GFRP Research Project Manager

Department
Carolina Population Center-631100

Career Area
Research Professionals

Posting Open Date
11/13/2025

Application Deadline
12/01/2025

Open Until Filled
No

Position Type
Permanent Staff (EHRA NF)

Working Title
GFRP Research Project Manager

Appointment Type
EHRA Non-Faculty

Position Number
,

Vacancy ID
NF0009395

Full Time/Part Time
Full-Time Permanent

Fte
1

Hours Per Week
40

Position Location:
North Carolina, US

Hiring Range
dependent on qualifications

Proposed Start Date
12/15/2025

Be a Tar Heel:
A global higher education leader in innovative teaching, research and public service, the
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
consistently ranks as
one of the nation's top public universities
. Known for its beautiful campus, world-class medical care, commitment to the arts and top athletic programs, Carolina is an ideal place to teach, work and learn.

One of the best college towns and best places to live in the United States, Chapel Hill has diverse social, cultural, recreation and professional opportunities that span the campus and community.University employees can choose from a wide range of
professional training opportunities
for career growth, skill development and lifelong learning and enjoy
exclusive perks
for numerous retail, restaurant and performing arts discounts, savings on local child care centers and special rates on select campus events. UNC-Chapel Hill offers full-time employees a
comprehensive benefits package
, paid leave, and a variety of health, life and retirement plans and additional programs that support a healthy work/life balance.

Primary Purpose Of Organizational Unit
Since 1966, researchers at the Carolina Population Center have pioneered data collection and research techniques that move population science forward by emphasizing life course approaches, longitudinal surveys, the integration of biological measurement into social surveys, and attention to context and environment. We are also at the forefront of creating interdisciplinary training programs that integrate approaches from the social and biological sciences, building research capacity and training the next generation of scholars. Our faculty fellows address pressing research questions about population dynamics, fertility, health, mortality, migration, and the environment. Faculty come from multiple disciplines, benefitting from the cross-pollination of ideas. Our dedicated research and programming staff support fellows at every stage of project development, from conception through data collection or acquisition, analysis and dissemination, and project administration.

Position Summary
THIS POSTING IS FOR TWO IDENTICAL POSITIONS (POSITION NUMBERS AND BY APPLYING YOU WILL BE CONSIDERED FOR BOTH AVAILABLE POSITIONS.
As a member of the Global Food Research Program (GFRP) team, the Research Specialist (Project Manager) will have primary responsibility for leading GFRP's data procedure & protocol design evaluating global regulations and policy impacts. This Project Manager will independently plan, organize, coordinate, and direct nutrition/food policy research activities for multiple concurrent, complex multi-faceted long-term research projects within GFRP: studies funded to evaluate the impact of policies including health warning labels, taxes, and marketing restrictions for ultraprocessed foods, policies affecting food waste and sustainability, and policies to reduce global diet- and incomerelated disparities and improve population health. This position works closely with our interdisciplinary research team from the Gillings School of Global Public Health under projects led by Dr. Lindsey Smith Taillie (faculty in Nutrition).

The Project Manager will plan, assign, and review work of others, including UNC team members and global collaborators, and will independently monitor, assess, and modify activities, timelines, protocols, processes, workflow, and/or assignments to meet the needs of the projects. This position will define work plans, objectives, and deadlines, collaborating closely with colleagues at global collaborators' research institutions to develop and coordinate instruction and training of staff, students, faculty, and collaborators in specialized methods of data collection, entry, cleaning, and utilization. This position will ensure compliance with all regulatory and IRB documentation requirements and review processes.

The Project Manager will be responsible for independently managing multiple stages of research projects: research development and proposal writing, data collection, analysis, publication, and dissemination. The Project Manager will define standards for collection and analysis of various types of data (including primary experimental data and secondary data) and instruct others in implementing standards for accuracy, validity, and integrity This position will continually trouble-shoot and resolve quality control issues and will work towards improving efficiency and accuracy in protocols and procedures for various datasets.

This position will lead others in implementing standards and serve as an expert on experimental data collection for other GFRP work groups. Specifically, this position will collaborate across disciplines to organize and lead work of others to manage the development of experiments utilizing experimental stores and sales outlets (online supermarkets & physical convenience stores) designed to test the impact of food policies on food and beverage purchasing behavior, as well as other experiments on food-related psychological outcomes. This position will manage, plan, and implement research activities (including online surveys, in-person trials, and secondary data analysis), protocols, and timelines and be the primary point of communication and coordination among our study team and external stakeholders to ensure timely completion of all research activities. This includes onboarding, supervision, and associated human resources tasks with project-related staff, post-doctoral scholars, and students. plus budget management and communication with external collaborators and vendors.

This position requires comprehensive knowledge and understanding about research principles, study design, methods, and complex research concepts from multiple disciplines, including food science and technology, dietary intake and quality, qualitative surveys, consumer choice experiments, health records data, obesity, health disparities, food systems and environments, consumer psychology, marketing, and advertising. As project-specific tasks change and new projects and policy evaluations arise, this position will continue to perform similar essential project coordination and leadership tasks.

Minimum Education And Experience Requirements
Relevant post-Baccalaureate degree required (or foreign degree equivalent); for candidates demonstrating comparable independent research productivity, will accept a relevant Bachelor's degree (or foreign degree equivalent) and 3 or more years of relevant experience in substitution. May require terminal degree and licensure.

Required Qualifications, Competencies, And Experience

• Strong public health research skills (e.g., reviewing scientific literature, creating data collection instruments, creating recruitment materials, and managing recruitment activities, managing databases, creating IRB applications and protocols, training data collectors).
• Strong project coordination/management, interpersonal, and written and verbal communication skills. Demonstrated proficiency in academic writing.
• High level of organizational skills and attention to detail and demonstrated capacity to independently coordinate multiple aspects of large research studies.
• Resourceful approach to problem solving.
• Experience collaborating well in teams and ability to function well with culturally diverse colleagues and contacts.

Preferred Qualifications, Competencies, And Experience

• Master's Degree and at least 2 years of experience in research preferred.
• Registered Dietitian (RD/RDN) credential preferred, but not required.
• Experience planning and implementing complex global public health research projects, particularly experimental research.
• Experience drafting and submitting research proposals
• Experience instructing and supervising data collectors, research staff, students, or interns
• Experience with statistical software such as Stata and SPSS.

Campus Security Authority Responsibilities
Not Applicable.