RCR and IRB Educator

About the position The Office of Research Protections (ORP) , housed within the Office of the Senior Vice President for Research, seeks a highly motivated and experienced professional to serve as the Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR) and Institutional Review Board (IRB) Educator . This position will be filled at the Education Program Specialist - Advanced Professional level. This position serves as a specialized educator supporting the University’s expansive research enterprise. The Educator designs, implements, and evaluates high-level, University-wide educational programs focused on the Human Research Protection Program (HRPP), the Institutional Review Board (IRB), and Responsible Conduct of Research (RCR). The role requires strong collaboration with HRPP staff, subject matter experts (SMEs), the Centralized Application Tracking System (CATS) team, compliance personnel, administrators, and faculty to ensure educational programming aligns with federal regulations, sponsor requirements, institutional policies, and system-based workflows. Work Arrangement: This position is is eligible for remote work within eligible states in the US , with very occasional travel required for on‑site professional development or training delivery. Standard work times are in EST.

Responsibilities

• Design, implement, and evaluate the University-wide IRB education program, including synchronous and asynchronous training.
• Develop and deliver educational offerings ranging from introductory sessions to in-depth training on IRB-related processes, systems (including CATS IRB), and regulatory requirements.
• Create and produce online training modules and audience-specific learning materials for researchers, compliance staff, committees, and administrators.
• Translate complex regulatory, ethical, and procedural information into clear, accessible educational content for diverse research audiences.
• Serve as a liaison between end users, HRPP, and the CATS development team to ensure training reflects real-world workflows and user experience.
• Manage University-wide ORP RCR training offerings each semester, including coordination and scheduling with subject matter experts.
• Oversee record-keeping and reporting of RCR training attendance and completion.
• Maintain records of college-level RCR training plans and curricula.
• Contribute to and support the management of college-level RCR training plans.
• Design, develop, and deliver University-wide educational opportunities focused on research ethics.
• Develop online RCR modules and audience-specific training for students, faculty, and researchers.
• Collaborate with administrators across colleges and campuses to track graduate students and new faculty to ensure compliance with sponsor and institutional RCR requirements.
• Assist with tracking and record-keeping of required RCR training to support funder requirements and institutional compliance standards.
• Assist in strategy development and creation of new outreach and instructional materials.
• Create and edit content for ORP and HRPP communications, including newsletters and website materials.
• Support website strategy development by creating and editing content to enhance the educational experience for end users.
• Collaborate across ORP to ensure consistency and integration of research education initiatives.
• Evaluate the effectiveness of educational offerings through ongoing assessment.
• Assess current and future training needs related to regulatory changes, evolving processes, and system enhancements.
• Ensure programs remain aligned with federal regulations, institutional policies, and sponsor requirements.
• Collaborate as part of the EQUIP team and provide backup support to other ORP Educators.
• Assist with special education or outreach projects for ORP and the Office of the Senior Vice President for Research (OSVPR) as needed.
• Contribute to additional research compliance education initiatives.
• May hire, train, supervise, and/or evaluate assigned staff, depending on program need.

Requirements

• Demonstrated experience developing and delivering remote education or training programs.
• Exceptional verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to convey technical or regulatory information to non-technical audiences.
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail, particularly in tracking and documentation.
• Proven professionalism and strong customer-service orientation.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office applications.
• Bachelor's Degree
• 3+ years of relevant experience; or an equivalent combination of education and experience accepted

Nice-to-haves

• IRB knowledge or experience strongly preferred.
• Experience in research compliance, research administration, or research education in a higher education or research environment.
• Familiarity with human subjects’ research regulations and institutional compliance frameworks.
• Experience with learning management systems, training delivery platforms, IRB systems, or website content management tools.

Benefits

• Penn State provides a competitive benefits package for full-time employees designed to support both personal and professional well-being.
• In addition to comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage, employees enjoy robust retirement plans and substantial paid time off which includes holidays, vacation and sick time.
• One of the standout benefits is the generous 75% tuition discount, available to employees as well as eligible spouses and children.
• For more detailed information, please visit our Benefits Page .