RESEARCH COMM & ENGAGEMENT SPECIALIST I, DCRI

School of Medicine

Established in 1930, Duke University School of Medicine is the youngest of the nation's top medical schools. Ranked sixth among medical schools in the nation, the School takes pride in being an inclusive community of outstanding learners, investigators, clinicians, and staff where interdisciplinary collaboration is embraced and great ideas accelerate translation of fundamental scientific discoveries to improve human health locally and around the globe. Composed of more than 2,600 faculty physicians and researchers, nearly 2,000 students, and more than 6,200 staff, the Duke University School of Medicine along with the Duke University School of Nursing, and Duke University Health System comprise Duke Health, a world-class academic medical center. The Health System encompasses Duke University Hospital, Duke Regional Hospital, Duke Raleigh Hospital, Duke Health Integrated Practice, Duke Primary Care, Duke Home Care and Hospice, Duke Health and Wellness, and multiple affiliations.

Research Comms & Engagement Specialist I

Seeking Research Comms & Engagement Specialist with a Focus on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

The DCRI’s Research Communications & Engagement (RC&E) team is seeking a Research Comms & Engagement Specialist I to join our team. We encourage people from every race/ethnicity, belief, gender, sexual identity, background, and culture to join our team as we build a diverse and inclusive institute that represents the full diversity of the research communities we serve.

This team member is responsible for supporting the development and implementation of engagement programs on DCRI-led clinical research projects. The DCRI’s engagement programs are designed to engage a broad range of collaborators in the clinical research process, ranging from national associations to community-based organizations, patients, caregivers, and people with lived experiences. The DCRI’s engagement programs ensure that these collaborator insights and preferences are integrated into the research process, from conception to the meaningful sharing of results with intended beneficiaries.

The ideal candidate will possess interpersonal, communications, and organizational skills. The candidate must be able to work with teams of people, without having direct supervisory responsibilities. The person in this role should demonstrate a strong attention to detail and a desire to learn about clinical research engagement and communication. Other skills of interest include Spanish or other foreign language fluency, experience working with underrepresented communities, and an understanding of stakeholder engagement strategies.

** NOTE: This position may have an opportunity to work remotely.  All Duke University and Duke Health remote workers must reside in one of the following states or districts:  Arizona; California; Florida; Georgia; Hawaii; Illinois; Maryland; Massachusetts; Montana; New Jersey; New York; North Carolina; Pennsylvania; South Carolina; Tennessee; Texas; Virginia or Washington, DC., Washington (State), Connecticut, Indiana, Michigan, Maine, Ohio and New Hampshire

About DCRI Research Communications & Engagement (RC&E)

The DCRI’s RC&E team is a specialized health communications and engagement agency serving external research sponsors (e.g., NIH, FDA, biopharma industry). We are fully billable and accountable to our research sponsors. Recognizing that engagement and communications are inextricably linked, our team comprises clinical research communicators and engagement specialists with decades of experience developing compelling, informative, and strategic communications and engagement approaches in support of our research programs and studies. Our programs support research operations, including recruitment, retention, ongoing engagement, and translation of research into care.

The DCRI has a long history of engaging representative stakeholders at every step of the research process. Key to the success of the DCRI’s RC&E team is our Research Together program, which builds and sustains equitable, authentic, and collaborative relationships with key stakeholders in our research communities, including patients and their caregivers. This foundation supports the integration of stakeholder values and beliefs into the research development and dissemination process. The DCRI’s RC&E team uses a holistic, inclusive approach to develop culturally relevant engagement and dissemination strategies that promote meaningful collaborations between and among our researchers and research communities.

About the Position

The Research Comms & Engagement Specialist I serves as a support partner for our engagement programs, assisting with implementing systems to support value-driven, inclusive, person-centered engagement models; implementing community engagement strategies at a local and national level; documenting stakeholder preferences and beliefs; and incorporating them into research processes. This team member is supported and developed by the Clinical Research Engagement Specialist III or Manager on the project.

Key Responsibilities:

• Assist in the project management of the entire engagement portfolio of work for a given sponsor or project, ensuring on-time, on-budget, and high-quality delivery.
• Assist in the development of engagement plans for a given sponsor or project, and in the execution of those plans.
• Demonstrate a commitment to professionalism, diversity, equity, and inclusion.
• Support strategies that embed health literacy and attention to cultural nuances in study processes and study informational materials.
• Review and provide input into research site and participant awareness, and recruitment and retention plans.
• Suggest innovative ideas to meet research participant diversity goals that address barriers and overcome recruitment and retention challenges.
• Facilitate relationships with local and national community organizations and research advisors representing patients, caregivers, and people with lived experiences in order to optimize research engagement and participation.
• Coordinate documentation and processes around the payment of research advisors and community organizations.
• Coordinate the translation process of relevant materials to reach diverse populations.
• Act as the team liaison for relaying the input of external research advisors (patients, caregivers, people with lived experience) to the study team, sponsors, and partners.
• Coordinate timelines and ensure that all deliverables are completed to the satisfaction of the DCRI clinical operation teams, principal investigators, and sponsors and follow relevant regulations, standard processes, policies, and procedures.
• Collaborate with other functional groups within the organization to support project goals.
• Track and report feedback received on deliverables to identify areas of success and opportunities for improvement.

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• General knowledge of engagement strategies.
• Good communication and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to take initiative and work independently.  
• Good organizational and problem-solving skills.
• Demonstrated ability to deliver quality results.
• Good customer service skills.  
• Ability to manage competing priorities.  
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships with co-workers, managers, and clients.  
• Familiarity with Microsoft Office, especially Word and Excel.

Minimum Qualifications

Education

Work requires a bachelor's degree.

Preferred degree in life sciences, communications, public health, clinical research, or related field.

Experience

None required beyond that described above.

OR AN EQUIVALENT COMBINATION OF RELEVANT EDUCATION AND/OR EXPERIENCE

Duke is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer committed to providing employment opportunity without regard to an individual's age, color, disability, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or veteran status.

Duke aspires to create a community built on collaboration, innovation, creativity, and belonging. Our collective success depends on the robust exchange of ideas—an exchange that is best when the rich diversity of our perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences flourishes. To achieve this exchange, it is essential that all members of the community feel secure and welcome, that the contributions of all individuals are respected, and that all voices are heard. All members of our community have a responsibility to uphold these values.

Essential Physical Job Functions: Certain jobs at Duke University and Duke University Health System may include essential job functions that require specific physical and/or mental abilities. Additional information and provision for requests for reasonable accommodation will be provided by each hiring department.

Minimum Qualifications

Education

Work requires a bachelor's degree in English, journalism, graphic design.

Experience

None required beyond that described above. OR AN EQUIVALENT COMBINATION OF RELEVANTEDUCATION AND/OR EXPERIENCE

Duke is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer committed to providing employment opportunity without regard to an individual's age, color, disability, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, or veteran status.

Duke aspires to create a community built on collaboration, innovation, creativity, and belonging. Our collective success depends on the robust exchange of ideas—an exchange that is best when the rich diversity of our perspectives, backgrounds, and experiences flourishes. To achieve this exchange, it is essential that all members of the community feel secure and welcome, that the contributions of all individuals are respected, and that all voices are heard. All members of our community have a responsibility to uphold these values.

Essential Physical Job Functions: Certain jobs at Duke University and Duke University Health System may include essentialjob functions that require specific physical and/or mental abilities. Additional information and provision for requests for reasonable accommodation will be provided by each hiring department.