Program Coordinator II, Community Based Research Initiative (Community Engagement & Research Coordination)

Job Summary:

Under the general supervision of the Executive Director and Program Principal Investigator, the INSPIRE Programs Coordinator will manage the day-to-day operations of CDU’s growing portfolio of INSPIRE community-based research programs—INSPIRE Faith, INSPIRE CA, and INSPIRE USA. The Coordinator serves as the primary operational point of contact across these programs, combining research-program coordination, community relationship-building, and oversight of the digital engagement and data-capture platforms (in partnership with the technology team) that enable the programs to operate at scale. The role blends hands-on, place-based community partnership (primarily through INSPIRE Faith) with the coordination of predominantly online, largely automated statewide, and national programs. A central purpose of the role is to strengthen community trust in research and to broaden the participation of Black/African American/Hispanic communities and other communities of color in clinical research and trials, ensuring that community voice and priorities shape how the work is designed and carried out.

About the Center:

The Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science (CDU), a partner in the UCLA Clinical and Translational Science Institute (CTSI) alongside UCLA and Cedars-Sinai, is building a community-centered clinical research enterprise through its Clinical and Translational Research Center (CTRC) in South Los Angeles. The INSPIRE programs are a family of community-based research initiatives advancing health and brain health across diverse populations. INSPIRE Faith is a deep, place-based partnership with faith institutions requiring regular in-person engagement with community partners; INSPIRE CA, and INSPIRE USA are digitally delivered, largely automated programs conducted primarily online, with select live sessions led by physicians and study staff. Together they build on CDU’s longstanding legacy of community engagement and health-equity research.

This work advances a national commitment to health equity: expanding access to healthcare in underserved communities, building lasting trust between communities of color and the healthcare system, and increasing the participation of Black/African American communities and other communities of color in research and clinical trials. As a historically Black graduate institution, CDU pursues these goals in partnership with peer institutions and community organizations, treating community relationships not as a means of recruitment but as the foundation of research that is shaped by, accountable to, and beneficial for the communities it serves. The INSPIRE Programs Coordinator is central to this mission, serving as the trusted community bridge that connects faith and community partners to research and trial opportunities and helps ensure that the science reflects the priorities of the community.

Essential Duties

• Manage the day-to-day operations and coordination of the INSPIRE research programs (Faith, CA, and USA), ensuring each program runs smoothly, on schedule, and in alignment with study protocols and the Center’s mission
• Coordinate in-person activities for INSPIRE Faith—anticipated at approximately two days per week of on-site engagement with community partners—and support the logistics of live sessions conducted by physicians and study staff across all programs, including scheduling, participant coordination, and event execution.
• Coordinate and support program staff, students, and volunteers across the INSPIRE programs, including onboarding, task coordination, and training
• Support participant recruitment, retention, and outreach across programs, including coordinating culturally appropriate promotional and educational materials (in collaboration with the communications team)
• Attend community meetings, faith-partner gatherings, health events, and program activities as needed to represent the INSPIRE programs and CDU
• Oversee the online engagement platform, participant communications, scheduled calls, and data-capture elements for the digitally delivered programs (INSPIRE CA, and USA), coordinating closely with the technology team to ensure the platforms function reliably and participant data is captured accurately and securely.
• Monitor program metrics, participant engagement, and feedback to assess effectiveness, support quality improvement, and inform recommendations to program leadership
• Establish and support Faith Community Advisory Boards across Los Angeles, coordinating the formation of one board in 2026 and several additional boards by 2028. Each board is a governance body of no more than 11 faith leaders drawn from partnering faith institutions, guiding program direction, protocol input, and community voice at the faith-partner level.
  • The Coordinator organizes board recruitment, scheduling, meeting logistics, and ongoing stewardship.
• Recruit, onboard, and support Community Navigators from partnering faith institutions, growing the Navigator corps to 50 by the end of 2026 and more than 500 by the end of 2028. Navigators are community members who support the conduct of the studies from the faith-community side, including participant recruitment, guidance in navigating different community and clinical spaces, and support at program events.
  • Navigators are distinct from advisory board members and are not study participants themselves.
• Organize and help lead faith-based health festivals, coordinating planning, faith-partner engagement, logistics, staffing, and execution to advance community health and program visibility across partnering faith institutions.
• Build trusted partnerships with community and faith-based organizations, serving as the primary liaison and fostering ongoing engagement across INSPIRE programs.
• Advance community-centered research by connecting partners to clinical research opportunities, promoting diverse participation, and ensuring community voices inform program and study design through transparent and culturally responsive engagement.
• Perform administrative tasks related to community engagement program management, such as creating reports, PowerPoint, and maintaining records
• Support grant management and reporting for the programs—including tracking deliverables, timelines, and compliance, and coordinating with dedicated grant writers who lead proposal writing (this role is not responsible for writing grants)

Required Qualifications

EDUCATION:

• Four-year college degree (B.A., B.S.) in Health Sciences. Experience in Business Administration, Public Administration, or Public Health is an advantage.

