MightyRecruiterResearch associates help companies increase workload and improve products. They gather data, design tests and help ensure that information is being properly recorded and assessed. They may participate in clean up and administrative duties as well.
A good research associate job description should make clear the skills and education required of the candidates, such as attention to detail and a bachelor’s degree in biology or related field. Some research work can be tedious, so being a self-starter with time-management skills is also good to list.
It’s also important that you receive applications from individuals who have experience with computer software or data collection, depending on your industry, to avoid needing to train the candidate. You can use the research associate job description provided here for reference.
Research Associate Job Summary
Do you love to put two and two together to come up with solutions? Do you enjoy helping others? We are a pharmaceutical company researching a variety of products aimed to combat human health issues. Our team needs an excellent research associate to come on board and help with several projects that are currently in development. You’ll oversee test creation and execution within our state-of-the-art lab facilities, and then coordinate your findings with our top-notch and friendly researchers and scientists. Our company is small, but our goals are big, and you’ll be joining at an exciting time as we take important steps forward within this field.
Job Responsibilities
- Prepare findings and update databases to include newfound information, and create a summary of that analysis to pass on to the project director
- Assist other researchers with various tasks, including data entry, sample care and storage, field research, statistical analysis and presentation preparation
- Conduct cell testing on samples of differing sizes, depending on the procedure guidelines provided by your supervisor, and perform necessary cell cultures
- Verify numerical data in both digital and written form, ensuring that any errors that may occur during transcription are eliminated
- Create research summaries in multiple formats, including spreadsheets, PowerPoint presentations, graphs and standard, written summaries
- Ensure lab cleanliness and safety by maintaining equipment and technician attire, and keeping all samples properly labeled and stored
- Handle necessary administrative paperwork and other documentation needed for project validation and research quality control
- Perform internet searches to gather relevant information, and record any findings in a manner pursuant to facility protocol
Job Skill & Qualifications
Reqiured:
- Bachelor of Science in Biology
- Minimum two years’ experience working in a lab
- Experience with cell manipulation
Preferred:
- Extensive training with sterile techniques
- Exceptional written and oral communication skills
- Good computing and mathematical analysis skills
- Certified in lab safety
Research Associate Job Responsibilities
It goes without saying that the interview is a vital part of the hiring process. It gives you the first real opportunity to interact with a job candidate. However, its primary purpose should be to gauge an applicant’s personality to determine how he or she might into your company’s unique culture. Introducing the details of the position should have already happened through the candidate reading your research associate job description.
An applicant should ideally know the basic expectations of job based solely off of the information in included in the job responsibilities section. For this to happen, you have to include the exact right amount of detail when describing your research associate job responsibilities. List the vital functions of the role here, using concise information that utilizes action words as opposed to passive voice.
Be careful, however, to not turn your research associate job description into a simple laundry list of responsibilities. Rather, structure your details to show how the role fits into your organization’s operations. Listings that show an applicant the potential impact he or she can have are virtually guaranteed to generate a better response.
Mirror the format and structure of your job details to those shown in the examples below:
- Work with clinical department representatives to identify potential research topics and create actionable research plans
- Coordinate with financial analyst to determine the resources needed to successfully complete projects
- Present research proposals to company stakeholders as well as third-party financiers
- Work with technical writers to prepare and publish results
Research Associate Job Specifications
The amount of resources available to train and acclimate your new hire should have a strong influence on the qualifications and specifications you set for a position. Hiring a research associate presents a unique challenge in that you likely expect applicants to bring a certain skill set to the table. You should set this expectation in your research associate job description. The job qualifications and skills section is your way indirect way of detailing which people should apply.
Identifying qualified applicants requires clearly defining your research associate job specifications. Use terms such as “minimum qualifications” to indicate that only those who possess the listed skills and experience will be given consideration. Carefully consider what specifications you choose to list here, as it will serve as your screening criteria. Decide how much emphasis will be placed on education as opposed to experience, or technical knowledge compared to general skills. Do not, however, completely deemphasize any qualification category. This will help net you a candidate who is both highly skilled as well as well-rounded in other areas.
Review the examples shown below to develop a better idea of how skills and specifications should be listed in a research associate job description:
- Bachelor’s degree in clinical or laboratory science, any of the physical sciences or statistics
- Previous experience in clinical research (either academic or professional)
- Familiarity with data warehousing programs
- Strong organizational and management skills
