Job Details

Research Data Management Specialist

Position Number: 7264365
Location: Boulder, CO
Position Type: Laboratory and Research

Research Data Management Specialist

Requisition Number: 72953
Location: Boulder Colorado
Employment Type: Research Faculty
Schedule: Full Time
Posting Close Date: 07-Jul-2026
Date Posted:

Job Summary

The Crown Institute seeks a Research Data Management Specialist (Professional Research Assistant II or III) to support research partnerships, data management, and project operations across Institute research initiatives. This role will develop, implement, and maintain systems that promote effective data management, data integrity, and clear coordination across internal teams and external partner agencies such as school districts, county and state agencies, and federal partners.

The Research Data Management Specialist will coordinate data intake and documentation; clean, merge, and manage administrative, survey, research, and interview data; support descriptive analyses and visualizations for diverse audiences; and manage project logistics such as timelines, workflows, file organization, protocols, and team communications. The role will also support the administration and continued development of a relational database and provide research teams with REDCap and Qualtrics setup, implementation, and data-support expertise.

This position is ideal for a detail-oriented professional with strong data management, project management, and applied research skills. Strong R skills are required for Level III and preferred for Level II; additional experience with Stata, SQL, Python, REDCap, Qualtrics, Microsoft Power Platform, or related tools is desirable. The position reports to the Director of Research Partnerships and Data Initiatives within the Crown Institute.

This PRA position may be filled at Level II or Level III depending on the selected candidate's experience, demonstrated independence, technical depth, and scope of responsibility.
CU is an Equal Opportunity Employer and complies with all applicable federal, state, and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment. We are committed to creating a workplace where all individuals are treated with respect and dignity, and we encourage individuals from all backgrounds to apply, including protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.

Who We Are

The Rene Crown Wellness Institute is an interdisciplinary research institute committed to promoting the mental health and wellness of children, youth, and the families and educators who support them. The Crown Institute serves young people and the adults who support them, through nurturing their inner capacity to be well and connect with others. This requires research that is grounded in evidence, care, compassion, and action - a combination of science and love.

What Your Key Responsibilities Will Be

Research, Data Management, and Project Operations:

Research Activities and Data Management (50%)

Develop, maintain, and document data collection systems, databases, and data-management processes that support research activities.
Monitor data quality and research integrity through routine audits, quality assurance procedures, and data validation activities.
Manage quantitative data workflows, including data intake, cleaning, merging, reshaping, identifier linkage, quality checks, documentation, and preparation of analytic datasets.
Coordinate with partner agencies to receive, track, document, and manage shared data and related information.
Generate or support descriptive analyses, reports, summaries, and visualizations for research, practitioner, educator, partner, and Institute audiences.
Contribute to research planning, study development, and the creation of sustainable data-management and operational processes.
Work within University research and administrative policies and procedures, including Institutional Review Board (IRB) protocols, compliance reporting requirements, and required certifications.
Manage or support study IRB protocols, project documentation, data-use agreements, and related compliance materials.
Support onboarding, training, and coordination of student assistants and other project personnel as needed.
Participate in Institute-wide activities and initiatives, including meetings, workshops, database updates, communications, and cross-functional projects.

Partner Coordination and Project Management (25%)

Develop and maintain project plans, timelines, milestones, deliverables, dependencies, and workflows using project-management best practices.
Maintain project-management systems, including Asana and related tracking tools, to monitor progress, responsibilities, and deadlines.
Coordinate project logistics, including meetings, agendas, action items, purchasing, documentation, and file organization.
Support planning and execution of data collection activities and associated timelines.
Communicate with investigators, research staff, and partner organizations regarding project objectives, timelines, deliverables, and data needs.
Establish and maintain effective coordination and communication across project teams and stakeholders.

Database, REDCap, and Qualtrics Administration (25%)

Support the administration and ongoing development of relational databases and associated data systems.
Manage database structures, including tables, fields, relationships, reporting processes, and data-quality procedures.
Develop or support data queries, reports, dashboards, and visualizations for research and operational purposes.
Maintain database infrastructure, system organization, and implementation of data-governance policies and procedures.
Build and maintain REDCap and Qualtrics projects and configure project settings.
Design and implement survey and data-collection structures, including instruments, events, longitudinal configurations, notifications, and automations.
Provide troubleshooting support and consultation on REDCap and Qualtrics best practices.

Level III Responsibilities and Expectations:

In addition to the responsibilities above, Level III employees:

Independently lead complex research data-management and project-management activities.
Collaborate with investigators to develop and refine research questions and identify appropriate analytical approaches.
Contribute to interpretation of study findings and preparation of reports, presentations, manuscripts, grant proposals, and other research products.
Draft and contribute to research reports, technical documentation, funding applications, and external deliverables.
Train, mentor, and coordinate student assistants and new personnel.
Lead coordination with internal and external partners regarding project objectives, timelines, deliverables, and data-sharing activities.
Identify opportunities to improve databases, workflows, reporting systems, and research operations, and implement solutions.
Provide advanced REDCap and Qualtrics support throughout the project lifecycle, including project maintenance, data-quality monitoring, reporting, and data-preparation activities.

