Bilingual Research Asst II - ON SITE

Discover Vanderbilt University Medical Center:  Located in Nashville, Tennessee, and operating at a global crossroads of teaching, discovery, and patient care, VUMC is a community of individuals who come to work each day with the simple aim of changing the world. It is a place where your expertise will be valued, your knowledge expanded, and your abilities challenged. Vanderbilt Health is committed to an environment where everyone has the chance to thrive and where your uniqueness is sought and celebrated. It is a place where employees know they are part of something that is bigger than themselves, take exceptional pride in their work and never settle for what was good enough yesterday. Vanderbilt’s mission is to advance health and wellness through preeminent programs in patient care, education, and research.

Organization:

General Pediatrics

Job Summary:

Our team conducts community and clinic-based healthy lifestyle interventions for childhood obesity prevention and treatment. In your pivotal role as a Bilingual Research Assistant II, you will support engagement with community members and research participants, with a focus on recruitment, retention, high quality data collection, and meaningful community partnership. If you enjoy working directly with families from diverse backgrounds, including many Spanish speaking and underserved communities, this is the opportunity for you!

Under moderate supervision, you will support the day-to-day conduct and continuous improvement research studies focused on healthy lifestyle behaviors in children and families. You will implement IRB approved protocols; coordinate activities across clinics, community organizations, and academic
partners; and ensure high-quality, participant-centered interactions throughout the research process. In addition, you will recruit and enroll families; obtain informed consent/assent in English and Spanish; and administer surveys and structured interviews in clinic settings, community locations, and via phone/video. Crucial elements to your role include accurate and timely documentation of all procedures, strict adherence to confidentiality, and careful maintenance of study materials and equipment. You will collaborate closely with clinic staff, nutritionists, social workers, and study leadership to schedule visits, align workflows with busy clinical operations, and troubleshoot routine
procedural issues while adhering to all VUMC safety standards and institutional policies.

Your success in this role requires culturally responsive engagement, strong bilingual communication skills, and professional collaboration with both community and academic partners. You will be expected to proactively identify and troubleshoot logistical challenges (e.g., scheduling constraints, data entry questions, site logistics), escalate concerns appropriately, and contribute to
workflow improvements that enhance participant experience, intervention fidelity, and data completeness.

Because we “meet families where they are,” some evening and weekend work is required. Reliable transportation is essential for community-based activities. Training and mentorship are provided, with clear expectations for professionalism, teamwork, and dependable follow through across multiple concurrent studies.

REQUIRED:

• Bachelor’s Degree (or equivalent experience)
• 2 years of pediatric experience; you will be working with children ages 5-17 and their families.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills in both English and Spanish; this is especially crucial, given the amount of direct family interaction.

Other components that will be crucial to your success in this role are ability to work independently and be accountable to manage multiple tasks with minimum day-to-day supervision, as well as follow protocols precisely in community settings and communicate proactively when barriers arise.

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KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Data Collection and Participant Engagement

• Independently conducts high-quality qualitative and quantitative data collection activities across active studies.

• Leads participant recruitment, consent, and follow-up activities with minimal supervision.

• Builds rapport with participants to support retention, engagement, and completion of study visits.

• Ensures accurate and complete documentation of study activities in accordance with protocol requirements.

• Identifies and resolves routine participant and workflow challenges in real time.

 

Data Collection Team Leadership and Coordination

• Serves as a lead member of the data collection team, supporting day-to-day coordination of study activities.

• Assists with scheduling data collection activities and adjusting plans to meet enrollment and staffing needs.

• Provides guidance to other research assistants during data collection, helps with troubleshooting issues, and maintains consistency.

• Acts as a point of support for problem solving related to participant availability, protocol, coordination, and fieldwork challenges.

• Elevates issues appropriately while independently implementing practical solutions when possible.

 

Operational Ownership and Independent Study Support

• Demonstrates strong ownership of assigned study tasks, requiring less direct supervision than an entry-level research assistant.

• Anticipates study needs and proactively communicates potential challenges or solutions to the project team.

• Ensures readiness for data collection by confirming materials, schedules, and participant communication in advance.

• Supports smooth implementation of study protocols through reliability and consistent follow-through.

• Contributes to maintaining momentum during high-volume or time-sensitive data collection periods.

