Bilingual Field Researcher – Data Collector (part-time)

Many people love gas stoves for cooking, but decades of evidence indicate that people living in homes with gas stoves have more contaminants in their air than those that don’t. This, unfortunately, puts many people’s health at risk.

Inquiring minds want to know, “How do I know that replacing my gas stove with an electric stove will improve my air quality?” This study will answer that question. If you have a passion for helping people live safer, healthier lives, you will help answer that question.

The National Center for Healthy Housing (NCHH) is seeking motivated, organized, and detail-oriented individuals to work as Bilingual Field Researchers for up to a 24-month project evaluating the effect of replacing gas stoves with electric stoves in housing. The research will focus on two buildings in Washington, DC. Field Researchers will recruit Spanish- and English-speaking residents in the buildings to participate in the study, schedule, and conduct site visits in the participants’ homes, deploy and collect simple environmental sampling equipment, and conduct short interviews with the participants.

This is a work-from-home position, however, availability for frequent travel to the site in central Washington, DC is required.

You should know that weekend work is required, as well.

What You Can Expect from Us

  1. Evaluation Team. NCHH’s staff is comprised of professionals with experience in environmental health, public health, housing, policy, industrial hygiene, engineering, and marketing. You will be part of the research team. The diversity of staff backgrounds and expertise offers excellent opportunities for peer learning, personal growth, and career development.
  2. Equipment. You will be provided secure, password-protected access to email and any software needed to complete your assignments. You will also be provided with a device to communicate with team staff, grantees, and clients.
  3. Training. You will be trained in research methods; use of research sampling equipment; interview procedures; and the use and monitoring of the secure online REDCap platform. No prior experience with the REDCap platform is required. (Research sampling training will occur at the DC location during a mutually convenient time. REDCap training will be conducted on-line.)
  4. Access to all sampling equipment and supplies. All sampling equipment and supplies necessary for the job will be provided by NCHH.
  5. Paid travel. When traveling for this project, your travel and related expenses will be covered.

What We Will Expect from You

  1. Internet Access. You must have reliable, high-speed Internet access at your location.
  2. Recruitment of Study Participants (Fall 2023).  You will be responsible for recruitment activities at the two study buildings. You and other Field Researchers will be responsible for signing up a total of 60 participants. Recruitment includes explaining the study and signing up residents on-site. Recruitment may include: Distributing recruitment flyers; attending on-site events; staffing a recruitment table in the building lobbies; and if necessary, conducting door-to-door canvassing.
  3. Field Work Scheduling and Working on Weekends.  Using contact information obtained when study participants sign-up, you will schedule fieldwork visits with participants. Per the study plan, field sampling periods must include two weekend days. The Field Researcher will have the flexibility to find times that are mutually acceptable to the participant and themselves. Each participating home will have four field sampling periods. Phase 1 (summer/fall 2023), Phase 2 (winter/spring 2023/24); Phase 3 (summer/fall 2024); Phase 4 (winter/spring 2024/25).
  4. Reliable Transportation in order to Conduct Site Visits and Sample Equipment Management

There are three key elements to the job:

    • Being independent, organized, and on time. Field Researcher needs to arrive at appointments on time, schedule and conduct multiple visits at the property, on the same day; and understand that a follow-up visit will need to be scheduled about 96 hours later.
    • Interacting with residents. Field Researchers will be comfortable asking Spanish- and English-speaking residents to sign up for the study; comfortable calling Spanish- and English-speaking residents to schedule appointments; comfortable meeting with Spanish- and English-speaking residents in their homes and comfortable answering questions they may have.
    • Being detail-oriented.

Skills and Experience

Our Ideal candidates will:

  • Be proficient in Spanish and English;
  • Be able to meet the expectations outlined above;
  • Be kind, considerate, and possess loads of patience;
  • Feel comfortable entering the homes of participants for interviews;
  • Have a high school diploma or GED;
  • Have strong interpersonal communication skills;
  • Be willing to work at least 15-20 hours per week, including some evenings and weekends;
  • Have strong computer skills; and
  • Successfully complete and pass a background check.

Fluency reading and speaking both Spanish and English as well as previous experience working with or interviewing residents are both pluses, but not requirements.

This is a part-time, nonexempt position with no benefits, except those permitted by law. The pay for the Site Coordinator is $25/hour.

Apply

Send your résumé and cover letter to mharvey@nchh.org. to apply.

About NCHH

The National Center for Healthy Housing was founded in September 1992 (as the National Center for Lead-Safe Housing), to bring the public health, housing, and environmental communities together to combat our nation’s epidemic of childhood lead poisoning. Today, NCHH’s mission is to secure safe and healthy housing for all. NCHH conducts research on methods to assess hazards in the home and on measures to reduce those hazards. NCHH designs practical strategies to incorporate healthy housing practices into the work of the public health and affordable housing communities. NCHH promotes these strategies through education and outreach, partnership programs, and governmental initiatives.

NCHH offers a rewarding work environment for individuals interested in science, policy, and the transformation of communities. NCHH’s staff of 15 is comprised of seasoned professionals with experience in environmental health, public health, housing, policy, industrial hygiene, engineering, and marketing. The diversity of staff backgrounds and expertise offers excellent opportunities for peer learning, personal growth, and development.

The National Center for Healthy Housing is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment based on race, color, religion, national origin, age, gender, sex, ancestry, citizenship status, mental or physical disability, genetic information, sexual orientation, veteran status, or military status.

 

Latest page update: September 5, 2023.