Social Science/Humanities Research Associate I

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Job Details:

General Notes

Research Associate to set up and operate the lab's multimodal behavioral data collection infrastructure.

Position is a one year fixed-term.

Purpose

Dr. Nicholas Duran, Associate Professor of Psychology at UT Austin, is building a new cognitive and behavioral data science lab and seeks a Social Science/Humanities Research Associate I to set up and operate the lab's multimodal behavioral data collection infrastructure.

The role combines hands-on technical support, lab coordination, and data-processing assistance under the direct supervision of the Principal Investigator.

Responsibilities

Equipment and Data Pipelines

• Set up, configure, and maintain hardware for multimodal behavior capture: motion- capture systems, cameras, microphones, and related multichannel recording equipment.

• Assist in developing and maintaining data-processing pipelines for audio, video, motion, physiological, and language channels.

• Apply automated tools, including large language models, for transcription, annotation, and feature extraction.

Lab Coordination

• Coordinate participant scheduling, room reservations, study protocols, and shared documentation.

• Assist the PI with onboarding, scheduling, and day-to-day task coordination of undergraduate research assistants.

• Support lab meetings (agendas, notes, action items).

Operations and Data Management

• Manage purchasing, inventory, and room organization in collaboration with the PI and Psychology Business Office.

• Assist with data quality checks and routine analyses under PI supervision.

• Maintain shared drives and data consistent with IRB and UT data-management requirements.

• Bachelor's degree in psychology, cognitive science, computer science, linguistics, data science, or related field.

• Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and ability to work independently.

• Excellent written and oral communication.

Relevant education and experience may be substituted as appropriate.

• One or more years of research-laboratory experience, or equivalent experience in a technical/data-collection environment.

• Hands-on experience setting up or maintaining lab equipment (computers, cameras, audio recorders, or comparable hardware).

• Coding experience with Python, R, or MATLAB.

• Experience with motion-capture systems (e.g., Vicon, OptiTrack, Qualisys, Captury) or other multichannel behavior-capture systems (eye-tracking, physiological recording, VR).

• Prior lab-management, project-coordination, or research-operations experience.

• Interest in communication, behavioral dynamics, language and motion research, or behavioral data science more broadly.

$35,000 - $45,000 annualized, depending on qualifications

• Resume/CV

• 3 work references with their contact information; at least one reference should be from a supervisor
• Letter of interest

Important for applicants who are NOT current university employees or contingent workers:You will be prompted to submit your resume the first time you apply, then you will be provided an option to upload a new Resume for subsequent applications. Any additional Required Materials (letter of interest, references, etc.) will be uploaded in the Application Questions section; you will be able to multi-select additional files. Before submitting your online job application, ensure thatALLRequired Materials have been uploaded. Once your job application has been submitted, you cannot make changes.

Important for Current university employees and contingent workers:As a current university employee or contingent worker, you MUST apply within Workday by searching for Find UT Jobs. If you are a current University employee, log-in to Workday, navigate to your Worker Profile, click the Career link in the left hand navigation menu and then update the sections in your Professional Profile before you apply. This information will be pulled in to your application. The application is one page and you will be prompted to upload your resume. In addition, you must respond to the application questionspresented to upload any additional Required Materials (letter of interest, references, etc.) that were noted above.

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Employment Eligibility:

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Retirement Plan Eligibility:

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Background Checks:

A criminal history background check will be required for finalist(s) under consideration for this position.

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Equal Opportunity Employer:

The University of Texas at Austin, as an equal opportunity/affirmative action employer,complies with all applicable federal and state laws regarding nondiscrimination and affirmative action. The University is committed to a policy of equal opportunity for all persons and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, marital status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, disability, religion, or veteran status in employment, educational programs and activities, and admissions.

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Pay Transparency:

The University of Texas at Austin will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor's legal duty to furnish information.

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Employment Eligibility Verification:

If hired, you will be required to complete the federal Employment Eligibility Verification I-9 form. You will be required to present acceptable and original documents to prove your identity and authorization to work in the United States. Documents need to be presented no later than the third day of employment. Failure to do so will result in loss of employment at the university.

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E-Verify:

The University of Texas at Austin use E-Verify to check the work authorization of all new hires effective May 2015. The university's company ID number for purposes of E-Verify is 854197. For more information about E-Verify, please see the following:

• E-Verify Poster (English and Spanish) [PDF]
• Right to Work Poster (English) [PDF]
• Right to Work Poster (Spanish) [PDF]

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Compliance:

Employees may be required to report violations of law under Title IX and the Jeanne Clery Disclosure of Campus Security Policy and Crime Statistics Act (Clery Act). If this position is identified a Campus Security Authority (Clery Act), you will be notified and provided resources for reporting. Responsible employees under Title IX are defined and outlined in HOP-3031.

The Clery Act requires all prospective employees be notified of the availability of the Annual Security and Fire Safety report. You may access the most recent report here or obtain a copy at University Compliance Services, 1616 Guadalupe Street, UTA 2.206, Austin, Texas 78701.