Research Project Assistant

Reporting directly to the Senior Scientist, the Research Project Assistant will ensure the smooth planning and execution of EcoHealth Alliance’s research on the dynamics of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) and Avian Influenza (AI) ecology and epidemiology. This is a One Health position and will involve interacting with teams working on public health and veterinary health aspects of research and policy. The Research Project Assistant will interact with project partners and researchers working in Jordan and other U.S.-based and international collaborators. The Research Project Assistant’s primary duties will include supporting EcoHealth Alliance MERS-CoV & AI project, including assisting with the preparation of reports, procuring and maintaining approval and permits, and other project administrative tasks, the collection of data from literature, data curation, data quality assurance, supporting collaborations between EcoHealth Alliance and local partners in various countries, assistance in writing manuscripts, grants, and preparing presentations. The Research Project Assistant will be expected to participate in regular meetings. The Research Project Assistant will also provide administrative support to the supervisor and to other staff as required. The Research Project Assistant will be based at EcoHealth Alliance headquarters in New York and will be supervised by the Senior Scientist and overseen by the Executive Vice President for Health and Policy of EcoHealth Alliance. Some domestic and international travel may be required. The position may involve working closely with other EcoHealth Alliance scientists at our headquarters, in particular with the Modeling and Analytics team, and other country teams in other regions. The Research Project Assistant will be based at EcoHealth Alliance headquarters in New York.

Primary Responsibilities

• Work on the MERS-CoV & AIP and other projects that broadly integrate environmental, animal, and human health data into emerging disease and zoonotic disease models
• Assist in project management and provide administrative support for the Senior Scientist
• Support grant administration, including proposals, reporting, contracting, coordinating invoices, and payments
• Maintain finances, reimbursements, and expense coding for projects, supervisor, and self.
• Manage and assist with data curation using GitHub, ODK, R, and AirTable for improved integration of data amongst project experts
• Maintain collaborations with MERS-CoV & AIP leaders by organizing regular calls to obtain progress reports and improve project-wide communication
• Provide analytical support to EcoHealth Alliance scientist
• Take meeting minutes and generate draft agendas for meetings
• Participate in all relevant meetings at EcoHealth Alliance
• Represent EcoHealth Alliance and work with stakeholders and collaborators
• Use a strong fact basis and collaborative approach to formulate alternative and creative solutions to problems and sensitive issues
• Some foreign travel may be required

Other Duties

• Work to ensure smooth functioning of programs at EcoHealth Alliance
• Conduct literature reviews to provide detailed background or grant proposals, scientific manuscripts, and other project needs
• Assist with high quality scientific manuscripts for publication
• Assist with management and budgeting for grants, including ensuring drafting reports on time and reminders about updates and contacting funding agencies
• Assist with the development of other projects related to EcoHealth Alliance programs
• Assist with outreach to donors, media contacts, potential collaborators, and other institutions
• Participate in other projects and tasks as assigned

Qualifications

• A Masters degree in Biology, Ecology, Epidemiology, Public Health, Data Science, Statistics, or related field is highly desirable
• Strong quantitative analytical skills
• Experience with basic statistical analyses, particularly using R
• Ability to conduct literature reviews, data collection and cleaning, and exploratory data analysis
• Excellent oral and written communication skills
• Proven ability to work independently
• Previous experience writing grants
• Strong interest in One Health
• Strong sense of team spirit and diplomacy
• Previous experience in public health or infectious diseases
• Cultural sensitivity
• Fluency in English

Professional Development

• At the supervisor’s discretion, the Research Project Assistant will be encouraged to attend US and foreign conferences, business meetings, and other appropriate events as well as attend courses for the joint purpose professional development and promoting EcoHealth Alliance. These activities will be supported through EcoHealth Alliance funding or funding garnered by Research Project Assistant.
• The Research Project Assistant will be encouraged to publish manuscripts pending from ongoing research and, in discussion with the supervisor, will be afforded reasonable time to complete them. EcoHealth Alliance would normally be listed as the current address on all manuscripts submitted or accepted after the start of employment at EcoHealth Alliance. 
• EcoHealth Alliance will work with the Research Project Assistant to identify a suitable university in the NYC region to apply for adjunct status. Current EHA employees are adjuncts at Columbia University, NYU, Mt Sinai, and others. Though not a requirement of work at EcoHealth Alliance and if there is mutual interest, teaching occasional courses at these universities will be encouraged after confirmation of adjunct status. 
• Job performance is regularly and annually assessed jointly with the supervisor with promotion, title, and job description to be modified accordingly. Key performance indicators include: advancing the goals of EcoHealth Alliance; producing groundbreaking scientific findings; generating publications from current and new projects, and evidence of success in these; evidence of positive collaboration with other partners; working with timelines in a way that produces value to funders; working to add value to society; producing results that benefit public health, and build capacity to prevent EIDs internationally; having a positive impact on the environment.

Salary: $55,000 – $65,000