Senior Research Assistant I

Equal Opportunity Employer/Veterans/Disabled


Portland State University


Position Details
Position Details

Proposed Start Date02/02/2026RankK1 - Senior research Asst IWorking TitleSenior Research Assistant IPosition NumberD96943RepresentationAU - AAUP Faculty TypeFixed Term Research/GrantFixed Term End Date:09/30/2027Position FTEVariable between .50 and 1.0, starting at 1.0 FTETerm of Service12 month

Position Summary

Brief Description of PSU/School/DeptPortland State University is Oregon’s most affordable public research university, located in the heart of one of America’s most dynamic cities. Our mission to “let knowledge serve the city” reflects our dedication to turning ideas into action — in Portland and around the world. The city is our campus, giving students unmatched access to career connections, a vibrant cultural scene and hands-on learning experiences with hundreds of community partners.

More than 20,000 students from all backgrounds bring diverse perspectives to our classrooms and campus life, from the tree-lined Park Blocks to the bustling Urban Plaza and state-of-the-art science labs. We are proud of our world-class faculty, groundbreaking research and international reputation for excellence in sustainability, community engagement and innovation.

Position SummaryThe Institute on Aging (IOA) is a research unit at Portland State University that conducts research, provides education, and collaborates with community partners on activities that promote the well-being of older adults.
The Institute on Aging was recently awarded a federal grant through the Administration on Community Living, Promoting Older Adult Behavioral Health Wellness in Oregon to advancing strategies to deliver and sustain evidence-based chronic disease self-management education programs (CDSME) to support older Adults with behavioral health conditions, specifically depression and substance use. CDSME programs focus on building healthy behaviors and skills– such as goal setting, decision-making, problem-solving, and self-monitoring.
This three-year project builds on Portland State University (PSU) and Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) ongoing work to support behavioral health of older adults in Oregon including the Oregon Center of Excellence for Behavioral Health and Aging (OCEBHA). The Promoting Older Adult Behavioral Health Wellness in Oregon program builds on this existing work by increasing the number of older adults and people living with disabilities participating in structured evidence-based chronic disease self-management education (CDSME) and self-management support programs to address behavioral health challenges, specifically depression and substance use disorders across Oregon.
The program will deliver two evidence-based programs, the Wellness Recovery Action Plan (WRAP) and Program to Encourage Active, Rewarding Lives (PEARLS) to empower participants to improve their mental wellbeing by developing problem-solving skills, engaging in social and physical activities, and adopting behavioral techniques and coping strategies. The goal of this initiative is to develop the capacity (e.g., instructors, partnerships, and referral networks) to increase the number of older adults and adults with disabilities in the target populations who participate in evidence-based chronic disease self-management education (CDSME) and self-support programs.
The CDSME Senior Research Assistant will, in partnership with the wider CDSME leadership team, lead the project’s goal of improving care and services for older adults with behavioral health needs by working with community partners to become trained to deliver PEARLS and WRAP. This position involves working with project leadership and an assistant research assistant to recruit trainers to receive training to deliver PEARLS and WRAP, coordinate with training entities to deliver “train-the-trainer” sessions in Oregon, recruit and coordinate with implementation sites (assisted living, adult foster homes, and senior centers), and develop recruitment materials to recruit assisted living and adult foster home residents, and senior center attendees to participate in WRAP and PEARLS sessions.
Developing and maintaining community engagement and partnerships are vital components of this position. The person in this position must meet with collaborators and potential collaborators in the CDSME programs and develop and maintain partnerships with organizations across the state.
Specifically, the position duties involve supporting the workforce development coordinator in the following activities:

• Participate in PEARLS training and occasionally deliver PEARLS training to older adults
• Coordinate training of PEARLS coaches and WRAP facilitators
• Recruit PEARLS and WRAP collaborators and implementation sites
• Work with training platform vendor to include CDSME program information
• Work with leadership team to develop outreach materials for assisted living facilities/adult foster home staff and residents and senior center staff and attendees throughout Oregon
• Plan and attend regional meetings for program partners
• Work with the Evaluation team to collect data on attendance and measure behavioral health improvements among participants
• Work with leadership team to develop and disseminate 508-compliant resources specific to lessons learned to enhance knowledge in serving the target population and promote program sustainability
• Participate in bi-monthly meetings with program coaches/trainers to collect and analyze information about what is/not working well and lessons learned from project implementation
• As needed, travel to implementation sites

