The Role

The Policy Research Officer will provide a high level of technical and research assistance to senior research staff in activities associated with various research projects, including the contribution and application of knowledge in the field of mental health policy to a range of projects conducted at Black Dog Institute.

Duties & Responsibilities

• Providing effective research support by supporting the conceptualisation, design, and successful conduct of research projects that employ qualitative and quantitative methods from health psychology, epidemiology, health economics, public health, and other fields relevant to policymaking.  
• Coordinating, planning and completing day-to-day research activities within the framework of agreed project timelines and responsibilities.
• Managing the technical aspects of large datasets, including coordinating and executing data cleaning, data entry, analysis, data management processes and data governance, to ensure the integrity of research databases and adherence to the project’s research data management plan. 
• Performing quantitative/qualitative data analyses as required by the research project.
• Preparing and contributing to the creation of evidence briefs, scientific manuscripts, funding applications, and research presentations. 
• Undertaking literature searches and reviews and supporting narrative or systematic reviews and/or meta-analyses as required.
• Developing ethics applications and amendments, managing the submission to relevant HRECs, overseeing and maintaining the master study file and archiving of ethics forms and study documents.
• Recruiting research participants into studies, in accordance with study protocols.
• Monitoring research protocols, providing problem solving and resolution to any evolving problems related to design, implementation and analysis, in collaboration with the supervisor.
• Coordinating and liaising with policy, clinical and/or community stakeholders / organisations, and actively participating in meetings and discussions as required.  
• Providing administrative and clerical support, including attendance at research meetings, preparing meeting agendas, management of study documentation etc., as required. 
• Collaborating effectively with a role-share colleague to ensure continuity of work across shared tasks and projects.
• Undertaking mandatory training, including Good Clinical Practice and UNSW Research Integrity training.
• Cooperating with all health and safety policy and procedures of the Institute and take all reasonable care to ensure your actions or omissions do not impact on the health and safety of yourself and others. 

Note: the list of responsibilities is not exhaustive, and the Institute may change or request additional activities to meet the operational needs of the business
 

Selection Criteria

Essential Criteria
•    An undergraduate degree in psychology, economics, public health, medical science, or related discipline, or an equivalent level of knowledge gained through a combination of education, training, or experience.
•    At least two years research experience which includes participant recruitment, preparation of ethics applications, conducting literature reviews, and/or designing and implementing quantitative and/or qualitative research projects.  
•    Knowledge of a variety of research protocols, study design and planning as involved in developing research projects, timelines and reporting against milestones.  
•    Experience in the development of ethical applications and other research governance documents.
•    Ability to support the analysis of large, longitudinal health datasets, including experience with managing sensitive health data.
•    Ability to support the scoping, extraction, and analysis phases of narrative and systematic reviews.
•    Excellent written and interpersonal communication, and the ability to collaborate effectively with a wide range of stakeholders whilst exercising discretion and confidentiality. 
•    Ability to manage time effectively, monitor progress across multiple tasks, and document work processes to ensure effective job-sharing with colleagues.  
•    Previous experience in collecting, analysing and interpreting research data including use of statistical software (e.g., SPSS, STATA, SAS or NVivo)
•    An understanding of and commitment to BDI’s aims, objectives and values in action, together with relevant policies and guidelines.
•    Knowledge of health and safety responsibilities and commitment to attending relevant health and safety training.

Desirable Criteria

•    A Masters or PhD qualification in a relevant field.
•    Experience as a policy researcher or working in a policy setting.
•    Experience conducting focus groups or research interviews.
•    Experience leading academic papers for publication.
 

EEO Statement
Black Dog Institute is committed to achieving a diverse and inclusive workforce that reflects our wider community. We ensure equal employment opportunity for all, regardless of age, appearance, carer status, cultural and/or racial background, disability, gender identity, lived experience, religion or sexual orientation. 

How to Apply
To become a part of the Black Dog Institute team, follow the link to our careers site on ELMO and submit your most up to date resume and a detailed cover letter addressing the selection criteria for the role. f you are shortlisted for the role, we will call you and let you know you are successful. Please do not respond to any suspicious emails requesting you to upload your ID or personal details.  We are a 2022 Circle Back Initiative Employer and commit to respond to every applicant.