Lead Research Technician, Department of Psychology

The Department of Psychology, part of the School of Mind, Brain, and Behavior (MBB) within the College of Science, is committed to advancing our strengths in scientific research and science-based training. Psychology is inherently interdisciplinary, and our faculty, staff, and students actively collaborate with other MBB programs and departments - including Neuroscience, Cognitive Science, and Speech, Language and Hearing Science - as well as a wide range of academic units across campus. Through innovative, multidisciplinary research, we advance the understanding of the mind and brain, promote successful development and aging, and develop innovative approaches to optimizing mental health. By engaging and mentoring students, we prepare the next generation of scientists, scholars, and leaders in society. We invite you to join a team of dedicated researchers, educators, and innovators working together to shape the future of psychological science.

The Neuroscience of Emotion and Thought (NET) Lab within the University of Arizona's Department of Psychology invites you to apply for the role of Lead Research Technician. In this role, you will lead the operational coordination, regulatory oversight, and technical execution of a multi-site human subjects psychology research program in the Neuroscience of Emotion and Thought (NET) Lab, under the direction of Dr. Jessica Andrews-Hanna. The lab's research focuses on the psychology and neuroscience of human emotion and thought. Working with autonomy, you will oversee multi-site communication, coordinate IRB submissions and compliance across partner sites, and optimize experimental data collection workflows. You will also administer complex experimental protocols, oversee participant recruitment and retention pipelines, and train and supervise junior staff and student research assistants.

Visa sponsorship is not available for this position.

Outstanding U of A benefits include health, dental, and vision insurance plans; life insurance and disability programs; paid vacation, sick leave, and holidays; U of A/ASU/NAU tuition reduction for the employee and qualified family members; retirement plans; access to U of A recreation and cultural activities; and more!

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Experimental Execution & Protocol Oversight:

• Administers behavioral and experimental protocols to human research subjects.
• Oversees the maintenance of testing systems.
• Troubleshoots procedural and technical issues during data collection.
• Ensures adherence to Standard Operating Procedures across sessions.

Multi-Site Logistics & Operations:

• Serves as the primary operational liaison with external collaborating sites.
• Coordinates cross-site project timelines, meeting schedules, and shared milestone tracking.
• Monitors cross-site data harmonization and quality control.
• Participates in limited travel to collaborating institutions for multi-site coordination.

Regulatory Management & IRB Coordination:

• Prepares, submits, and tracks primary IRB protocols, amendments, continuing reviews, and multi-site reliance agreements.
• Manages regulatory documentation and compliance reporting.
• Ensures strict adherence to institutional and federal human subjects guidelines.

Participant Recruitment, Scheduling & Data
Quality:

• Executes and leads participant recruitment campaigns and manages longitudinal scheduling.
• Develops and monitors recruitment and retention strategies across studies.
• Assists with the designing and the maintenance of data storage workflows.
• Assists with the preparation of progress summaries for study leadership.

Staff Training & Supervision:

• Trains, mentors, and supervises junior research staff and undergraduate research assistants.
• Develops training materials and onboarding modules.
• Verifies human subjects certifications and evaluates data collection fidelity.

Knowledge,
Skills, and Abilities (KSAs):

• Knowledge of federal regulations, single-IRB/reliance mechanisms, and institutional compliance standards for human subjects research.
• Skill in administering computerized cognitive and behavioral experimental tasks.
• Skill in database management, data entry, and organizational tracking tools (e.g., Qualtrics, Excel).
• Demonstrated skill in managing multi-site research logistics and cross-institutional collaboration workflows.
• Skill in training, onboarding, and supervising research staff and student assistants.
• Ability to communicate clearly and
  professionally with research participants, students, and cross-institutional
  collaborators.

This job posting reflects the general nature and level of work expected of the selected candidate(s). It is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties and responsibilities. The institution reserves the right to amend or update this description as organizational priorities and institutional needs evolve.

• High school diploma or high school diploma equivalency is required.
• Minimum of 7 years of relevant experience, or equivalent combination of education and work experience.

• Bachelor's degree in Psychology, Cognitive Science, Neuroscience, or a related field.

Jessica Andrews-Hanna, PhD

Director, Neuroscience of Emotion and Thought (NET) Lab

Interim Director, Cognitive Science

jandrewshanna@arizona.edu

or

Dr. Yuhua Yu

Postdoctoral Research Associate

Neuroscience of Emotion and Thought (NET) Lab

yuhua@arizona.edu