Political Science Research Assistant Jobs in Raleigh, NC

Duke University:

Duke University was created in 1924 through an indenture of trust by James Buchanan Duke. Today, Duke is regarded as one of America's leading research universities. Located in Durham, North Carolina, Duke is positioned in the heart of the Research Triangle, which is ranked annually as one of the best places in the country to work and live. Duke has more than 15,000 students who study and conduct research in its 10 undergraduate, graduate and professional schools. With about 40,000 employees, Duke is the third largest private employer in North Carolina, and it now has international programs in more than 150 countries.

Be You. Be Bold. Choose Duke.

Program Coordinator

Interdisciplinary Behavioral Research Center (IBRC) Social Science Research Institute Duke University

Be You.

At Duke University, we are driven by a commitment to advancing knowledge, improving society, and supporting a collaborative community of researchers and scholars. The Interdisciplinary Behavioral Research Center (IBRC) is a large interdisciplinary research facility serving faculty and students in psychology, political science, marketing, sociology, behavioral economics, and other social and behavioral sciences.

The IBRC is part of the Social Science Research Institute and is available to any Duke researcher conducting social and behavioral research. The Center provides the infrastructure (laboratory space), equipment (laptop, software, cameras), support (training, research assistant program), participant access (community participants pool), and limited funding to facilitate social and behavioral research.

Learn more about the IBRC: https://ibrc.duke.edu/

Be Bold.

The Interdisciplinary Behavioral Research Center (IBRC) seeks a Lab Manager/Research Program Coordinator to oversee the daily operations, research support services, participant recruitment infrastructure, communications, and administrative functions of the Center.

Reporting directly to the IBRC Director, this position serves as the primary staff contact for a university-wide shared research resource supporting faculty, postdoctoral scholars, graduate students, and undergraduate researchers conducting social and behavioral research across Duke University.

The Research Program Coordinator is responsible for coordinating and improving research support services, managing the community participant pool, facilitating researcher access to Center resources, developing and implementing outreach and recruitment initiatives, and supporting implementation of Center initiatives and service expansion efforts.

The position collaborates closely with the Director to identify opportunities for expanding services, increasing utilization of Center resources, and strengthening cross-departmental partnerships. The Research Program Coordinator serves as a primary point of contact for researchers and participants and plays a key role in advancing the visibility, accessibility, and impact of the IBRC across Duke University.

Applications must be submitted by August 17, 2026, for full consideration.

What You'll Do

Research Center Operations (30%)

• Independently manage daily operations of the IBRC including coordination with Duke services such as Buy@Duke, SAP, Concur, Facilities, and SSRI administration.
• Coordinate use of laboratory space, equipment, software, and shared resources.
• Develop and implement operational procedures.
• Ensure efficient delivery of research support services to faculty and student researchers.
• Monitor center utilization and identify opportunities for improvement.

Researcher Support and Research Operations (25%)

• Serve as the primary point of contact for researchers using IBRC resources.
• Review study requests and facilitate onboarding of new researchers.
• Assist researchers with study implementation, logistics, scheduling, and use of center resources.
• Provide consultation regarding participant recruitment options and research support services.
• Coordinate research assistant matching and training initiatives.
• Provide research and administrative support for selected research activities led by the Director, as needed.

Participant Recruitment and Community Engagement (20%)

• Manage and expand the community participant pool.
• Develop and implement participant recruitment campaigns.
• Maintain participant databases and prescreening systems.
• Communicate with participants and address participant inquiries.
• Develop strategies to increase participant diversity, retention, and engagement.

Strategic Development and Communications (15%)

• Collaborate with the Director on implementation of new services, outreach efforts, and operational improvements.
• Support development and execution of initiatives designed to increase utilization of Center resources.
• Coordinate communications, website content, newsletters, and social media.
• Increase visibility and utilization of IBRC resources across Duke.

Budget and Administrative Management (10%)

• Assist with annual budget planning and financial forecasting.
• Monitor expenditures and maintain budget records.
• Process participant payments and operational expenses via Concur.
• Coordinate purchasing, reimbursements, and vendor payments via SAP.
• Prepare reports regarding center activities, utilization, and impact.
• Provide administrative backup for SSRI as needed.

What You'll Bring

Education

Work requires a bachelor's degree, preferably in Psychology or a related social science field.

Experience

Work requires a minimum of 1 year of experience supporting or conducting social and behavioral research in an academic, research, or applied research setting.  3 years of experience preferred.

Experience should include participant recruitment, human subjects research, research project coordination, researcher support, or program management.

OR AN EQUIVALENT COMBINATION OF RELEVANT EDUCATION AND/OR EXPERIENCE

Preferred Qualifications

Ideal candidates will have a strong background in psychology or another social and behavioral science discipline, along with experience supporting or leading research. Demonstrated understanding of social and behavioral research methods and experience interacting with faculty, graduate students, and research participants is strongly preferred.

Experience with participant recruitment and community engagement, management of participant databases or recruitment platforms, researcher onboarding and support, and coordination of shared research resources is highly desirable.

Experience with the following software packages is desirable, but not required:

• Qualtrics
• SONA

Candidates should possess:

• Excellent organizational, interpersonal, and written communication skills.
• Strong attention to detail.
• Sound judgment.
• The ability to work independently while managing multiple priorities and stakeholders.

Experience managing budgets, tracking expenditures, coordinating administrative processes, and training or supervising undergraduate research assistants is desirable.

The successful candidate will demonstrate initiative, professionalism, problem-solving skills, adaptability, and a commitment to supporting a diverse community of researchers and research participants.

It is the expectation that all staff members will demonstrate exceptional workplace behaviors in the execution of their specific position responsibilities. These behaviors include:

• Customer focus
• Collaboration
• Creative problem solving
• Continuous learning
• Commitment to diversity

Application Process

All applicants must apply through the Duke Human Resources system at: http://www.hr.duke.edu/jobs/

Requisition #: 273044

Applications must be submitted by August 10, 2026, for full consideration.

Choose Duke.

At Duke, you will join a world-renowned institution committed to excellence in research, education, and service. Through the Social Science Research Institute and the Interdisciplinary Behavioral Research Center, you'll play a vital role in supporting innovative social and behavioral research that impacts communities locally and globally.

As part of Duke's collaborative environment, you'll work alongside distinguished faculty, researchers, postdoctoral scholars, graduate students, and undergraduate students while helping expand research opportunities and strengthen cross-disciplinary partnerships across the university.