Research Director

Posting Information

Department:
Epidemiology - 463501

Career Area:
Research Professionals

Final date to receive applications: 08/17/2026

Position Type:
Temporary Staff (EHRA NF)

Position Title:

Research Director

Position Number:

Vacancy : N000887

FTE: 0.5

Hours Per Week: 20

Position Location:

North Carolina, US

Proposed

Start Date:

09/01/2026

Estimated Duration of Appointment: 12 months

A global higher education leader in innovative teaching, research and public service, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill consistently ranks as one of the nation's top public universities
. Known for its beautiful campus, world-class medical care, commitment to the arts and top athletic programs, Carolina is an ideal place to teach, work and learn.

One of the best college towns and best places to live in the United States, Chapel Hill has diverse social, cultural, recreation and professional opportunities that span the campus and community.

University employees can choose from a wide range of professional training opportunities for career growth, skill development and lifelong learning and enjoy exclusive perks that include numerous retail and restaurant discounts, savings on local child care centers and special rates for performing arts events.

The Department of Epidemiology is one of the eight departments located in the Gillings School of Global Public Health. The department's primary focus is to the development and application of research methods to understand the patterns and causes of health and disease, and the application of that knowledge to improving the health of populations. We provide strong training in research methods and opportunities for the application of epidemiology to a wide range of health problems through our research.

The achievements of our faculty, staff, students, and alumni have enabled us to become one of the leading academic departments of epidemiology in the world. At UNC-Ch, Epidemiology is one of the largest and most complex departments on campus. For FY25, Epidemiology was 5th among all departments and centers across campus in research funding at UNC Chapel Hill. The department has 38 Tenured-Tenure Track / 8 Joint Tenure-Track Faculty, 19 Fixed Term / 4 Joint Fixed Term Faculty, 119 Adjuncts, 33 EHRA Non-Faculty, 21 Postdocs, 22 SHRA, 29 Temps, and 226 Students (146 PhD Students, 69 Applied Epi MPH, 11 MSCR) for whom Epidemiology pays 146 as RA/TA/Trainees/Fellows.

Total departmental budget of $49 million (FY25).

The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, School of Public Health has received funding from several federal grants to conduct research in the area of reproductive and pediatric epidemiology. These studies, overseen by an established research group, seek to identify influences on child health and neurodevelopment. Areas of focus include surveillance for autism and other developmental disabilities as well as genetic and environmental factors that impact children's growth, transition to adulthood, and general health.

The Research Director will oversee the planning, coordination, organizing and reporting for all phases of research activities, which includes development of research protocols, recruitment, data collection, coordination with laboratories, human resource management, fiscal management and reporting, and preparation of reports to funding agencies relevant to the research projects involved. The Research Director will coordinate and interact with multiple collaborative groups necessary for each research project.

Master's or Bachelor's and 0-2 years' experience; or will accept a combination of related education and experience in substitution.

This position requires extensive experience managing epidemiologic and public health research studies. Candidates should have a minimum of 5 years (preference to those with 10 or more years) coordinating and directing research staff in the conduct of recruitment, data collection, survey research, obtaining biological samples, tracking hard-to-reach cohorts and data cleaning, coding and analyses. This person must be able to multitask amongst numerous projects with a variety of investigative and collaborative teams.

Strong data and computer skills required. Supervisory experience is highly desired- this person will be hiring, training, managing and conducting performance reviews on research staff. Must have experience working with federal funding agencies, academic IRBs, HIPAA compliance, materials transfer agreements and data use agreements. Excellent organizational, documentation and communication skills are key. Requires strong attention to detail and the ability to work independently with minimal oversight from study investigators.

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