2024 MARYLAND YOUTH RISK BEHAVIOR SURVEY AND YOUTH TOBACCO SURVEY

SCHOOL RESEARCH RECRUITER

TEMPORARY EMPLOYMENT, SEPTEMBER 29 – DECEMBER 20, 2024

The Maryland Department of Health in collaboration with the Maryland State Department of Education is sponsoring a Statewide survey of students in grades 6 to 12, to document information on tobacco use, alcohol and other drug use and other health risk behaviors among adolescents.

The survey will be conducted in 370 public middle and high schools in all 23 Maryland counties plus the city of Baltimore. The results of the Maryland Youth Risk Behavior Survey and Youth Tobacco Survey (MD YRBS/YTS) will produce reports for each of Maryland's 24 jurisdictions that will be used to (1) monitor health-risk behaviors among middle and high school students; (2) evaluate the impact of state and local efforts to prevent health-risk behaviors; and (3) improve school health education policies and programs.

School Research Recruiters need to be articulate and demonstrate strong verbal and written communication skills, well-developed active listening skills, and the ability to be both succinct and persuasive in written and oral communication. As the School Research Recruiter, you will need to be adept at engaging others in conversation and interpreting possible objections based on verbal and non-verbal cues. This role requires resiliency, and the ability to present effective responses/alternatives in overcoming respondents' resistance to participation.

These roles are full-time, remote based (work-from-home) from late September 2024 through mid-December 2024. Successful candidates will be required to attend a two-day training in Rockville, MD on September 30 & October 1, 2024.

What you will be doing:

• Establish rapport with school districts and schools that have been randomly selected to participate in the Maryland Youth Risk Behavior Survey and Youth Tobacco Survey.

• Perform respondent identification in accordance with study protocol, carefully selecting appropriate respondents, and scheduling data collection activities.

• Actively work to fill gaps in scheduling assignments and monitor logistics for assigned field data collection staff.

• Use a computer to complete an online data collection management application for each study and complete study assignments and tasks using Microsoft Office products, such as Word, Excel, and Outlook.

Basic Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in behavioral or social sciences, public health, or related field

• At least 2 years of relevant work experience in the field of education, research, and/or evaluation

• Home WiFi access required

• Proficiency with Microsoft Office (i.e., Word, Excel, Outlook) is essential in this fast-paced, client-oriented environment.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Familiarity with school environments is ideal.

• Prior experience recruiting participants to participate in research studies preferred. Recruitment, college admissions, educational administration, teaching, field data collection, fund raising, public relations, direct sales, and health education/promotion would be ideal.

• Master's degree preferred.

Professional Skills:

• Strong verbal and written communication skills, well-developed active listening skills, and the ability to be both succinct and persuasive in written and oral communication.

• Experience engaging others in conversation and interpreting possible objections based on verbal and non-verbal cues.

• Ability to think on one's feet to analyze a situation, identify potential problems, and recommend solutions.

• Detail oriented with well-developed ability to document assignment outcomes.

• Demonstrated level of professionalism in providing task support, including ability to exercise good judgment, discretion, tact, and diplomacy required.

• Sound business ethics, including the protection of proprietary and confidential information required.

• Time-management, including the ability to manage assignments effectively and work under extremely tight timelines while following study protocols.

• Ability to work independently and with all levels of staff to achieve project goals.

We are under a tight deadline to hire staff. Please apply by phone IMMEDIATELY describing your experience and personal attributes in terms of the above-listed criteria by contacting: AdNet.