The University of Kansas is hiring: TEMP UPS WORKER- Assistant Researcher in Law

Overview

Position Overview: The Juniper Gardens Children’s Project (JGCP) is seeking to hire a temporary Assistant Researcher on an NIH funded project. The study aims to improve social communication skills of preschool children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) attending local preschools. The temporary Research Assistant will work 0.40 to 0.50 FTE (16-20 hours per week) with guidance from the project Principal and Co-Investigators. The position is at JGCP, located in downtown Kansas City, Kansas, at the Children’s Campus of Kansas City building, 444 Minnesota Ave, Suite 300, Kansas City, KS 66101. The initial training period will be onsite at JGCP; the role may become a hybrid of on-site and telework as training progresses and as determined by the supervisor and project needs.

Please note that all offers of employment are contingent upon satisfactory completion of a background check. Continuation is dependent on yearly evaluation and funding.

Responsibilities

• 80% - Coding of child communication and social behaviors, data entry, and data management.
• 10% - Assist with collecting child observational data.
• 5% - Assist with uploading and processing video recordings.
• 5% - Attend team meetings.

Position Requirements

1. Reliable transportation
2. Travel time: 25-50%

Required Qualifications

1. Undergraduate or graduate degree in speech-language pathology, psychology, special education, behavioral sciences, or a related field; or current enrollment in coursework toward one of these degrees.
2. Six months experience observing child behaviors or coding with observational platforms to measure behaviors in school, home, or community settings.
3. Experience with data entry and management (e.g., Excel, REDCap, or similar platforms).
4. Effective organization skills and attention to detail as evidenced by application materials and the interview process.

This position requires a formal degree in the cited discipline area(s) to ensure candidates have advanced knowledge, analytical skills and professional competencies necessary to perform the duties of the position.

Preferred Qualifications

1. Experience collecting and coding social communication behaviors of autistic children or other developmental disabilities in school settings.
2. Six months experience with the conduct of research on funded projects.
3. Experience with graphic design, such as Adobe Creative Suite (Rush, Photoshop, Illustrator, etc.).

Additional Candidate Instructions

• Resume or CV
• A cover letter highlighting relevant skills and fit with the position
• Contact information for three references

Only complete applications will be considered. Application review begins October 1, 2025 and will continue until a qualified candidate is found.

Contact Information

For questions about the position, please contact Dr. Thiemann-Bourque at thiemann@ku.edu. For questions about the application process, please contact Diana Skill at dskill@ku.edu.

Advertised Salary Range: $17-19 per hour, commensurate with education and experience. Anticipated Start Date: Monday October 13, 2025. Apply to Job.