Junior Specialist- Henderson Lab

Position Overview

Dr. John Henderson in the Department of Psychology at UC Davis seeks to fill a full‑time, in‑person Junior Specialist position starting Summer 2026, for a one‑year term. The salary range is roughly $55,000 at Step 1.

• (a) Conducting research
  • Oversee day‑to‑day running of the lab, including IRB material preparation and compliance, ordering supplies, scheduling subjects, and maintaining lab calendars.
  • Test participants on the eye‑tracker and create and analyze scene stimuli using custom computational models such as the Deep Meaning model.
  • Train students and staff in eye‑tracker use and data processing, and develop scripts and programs for running experiments.
  • Preprocess eye‑tracker data for statistical analysis using custom code, assess data quality, and analyze data using linear mixed‑effects models in R.
  • Maintain laboratory and project websites and sign‑up forms for undergraduate assistants.
• (b) Developing research materials
  • Develop experimental stimuli and research materials using Experimenter Builder and other programming environments, providing creative and scholarly input to experimental design.
• (c) Dissemination of research
  • Participate in literature discussions and conduct literature reviews.
  • Attend conferences to present results.
  • Analyze data independently and contribute to manuscript writing and poster preparation.
• (d) Public‑facing reports and briefings
  • Draft accessible summaries of findings for broader audiences and assist in social‑media communications.
  • Maintain the lab’s social‑media presence.
• (e) Undergraduate training and mentoring
  • Train and mentor undergraduate students on data coding, analysis protocols, and software use.

• Basic:
  Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, Cognitive Science, or a related field; prior experience with eye‑trackers and data processing; meticulous attention to detail and strong organizational skills.
• Preferred:
  Familiarity with IRB protocols, experience with R, Python, and/or Matlab.

The University of California is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status, or any other protected status under state or federal law. Under Federal law, the University may employ only individuals who are legally able to work in the United States as established by the Immigration Reform and Control Act of 1986.

Certain UC Davis positions may require an E‑Verify check.

Davis, CA