What You Should Know

This is a hybrid position. Employees are required to work in the office a minimum of two (2) days per week.
Due to restrictions associated with the research/data environment, applicants must be authorized to work and reside within the United States for the duration of employment. International remote work is not permitted.
Visa sponsorship is not available for this position, now or in the future. Applicants must have current authorization to work in the United States without employer sponsorship.
Candidates who advance in the hiring process will be asked to complete a live coding exercise (conducted remotely) as part of a subsequent interview (typically the second-round interview). The exercise is designed to assess problem-solving, coding proficiency, and communication skills in a collaborative setting.

What We Can Offer

The starting salary ranges are:

PRA Level II: $53,000-$62,000 annually
PRA Level III: $63,000-$75,000 annually

Benefits

At the University of Colorado Boulder, we are committed to supporting the holistic health and well-being of our employees. Our comprehensive benefits package includes medical, dental, and retirement plans; generous paid time off; tuition assistance for you and your dependents; and an ECO Pass for local transit. As one of Boulder County's largest employers, CU Boulder offers an inspiring academic community and access to world-class outdoor recreation. Explore additional perks and programs through the CU Advantage program.

Be Statements

Be ambitious. Be groundbreaking. Be Boulder.

What We Require

Minimum Qualifications - All Applicants

Bachelor's degree.
At least 2 years of relevant experience in research, project management, data management, administration, or a combination of these areas.
Experience working with research data collection, data management, data quality, and/or data integrity procedures.
Experience supporting quantitative data management tasks such as data cleaning, merging, reshaping, quality checks, documentation, and preparation of datasets for analysis.
Experience using R or a comparable statistical or programming tool to support data management, documentation, descriptive analyses, or reporting.
Fluency in oral and written English.
Ability to perform core job duties with moderate supervision while independently organizing day-to-day tasks, documentation, timelines, and deliverables.

Minimum Qualifications - Level III

At least 4 years of relevant experience in research, project management, data management, administration, or a combination of these areas.
Demonstrated ability to perform responsibilities independently with increased technical judgment, leadership, and ownership of workflows, deliverables, or projects.
Strong experience writing clean, reproducible code in R to clean, merge, reshape, append, document, analyze, and manage quantitative data; experience with Python, SQL, Stata, SPSS, or related tools is desirable.
Experience leading or coordinating research workflows, training or supervising student assistants or staff, and contributing to reports, presentations, proposals, manuscripts, or other research outputs.

What You Will Need

Excellence in integrity, responsibility, and ethics in administrative duties and professional relationships, including careful attention to compliance with ethical and professional standards and guidelines and appropriate handling of confidential and sensitive matters.
Excellent judgment and problem-solving skills, including the ability to identify problems and develop effective, efficient solutions.
Excellent time management skills, including the ability to prioritize tasks, set deadlines, follow through on commitments, and flexibly meet challenges as they arise.
Commitment to inclusive excellence, equity, diversity, inclusion, and accessibility, including actively welcoming participation, honoring diverse perspectives, and building skills to identify and mitigate personal and institutional biases and barriers to inclusion.
Commitment to innovation, including the ability to think critically and creatively, engage in continuous learning, and adapt to change.
Excellent collaboration skills, including the ability to understand how the role supports the mission of the team, Institute, and University; work collaboratively with students, peers, faculty, staff, and community members; and foster a welcoming, inclusive sense of community.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to adjust communication style for setting and audience, listen attentively, express respect for diverse backgrounds and perspectives, and engage in candid and constructive dialogue.
Alignment with the Institute vision and mission, including a broad understanding of the importance of mental health, community-engaged, and academic research environments.
Excellent organizational and planning skills, high attention to detail, accurate data entry and documentation practices, and ability to prepare and maintain detailed records, files, and reports.
Ability to learn new software and technologies quickly and use them to support research project and Institute operations.
Ability to work autonomously while seeking support and direction as appropriate, and to model professionalism and integrity in relationships with Institute personnel and external partners.

Special Instructions

To apply, please submit the following materials:

Current resume/CV.
Cover letter; in your letter, please address:

Your interest in working at the Rene Crown Wellness Institute and this position.
Your relevant coding experience, including programming languages, tools, and/or projects that are most relevant to this role.
The Professional Research Assistant level (II or III) for which you would like to be considered, along with a brief explanation of how your experience and qualifications align with that level.

(Optional) Transcripts/Proof of Degree: If you are selected as the finalist, your degree will be verified by the CU Boulder Campus Human Resources Department using an approved online vendor. However, if your degree was obtained outside of the United States, please submit an English-translated version as an Optional document.

Please apply by July 7, 2026 for consideration.

Note: Application materials will not be accepted via email. For consideration, applications must be submitted through CU Boulder Jobs.

In compliance with the Colorado Job Application Fairness Act, in any materials you submit, you may redact or remove age-identifying information such as age, date of birth, or dates of school attendance or graduation. You will not be penalized for redacting or removing this information.

To apply, visit https://jobs.colorado.edu/jobs/JobDetail/Research-Data-Management-Specialist/72953