Research Specialist, Ariadne Labs

Brigham and Women's Hospital
United States, Massachusetts, Somerville
399 Revolution Drive (Show on map)
Apr 06, 2026
The Research Specialist will be a key member of the Science and Technology team at Ariadne Labs. The Research Specialist will work to accelerate Ariadne Labs' work to improve healthcare outcomes using innovative effective solutions. Functioning independently and under the direction of the principal investigator, performs high-level, complex scientific research experiments. On a regular basis, contributes to scientific literature, reports, journals, and presentations, and investigates, creates, and develops new methods and technologies for research advancement. Essential Functions - Investigates, creates, and develops new methods and technologies for research advancement. - Contributes to scientific literature, reports, journals and presentations. - Develops proposals and study plans, and coordinates the institutional and external reviews of these proposals. - Responsible for supervising routine reports of laboratory studies, particularly as stipulated in material transfer agreements or corporate-sponsored research agreements, to be distributed to industry scientific counterparts and academic collaborators. - Reports on the progress of work at weekly laboratory seminars. Semi-autonomously writes up experimental work for grant applications, book chapters, and journal publications. - Responsible for preparing summaries of laboratory studies for meeting presentations and publications. - Calculates, transcribes, analyzes, and prepares figures of data using advanced statistical techniques. - Semi-autonomously identifies, interprets, and applies findings and methods from scientific literature relevant to projects. The Research Specialist will be responsible for: Contributing to study design including analysis plans Providing analytic support for projects focusing on qualitative and mixed methods Supporting and leading the writing of interview and focus group guides Supporting and leading the development of surveys Supporting and leading writing of manuscripts, abstracts, reports and grants Mentoring Ariadne Labs faculty and staff to develop or strengthen capacity in qualitative study design and methods Work with project teams to write methods sections of grant proposals and contribute to manuscripts Serve as an in-house expert on qualitative methods and their application to evaluation of teaching and learning environments Other work identified by the Director and Program Manager as essential to success of Ariadne Labs Qualifications Master's Degree Related Field of Study required. MPH degree in public health, social science or evaluation, or other relevant field strongly preferred. Experience in an academic or laboratory research setting 3-5 years required. Preference for candidates with PhD degree in public health, anthropology, social science or evaluation, or other relevant field preferred, plus a minimum of 2 years Required Skills Expertise in qualitative methods including study design, implementation, analysis, and manuscript development In-depth knowledge of qualitative software packages like NVivo, Dedoose, Atlas.ti Excellent collaboration skills and experience working with multidisciplinary teams Expertise developing interview guides and structured surveys Experience conducting semi-structured interviews and focus groups Preferred Skills Guiding development of conceptual frameworks for new projects An understanding of mixed-methods approaches in public health Implementation science Experience and interest in mentoring junior team members Experience working in a multi-functional, matrixed environment preferred Competencies: Ability to synthesize complex information and translate it for a lay audience Ability to be flexible, manage under pressure, and maintain sense of humor Success builds collaborative relationships both internally and externally Ability to rapidly respond to changing needs of programs Knowledge, Skills and Abilities - Must be a problem solver willing to take the initiative and prioritize tasks, thereby ensuring the smooth and efficient conduct of several projects simultaneously. - A high degree of computer literacy in order to use various spreadsheet, database, accounting and word processing programs to assist in administrative, grant proposal preparation, and research reporting activities. - Excellent organizational skills in order to formulate, implement, and monitor a number of interrelated tasks. - Ability to exercise discretion and good judgment in handling of sensitive and confidential information. - Ability to work under deadline pressure and prioritize work from several sources. - Excellent interpersonal skills for internal and external communications. The Brigham and Women's Hospital, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer. By embracing diverse skills, perspectives and ideas, we choose to lead. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religious creed, national origin, sex, age, gender identity, disability, sexual orientation, military service, genetic information, and/or other status protected under law. We will ensure that all individuals with a disability are provided a reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment.