Postdoctoral Research Associate in School Mental Health, Youth-Nex

The University of Virginia School of Education and Human Development's Center to Promote Effective Youth Development (Youth-Nex) is seeking highly qualified applicants for a one-year Postdoctoral Research Associate position, with the possibility of extension for up to two years based on an annual basis dependent upon satisfactory performance and the availability of funding. The candidate will be asked to support research projects on school mental health, including projects that involve the development of statewide mental and behavioral health data dashboards and decision-making procedures as well as testing effectiveness of implementation supports (e.g., professional learning communities and coaching).

Responsibilities:

• Coordinating data collection and analysis activities.

• Developing and disseminating mental health resources for in-school and out-of-school practitioners.

• Facilitating training activities and communities of practice for school-based practitioners.

• Collaborating with school divisions and university partners on systems-level issues.

• Run advanced quantitative analyses using statistical software.

• Generate research questions for analysis utilizing quantitative and qualitative data collected.

• Lead and co-author papers for submission to peer-reviewed journals.

• Communicate research findings at key conferences.

• Contribute to submission of federal and private grant proposals

• Support the team with data cleaning and project management tasks as needed.

• Other tasks may be assigned.

Minimum Requirements

Education: A Ph.D.

Preferred Qualifications

• A Ph.D. in school psychology, counselor education, school social work, public health, educational policy or related discipline is required by the start date of the position.

• Supporting school mental health services, especially in high-need schools;

• Demonstrated research or applied experiences promoting equity in the provision of school-based mental health services;

• Translational research and implementation science and/or experience with systems-level consultation;

• Developmental and mental health needs of young adolescents and/or working with middle school (grades 5-8) students;

• Strong interpersonal, verbal, and written communication;

• Emerging research agenda focus on school mental health, equity, early adolescence, or well-being.

• Content expertise in some of the following areas: rural and/or urban K-12 school settings, school climate, multi-tiered systems of support, positive behavior support, social emotional learning, implementation science, rural school mental health, school-based intervention, teacher professional development and coaching, classroom management, and implementation/coaching supports.

• Methods expertise in one or more of the following areas: survey data analysis; data visualization; research-practice partnerships; conducting applied research in school settings.

• Administrative expertise: Proficient with Box, Google Suite, Microsoft Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams), Zoom, Qualtrics or similar survey data collection tools, and ability to learn new software quickly and introduce new useful applications and platforms to the team. Proficient in advanced statistical modeling software (e.g., R, Stata, Matlab)

Physical Demands

This is primarily a sedentary job involving extensive use of desktop computers. The job occasionally requires local and regional travel to schools for recruitment and coaching, and walking some distance to attend meetings, and programs.

Anticipated Hiring Range: $58,000 to $65,000 (commensurate with qualifications). For more information on the benefits available to postdoctoral associates at UVA, visit postdoc.virginia.edu and https://hr.virginia.edu/benefits. Postdoctoral Research Associates are appointed annually, and continuation is dependent upon satisfactory performance and the availability of funding.

Application: Apply Now. Internal applicants must apply through their UVA Workday profile, search Find Jobs and then R0069168. Complete an application online and include the following documents:

• Cover letter

• CV/resume

• Two publications/writing samples

• Statement of research interests

• Contact information for three references who can comment on your scholarly accomplishments and promise.

Submit all materials into the resume submission field, multiple documents can be submitted into this one field, alternatively you can merge your materials together and submit as one. Internal applicants must apply through their UVA Workday profile.Applications that are missing materials will not receive full consideration.

For questions about the position, please contact Youth-Nex, and for questions about the application process, please contact Margaret Weeks.

The University of Virginia is an equal opportunity employer. All interested persons are encouraged to apply, including veterans and individuals with disabilities. Click here to read more about UVA's commitment to non-discrimination and equal opportunity employment.