Research Coordinator

University of Pennsylvania

Philadelphia, PA

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JOB DETAILS

SALARY

$45,278–$55,000 Per Year

SKILLS

Adobe Creative Suite, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Audience Development, Campaigns, Cellular Telephone, Channel Strategies, Closing Costs, Content Development, Data Cleaning, Data Collection, Email Campaign, Email Marketing, Entertainment and Media, Funding, Health Education, IRB/IEC (Institutional Review Board/Independent Ethics Committee), Laboratory, Laboratory Operations, Legal, Library and Information Science, Marketing, Mortgage, Music, News Reporting, Organizational Psychology, Organizational Skills, Performance Tuning/Optimization, Project/Program Management, Psychiatry and Mental Health, Psychology, Recruiting Strategy, Research Skills, Scholarship, School Library, Secondary School, Social Media Marketing, Theater Production, Training/Teaching, University Library, Video Editing, Writing Skills, YouTube

LOCATION

Philadelphia, PA

POSTED

4 days ago

University Overview

The University of Pennsylvania, the largest private employer in Philadelphia, is a world-renowned leader in education, research, and innovation. This historic, Ivy League school consistently ranks among the top 10 universities in the annual U.S. News & World Report survey. Penn has 12 highly-regarded schools that provide opportunities for undergraduate, graduate and continuing education, all influenced by Penn’s distinctive interdisciplinary approach to scholarship and learning. As an employer Penn has been ranked nationally on many occasions with the most recent award from Forbes who named Penn one of America’s Best Large Employers in 2023.

Penn offers a unique working environment within the city of Philadelphia. The University is situated on a beautiful urban campus, with easy access to a range of educational, cultural, and recreational activities. With its historical significance and landmarks, lively cultural offerings, and wide variety of atmospheres, Philadelphia is the perfect place to call home for work and play.

The University offers a competitive benefits package that includes excellent healthcare and tuition benefits for employees and their families, generous retirement benefits, a wide variety of professional development opportunities, supportive work and family benefits, a wealth of health and wellness programs and resources, and much more.

Posted Job Title

Research Coordinator

Job Profile Title

Research Coordinator

Job Description Summary

Angela Duckworth's lab at the University of Pennsylvania is hiring a full-time Research Coordinator to lead participant recruitment and content production for the next phase of Phones In Focus (PIF) — a national quasi-experimental study of K–12 cell-phone policies — and to support day-to-day operations of related lab projects on Gen Z mental health and AI-assisted interventions. This is a full-time, one-year position contingent on continued funding, beginning July 22, 2026.

Job Description

The Research Coordinator's primary charge is to design and execute a multi-channel recruitment strategy for PIF — Phase 2, with the ambitious goal of reaching students at every U.S. public high school (~24,000 schools). The student arm of the study is fully anonymous by IRB design, so recruitment cannot rely on raffles or email-based incentives; it must instead be driven by paid social campaigns (Meta, TikTok, Google Ads, YouTube Shorts), original video and graphic content, email outreach to educators and librarians, and partnerships with school districts and adolescent-facing organizations. The Coordinator will own recruitment strategy end-to-end: creative development, audience targeting against NCES-stratified samples, performance optimization, and weekly reporting to the PI.

Secondary responsibilities include supporting IRB protocols and participant-facing materials, assisting with data collection and cleaning across PIF arms (educator, student, librarian side-study on school library book circulation), and supporting graduate student–led projects on Gen Z mental health and AI-assisted interventions.

This position is ideal for an early-career researcher with a background in psychology or behavioral science, hands-on research coordination experience, and demonstrated fluency in digital outreach (paid social, email marketing, content creation). Position is contingent on continued funding.

This role is a strong fit for someone with a background in psychology or behavioral science, hands-on research coordination experience, and a working fluency in digital outreach (email marketing, paid social, content creation). You will sit at the intersection of rigorous research and large-scale public engagement — and be part of a lab where your work directly shapes what the field learns about adolescent mental health.

+ Recruitment & outreach (primary)

+ Research coordination

+ Lab operations & collaboration

QUALIFICATIONSRequired

• Bachelor's degree in psychology, behavioral science, communications, or a related field

• 1+ year of research coordination or equivalent experience

• Demonstrated experience running recruitment or outreach campaigns — email, paid social, or community partnerships

• Strong project management skills; comfort running multiple workstreams in parallel

• Excellent written communication; ability to adapt voice for educators, adolescents, and academic audiences

• Working proficiency with Google Workspace; familiarity with Qualtrics, REDCap, or comparable survey platforms

Preferred

• Experience with paid ad platforms (Meta Ads Manager, Google Ads, TikTok Ads)

• Experience with marketing platforms (Mailchimp, Flodesk, or similar)• Background in digital content creation (Canva, Adobe Creative Suite, video editing)• Prior exposure to adolescent mental health research, education research, or school-based studies• Interest in pursuing a PhD in behavioral science, organizational behavior, psychology, or a related field

Job Location - City, State

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Department / School

School of Arts and Sciences

Pay Range

$45,278.00 - $55,000.00 Annual Rate

Salary offers are made based on the candidate’s qualifications, experience, skills, and education as they directly relate to the requirements of the position, and in alignment with salary ranges based on external market data for the job’s level. Internal organization and peer data at Penn are also considered.

Equal Opportunity Statement

The University of Pennsylvania is an equal opportunity employer. Candidates are considered for employment without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, religion, creed, national origin (including shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics) , citizenship status, age, disability, veteran status or any class protected under applicable federal, state or local law .

