The Role

The appointed Research Assistant would provide research support to the Workplace Mental Health (WPMH) Research Team within the Black Dog Institute.
The WPMH Research team run Australia's largest research program focused on mental health in the workplace and is led by Prof Samuel Harvey. We have expertise in e-mental health and in undertaking large scale 'real-world' trials. The Team has an international reputation for their research work and over the last 6 years have gained more than $18million in research funding.
The WPMH team has a particular interest in high-risk occupational populations including first responder groups, medical practitioners, the unemployed, and others.

The Research Assistant will support a series of studies being conducted through the National Emergency Worker Support Service (NEWSS). These studies will use several different data sources to monitor the trends in mental health outcomes amongst Australia’s emergency service professionals, volunteers, and retirees; and examine gaps in, and priorities for, current mental health service offerings for this population. They will also provide support to the NEWSS project team across other elements of the service.

Duties & Responsibilities

Research
• Manage online database and dashboard
• Liaise with clinical teams to integrate and update clinical database
• Undertake literature searches and reviews, including assisting in conducting systematic reviews
• Prepare and edit research and project reports, manuscripts and presentations
• Data entry, coding, and analysis of quantitative, and potentially qualitative data
• Assist in collating, analysing and writing up data from across various service components
• Assist with ethics applications/amendments, responding to queries from research ethics boards, maintaining and archiving a study Master File for essential documents such as ethics and study documents
• Assist with aspects of participant recruitment and data collection, in accordance with study protocols
• Perform other general research and administrative tasks associated with NEWSS-related projects
• Adhering to BDI research and governance policies, including the completion of mandatory training
• Contribute to research design, preparation of research protocols

Project Support
• Develop relationships and regularly liaise with stakeholders to coordinate study progress, identify issues that arise, and ensure adherence to the study protocol
• Maintain the collection and storage or research data in adherence with the projects’ data management plan
• Provide research support to WPMH teams alignment to broader Institute’s strategic plan
• Maintain sensitivity to clinical issues

Work Health and Safety
• Ensure self and all staff comply with all WHS legislation WHS Policy and Procedures
• Report any WHS hazards and significant issues to Director, People & Culture delegate
• Work In a safe manner, applying duty of care

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
1. Bachelor's Degree with Honours (or above) in psychology, public health or a related discipline
2. 1-3 years demonstrated experience in undertaking health research, including participant recruitment, preparation of ethics applications, conducting literature reviews, and designing and implementing quantitative and/or qualitative research projects
3. Previous experience in collecting, analysing and interpreting research data including use of statistical software (e.g., SPSS, STATA, SAS or NVivo)
4. Well-developed written skills with demonstrated experience in writing research reports and/or publications
5. Strong oral and written communication skills
6. Excellent interpersonal skills, with strong ability to professionally liaise and build collaborative relationships with a diverse range of internal and external stakeholders
7. Enjoy working in a fast-paced environment
8. An ability to work both in a team and independently, with a high level of flexibility and initiative with minimal supervision
9. Strong organisational skills with demonstrated ability to work effectively both within a team and with minimal supervision
10. Strong computing skills with Microsoft Office
11. Knowledge of EEO principles and WH&S responsibilities and commitment to attending relevant WH&S training

Desirable Criteria
1. Experience in the design, development and evaluation of mental health interventions and/or online programs
2. Experience conducting systematic reviews
3. Experience in a mental health research setting
4. Experience in workplace-related research
5. Experience conducting focus groups or research interviews
6. Experience delivering presentations to a variety of audiences
7. Experience writing 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.