Announcement Details Open Date 12/17/2025 Requisition Number PRN43854B Job Title Post Doc Res Assoc Working Title Post Doc Research Associate Career Progression Track A00 Track Level FLSA Code Administrative Patient Sensitive Job Code? No Standard Hours per Week 40 Full Time or Part Time? Full Time Shift Day Work Schedule Summary VP Area U of U Health - Academics Department 00198 - Parks Recreation and Tourism Location Campus City Salt Lake City, UT Type of Recruitment External Posting Pay Rate Range DOE / DOQ Close Date 06/01/2026 Priority Review Date (Note - Posting may close at any time) 01/19/2026 Job Summary Postdoctoral Research Associate - Evaluation and Data Support for Youth Camp Initiatives Location: Salt Lake City, UT (Hybrid options available; position is not remote) We are seeking a highly motivated Postdoctoral Research Associate to support a multi-year evaluation of the Character at Camp Initiative, a large grant-making project from the American Camp Association that seeks to bolster camps' capacity to support character development, broadly conceived. This position will play a key role in coordinating training and technical assistance for camp professionals, managing data collection processes, supporting conceptual design, and contributing to research translation and dissemination efforts. The ideal candidate will have strong skills in project coordination, data interpretation, and stakeholder engagement. Position Details: Full-time, 12-month appointment with potential for renewal. Currently funded through 2029. Competitive salary and benefits package. Target start date: between January and June of 2026. Responsibilities Training and Technical Assistance for Camp Professionals Develop and deliver training materials and presentations to prepare grantees for evaluation activities. Attend grantee cohort meetings to provide support and guidance. Lead training for camps focused on data use and interpretation for program improvement. Project Management and Evaluation Coordination Coordinate data collection efforts, including surveys and interviews, across multiple sites. Serve as a liaison with camps, the ACA (American Camp Association), and other stakeholders to ensure smooth communication and logistics. Prepare and distribute evaluation materials to participating sites. Support data verification processes for accuracy and completeness. Contribute to process improvement efforts to enhance evaluation workflows. Support dashboard development and data visualization for reporting and decision-making. Conceptual Design and Evaluation Strategy Assist with instrument development and refinement, including survey instruments and observational tools. Help maintain project vision and coherence across components. Coordinate across project activities to ensure alignment and integration. Contribute to grant writing and proposal development. Support refinement and updating of the overall evaluation approach. Support translation and dissemination work aligned with interests and expertise. Preferred candidates will bring experience in either qualitative or quantitative research methods. On the qualitative side, they should be comfortable assisting with interview case selection, conducting stakeholder interviews, and analyzing qualitative data using appropriate methodologies. Quantitatively, they should be able to support instrument validation and psychometric analysis, clean and integrate datasets from multiple sources, and create and maintain codebooks and documentation. Strong candidates will also contribute to dissemination efforts, including reporting to advisory boards and participating camps, preparing formal reports, engaging in academic publishing and conference presentations, and helping develop evaluation tools and resources. It is expected that postdocs will generate their own research projects that are synergistic with the larger research plan, as a way to support their development and learning. Minimum Qualifications Ph.D. in Human Development/Developmental Science; Education; Psychology; Parks, Recreation, and Tourism; or related fields. Proficiency in data management and visualization tools (e.g., Excel, Power BI, R, SPSS, or Stata). Mixed-methods research experience (qualitative and quantitative). Preferences Familiarity with summer camps or similar youth-serving organizations. Experience developing training materials and facilitating workshops. Mixed-methods research experience (qualitative and quantitative). Experience with program evaluation, especially in youth development or outdoor education settings. Strong communication and organizational skills. Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a dynamic, multi-stakeholder environment Type Benefited Staff Special Instructions Summary Additional Information The University is a participating employer with Utah Retirement Systems ("URS"). Eligible new hires with prior URS service, may elect to enroll in URS if they make the election before they become eligible for retirement (usually the first day of work). Contact Human Resources at (801) 581-7447 for information. Individuals who previously retired and are receiving monthly retirement benefits from URS are subject to URS' post-retirement rules and restrictions. Please contact Utah Retirement Systems at (801) 366-7770 or (800) 695-4877 or University Human Resource Management at (801) 581-7447 if you have questions regarding the post-retirement rules. This position may require the successful completion of a criminal background check and/or drug screen. The University of Utah values candidates who have experience working in settings with students and possess a strong commitment to improving access to higher education. Veterans' preference is extended to qualified applicants, upon request and consistent with University policy and Utah state law. Upon request, reasonable accommodations in the application process will be provided to individuals with disabilities. Consistent with state and federal law, the University of Utah does not discriminate based upon race, ethnicity, color, religion, national origin, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, pregnancy-related conditions, genetic information, or protected veteran's status. The University does not discriminate on the basis of sex in the education program or activity that it operates, as required by Title IX and 34 CFR part 106. The requirement not to discriminate in education programs or activities extends to admission and employment. Inquiries about the application of Title IX and its regulations may be referred to the Title IX Coordinator, to the Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights, or both. To request a reasonable accommodation for a disability or if you or someone you know has experienced discrimination or sexual misconduct including sexual harassment, you may contact the Director/Title IX Coordinator in the Office of Equal Opportunity and Title IX (OEO). More information, including the Director/Title IX Coordinator's office address, electronic mail address, and telephone number can be located at the: University of Utah Non‑Discrimination page. Online reports may be submitted at https://oeo.utah.eduhttps://publicsafety.utah.edu/safetyreport/ This report includes statistics about criminal offenses, hate crimes, arrests and referrals for disciplinary action, and Violence Against Women Act offenses. They also provide information about safety and security-related services offered by the University of Utah. A paper copy can be obtained by request at the Department of Public Safety located at 1658 East 500 South. As per University of Utah policy 5-108: Transfer of Benefits Eligible Staff Members, a new hire to the University of Utah who is still serving a 12 month probationary period will not be hired into another University of Utah job (a transfer) until the successful completion of the probationary period. Posting Specific Questions Required fields are indicated with an asterisk (). Do you meet the minimum qualifications of the position as specified in the job posting? Yes No Applicant Documents Required Documents Resume Cover Letter Optional Documents Historical Only - Do Not Use - See Document Description for More Information - Addendum to the University of Utah - Veteran Only * Historical Only - Do Not Use - See Description for More Information - Appropriate discharge document (such as DD-2214) - Veteran Only
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