Research Psychologist I (Psychophysiology Collaborator)

Position Definition:

The Stress, Trauma, and Resilience Program (STaR Lab) at the San Francisco VA Health Care System is seeking a Research Psychologist to serve as a scientific collaborator across studies on PTSD/trauma, sleep/insomnia, fear learning and extinction, and TBI. This role is methods- and team-science–focused, supporting both in-lab and remote psychophysiology and translating multimodal data into publishable findings and competitive grants. This position is part-time, intermittent.

Essential Functions:

• Collaborate on study design: refine aims, endpoints, and mechanistic models; co-develop experimental paradigms (e.g., fear conditioning/extinction).
• Lead psychophysiology operations: develop SOPs; train staff/trainees; oversee quality control for acquisition and scoring.
• