PATH – Screening Field Interviewer

Job Description

Westat is currently seeking motivated and detail-oriented individuals with a commitment to excellence to serve as screening field interviewers on the Population Assessment of Tobacco and Health (PATH) Study. The study collects information on tobacco and nicotine use and examines the short- and long-term health effects of such use on people in the United States.

Interviewers will locate sampled addresses and screen household members for a longitudinal study. They will regularly receive and transmit data via the internet and report progress and costs to their supervisor.

Interviewers are expected to: locate sampled addresses, screen household members, collect and transmit data electronically, meet data collection deadlines, and report progress and costs to their supervisor.

• Be 18 or older (or an emancipated minor) with the ability to enter binding confidentiality agreements.
• Be available and able to complete 20–25 hours of web-based training per week between August 3, 2026 and August 16, 2026. You will be required to communicate with your assigned supervisor multiple times per week during this time.

• Live in or around the geographic work area defined by the project sample.
• Be available to work during the data collection period from August 17 through December 31, 2026.
• Be available to work 20–25 hours per week, mostly evenings and weekends on specified days/times; 3 to 4 hours at a time. At times, more hours may be available.
• Local travel to complete project work will be required.
• Be able to meet the physical requirements of the position with or without reasonable accommodations:
  • Lift and carry 20 pounds of equipment and materials.
  • Walk several blocks.
  • Climb a flight of stairs carrying equipment.
• Have regular and reliable access to telephone service with a long-distance calling feature, either landline or cellular.
• Have regular and reliable access to a secure high-speed internet home connection.
• Have consistent access to a fully insured, reliable vehicle that meets Westat’s minimum insurance coverage requirements.
• Have a current and valid driver’s license that is not under suspension.

• In-person interviewing and/or cold calling experience.
• Experience working with the public.
• Ability to communicate effectively with people from all walks of life and socio-economic groups.
• Comfortable using a laptop computer.
• Able to establish and maintain good rapport with study respondents.
• Comfortable working in unfamiliar locations, knocking on doors.
• Self-motivated, organized, detail-oriented.
• Ability to work independently.
• Work successfully in a team environment with little direct supervision.
• Bilingual in English and Spanish is encouraged.
• Willingness to travel overnight if project assignments become available.

This is a part‑time, variable‑hour, non‑exempt position. Overtime pay is available, and there is potential for a production bonus at client discretion. The position is not initially eligible for health insurance or a Health Savings Account (HSA). To be eligible, an employee must work 1,560 hours from September through September of the following year, with coverage beginning January 1 of the year after eligibility is satisfied.

Hourly pay ranges from $24.15 to $27.25 per hour and is determined by the location where work is performed. In addition to hourly pay, a weekly health and welfare payment of $5.09, which may be reduced based on group benefit election, is paid for up to 40 work hours per week. The position is eligible for paid vacation and holiday leave based on hours worked.

All field positions accrue sick leave (based on hours worked) and are eligible to participate in a 401(k) program (employer matching is dependent on hours worked and disbursement is subject to program rules).

Westat is an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, creed, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, veteran status, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, citizenship status, genetic information, or any other protected status under applicable law. It is unlawful in Massachusetts to require or administer a lie detector test as a condition of employment or continued employment.

An employer who violates this law shall be subject to criminal penalties and civil liability.