Research Training Specialist

Dana-Farber Cancer Institute is a leader in life-changing breakthroughs in cancer research and patient care. The Research Training Specialist supports student training efforts of the Harvard Cancer Consortium CURE Program by coordinating program operations, communications, and student/mentor experience management while managing high-volume program administration and providing direct student support.

Responsibilities

• Create plan and lead student recruitment (school/community visits, presentations, recruitment and outreach materials, inquiry response), coordinate outreach logistics and maintain outreach activity logs, pipeline tracking, and ensure timely prospective-student communications
• Coordinate application review, interview, and selection logistics (scheduling, confirmations, interviewer coordination, candidate communications, tracking) and maintain accurate applicant and cohort records
• Own onboarding checklists, deadline management, and completion tracking for required documentation and trainings; maintain organized and confidential student records; coordinate onboarding steps with internal and external partners and process/track student status changes (e.g., sponsored to paid) to ensure alignment across systems and trackers
• Serve as delegated approver for student timecards, monitoring submissions, resolving common issues, and supporting on-time processing in alignment with program and institutional requirements
• Steward operational data across key tools (Salesforce, Canvas, Smartsheet, Microsoft 365, SurveyMonkey, and related trackers), maintain standardized processes and data quality, track attendance/assignments/milestones, and generate routine dashboards and metrics summaries for program staff and leadership
• Provide front-line support to students and mentors, including real-time troubleshooting, coaching, and expectation-setting; document actions/outcomes and triage/escalate sensitive or high-risk concerns in partnership with program leadership
• Draft and distribute student-facing communications and maintain distribution lists and communication calendars; support first-pass evaluation planning and administration; identify operational gaps and support implementation/documentation of improvements (SOPs, templates, checklists), including event/conference logistics and support for additional program components as assigned; coordinate core components of the student lifecycle (recruitment through completion), ensuring accurate tracking, deadline management, and a consistent and equitable participant experience across program cycles

Skills

• Bachelor's degree required
• 1 year of experience in administrative, program or project coordination
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail, with the ability to manage high-volume scheduling, multiple concurrent deadlines, and cyclical peak workload periods
• Ability to manage confidential information with discretion and sound judgment; consistent, accurate recordkeeping practices
• Strong stakeholder management skills, including the ability to coordinate effectively with mentors, school/community partners, and internal cross-functional teams in a matrixed environment
• Proficiency with common enterprise tools (e.g., CRM, LMS, timekeeping, survey tools, and Microsoft 365); ability to learn new systems quickly and apply standardized data practices
• Ability to produce accurate operational reporting (e.g., participation metrics, pipeline activity, onboarding compliance status) and draft basic evaluation summaries (descriptive trends, strengths/opportunities) for leadership review
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including drafting student-facing messages, instructions, and operational content with consistent tone, clarity, and version control
• Strong project coordination skills (planning, sequencing tasks, tracking dependencies, anticipating issues, and following through to closure)
• Demonstrated ability to build rapport and credibility with high school and/or college students; coaching mindset with strong active listening skills and appropriate boundary-setting
• Demonstrated experience in student-facing program operations, training/education administration, student services, advising/coaching, or comparable coordination work
• Ability to assess risk, document appropriately, and escalate concerns promptly and professionally
• STEM or Health Sciences, Business Administration, Management, or related field preferred
• 3 years related experience preferred
• Experience in student-facing program operations, training/education administration, student services, or student advising/coaching strongly preferred

Company Overview

Company H1B Sponsorship