• Other Duties as assigned

Primary ActivityR - ResearchMinimum Qualifications

• Graduate degree in social work, public health, psychology or related field(s) or comparable work experience
• 2 or more years as a Research Assistant or equivalent, performing the following tasks:
  • Gathering research or evaluation data using a predetermined protocol, carrying out routine procedures,
  • gathering materials for reports,
  • performing routine data processing or lab work,
  • data management,
  • and basic qualitative or quantitative data analysis.

Demonstrated ability to perform focused research or evaluation tasksExperience collaborating with community partners in behavioral health or aging services, including those who provide culturally-specific services (e.g., assisted living facilities, senior centers)Knowledge of behavioral health needs of older adultsAbility to travel to different locations across the state, approximately once per quarterAbility to manage regular correspondences with multiple partners involved with training, including trainers, trainees, clinical supervisors, adult foster home staff, and senior center directorsExperience managing or coordinating research and evaluation activities.Ability to deliver trainings in group settings to diverse populations (e.g., older adults)



Preferred Qualifications

• Knowledge of evidence-based programs targeted to older adults and/or behavioral health
• Experience implementing evidence-based programs targeted to older adults with behavioral health needs
• Experience planning in-person training events for health and human service professionals
• Experience developing recruitment materials for diverse audiences (e.g, older adults with behavioral health needs, managers of adult foster homes or assisted living facilities)
• Experience managing or coordinating research and evaluation activities

Key Cultural Competencies

• Creates an environment that acknowledges, encourages and celebrates differences.
• Functions and communicates effectively and respectfully within the context of varying beliefs, behaviors, orientations, identities and cultural backgrounds.
• Seeks opportunities to gain experience working and collaborating in diverse, multicultural, and inclusive settings with a willingness to change for continual improvement
• Adheres to all PSU’s policies including the policies on Prohibited Discrimination & Harassment and the Professional Standards of Conduct.

Environmental StewardshipContributes to a culture of environmental stewardship, practices resource conservation, and actively works toward achieving long-term sustainability goals.Professional Standards of ConductAt Portland State University, all employees are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner which maintains a safe, respectful, and productive environment for faculty, students, administrators, and staff. It is the responsibility of every member of the Portland State University community to conduct themselves in accordance with our PSU Professional Standards of Conduct which are available at https://www.pdx.edu/human-resources/professional-standards-conduct-policy.Total Compensation Range & Benefits StatementSalary is dependent on several factors, and new employees will typically start around the Q1 level to allow for later growth within the salary band. PSU has a structured process for determining starting compensation, taking into account years of related experience, applicable skills, knowledge and abilities, market parity, and internal equity.

The minimum salary for a Senior Research Assistant I (on a 12-months term of service) is $69,216 at 1.0 FTE. The salary may be negotiated above this rate dependent upon the factors above, the budget of the hiring department, and approval from HR.

An excellent benefits package includes 95% premium paid healthcare; a generous retirement and vacation package; and reduced tuition rates for employee, spouse or dependent at any of the Oregon University System schools.

Please visit our total compensation calculator to see the full value of our benefits package.


Supplemental Questions

Reference Requests

Reference Requests

Accept ReferencesYesMinimum Number of References2Maximum Number of References3Cutoff DateSpecial Instruction for Reference Provider

Applicant Documents

Required fields are indicated with an asterisk (*).

1. * What is your highest degree earned?

   (Open Ended Question)

2. * Please name the specific field/discipline in which you received your degree.

   (Open Ended Question)

3. * Do you have the ability to travel to different locations across the state, approximately once per quarter?
   • Yes
   • No
4. * How did you first find out about this position?
   • PSU Website
   • Indeed.com
   • HERCJobs
   • Urban League of Portland
   • Hispanic Metropolitan Chamber
   • Oregon Employment Department
   • Social Media
   • Person Referral
   • Career Builder
   • Glass Door
   • Other - Please describe in the next Question
5. If you selected Other, please describe.

   (Open Ended Question)

Equal employment opportunity, including veterans and individuals with disabilities.

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