University of Colorado Anschutz

Department: Dept of Medicine/Division of Pulmonary, Allergy, and Critical Care Medicine

Job Title: Research Associate

Position #00846049 – Requisition #39294

Job Summary:

The Division of Pulmonary Sciences and Critical Care Medicine is seeking a Research Associate for complex multicenter research in sepsis, pneumonia, respiratory failure, critical illness, and long-term recovery outcomes. Additionally, this role will provide operational leadership for funded research examining healthcare worker burnout.  This individual will work independently and in collaboration with the Colorado Critical Care Research Group, associated investigators, internal and external collaborators.

We seek collaborative, highly motivated individuals who excel in communication, thrive in fast-paced clinical and research environments, and are skilled at navigating the complexities of research within critical care and behavioral health settings. This position plays a central role in supporting studies that examine psychological distress, burnout, long-term recovery, and informed consent processes among both critically ill patients and healthcare professionals. Applicants should demonstrate strong clinical knowledge, research experience, interpersonal skills, the ability to engage compassionately with diverse constituencies, and a deep interest in improving ICU-based care, healthcare workforce wellbeing, and patient-centered research practices. Experience working in hospital settings, understanding critically ill population care needs, and supporting behavioral health or organizational research.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead multi-site clinical research operations and serve as the primary regulatory and project-management contact for complex, federally funded studies.

• Act as a subject-matter expert in critical care research and surrogate consent processes, providing operational guidance across studies.

• Coordinate and integrate cross-functional teams, including investigators, ICU clinicians, regulatory personnel, statisticians, and external collaborators, to ensure timely and high-quality study execution.

• Develop, implement, and optimize study workflows, data-monitoring systems, quality-assurance processes, and operational dashboards to identify inefficiencies and propose system-level improvements.

• Oversee regulatory compliance, including IRB submissions, continuing reviews, amendments, reportable events, and adherence to FDA, GCP, and institutional requirements.

• Provide leadership, mentorship, and oversight to Professional Research Assistants, including training, workload coordination, and performance input.

• Compile, analyze, and interpret study data; generate complex reports for investigators and sponsors; and contribute to scientific manuscripts and dissemination efforts.

Additional examples of work performed:

• Protocol development, regulatory oversight and implementation of complex multicenter research in acute, hospitalized populations, long term recovery and healthcare worker burnout. 
• Oversight and management of research professionals for clinical trials, observational and/or investigator-initiated research in academic medicine.
• Develop and oversee informed consent processes for subjects or surrogate decision-makers, ensuring proper documentation, ethical conduct, and compliance with regulatory requirements.
• Conduct remote monitoring and quality audits