CRECE Lab:

Lab Manager (Junior Specialist) (JPF02132)

CRECE Lab:

Lab Manager (Junior Specialist) to

CRECE Lab:

Lab Manager (Junior Specialist) Job #

JPF02132

Psychology / Social Sciences Division / UC Santa Cruz

POSITION OVERVIEW

Position title:

CRECE Lab:

Lab Manager (Junior Specialist) Salary range: The posted UCSC Salary Scales set the minimum pay determined by rank and step at appointment. See the scale titled

REPRESENTED SPECIALIST SERIES FISCAL YEAR

Non-exempt. A reasonable estimate for this position is $27.30/hr. Percent time: 50% Time Anticipated start: As soon as possible after the initial review of applications. Position duration: Initial appointment will be for one year, with the possibility of reappointment. Should the hiring unit propose reappointment; a review to assess performance will be conducted. Reappointment is also contingent upon the availability of funding.

APPLICATION WINDOW

Open date: August 21, 2026 Next review date: Monday, Sep 21, 2026 at 11:59pm (Pacific Time) Apply by this date to ensure full consideration by the committee.

Final date:

Monday, Aug 23, 2027 at 11:59pm (Pacific Time) Applications will continue to be accepted until this date, but those received after the review date will only be considered if the position has not yet been filled.

POSITION DESCRIPTION

The CRECE lab, directed by Dr. David Menendez in the Department of Psychology at the University of California, Santa Cruz, invites applications for the position of part-time lab manager (Junior Specialist). The CRECE lab investigates how children think and learn about STEM and supernatural topics. Specifically, the lab is currently investigating how children think about death, and how they might learn about it through conversations with parents, and by interacting with media. We also investigate how children learn about biology and viruses with various educational materials, and how children think about structural factors. This position involves supervising a team of undergraduates, writing and maintaining IRB protocols, creating stimuli for research studies, analyzing data, coordinating meetings with the research team, and writing reports of the studies. Individuals with prior experience supervising or training undergraduate research assistants are strongly encouraged to apply. This position is ideal for individuals who would like to gain research skills and pursue doctoral or graduate programs in the future. Individuals will have opportunities to be involved in preparing conference presentations, writing journal manuscripts, and starting their own research projects in collaboration with Dr. Menendez and his students. We are dedicated to supporting and mentoring the next generation of scholars from diverse backgrounds. Applicants with any or all of the following areas of experience and qualifications are strongly encouraged to apply:

• Experience with qualitative coding, independently or semi-independently.
• Experience conducting an independent research project or thesis.
• Experience supervising undergraduate research assistants.
• Good communication skills (written and verbal) The hiring unit will not sponsor employment-eligible immigration statuses for this position.

CRECE Lab:

https://crecelab.sites.ucsc.edu/

Psychology Department:

https://psychology.ucsc.edu/ QUALIFICATIONS Basic qualifications (required at the time the application is submitted) Minimum 2 years of experience conducting developmental psychology research (e.g. as paid or volunteer research assistant). B.A. (or foreign equivalent) with college-level coursework in psychology. Experience with statistical software (e.g., SPSS, R) or programing languages (e.g., Java, Python, JSPsych).