Field Interviewers

We are seeking Field Interviewers for a landmark cohort study of the mental health in the general population that begun in 1981 and has been followed-up at 5 waves. This current wave 5.5 is being conducted 5 years after previous contact and entails lengthy face-to-face interviews and extensive cognitive assessments with older adults living in the community. The study’s focus is on stress-related exposures and cognitive change in aging.

Specific Duties & Responsibilities

• Interviewers are responsible for implementing under unpredictable and varying conditions a complex data collection protocol consisting of interviews where the interviewer will be collecting data by telephone and/or in-person with 2 separate visits/calls to respondents’ homes.
• The protocol includes locating and making initial contact with potential participants, including utilization of electronic searches and multiple contact attempts; traveling within a radius of 2-hours from Baltimore; conducting 2-3 hour long structured interviews using a tablet computer; administering a series of cognitive, vision, and hearing tests; taking physical measurements such as height, weight, grip strength, and blood pressure; instructing participants in the use of simple at-home sleep monitoring technology (actigraphy); and collecting bio specimen samples, if needed.
• Other tasks such as data entry, performing quality control functions, and administrative tasks may be required.
• They will also conduct short telephone interviews with other designated informants.
• Interviewers are expected to adhere to the highest standards of human subjects’ protection and will be required to complete related IRB trainings, HIPAA training, and to sign a confidentiality agreement.
• Efficiency and quality of work will be monitored for adherence to study protocol and budget constraints.
• Interviewers report to the Field Coordinator, who provides assignments and guidance during the study.
• After receiving a caseload of potential participants, interviewers will work individually and relatively independently to locate, contact and interview participants, providing updates at each stage.
• Interviewers can expect to make weekly office visits to review progress and troubleshoot problems.
• Interviewers will attend a paid training program and must pass certification before commencing fieldwork (facilitated by the Field Director). Attendance at all training sessions is mandatory and trainees must pass certification tests for each training module before moving on to the next. Unsatisfactory performance on certification tests may result in termination of employment.
• Interviewers are expected to attend periodic debriefings, additional trainings, and individual coaching/mentoring sessions with quality control staff and/or Sr. Field Interviewers.
• Work will be part-time, casual, with an expected range of 15-27 hours per week.
• Work flow will vary from week to week and the study cannot guarantee a set number of hours per week.
• Compensation will be provided for travel as well as time per university guidelines.
• The study is expected to last for about 12 months from the date of training.

Additional Knowledge, Skills & Abilities

• Excellent communication skills and flexibility are a must for this role.
• Interviewers are required to make first contact with participants and recruit them into the study, spend time administering a lengthy and detailed interview and cognitive assessment battery in participants’ homes, and ensure that participants enjoy their experience as much as possible in order to retain them in the study.
• Interviewers will need to be able to easily build rapport with individuals from diverse backgrounds, at times in unpredictable and chaotic environments.
• Ability to communicate effectively with the public as well as family “gatekeepers” is important.
• Creative problem solving and grit in the face of challenges is essential for the successful completion of the required work.
• Interviewers need to also be able to communicate effectively with the study team and show willingness to engage in a continuous skills development.
• Accuracy, attention to detail, organization of materials, and ability to manage time effectively are needed in order to succeed as a Field Interviewer
• Familiarity with the use of a tablet computer, or ability to learn this relatively quickly is expected.

Supervision

• Interviewers report to the Field Coordinator, who provides assignments and guidance during the study. After receiving a caseload of potential participants, interviewers will work individually and relatively independently to locate, contact and interview participants, providing updates at each stage. Interviewers can expect to make weekly office visits to review progress and troubleshoot problems.
• Interviewers will attend a paid training program and must pass certification before commencing fieldwork (facilitated by the Field Director). Attendance at all training sessions is mandatory and trainees must pass certification tests for each training module before moving on to the next. Unsatisfactory performance on certification tests may result in termination of employment.
• Interviewers are expected to attend periodic debriefings, additional trainings, and individual coaching/mentoring sessions with quality control staff and/or Sr. Field Interviewers.

• High School Diploma or graduation equivalent, with some college courses preferred.
• Some related experience.
• Additional education may substitute for required experience, to the extent permitted by the JHU equivalency formula.

Classified Title: Research Program Assistant 
Job Posting Title (Working Title): Field Interviewers   
Role/Level/Range: ACRO40/E/02/CB  
Starting Salary Range: $15.40 - $23.25 HRLY ($25,974 targeted; Commensurate with experience) 
Employee group: Casual / On Call 
Schedule: Monday – Sunday, Variable Hours 
Exempt Status: Non-Exempt 
Location: Hybrid/School of Public Health 
Department name: ​​​​​​​Mental Health Research Projects  
Personnel area: School of Public Health