Research Assistant

Research Assistant

Wayne State University is searching for an experienced Research Assistant at its Detroit campus location.

Wayne State is a premier, public, urban research university located in the heart of Detroit, Michigan where students from all backgrounds are offered a rich, high-quality education. Our deep-rooted commitment to excellence, collaboration, integrity, diversity and inclusion creates exceptional educational opportunities which prepare students for success in a global society.

Essential functions (job duties):

WSU Center for Urban Studies is seeking a full-time staff person to manage the Strategies and Tools for Overdose Prevention (STOP) Unit, a team that seeks to reduce deaths and harm related to opioids in Metro Detroit, serving all of Oakland, Wayne and Macomb counties. The Research Assistant will manage personnel and lead STOP programs, in-person, as outlined briefly below. STOP currently offers two main services:

Narcan Access Points: In collaboration with Wayne State University’s School of Social Work’s Well Wayne Station initiative, STOP helps monitor and restock over 100 Narcan access points across Wayne County. These vending machines, porch boxes, and dispensers provide free Narcan to any member of the community who needs it at any time.

Overdose Rescue Training: STOP is the home of the AmeriCorps Community Training for Overdose Rescue (ACT) program. ACT recruits local volunteers (AmeriCorps service members) to teach people in our community how to provide life-saving first aid during an overdose emergency.

Duties and Responsibilities:

●Ensure that STOP meets grant all output requirements ((tracking/monitoring program outputs and performance measures, drafting project updates and reports, completing required trainings and certifications, preparing documentation for program files, etc.).

● Assist in grant management activities, including programmatic and financial reports in eGrants and OnCorps.

● Become fully knowledgeable about national AmeriCorps requirements, policies, and procedures; and diligently adhere to AmeriCorps guidelines in all aspects of program operations.

● Complete routinized activities and procedures for ACT:

-Recruit new AmeriCorps service members and meet quarterly enrollment targets (update position postings, proactively identify networks and pathways for promoting the position, circulate recruitment information to key contacts, review applications, conduct interviews, etc.).

-Complete enrollment, exit, or other status changes (gathering and organizing required documents, conducting criminal history checks, preparing payroll forms, entering member data into WSU and AmeriCorp/OnCorps s systems, etc.).

-Oversight of coordinators verifying member service hours biweekly, ensuring documentation needed to demonstrate that approved hours are compliant with AmeriCorps and program rules, and providing final approval of these efforts.

-Oversight of coordinators verifying that all member records are accurate, complete, and compliant with funder guidelines; maintain file checklists and complete regular file audits to ensure member records are up to date.

● Develop and carry out training for new STOP Techs/AmeriCorps members that covers essential public health, social justice, health equity, harm reduction concepts and up-to-date information about opioid use, the opioid overdose crisis and relevant cultural elements related to these concepts. Review training materials on a regular basis to ensure they are up-to-date and culturally responsive.

● Supervise team of STOP Technicians, AmeriCorps Members, and program staff in carrying out Narcan access point management and overdose rescue trainings.

● Maintain work plans, task lists, and project calendars on a regular basis; meet interim deadlines; and provide regular progress updates to Center leadership and other team members.

● Serve as primary liaison between the Well Wayne Station team and state-level AmeriCorps leadership.

● Communicate effectively with project team members and community partners and represent STOP in the media and in funder meetings as needed.

● Prepare regular updates to Center leadership.

● Perform other duties as deemed necessary to support program goals.

Unique duties:

Qualifications:

● A Bachelor’s degree in the social sciences (including public health, political science, public administration, demography, education, geography, psychology, social work, sociology, survey methodology, statistics, and/or urban studies) is required. Master’s degree highly preferred.

● Experience with AmeriCorps programs and policies is highly preferred.

● Must have experience teaching, training, or coaching groups. Prior supervisory experience is highly desirable. Experience in community outreach or promotion is highly desirable.

● Prior professional experience in a public service organization (governmental, university, or nonprofit) is preferred.

● Must be self-motivated; able to initiate and complete tasks independently, anticipate project needs, and proactively plan and prioritize work activities to meet deadlines.

● Must be detail-oriented and possess strong organizational skills.

● Must be able to perform math necessary to verify member timesheets and service hours. Confidence using spreadsheets to organize and analyze data is highly desirable.

● Must demonstrate ability to collaborate, work inclusively as part of a team, and establish positive relationships with people of diverse cultural backgrounds (including team members, prospective service members, community partners, and other stakeholders).

● Must have excellent written and verbal communication skills. Ability to provide clear instructions and patient guidance to assist members in completing tasks; comfortable providing constructive feedback.

● Must be proficient in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, etc.) and Google products (Drive, Sheets, Docs, Forms, Calendar, etc.). Must be willing and able to learn new systems and software as needed.

● Previous experience with online data management and reporting systems used by AmeriCorps (eGrants and OnCorps) is highly preferred. Experience with customer relationship management (CRM) software is an advantage.

Starting Date: July/August 2025
Salary: $50,000-$62,000 depending on education/experience

Submissions must include a cover letter describing relevant experience, an updated resume and most recent transcript (official), and recent writing samples.

Preferred qualifications:

School/College/Division:

H6614 - Center Urban Studies

Primary department:

Center for Urban Studies

Employment type:

• Regular Employee
• Job type: Full Time
• Job category: Staff/Administrative

Funding/salary information:

• Compensation type: Annual Salary
• Hourly rate:
• Salary minimum: $50,000
• Salary hire maximum: $62,000

Working conditions:

Job openings:

• Number of openings: 1
• Reposted position: No
• Reposted reason: None (New Requisition)
• Prior posting/requisition number:

Background check requirements:

University policy requires certain persons who are offered employment to undergo a background check, including a criminal history check, before starting work. If you are offered employment, the university will inform you if a background check is required.