Research Standards Coordinator

Research Standards Coordinator

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world's worst humanitarian crises, helping to restore health, safety, education, economic wellbeing, and power to people devastated by conflict and disaster. Founded in 1933 at the call of Albert Einstein, the IRC is one of the world's largest international humanitarian non-governmental organizations (INGO), at work in more than 40 countries and 29 U.S. cities helping people to survive, reclaim control of their future and strengthen their communities.

A force for humanity, IRC employees deliver lasting impact by restoring safety, dignity and hope to millions. If you're a solutions-driven, passionate change-maker, come join us in positively impacting the lives of millions of people world-wide for a better future.

Job Overview:

The Research Standards Coordinator plays a central operational role within the IRC Research Pillar, supporting the Institutional Review Board (IRB) in ensuring that all IRC-affiliated research involving human subjects meets the highest standards of ethical compliance, data protection, and regulatory accountability. The Coordinator manages the full lifecycle of IRB submissions — from initial triage and protocol number assignment through review coordination, decision communication, and protocol closeout — and serves as the primary point of contact between research teams, IRB reviewers, board members, and external ethics bodies.

Beyond IRB administration, this role leads researcher training on SOPs, maintains research resources on Rescue Net, organizes the Research Community of Practice, and facilitates Research Pillar-wide meetings, making it a critical connective function across the IRC research community.

Major Responsibilities:

IRB Administration and Coordination (approx. 40% of time)

• Manage the full IRB submission lifecycle: receive and triage incoming protocols, assign sector-coded IRB numbers, conduct administrative completeness reviews, recommend review type (exempt, expedited, or full board) to the IRB Chair, and serve as the ongoing point of contact between research teams and the IRB from submission through closeout.
• Coordinate all review logistics: for expedited reviews, manage reviewer assignment and distribution of materials; for full board reviews, manage pre-meeting preparation including quorum confirmation, conflict of interest verification, agenda and materials distribution, and venue and remote call setup. Draft all IRB decision letters and share with the IRB Chair for signature within 24 hours of the review decision; issue signed letters to research teams promptly thereafter.
• Maintain complete, audit-ready records of all IRB actions and interactions — including submissions, determinations, correspondence, reportable events, and protocol closures — and ensure all files are accurately stored in Box and the protocol tracking system in real time.
• Manage ongoing regulatory compliance: maintain the IRB board roster and ethics certificate renewal schedule, manage OHRP registration and Federalwide Assurance (FWA) renewals, monitor protocol expiration dates, and prepare quarterly IRB update reports for the Institutional Official.

Research Quality and Compliance Coordination (approx. 35% of time)

• Design and deliver training for researchers and research teams on IRC SOPs for Data Collection, Data Analysis, and Data Management and Storage, including how each SOP is implemented and monitored; track training completion and report on gaps to the Director of Research and IRB as part of quarterly compliance monitoring.
• Maintain and regularly update all research forms, templates, and guidance materials on Rescue Net, ensuring that resources available to staff are always aligned with the latest approved SOPs and IRB standards.
• Support quarterly SOP compliance monitoring in coordination with the IRB Chair and Data Science Research Lead; contribute to identifying and addressing systemic compliance gaps across the research portfolio.
• Operate and maintain AI-enabled tools used in IRC's research workflows; support the IRC AI for Research initiative by piloting tools with research teams, advising on…