 

Quality Assurance and Protocol Adherence

• Maintains a high standard of data quality through careful review of collected data and documentation.

• Identifies missing or inconsistent data and takes corrective action or escalates concerns appropriately.

• Ensures adherence to IRB-approved protocols, consent procedures, and study guidelines.

• Models best practices in ethical research conduct and participant interaction for other team members.

 

Team Communication and Study Support

• Communicates clearly and effectively with supervisors and team members regarding study progress and challenges.

• Shares insights from fieldwork to support continuous improvement in recruitment and data collection strategies.

• Assists with onboarding or informal mentoring of newer research assistants as needed.

• Contributes to a collaborative team environment that supports efficient and high-quality research execution.

TECHNICAL CAPABILITIES

Our Academic Enterprise is one of the nation’s longest serving and most prestigious academic medical centers. Through its historic bond with Vanderbilt University and integral role in the School of Medicine, Vanderbilt Health cultivates distinguished research and educational programs to advance a clinical enterprise that provides compassionate and personalized care and support for millions of patients and family members each year.

World-leading academic departments and comprehensive centers of excellence pursue scientific discoveries and transformational educational and clinical advances across the entire spectrum of health and disease.

Aligning with Vanderbilt Health’s Strategic Directions, the Office of Research provides shared research resources, administrative expertise and professional guidance to enable the trans-disciplinary environment and highly collaborative culture that advances discovery and training for all the research faculty, trainees, students and staff. 

Core Accountabilities:

Organizational Impact: Executes job responsibilities with the understanding of how output would affect and impact other areas related to own job area/team with occasional guidance. Problem Solving/ Complexity of work: Analyzes moderately complex problems using technical experience and judgment. Breadth of Knowledge: Has expanded knowledge gained through experience within a professional area. Team Interaction: Provides informal guidance and support to team members.

Core Capabilities :

Supporting Colleagues:- Develops Self and Others: Invests time, energy, and enthusiasm in developing self/others to help improve performance e and gain knowledge in new areas.- Builds and Maintains Relationships: Maintains regular contact with key colleagues and stakeholders using formal and informal opportunities to expand and strengthen relationships.- Communicates Effectively: Recognizes group interactions and modifies one's own communication style to suit different situations and audiences. Delivering Excellent Services:- Serves Others with Compassion: Seeks to understand current and future needs of relevant stakeholders and customizes services to better address them.- Solves Complex Problems: Approaches problems from different angles; Identifies new possibilities to interpret opportunities and develop concrete solutions.- Offers Meaningful Advice and Support: Provides ongoing support and coaching in a constructive manner to increase employees' effectiveness. Ensuring High Quality: - Performs Excellent Work: Engages regularly in formal and informal dialogue about quality; directly addresses quality issues promptly.- Ensures Continuous Improvement: Applies various learning experiences by looking beyond symptoms to uncover underlying causes of problems and identifies ways to resolve them. - Fulfills Safety and Regulatory Requirements: Understands all aspects of providing a safe environment and performs routine safety checks to prevent safety hazards from occurring. Managing Resources Effectively: - Demonstrates Accountability: Demonstrates a sense of ownership, focusing on and driving critical issues to closure.- Stewards Organizational Resources: Applies understanding of the departmental work to effectively manage resources for a department/area.- Makes Data Driven Decisions: Demonstrates strong understanding of the information or data to identify and elevate opportunities. Fostering Innovation:- Generates New Ideas: Proactively identifies new ideas/opportunities from multiple sources or methods to improve processes beyond conventional approaches.- Applies Technology: Demonstrates an enthusiasm for learning new technologies, tools, and procedures to address short-term challenges.- Adapts to Change: Views difficult situations and/or problems as opportunities for improvement; actively embraces change instead of emphasizing negative elements.

Position Qualifications:

Responsibilities:

Certifications :

Work Experience :

Relevant Work Experience

Experience Level :

Less than 1 year

Education :

Bachelor's

This role offers the opportunity to make a meaningful impact within Vanderbilt Health, supported by a comprehensive benefits package which may include health, disability, retirement and/or wellness offerings to enhance your well-being and professional growth.

Vanderbilt Health is committed to fostering an environment where everyone has the chance to thrive and is committed to the principles of equal opportunity.  EOE/Vets/Disabled.