Quality Assurance & Education Specialist

Posting Summary

Teachers College, Columbia University is seeking a full‑time Quality Assurance and Education Specialist to join the Human Research Protection Office and support faculty and student researchers who are engaged in human subjects research.

The Human Research Protection Office (HRPO) and the Institutional Review Board (IRB) at Teachers College (TC) ensure that all human subjects research conducted at the College complies with applicable federal laws, state regulations, and institutional policies. The Human Research Protection Office supports the TC IRB Chair and Board members and provides education and training on human subject research to the TC research community.

In alignment with TC’s mission and vision, the Quality Assurance (QA) & Education Specialist facilitates the ethical and proper conduct of human subjects research across the College. This role requires advanced knowledge of research regulations, guidance, and best practices, as well as the ability to apply this expertise to a diverse portfolio of education, health, and psychology research.

Responsibilities are divided into two broad categories:
Education and Training and Quality Assurance/Quality Improvement (QA/QI). The QA/Education Specialist serves as an institutional expert, minimizing risks to human subjects and the College through proactive training and guidance, rigorous compliance auditing, and continuous process improvement.

Candidates should be mission‑driven, detail‑oriented, clear and responsive communicators, and able to work effectively with a diverse group of faculty, students, and staff.

• Develops and provides core and targeted training for IRB members and staff, faculty and student researchers, faculty sponsors for student research projects, and research staff.
• Assists faculty and student researchers, the TC HRPO staff, and other stakeholders in preparations for external audits and inspections by funders, accrediting bodies, and regulatory authorities.
• Partners with the Human Subjects Research Compliance Director and others to develop, implement, and continuously refine the human subject research educational plan.
• Interacts and coordinates with other offices and key stakeholders at the College and other units to facilitate a comprehensive, accessible human subjects research education program for members of the TC research community.
• Monitors findings from internal QA/QI activities to identify trends and issues that may inform education and training needs.
• Monitors changes to relevant federal and state regulations and guidance documents to inform education and training needs.
• Contributes to the review and revision of the College's human subject research policy documents.
• Updates standard operating procedures for the College's HRPP as needed.
• Coordinates with external vendors such as CITI and PRIM&R to ensure that required training is available and up to date.
• Interacts with external auditors or inspectors as needed.

• Maintains quality assurance (QA) and measures compliance against certain necessary standards, typically focused on individual people or projects.
• Maintains quality improvement (QI) as a continuous improvement process focused on processes, groups, and systems.
• Monitors TC human subjects research and TC IRB activities for compliance with applicable federal regulations and guidelines, human subject IRB requirements, and TC policies and procedures.
• Conducts routine and for‑cause QA audits of human subjects research studies at the investigator level, in accordance with the QA/QI Plan, to assure compliance with IRB policies and federal regulations and guidelines.
• Reports potential serious or continuing non‑compliance with applicable regulations or institutional policies to the Human Subjects Research Compliance Director, the IRB Chair and board members, the Vice Dean for Research, and other institutional leaders as appropriate.
• Partners with the Human Subjects Research Compliance Director, other HRPO staff members, and key stakeholders to develop, implement, and continuously refine the…