Lab Manager - Rational Altruism Lab at UCLA
We are looking for a Lab Manager for an impact focused Behavioral Science Lab at UCLA
Lab Manager
We are seeking a highly motivated and proactive individual to join the Rational Altruism Lab at UCLA as the Lab Manager. The successful candidate will have strong organizational, interpersonal, and communication skills, as well as the ability to work autonomously and take responsibility.
About the Rational Altruism Lab
Mission
Our mission is to lay the scientific foundations for motivating and enabling people to embark on highly impactful altruistic projects and pursue them effectively. This includes research on understanding and improving goal-setting and decision-making, motivation, values, moral reasoning, wisdom, learning from experience, and rationality. The lab's multidisciplinary approaches include computational and mathematical modeling, online and field experiments, machine learning, questionnaires, and experience sampling. We translate the insights of our basic research into (intelligent) digital tools for improving decision-making and fostering the effective pursuit of altruistic goals, and evaluate the resulting interventions in randomized controlled trials. Potential projects include investigating how people can learn to make important decisions more wisely and developing interventions for motivating people to set goals with a high positive social impact and helping them pursue those goals effectively.
Founder - Falk Lieder
Dr. Lieder’s fascination with psychological science started early. He was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to publish his first scientific article while he was still in high school. To prepare himself for rigorous, quantitative psychological research, he completed two simultaneous bachelor’s degrees in Cognitive Science and in Mathematics/Computer Science at the University of Osnabrück (Germany). Dr. Lieder then obtained his master’s degree in Neural Systems and Computation at ETH Zurich (Switzerland). After working as a research assistant in Klaas Stephan’s Translational Neuromodeling Unit at the University of Zurich, he completed his Ph.D. in Tom Griffiths’s Computational Cognitive Science Lab at UC Berkeley in May 2018. His dissertation was awarded the Glushko Dissertation Prize in Cognitive Science. He then became a Max Planck Research Group Leader at the MPI for Intelligent Systems in Tübingen, Germany, where he led the Rationality Enhancement Group until June 2023. He will move to the psychology department of UCLA in July 2023. Dr. Lieder has published 46 peer-reviewed articles that have collectively been cited more than 4000 times. He was the lead organizer of the inaugural Life Improvement Science conference. His most influential contribution to cognitive science thus far has been the development of a new cognitive modeling paradigm known as resource-rational analysis (Lieder & Griffiths, 2020).
Team
Initially, the lab will be smaller but will eventually comprise one principal investigator (Dr Lieder), 1-2 postdoctoral researchers, 3-4 Ph.D. students, 1-3 research assistants, 2-6 undergraduate research assistants, a web developer, and the lab manager.
ABOUT THE ROLE
The role of the lab manager offers a unique opportunity to be a crucial member of a dynamic and innovative research team. As the lab manager, you will provide administrative support to the lab, including handling interactions with various administrative units and collaborators and ensuring accurate financial records. You will also be responsible for coordinating lab activities and events, providing research assistance, and managing the lab's PR activities. This role offers a diverse and challenging workload, where you will be able to develop your skills and make a meaningful contribution to the team's success.
Tasks and responsibilities
Provide administrative support to the lab, including handling interactions with HR, finance, IT, grants office, and international office.
Maintain accurate financial records and handle expenses, grants, and purchasing.
Coordinate travel arrangements and assist with report preparation.
Manage email correspondence and schedule meetings.
Develop, document, and implement standard operating procedures for the lab.
Coordinate and manage research projects and participate in writing ethics protocols and preparing grant applications.
Provide research assistance, including conducting literature reviews, data analysis, recruiting participants, and creating, testing, and running online experiments.
Screen and evaluate job applicants and assist with onboarding new lab members.
Organize events and activities.
Provide miscellaneous team assistance, including proofreading and creating slides and visuals.
Manage PR activities, including writing news entries, updating the website, and managing the lab’s social media presence.
Teach research skills to undergraduate research assistants and lab members.
Oversee administrative, organizational, HR/PR projects
YOU’LL BE A GREAT FIT FOR THIS ROLE IF YOU HAVE/ARE
Bachelor's degree in cognitive science, psychology, social science, economics, management, education, statistics, neuroscience, computer science, engineering, physics, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
Relevant research experience or relevant work experience.
A network and involvement in the effective altruism, academic or applied behavioral science and/or rationality community.
A team player with strong analytical and organizational skills.
Ability to prioritize multiple tasks to achieve deadlines.
High attention to detail with a quality focus.
Proactive, diligent and solutions oriented.
Strong work ethic, and adept at working autonomously.
Growth oriented and ability to focus on the most impactful course of action.
Ability to help drive a positive team culture and build strong interpersonal relationships.
Excited to work on meaningful and potentially impactful projects.
General understanding of experimental design & research methods.
Ability to communicate clearly and effectively verbally and in writing.
Highly regarded:
Familiarity with the internal systems of the University of California, UCLA, or UCLA's psychology department.
Knowledge of online experiments and IT infrastructure setup is a plus.
BENEFITS TO YOU
Be part of a dedicated team of researchers striving to make the world a better place
Gain valuable research experience and co-authorship on impactful scientific articles
Discover how rigorous scientific methods can be used to solve some of the world’s most pressing problems
Gain hands-on experience with the best scientific practices and open science
Gain experience and qualifications for administrative, operations, management, executive assistant, and HR roles in universities and research organizations
Opportunities for meeting and networking with researchers
Potential to switch to a research or research management role later on
Access to UCLA's learning opportunities and professional development courses
Opportunity to take relevant classes at UCLA or professional development courses outside of UCLA.
See full details of the benefits for working at UCLA here
The lab manager will play a crucial impact in the success of the Rational Altruism Lab by taking on administrative and organizational responsibilities, allowing the principal investigator and researchers to focus on their research projects. They will effectively handle interactions with external stakeholders and take care of mundane tasks, freeing up valuable time for the researchers. The lab manager will also provide valuable research assistance by conducting literature research, running experiments, and training undergraduate research assistants. The lab manager role also offers an opportunity to get involved in publications and grant writing, data analysis, and developing interventions. Furthermore, the lab manager will foster a positive social atmosphere by organizing and facilitating social events, contributing to a collaborative and productive work environment.
COMPENSATION AND LOGISTICS
Compensation: Salary range $49,000-$59,000 USD
Work Location: University of California, Los Angeles with the flexibility to do most of the work remotely
Ideal Start date: July 2023
Should you apply?
We are committed to fostering a culture of inclusion, and we encourage individuals with diverse backgrounds and experiences to apply. We especially encourage applications from underrepresented groups. If you’re uncertain, you should err on the side of applying. Impostor syndrome is rampant in the Effective Altruism Community. If you have specific needs or circumstances that require accommodation, please contact Neil Ferro - neil@eahire.org from High Impact Recruitment who is coordinating the hiring process.
APPLICATION PROCESS
The selection process will consist of an application screening, offline work-tests, and interviews. We will review applications on an ongoing basis and have an initial deadline 12 June 2023 23:59 Pacific Time.
Please apply here!
If you have any questions about the role or want to refer someone, please do get in touch with Neil Ferro - neil@eahire.org (High Impact Recruitment).
