Northern California HERC

Junior Research Specialist
Rheumatology Quality and Informatics Lab (QUIL)
University of California, San Francisco
San Francisco VA Medical Center

About the Lab
The Rheumatology Quality and Informatics Lab at the University of California, San Francisco is led by Drs. Gabriela Schmajuk and Jinoos Yazdany and focuses on clinical informatics and health services research in rheumatic disease from a multidisciplinary perspective. QUIL works on a series of VA projects including the Measurement Science QUERI, which develops IT tools to improve quality of care in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA), and the National Telerheumatology Program. Areas of focus include the evaluation of performance on key rheumatology clinical quality measures, implementation of strategies to increase quality of care, and the use of health information technology that enables providers to better manage patient care through secure use and sharing of health information.

Position Overview
QUIL is seeking a Junior Research Specialist to support implementation research studies at the VA, with a particular focus on projects related to building medication safety and quality of care dashboards and deploying them nationally. This is a clinical research position embedded within a health services research environment. The Junior Specialist will work under the supervision of Drs. Schmajuk and Yazdany and will join an exceptional, collaborative team with the opportunity to contribute to impactful work improving veteran health care.

This position is well-suited for candidates who are early in their research careers and are eager to develop skills in implementation science, health informatics, and clinical quality improvement within a large national health system.

Key Responsibilities
* Support the design and execution of implementation research studies, including studies evaluating the rollout of medication safety and quality of care dashboards across VHA facilities.
* Assist with data collection, management, and analysis using electronic health record data and VHA administrative databases.
* Contribute to the development, testing, and national deployment of health information technology tools designed to improve quality of care.
* Conduct basic data analyses including descriptive statistics under supervision.
* Assist with writing scientific manuscripts, progress reports, and grant applications.
* Synthesize data and findings into presentation-ready formats for internal and external audiences, including VHA stakeholders and national program partners.
* Coordinate study activities across multiple concurrent projects, including scheduling, tracking milestones, and maintaining documentation.
* Support day-to-day research operations and contribute positively to the team environment.
* Collaborate with a multidisciplinary team including physicians, data scientists, health services researchers, and implementation specialists.

Required Qualifications
* Must have (or in process of obtaining) a Bachelor's degree (or equivalent) in public health, health sciences, biostatistics, epidemiology, computer science, or a related field, or four or more years of relevant research experience.
* Strong organizational and interpersonal communication skills, both verbal and written.
* Ability to work independently and as part of a collaborative research team.
* Ability to prioritize tasks, coordinate work with others, and meet multiple deadlines.
* Willingness and ability to learn new methods and skills as research priorities evolve.
* Familiarity with data analysis or research methods, including experience working with datasets or research software (e.g., Excel, REDCap, SAS, Stata, R, or Python).

Preferred Qualifications
* Experience working with electronic health record data or administrative health data.
* Familiarity with implementation science, quality improvement, or health services research.
* Experience using statistical software such as SAS, Stata, R, or Python.
* Prior experience supporting or coordinating clinical or health services research projects.
* Interest in or experience with health information technology, clinical dashboards, or data visualization.
* Experience synthesizing data into written or visual formats for diverse audiences.

Additional Information
Appointees in the Specialist series are expected to engage in specialized research and professional activities and do not have teaching responsibilities. Specialists are expected to use their professional expertise to make scientific and scholarly contributions and may participate in University and public service.

We are seeking at least a 2-year commitment. Depending on performance and workload, opportunities for independent contributions, mentorship of other trainees, and scientific writing will be available. Salary will be commensurate with the applicant's experience and training. This is a hybrid position with full UCSF benefits.

Screening of applicants will begin immediately and will continue as needed throughout the recruitment period. Applicants must meet requirements by the time of appointment.

Please apply here. Applicants' materials must list current and/or pending qualifications upon submission.

See Table 24B for the salary range for this position. A reasonable estimate for this position is $55,000-$58,600.

As a University employee, you will be required to comply with all applicable University policies and/or collective bargaining agreements, as may be amended from time to time. Federal, state, or local government directives may impose additional requirements.

The University of California is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, protected veteran status, or other protected status under state or federal law.

UCSF is committed to welcoming and serving all people, honoring the dignity of every individual without preference or prejudice, in support of its public mission and in alignment with our PRIDE values and Principles of Community.

As a condition of employment, the finalist will be required to disclose if they are subject to any final administrative or judicial decisions within the last seven years determining that they committed any misconduct.
* "Misconduct" means any violation of the policies or laws governing conduct at the applicant's previous place of employment, including, but not limited to, violations of policies or laws prohibiting sexual harassment, sexual assault, or other forms of harassment, or discrimination, as defined by the employer.
* UC Sexual Violence and Sexual Harassment Policy
* UC Anti-Discrimination Policy
* APM - 035: Affirmative Action and Nondiscrimination in Employment