[Hiring] Manager, Research Ethics and Compliance @Vibrant Emotional Health

Role Description

Under the supervision of the Director of Research Operations and Compliance, the Manager of Research Ethics and Compliance supports the review, documentation, and coordination of research and evaluation activities for the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline and other Vibrant research and evaluation activities as applicable. This role conducts initial ethics and compliance screening for research-like activities, including activities that may require IRB review, PRA/OMB review, sponsor/funder clearance, organizational review, or other oversight. The Manager reviews study protocols, data collection tools, research products, and related materials for alignment with ethical standards, participant protections, and research governance requirements. This position prepares documentation and recommendations for Research and Evaluation leadership review, supports appropriate distinctions among quality improvement, evaluation, and research activities, and offers opportunities to contribute to research products such as manuscripts, white papers, reports, and other dissemination materials.

Duties/Responsibilities

• Conduct initial IRB and PRA/OMB screening for research-like activities and prepare documentation, summaries, and recommendations for Research and Evaluation leadership review.
• Review study protocols, evaluation plans, external research request materials, data collection tools, recruitment materials, consent language, and related documents for alignment with ethical standards, participant protections, data access considerations, and applicability to a crisis line context.
• Support appropriate distinctions among quality improvement, evaluation, and research activities and route activities for appropriate review based on established processes.
• Review research and evaluation products for ethical considerations prior to dissemination, sponsor/funder clearance, or organizational review.
• Contribute to the development of research and evaluation products, including manuscripts, white papers, reports, and other dissemination materials as appropriate.
• Support preparation of project review templates, external research request documentation, determination letter drafts, decision logs, and any other needed documentation materials related to research ethics and compliance review.
• Coordinate with the Director of Research Operations and Compliance and, as appropriate, the Lead Research Scientist or Research Scientists to identify ethics, regulatory, data collection/access, participant protection, external research request, or dissemination issues that require escalation.
• Apply established research governance standards, review criteria, documentation expectations, and escalation pathways consistently across assigned activities.
• Provide guidance to internal partners on research ethics review procedures, documentation requirements, and participant protection considerations.
• Support process improvements related to ethics screening, protocol review, documentation quality, and research governance workflows.

Qualifications

• Strong understanding of research ethics, human subjects protections, IRB review concepts, participant protections, and research compliance documentation.
• Knowledge of 45 CFR 46 and ethical considerations relevant to behavioral health, crisis services, suicide prevention, overdose prevention, public health, or related research.
• Familiarity with PRA/OMB considerations, data collection review, Federalwide Assurance concepts, and sponsor/funder or organizational review requirements.
• Ability to review study protocols, evaluation plans, external research request materials, data collection tools, consent materials, dissemination products, and research products for ethical and compliance considerations.
• Ability to distinguish among quality improvement, evaluation, and research activities and identify appropriate review pathways.
• Strong analytical skills, including the ability to identify ethical, regulatory, methodological, participant protection, data access, and dissemination risks.
• Strong writing skills, including the ability to prepare clear summaries, recommendations, documentation packets, determination letter drafts, and ethics-related content for research and dissemination products.
• Ability to manage multiple reviews, deadlines, documentation requirements, and stakeholder requests with minimal day-to-day supervision.
• High degree of discretion and sound judgment in handling sensitive research, data access, participant protection, and compliance information.
• Ability to assess whether proposed research questions, methods, and data requests are feasible based on available data, operational context, and crisis line considerations.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in public health, social sciences, health sciences, public policy, or a related field required.
• Three to five years of relevant experience in research ethics, research compliance, research administration, evaluation operations, public health research, behavioral health, grants compliance, or related work.
• With a Master’s degree or higher in a relevant field, three or more years of relevant experience will be accepted.
• Experience supporting research or evaluation activities involving IRB review, human subjects protections, research ethics, data collection review, data access review, or participant protection considerations.
• Experience reviewing protocols, external research request materials, data collection tools, consent materials, project summaries, research products, or related documentation.
• Experience or exposure to crisis line operations, crisis intervention, behavioral health services, or similar direct service environments, with an understanding of the experiences of both crisis line users and crisis line staff.
• Experience supporting research projects in an academic, applied, public health, behavioral health, evaluation, or research lab setting, including exposure to research design, data collection, analysis planning, or study implementation.
• Experience preparing written summaries, recommendations, documentation packets, decision logs, reports, or compliance files.
• Experience working with sensitive behavioral health, crisis services, suicide prevention, overdose prevention, public health, or human services data preferred where applicable to the role.
• Proficient use of software tools needed to manage daily tasks, documentation, collaboration, tracking, and reporting (e.g., Asana, Microsoft Excel, Jira).

Benefits

• Excellent comprehensive benefits, including medical, dental, vision, supplemental income insurance, employer paid disability insurance, employer paid life insurance, pre-tax FSA for medical and dependent care, and 401K available.