EXPERIENCE:

• At least 2 or more years of experience coordinating research programs, studies, or educational/community programs, preferably in an academic, clinical research, or healthcare setting and activities.
• Experience with grant or program management, including tracking deliverables, timelines, budgets, and reporting requirements for federal, local, or private funders (proposal writing is handled by dedicated grant writers and is not required for this role).
• Experience in coordination of staff and students, including experience working in conjunction with HR. Also strongly prefer experience working with diverse partners and cultural sensitivity.
• Demonstrated ability to build and sustain trusted relationships with community members, faith-based or community organizations, and diverse partners; experience with community-engaged or community-based work strongly preferred.
• Understanding of, and commitment to, expanding access to healthcare and increasing the participation of Black/African American communities and other communities of color in clinical research and trials; familiarity with the trust barriers that affect research participation in underserved communities and with community-centered approaches to addressing them strongly preferred.
• Experience recruiting, organizing, and supporting community advisory boards, community health workers or navigators, and community volunteers, ideally within faith-based settings; experience planning or leading community or faith-based health events or festivals strongly preferred.
• Comfort with technology and digital tools; experience using online engagement platforms, virtual meeting/call coordination, databases, or electronic data-capture systems (e.g., REDCap) preferred. Ability to work closely with a technology team to support program platforms and data workflows.

• Experience with developing and communicating, in written and oral form, detailed and technical scientific and administrative program information to various audiences.
• Has experience developing evaluation metrics to assist Supervisor in reviewing effectiveness of program activities, recommending improvements, and assisting in executing recommendations.
• Has experience developing marketing/promotional information to increase visibility of the institution or program. Prefer experience articulating detailed or technical scientific information in a generally publicly acceptable and culturally appropriate manner.
• Ability to develop and maintain professional working relationships in complex program/organizational settings involving heterogeneous constituents such as academic and clinical faculty, staff, students, and community partners from diverse backgrounds.
• Experience with interpreting operating policies and procedures and resolving minor discipline and other employee relations issues within an academic setting or institution.

SKILLS

• Demonstrated experience developing and executing community engagement strategy
• Proven ability to build relationships and partnerships with diverse groups
• Excellent oral and written communication skills
• Strong organizational and time-management skills
• Budget development and oversight experience

• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills. Prefer basic/working knowledge of Spanish language.
• Proficient in MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)
• Strong research-program coordination skills, including managing multiple concurrent programs, timelines, and deliverables with attention to protocol and compliance requirements
• Comfort with online engagement platforms, virtual meeting tools, and electronic data-capture systems; able to partner effectively with a technology team

COMPLEXITY:

• The ability to perform highly detailed work with sustained attention and care while providing/obtaining information on numerous inquiries is paramount to success in this position.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS:

• The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
• Long-term sitting at a computer workstation. Frequent standing and walking; occasional standing for multiple hours at events. Finger movement, feeling sufficient to work on computers and equipment; speaking clearly, hearing conversationally, and seeing far and near. Regular off-campus travel will be involved, including approximately two days per week of in-person engagement for INSPIRE Faith.

WORK ENVIRONMENT:

• The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
• Occasionally required to work in confined space.
• Occasionally required to work evenings or weekends to attend events or meet with community members.
• May handle sensitive information

MENTAL DEMANDS:

• The mental demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
• Able to perform highly detailed work with sustained attention and care while providing/obtaining information on numerous inquiries is paramount to success in this position. Frequently work on a variety of unrelated tasks. Use of sustained concentration, reasoning, judgment, resourcefulness, analytical ability and ingenuity.

SPECIAL REQUIREMENTS:

• Ability to work effectively with a diverse community.

Compensation:

• $70,340 - $78,260

Position Status:

• Full Time, Exempt

The employment status of this position is classified as “Conditional.” Conditional employment means that the job exists contingent upon continued funding and limitations of restricted funds or, the duration of a specific program, project, grant, or contract. Since your salary is funded by (Novartis – Clinical Trials Center of Excellence , end date 12/31/2026), your position is contingent upon the continued receipt of these funds. Continuation of your position is dependent, in part, upon funding availability. Furthermore, no work may be performed after the grant end date(s) unless you have received an extension in writing from a Dean, Division VP, or Human Resources.

EEO Statement: Charles R. Drew University is committed to Equal Employment Opportunity. Applicants will be considered without regard to gender, race, age, color, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, genetic information, marital status, disability or covered veteran status.

Fair Chance Statement: Charles R. Drew University of Medicine and Science will consider qualified applicants, including those with criminal histories, in a manner consistent with state and local “Fair Chance” laws