Research Associate 3

Come join a company that strives for Extraordinary People and Exceptional Performance! Chenega Services & Federal Solutions, LLC, a Chenega Professional Services’ company, is looking for a Research Associate 3 to support the Injury Biomechanics and Protection Group (IBP) of the U.S. Army Aeromedical Research Laboratory (USAARL) to provide the scientific, programmatic, and technical support to allow responsive, high quality, and timely mission accomplishment within a flexible and changing environment.

Our company offers employees the opportunity to join a team where there is a robust employee benefits program, management engagement, quality leadership, an atmosphere of teamwork, recognition for performance, and promotion opportunities. We actively strive to channel our highly engaged employee’s knowledge, critical thinking, innovative solutions for our clients.

• Perform a variety of scientific and administrative tasks, with a certain degree of creativity and latitude supporting the objectives of Injury Biomechanics and Protection Group and specific projects, particularly those that investigate surrogate markers of human injury through human performance, fatigue, endurance, and other pre-injurious biomarkers from the field of kinesiology (the musculoskeletal system, nerves, kinematics, and sensor systems). All aspects of RDT&E are included, but particularly Human Subject Research, Research Not Involving Human Subjects (RNIHS), and cadaveric research.
• Interface with volunteers, collaborators, research team members, military personnel, military cadre members, and unit leadership. This includes, but is not limited to, recruiting and consenting volunteers; coordinating proposals, protocols, and data collections with collaborators; coordinating tasks with research team members; and coordinating and briefing military personnel, cadre, and unit leadership.
• Support technical planning sessions and programmatic reviews, particularly when the Project PI is unavailable.
• Coordinate and communicate project, personnel, and resource schedules to ensure project and programmatic goals are achieved against project and programmatic timelines.
• Support and lead laboratory and off-site field studies for extensive periods of time, to include training and operational site visits, study preparation and packing, data collection, and study execution.
• Support the project team during preparation of protocol, test plans, and project design; documentation, design, assembly, and demonstration of scientific methodology and equipment required for project readiness reviews; collection of data, including documentation; and data handling, protection, and analysis.
• Develop research work plans, data collection logistics, and analyses to accomplish the goals of the projects assigned.
• Be responsible for documenting and reporting project data, data analyses, and analytical conclusions in laboratory notebooks and electronic systems in accordance with applicable regulations and procedures.
• The laboratory and field studies are expected to include human volunteer interactions, studies with human surrogates (cadaveric specimens and Anthropomorphic Test Devices), and technical engineering evaluation of equipment, instrumentation, and devices.
• Prepare and organize the study team for execution of research and test studies.
• Assist with data collection.
• Maintain and ensure clear and accurate laboratory records from the study team.
• Record research data for research protocols, test plans, etc.
• Prepare data for analysis, including tracking video, identifying data anomalies, renaming of data files, organization of data, etc.
• Conduct analysis, including mathematical, kinematic, kinetic, musculoskeletal, and statistical.
• Prepare data, charts, graphs, tables, and summary information for technical reports and articles, summaries, progress reports, presentations, and protocols.
• Draft and finalize technical reports and articles, summaries, progress reports, presentations, and protocols.
• Maintain compliance with established laboratory safety and other procedures.
• Record all laboratory procedures, research project data, and results in accordance with applicable regulations, procedures, and naming conventions.
• Organize and assist team members with identifying and obtaining needed supplies and equipment, assembling such items for research, packing such items for off-site data collection, and ensuring proper documentation of such items for inventory, transport, shipping, etc.
• Rely on instructions and pre-established guidelines to perform the functions of the job, including but not limited to relevant standard operating procedures, national standards of research technical accuracy, and/or other written guidelines provided.
• Read, understand, and execute techniques and procedures within the quality standards and timelines prescribed by the research plan, protocol, Statement of Work, or test plan.
• Collaborate closely with stakeholders, academia, industry, and customers on biomechanical/biomedical projects, products, and knowledge solutions.
• Use strong communication skills and professionalism at all times.
• Conduct injury biomechanics research with equipment and in field settings that may create potentially hazardous conditions.
• On written authority of the Laboratory Commander, fly on military aircraft or ride in military vehicles in the official conduct of duties of the position.
• May travel CONUS or O-CONUS to conduct RDT&E (data collections), attend working groups meetings, training, workshops, conferences, or other relevant meetings. Expect multiple data collections per year.
• Other duties as assigned

• Must hold a driver’s license as required to travel to independent travel to restricted meetings and field-data collection locations.
• Must be able to obtain and maintain a Secret clearance.
• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant STEM field (e.g., biomechanics, kinesiology, engineering, mathematics).
• Must be willing to work variable work hours to meet performance requirements including occasional night and weekend hours on occasion/as needed.
• Experience in scientific data analysis, statistical methods, and relevant software packages, such as SPSS, SAS, MATLAB, Microsoft products, image reconstruction software, motion capture and kinematic analysis/modeling.
• May apply for and maintain Principal Investigator credentials.
• Successfully pass background and drug screening

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience supporting military research environments or DoD programs
• Experience with IRB-regulated research, human performance testing, or cadaveric research
• Prior exposure to ATD testing, injury biomechanics, or medical/biomechanical instrumentation
• Associate Investigator or eligibility for credentialing

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Knowledge of biomechanics, kinesiology, and applied mathematics principles
• Understanding of scientific research methodologies and experimental design
• Ability to support human subject, cadaveric, and biomechanical research.
• Ability to collect, manage, and analyze complex datasets
• Strong attention to detail in documentation and regulatory compliance
• Ability to interpret and follow SOPs, protocols, and technical guidance
• Strong organizational and project coordination skills
• Effective communication skills across technical and non-technical audiences
• Ability to operate in a multidisciplinary, fast-paced research environment
• Demonstrated professionalism and teamwork