Staff - Union

Job Category

CUPE 116

Job Profile

CUPE 116 Salaried - Research Assistant /Technician 2

Job Title

Research Assistant/Technician 2

Department

Research | Kerns | Department of Psychology

Compensation Range

$4,426.00 - $4,845.00 CAD Monthly

Posting End Date

October 30, 2025

Note: Applications will be accepted until 11:59 PM on the Posting End Date.

Job End Date

June 30, 2026

At UBC, we believe that attracting and sustaining a diverse workforce is key to the successful pursuit of excellence in research, innovation, and learning for all faculty, staff and students. Our commitment to employment equity helps achieve inclusion and fairness, brings rich diversity to UBC as a workplace, and creates the necessary conditions for a rewarding career.

Job Summary

The Anxiety Stress and Autism Program (ASAP) and (PEARL) Labs are looking for a Research Assistant (RA) to support the implementation of multiple ongoing research projects. The RA will work closely with Dr. Connor Kerns, Dr. Amori Mikami, and members of their research teams. Themes of ongoing projects include the phenomenology, assessment, treatment and experiences associated with anxiety disorders, ADHD, and autism in youth and adults. The ideal candidate must be able to work independently and handle complex and varied tasks, as described further below.

The ASAP and PEARL labs are committed to providing employees with educational and professional experience, significant responsibility that expands with experience, and a welcoming team atmosphere. This will be an ideal position for confirming an interest and developing skills and expertise to pursue graduate training in clinical psychology or a related discipline, as desired.

Organizational Status

Works under the direction of the Principal Investigators, Dr. Kerns and Dr. Mikami. Interacts with student researchers and other members of the research team.

Work Performed

Study management

• Conduct literature reviews.
• Edit and maintain documents including and not limited to research study protocols, consent forms, ethics submissions, CVs, etc.
• Enter, transcribe, and verify data using R, SPSS, RedCap, and Qualtrics.
• Perform various clerical duties including typing, answering phones, filing, preparing and maintaining bibliographies, scanning and photocopying of documents, formatting PowerPoint presentations, scheduling within lab and multi-site conference calls and meetings with collaborators on research projects.
• Code and conduct quality assurance assessments of study protocols and interview administration and coding.
• Handle and protect confidential and sensitive data with integrity.
• Recruit, screen and enroll study participants.
• Track patient participation.
• Maintain lab mailing lists of families who have signed up to hear about future studies being conducted in the lab, and of undergraduates who would like to hear about openings for RA positions.
• Monitor data collection and administer participant reimbursement for in person and online studies.
• Administer clinical research interviews and assessments– including but not limited to cognitive and neuropsychological tests, surveys, and questionnaires.
• Score and check research questionnaires for missing data and mistakes.
• Consent and interview human subjects participating in the research study.
• Develop and maintain online surveys and databases.
• Troubleshoot study-related issues (i.e. Staff, participants, data, etc.) with Principal Investigators.
• Purchase study supplies, maintain supplies, and make sure all staff are equipped for their tasks (i.e. computer set up via IT).
• Attend team meetings for various studies on a weekly basis.
• Participate in the onboarding of new research personnel.
• Train new undergraduate Research Assistants on lab methods and study protocols
• Update the lab website with new research and personnel as well as knowledge dissemination related to lab research.
• Participate in manuscript preparation and review.
• Prepare, coordinate and submit ethics review applications/renewals for the lab.
• Responsible for maintaining and upgrading Tobii eye-tracker and related software as well as training research personnel in its use.
• Lead community outreach and recruitment efforts, including representing the lab at community events and giving outreach presentations.
• Contribute to the programming and running of eye-tracking research on various research projects.
• Cleaning, interpreting, and summarizing eye tracking data to evaluate Tobii performance, maintenance, and updates.

Consequence of Error/Judgement

The RA will provide input to changes/modifications to existing protocols to improve/optimize experimental procedures. Some independent judgment is required. The experience and training of the technician reduces the likelihood of critical errors. Errors might affect the efficiency of the lab and jeopardize the accreditation of the lab should CCAC regulations be ignored.

Supervision Received

The Principal Investigators provide direct supervision. Typically, this entails receiving detailed instructions about new experimental protocols, supervision and training in conducting assessments and data curation/entry, manuscript preparation, editing and publication. The time will be split as follows: 75% devoted to ASAP lab, 25% to PEARL.

Supervision Given

Provides guidance and supervision to undergraduate research assistants and volunteers.

Minimum Qualifications
High school graduation, some additional training in a related field and a minimum two years of related experience or an equivalent combination of education and experience.

• Willingness to respect diverse perspectives, including perspectives in conflict with one’s own.

• Demonstrates a commitment to enhancing one’s own awareness, knowledge, and skills related to equity, diversity, and inclusion.

Preferred Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in biological, health, or psychological science preferred.
• Previous experience in experimental psychology laboratories, including children of varying ages and clinical populations (e.g. youth and young adults with developmental disabilities, children with mental health conditions).
• Computer experience required (MS Office, MS Excel, Adobe Suite, SPSS, Qualtrics, Pavlovia, RedCap). Effective oral and written communication.
• Previous experience in community outreach and public relations
• Prior training and experience using Tobii eye tracking system as part of psychology research.
• Willingness to learn new software and technology.
• Effective interpersonal and organizational skills.
• Ability to follow established guidelines and protocols.
• Ability to maintain accuracy and attention to detail.
• Ability to prioritize, multi-task and work effectively under pressure to meet deadlines.
• Ability to work both independently and within a team environment.
• Excellent interpersonal skills
• High personal motivation and self-management.
• Strong attention to detail.
• Ability to take responsibility in making progress without direct supervision.
• Effective spoken and written communication skills.