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 - Dana-Farber Cancer Institute is a center dedicated to carrying out adult and pediatric cancer treatment activities and advanced research. It was founded in 1947, and is headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, USA, with a workforce of 1001-5000 employees. Its website is http://www.dana-farber.org. Company H1B Sponsorship - Dana-Farber Cancer Institute has a track record of offering H1B sponsorships, with 49 in 2026, 191 in 2025, 145 in 2024, 155 in 2023, 139 in 2022, 105 in 2021, 113 in 2020. Please note that this does not guarantee sponsorship for this specific role.