EcoHealth Alliance is seeking a highly organized, collaborative, and self-driven Research Assistant to support field activities and operations for a multi-year disease surveillance project based in the Philippines. This position is ideal for a recent graduate with either several years of relevant experience or a Master’s degree, and who has a passion for One Health, mammalogy, and/or studying the spillover of emerging viral zoonoses. Successful applicants will have significant field experience as well as strong writing and communication skills. Familiarity with laboratory diagnostics and/or the analysis of disease surveillance data is a plus. The Research Assistant will frequently travel to the Philippines and assist with training in-country field teams to capture and collect non-lethal diagnostic samples from bats, rodents, and other wildlife. Additional responsibilities will include conducting literature reviews; assisting with data entry, cleaning, and analysis; developing project reports, and assisting in the writing of manuscripts. The role will also involve some administrative duties, including but not limited to, procuring supplies, helping to draft and amend contracts with partner organizations, and reviewing partner invoices for project expenses. The position will be based at the EcoHealth Alliance headquarters in New York where flexible and hybrid work schedules can be accommodated, but will involve frequent travel to the Philippines. Philippine-based positions will also be considered.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES

-Collaborate with EcoHealth Alliance scientists and partners as part of a multi-year disease surveillance research project in the Philippines overseen by EcoHealth Alliance’s -Vice President for Research and Project Senior Scientist
-Work with EcoHealth Alliance staff to train Philippines-based field teams in the safe capture, handling, and sampling of wildlife
-Work with EcoHealth Alliance staff and Philippines-based partners to capture and non-lethally sample bats, rodents, and other wildlife in the Philippines
-Assist with sourcing and procuring field and laboratory supplies
-Assist in the development of project-specific field and laboratory protocols
-Perform scientific literature reviews
-Assist in field data collection and entry, and management of a project database
-Assist in the cleaning and analysis of project data
-Assist with submission of applications to wildlife, health, and agriculture departments; IRBs; and IACUCs to procure prompt permission for the collection of wildlife and human samples
-Work with EcoHealth Alliance staff to communicate and coordinate project activities with Philippines-based partners (via in-person, video conferencing, and email communication)
-As part of these duties, international travel to the Philippines is required, including several multi-week or month(s) long field sampling trips expected per year
-Support developing new scientific research projects and research proposals as needed on pandemic preparedness, and disease surveillance, including grant writing, data management planning, budgeting, preparing required forms and documents for proposal submission, and partner coordination
-Travel as needed to attend domestic or international conferences, project meetings, or other events
-Assist with the writing of scientific publications, presentations, and reports
-Participate in other projects and tasks as required or assigned by supervisor(s)

QUALIFICATIONS

Minimum Qualifications

-B.S. or B.A. in Ecology, Biology, Environmental Sciences, or a related field in the life sciences and 2 years of similar work experience; OR a Master’s degree in Ecology, Biology, Environmental Sciences, or a related field in the life sciences.
-Experience in field-based research methods including the capture and collecting of non-lethal diagnostic samples from small mammals – bats and/or rodents
-Experience leading or assisting with the training of personnel in field-based research methods
-Experience coordinating fieldwork including, but not limited to trip scheduling, procurement of necessary supplies and equipment, field site identification
-Project management and organizational skills, including proven ability to work independently and detail-oriented
-Excellent interpersonal written and verbal communication skills
-Experience with data management and basic statistical analyses
-A strong sense of team spirit and cultural sensitivity
-Ability to maintain a positive attitude in adverse environmental conditions (e.g., high heat and humidity; camp-style lodging)
-Fluency in English

Additional Desired Qualifications

-Experience conducting international-based fieldwork, preferably in resource-limited countries and/or in remote sites; prior research experience in the Philippines is a plus.
-Ability to speak Tagalog and/or Cebuano is a plus
-Experience in field biosafety including the use of personal protective equipment (PPE)
-Experience in research on zoonotic diseases
-Experience with human subject research
-Knowledge of open-source statistical software, including R
-Publication(s) in peer-reviewed scientific journals

Compensation will be $50,000 – $65,000 USD annually, commensurate with skills and experience.

At EcoHealth Alliance, our vision is a workplace with a diverse and talented staff where people want to come, stay, do their best work, and grow. We recruit, employ, train, compensate, and promote our staff without regard to race, ethnicity, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, age, veteran status, or socioeconomic status. The position is based at EcoHealth Alliance in New York City. EcoHealth Alliance offers a competitive salary and comprehensive benefit package including health, dental, and vision coverage and a 403(b) pension plan. EcoHealth Alliance is proud and deeply committed to being an equal-opportunity employer. For further information about EcoHealth Alliance, please visit our website: www.ecohealthalliance.org.

HOW TO APPLY:

Please apply via the form below (found at https://www.ecohealthalliance.org/career/philippines-research-assistant-2023 if you found this post elsewhere). You will be asked to upload a cover letter and a resume or CV as a single PDF document with a filename of the format ‘FirstName_LastName.pdf’. Please limit the cover letter to one page and resume to no more than four pages in length. Applications will receive an automated message of receipt. Only applicants selected for an interview will be contacted. Candidates selected for interviews will be asked to provide contact information for three references.

Application form: https://airtable.com/shrJZMiCGxkhvlmHn

Deadline to apply is May 15th, 2023

Thank you for your interest in EcoHealth Alliance!