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Job Category:
Academic Staff
Employment Type:
Regular
Job Profile:
Research Specialist
Job Summary:
The Driving Connections Lab, led by Dr. KJ Hansmann, is hiring a Research Specialist to coordinate research studies focused on supporting patients with dementia and their family caregivers as they navigate complex life transitions like stopping driving through team-based approaches. You will have the opportunity to be involved in daily research activities such as participant screening, recruitment, enrollment, and coordination, as well as broader strategic initiatives within the lab, including process development and building academic and community partnerships. The Driving Connections Lab is part of the UW Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, a national leader in clinical care, research, and community engagement among academic departments.
Working with the Driving Connections Lab you will join a growing research team that engages people with dementia, their family caregivers, and primary care teams in participatory research. Our team is building relationships with community organizations across Wisconsin to include diverse perspectives and leverage cultural humility in our research and its clinical applications. We also routinely collaborate with other research teams in the Department of Family Medicine and Community Health. Other areas of research focus that we collaborate on include reproductive health justice and efforts to improve health care access equity for Latino, limited English proficiency, and immigrant populations.
This position is full or part-time, 80%-100%.
This position may require some work to be performed in-person, onsite, at a designated campus work location. Some work may be performed remotely, at an offsite, non-campus work location.
This position has been identified as a position of trust with access to vulnerable populations. The selected candidate will be required to pass an initial caregiver check to be eligible for employment under the Wisconsin Caregiver Law and every four years.
Must provide a valid driver's license. Employees may use their own transportation or receive approval for University Car Fleet usage. Employment is conditional pending the results of a Pre-hire Driver Authorization Check. See https://businessservices.wisc.edu/managing-risk/driver-authorization-and-insurance/driver-authorization/#become-authorized-driver (click on “Become an authorized driver;” then click on “Required criteria”).
Candidates who demonstrate the following knowledge, skills, and abilities will be given first consideration:
Demonstrated written and verbal fluency in Spanish, with strong comprehension and professional communication skills.
Ability to communicate effectively, both orally and in writing, and interact professionally with co-workers, study participants, external collaborators, and diverse stakeholders
Key Job Responsibilities:
- Recruits study participants and manages their study participation, including scheduling visits, obtaining informed consent, enrollment, data collection, and quality monitoring
- Reviews, analyzes, and interprets data and/or documents results for presentations and/or reporting to internal and external audiences
- Participates in the development, interpretation, and implementation of research methodology and materials
- Provides operational guidance on day-to-day activities of unit or program staff and/or student workers
- Performs literature reviews and writes reports
- Conducts research experiments according to established research protocols with moderate impact to the project(s). Collects data and monitors test results
- Participates in community-based participant recruitment, community engagement, and outreach
Department:
School of Medicine and Public Health, Department of Family Medicine and Community Health, Dr. KJ Hansmann Research Program
The Department of Family Medicine and Community Health (DFMCH) at the University of Wisconsin is a leading clinical department within the School of Medicine and Public Health. DFMCH is dedicated to advancing patient care, education, and research. Our 18 clinics provide primary care to more than 170,000 patients, yielding over 375,000 patient visits annually. Each year, we train more than 160 residents (at sponsored and academic partner sites) and 300 medical students. Learn more: https://www.fammed.wisc.edu/.
Compensation:
The expected salary range for this position is $50,000 up to $75,000 for highly experienced candidates and actual pay within this range will depend on experience and qualifications.
Employees in this position can expect to receive benefits such as generous vacation, holidays, and sick leave; competitive insurances and savings accounts; retirement benefits. For more information, refer to the campus benefits webpage and SMPH Faculty /Academic Staff Benefits Flyer 2026.
Required Qualifications:
Experience with qualitative research methods including conducting interviews, processing raw transcript data, and coding and analyzing results using NVivo or similar qualitative data analysis software
Experience using Microsoft Office (Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and ability to learn new software tools
Preferred Qualifications:
A minimum of 1 year of research experience is highly preferred (medical, social science, and/or dementia care)
Demonstrated organizational skills, including the ability to work independently, delegate, and oversee tasks
Ability to follow research protocols or other detailed procedures consistently and accurately, with a high level of attention to detail
Computer literacy for literature searches, data entry, data management, data tabulation, statistical analysis, and data presentation in tabular and graphic formats
Education:
Bachelor’s Degree preferred.
How to Apply:
For the best experience completing your application, we recommend using Chrome or Firefox as your web browser.
To apply for this position, select either “I am a current employee” or “I am not a current employee” under Apply Now. You will then be prompted to upload your application materials.
Important: The application has only one attachment field. Upload the following documents in that field, either as a single combined file or as multiple files in the same upload area.
• Cover letter required
• Resume
Your cover letter should address how your training and experience aligns with the required and preferred qualifications listed above. Application reviewers will rely on these written materials to determine which applicants move forward in the process. References will be requested from final candidates. All applicants will be notified once the search concludes and a candidate is selected
Failure to submit the required documents will result in no longer being considered for the position.
University sponsorship is not available for this position, including transfers of sponsorship and TN visas. The selected applicant will be responsible for ensuring their continuous eligibility to work in the United States (i.e. a citizen or national of the United States, a lawful permanent resident, a foreign national authorized to work in the United States without the need of an employer sponsorship) on or before the effective date of appointment. This position is an ongoing position that will require continuous work eligibility. If you are selected for this position you must provide proof of work authorization and eligibility to work.
The department will not be able to support a request for a J-1 waiver. If you choose to pursue a waiver and apply for our position, neither the UW nor UWMF will reimburse you for your legal or waiver fees.
Contact Information:
Paige Steinert, paige.steinert@fammed.wisc.edu, 608-890-1740
Relay Access (WTRS): 7-1-1. See RELAY_SERVICE for further information.
Institutional Statement on Diversity:
Diversity is a source of strength, creativity, and innovation for UW-Madison. We value the contributions of each person and respect the profound ways their identity, culture, background, experience, status, abilities, and opinion enrich the university community. We commit ourselves to the pursuit of excellence in teaching, research, outreach, and diversity as inextricably linked goals.
The University of Wisconsin-Madison fulfills its public mission by creating a welcoming and inclusive community for people from every background - people who as students, faculty, and staff serve Wisconsin and the world.
The University of Wisconsin-Madison is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to, including but not limited to, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, pregnancy, disability, or status as a protected veteran and other bases as defined by federal regulations and UW System policies. We promote excellence by acknowledging skills and expertise from all backgrounds and encourage all qualified individuals to apply. For more information regarding applicant and employee rights and to view federal and state required postings, visit the Human Resources Workplace Poster website.
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Employment may require a criminal background check. It may also require your references to answer questions regarding misconduct, including sexual violence and sexual harassment.
The University of Wisconsin System will not reveal the identities of applicants who request confidentiality in writing, except that the identity of the successful candidate will be released. See Wis. Stat. sec. 19.36(7).
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