Research Standards Coordinator

Job Overview:

The Research Standards Coordinator plays a central operational role within the IRC Research Pillar, supporting the Institutional Review Board (IRB) in ensuring that all IRC-affiliated research involving human subjects meets the highest standards of ethical compliance, data protection, and regulatory accountability. The Coordinator manages the full lifecycle of IRB submissions — from initial triage and protocol number assignment through review coordination, decision communication, and protocol closeout — and serves as the primary point of contact between research teams, IRB reviewers, board members, and external ethics bodies. Beyond IRB administration, this role leads researcher training on SOPs, maintains research resources on RescueNet, organizes the Research Community of Practice, and facilitates Research Pillar-wide meetings, making it a critical connective function across the IRC research community.

Major Responsibilities:

IRB Administration and Coordination (approx. 40% of time)

• Manage the full IRB submission lifecycle: receive and triage incoming protocols, assign sector-coded IRB numbers, conduct administrative completeness reviews, recommend review type (exempt, expedited, or full board) to the IRB Chair, and serve as the ongoing point of contact between research teams and the IRB from submission through closeout.
• Coordinate all review logistics: for expedited reviews, manage reviewer assignment and distribution of materials; for full board reviews, manage pre-meeting preparation including quorum confirmation, conflict of interest verification, agenda and materials distribution, and venue and remote call setup. Draft all IRB decision letters and share with the IRB Chair for signature within 24 hours of the review decision; issue signed letters to research teams promptly thereafter.
• Maintain complete, audit-ready records of all IRB actions and interactions — including submissions, determinations, correspondence, reportable events, and protocol closures — and ensure all files are accurately stored in Box and the protocol tracking system in real time.
• Manage ongoing regulatory compliance: maintain the IRB board roster and ethics certificate renewal schedule, manage OHRP registration and Federalwide Assurance (FWA) renewals, monitor protocol expiration dates, and prepare quarterly IRB update reports for the Institutional Official.

Research Quality and Compliance Coordination (approx. 35% of time)

• Design and deliver training for researchers and research teams on IRC SOPs for Data Collection, Data Analysis, and Data Management and Storage, including how each SOP is implemented and monitored; track training completion and report on gaps to the Director of Research and IRB as part of quarterly compliance monitoring.
• Maintain and regularly update all research forms, templates, and guidance materials on RescueNet, ensuring that resources available to staff are always aligned with the latest approved SOPs and IRB standards.
• Support quarterly SOP compliance monitoring in coordination with the IRB Chair and Data Science Research Lead; contribute to identifying and addressing systemic compliance gaps across the research portfolio.
• Operate and maintain AI-enabled tools used in IRC’s research workflows; support the IRC AI for Research initiative by piloting tools with research teams, advising on responsible and ethical AI use, and helping develop researcher guidance consistent with IRC data protection and IRB standards.

Research Team Support and Facilitation (approx. 25% of time)

• Organize and oversee the IRC Research Community of Practice, including planning and facilitating regular convenings, coordinating contributors, and ensuring the community functions as an active resource for methodological learning and cross-team knowledge exchange.
• Organize and facilitate Research Pillar-wide meetings, including agenda preparation in consultation with the Director of Research, logistics coordination, and follow-up on action items.
• Serve as a first point of contact for research teams navigating IRB and SOP requirements; develop and maintain researcher-facing guidance, FAQs, and submission support materials on RescueNet.
• Support the IRC’s network of Data Champions by coordinating methodology clinics and ensuring feedback from country teams reaches the IRB Chair and Board.

Reporting Structure:

• The Research Standards Coordinator reports to the Director of Research. In practice, the majority of day-to-day work is conducted in direct partnership with the IRB Chair — who leads substantive ethical review and board decisions — and the Data Science Research Lead, who oversees shared analytical resources, SOP development, and the research data infrastructure that this role supports operationally. These three relationships form the core working unit for the role. The Research Standards Coordinator also works regularly with the Institutional Official, Data Stewards, Principal Investigators, Data Managers, Analysts, and the IT/Box Administrator. The role has no direct reports but coordinates a network of IRB reviewers and Data Champions across HQ and country offices, and interfaces with external ethics bodies, local IRBs, OHRP, and partner institutions as required by individual study protocols.

Job Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree in public health, social sciences, research administration, law, or a related field.
• Master’s degree preferred.
• Minimum 3 years of experience in research administration, IRB coordination, ethics compliance, or a closely related role.
• Experience designing and delivering training or capacity-building programs for research staff.
• Experience organizing and facilitating a community of practice, working group, or similar collaborative forum.
• Experience working in or with humanitarian, international development, or NGO research environments.

Skills and Competencies

• Strong organizational and project management skills, with the ability to manage multiple protocols, training activities, and meeting schedules simultaneously without losing attention to detail.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills (in English); able to explain complex regulatory and methodological requirements clearly to research teams with varying levels of experience.
• Proficiency with document management platforms (Box or equivalent) and content management systems (RescueNet or equivalent); experience maintaining structured, audit-ready records.
• Familiarity with data protection principles (PII, informed consent, data minimization) and research ethics frameworks (Belmont Report, FAIR principles).
• Collaborative working style with the ability to build relationships across HQ and country-level teams in a complex international organization.
• Comfort working with AI-enabled tools in a professional research context, with an understanding of responsible AI use principles including transparency, human oversight, and ethical considerations relevant to humanitarian research.

Preferred Qualifications

• Demonstrated experience managing IRB or research ethics review processes, including working knowledge of 45 CFR 46 (Common Rule) and OHRP/FWA registration requirements.
• CIP (Certified IRB Professional) certification or active progress toward certification.
• Experience with Pre-Analysis Plan registration processes (3ie RIDIE, AEA RCT Registry, or ClinicalTrials.gov).
• Familiarity with qualitative and mixed-methods research methodologies and their ethical considerations in humanitarian contexts.
• Experience working with or implementing AI-enabled tools in a research, data, or knowledge management context

Working Environment

• Some international travel may be required to support field-based research activities (up to 10%).

Equal Opportunity Employer: IRC is an Equal Opportunity Employer. IRC considers all applicants on the basis of merit without regard to race, sex, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, disability or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

Professional Standards: All International Rescue Committee workers must adhere to the core values and principles outlined in IRC Way - Standards for Professional Conduct. Our Standards are Integrity, Service, Equality and Accountability. In accordance with these values, the IRC operates and enforces policies on Safeguarding, Conflicts of Interest, Fiscal Integrity, and Reporting Wrongdoing and Protection from Retaliation. IRC is committed to take all necessary preventive measures and create an environment where people feel safe, and to take all necessary actions and corrective measures when harm occurs. IRC builds teams of professionals who promote critical reflection, power sharing, debate, and objectivity to deliver the best possible services to our clients.