Comfort with remote work and virtual collaboration tools

Nice to Have

• Lived experience with substance use disorder or recovery (peer perspective valued)
• Experience working in a startup or fast-paced, high-growth environment
• Experience with REDCap or similar electronic data capture platforms
• Familiarity with IRB processes and Good Clinical Practice (GCP) principles
• Experience working across Tribal, correctional, perinatal, or ED settings
• Familiarity with ClinCard or other participant payment platforms
• Familiarity with NIH grant processes including progress reports (RPPRs)

Supervisory Responsibility

This position has no supervisory responsibilities.

Work Environment

This job operates in an office environment. May work in one of Boulder Care's offices or remotely. Routinely uses standard office equipment such as computers, phones, and printers.

Physical Demands

This is a largely sedentary role; some job duties may require the ability to lift up to 10 pounds, bend and/or stand as necessary.

• Must be able to sit and/or stand for extended periods of time
• Able to look at a computer screen for extended periods of time to prepare and analyze data and information; transcribe information; and read

Position Type and Expected Hours of Work

This is a full-time, grant-funded position at 100% FTE, with guaranteed funding for a duration of two years. Team members may work with their managers to adjust work hours to suit the needs of the position, with a strong preference for Pacific working hours.

Travel

Approximately 5% travel is expected. Travel includes site visits to partner sites in Washington and Ohio to support study start-up, staff training, and ongoing participant engagement. Travel is planned and coordinated in advance; all travel costs are covered by the grant.

Compensation

The starting pay range for this position is $60,000-65,000 annually; base pay offered may vary depending on multiple individualized factors, including market location, job-related knowledge, skills, and experience. The total compensation package for this position may also include other elements, including equity grants in addition to a full range of medical, financial, and/or other benefits (including 401(k) eligibility and various paid time off benefits, such as vacation, sick time, and parental leave).

Perks & Benefits

• Contribute to meaningful, life-saving work!
• Comprehensive medical, dental, vision, and short-term disability benefits designed to take care of our employees and their families
• Mental Health Services via insurance coverage, including Talkspace and EAP for continuous care
• Supplemental mental health services through Talkspace for care needed following tough patient visits
• 4 weeks of vacation accrued per calendar year with a tenured increase to 5 weeks at 2 years of employment
• Sick leave accrued at 1 hr for every 30 hrs paid
• 9 Paid Holidays per year
• 12 weeks of 100% paid parental leave for the birth or adoption of a child (after 6 months of employment)
• 401(k) retirement savings
• Remote friendly with hardware provided to complete your work duties

Our Values

• The people we care for always come first
• Our opportunity is also our duty, in service to others
• Share facts to change minds, instill empathy to change hearts
• Move the industry forward: follow the data
• Strong individuals, stronger together
• Boulder Care recognizes the value that lived experience can provide to our organization, community, and patients. Applicants with lived experience and/or training as a peer recovery specialist are encouraged to apply.

Hiring Process

30-minute Recruiter Phone Screen

45-minute Hiring Manager Video Interview

30-minute Executive Video Interview

As part of our hiring process, all final candidates will be required to undergo background checks and provide professional references. By applying, you acknowledge and consent to these checks, which may include employment history, criminal records, education/licensing verification, and professional references. We are committed to transparency and confidentiality throughout this process and will inform you in advance should any further information be required.

This job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

Boulder Care believes the people who manage our product and team should be representative of those who use the platform. This includes people from backgrounds that are historically underrepresented in the industry. We celebrate differences and are committed to equal employment opportunities regardless of race,