Special Requirements Background checks may be required after a conditional job offer is made. Consideration of the background check will be tailored to the requirements of the job.

University Benefits

+ Health, Life, and Flexible Spending Accounts : Penn offers comprehensive medical, prescription, behavioral health, dental, vision, and life insurance benefits to protect you and your family’s health and welfare. You can also use flexible spending accounts to pay for eligible health care and dependent care expenses with pre-tax dollars.

+ Tuition : Take advantage of Penn's exceptional tuition benefits . You, your spouse, and your dependent children can get tuition assistance here at Penn. Your dependent children are also eligible for tuition assistance at other institutions.

+ Retirement: Penn offers generous retirement plans to help you save for your future. Penn’s Basic, Matching, and Supplemental retirement plans allow you to save for retirement on a pre-tax or Roth basis. Choose from a wide variety of investment options through TIAA and Vanguard.

+ Time Away from Work: Penn provides you with a substantial amount of time away from work during the course of the year. This allows you to relax, take vacations, attend to personal affairs, recover from illness or injury, spend time with family—whatever your personal needs may be.

+ Long-Term Care Insurance: In partnership with Genworth Financial, Penn offers faculty and staff (and your eligible family members) long-term care insurance to help you cover some of the costs of long-term care services received at home, in the community or in a nursing facility. If you apply when you’re newly hired, you won’t have to provide proof of good health or be subject to underwriting requirements. Eligible family members must always provide proof of good health and are subject to underwriting.

+ Wellness and Work-life Resources : Penn is committed to supporting our faculty and staff as they balance the competing demands of work and personal life. That’s why we offer a wide variety of programs and resources to help you care for your health, your family, and your work-life balance.

+ Professional and Personal Development: Penn provides an array of resources to help you advance yourself personally and professionally.

+ University Resources: As a member of the Penn community, you have access to a wide range of University resources as well as cultural and recreational activities. Take advantage of the University’s libraries and athletic facilities, or visit our arboretum and art galleries. There’s always something going on at Penn, whether it’s a new exhibit at the Penn Museum, the latest music or theater presentation at the Annenberg Center, or the Penn Relays at Franklin Field to name just a few examples. As a member of the Penn community, you’re right in the middle of the excitement—and you and your family can enjoy many of these activities for free.

+ Discounts and Special Services : From arts and entertainment to transportation and mortgages, you'll find great deals for University faculty and staff. Not only do Penn arts and cultural centers and museums offer free and discounted admission and memberships to faculty and staff. You can also enjoy substantial savings on other goods and services such as new cars from Ford and General Motors, cellular phone service plans, movie tickets, and admission to theme parks.

+ Flexible Work Hours: Flexible work options offer creative approaches for completing work while promoting balance between work and personal commitments. These approaches involve use of non-traditional work hours, locations, and/or job structures.

+ Penn Home Ownership Services: Penn offers a forgivable loan for eligible employees interested in buying a home or currently residing in West Philadelphia, which can be used for closing costs or home improvements.

+ Adoption Assistance: Penn will reimburse eligible employees on qualified expenses in connection with the legal adoption of an eligible child, such as travel or court fees, for up to two adoptions in your household.

To learn more, please visit: https://www.hr.upenn.edu/PennHR/benefits-pay

The University of Pennsylvania’s special character is reflected in the wide variety of backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives of the Penn community. We seek talented faculty and staff who will constitute a vibrant community and help create an educational and working environment that best supports the University’s commitment to excellence in teaching, research, and scholarship. The University of Pennsylvania is an equal opportunity employer. Candidates are considered for employment without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, religion, creed, national origin (including shared ancestry or ethnic characteristics), citizenship status, age, disability, veteran status, or any class protected under applicable federal, state or local law.

About the Company

University of Pennsylvania

Penn's beautiful urban campus provides easy access to a range of educational, cultural, and recreational activities. We offer excellent healthcare and tuition benefits for you and your family, as well as generous retirement benefits, professional development opportunities and flexible work options. Penn is a diverse, multicultural learning community at the cutting edge of research and information technology. Click here to read more about why we're a Best Employer. Not only does Penn offer a unique environment within the city of Philadelphia to work, we also provide a wide array of employee benefits. From a competitive retirement program and comprehensive health care options to health promotion and wellness services and tuition assistance, there's a wealth of opportunities and resources available to you at Penn.

Penn is frequently cited as an outstanding employer:

Recipient of the 2010 Terri Lynne Lokoff Child Care Foundation Corporate Leadership Award for commitment to supporting worklife balance programs.
Selected as a recipient of the 2010 Healthy Workplace Award by the Philadelphia Business Journal and presenting sponsor UnitedHealthcare
Recognized as a 2010 Top Workplace by The Philadelphia Inquirer/Daily News.
Recipient of the 2009 Vision Award for commitment to workforce diversity and economic inclusion.
Selected for Computerworld's 100 Best Places to Work in IT six years in a row!
Recognized by the Delaware Valley Association for the Education of Young Children as a 2006 Best Employer for Working Parents
Named a Best Place to Work in the November 2007 issue of Philadelphia Magazine.
Designated a Best Workplace for Commuters by the National Center for Transit Research

COMPANY SIZE

100 to 499 employees

INDUSTRY

Advertising and PR Services

FOUNDED

1990

WEBSITE

http://www.cmimedia.com/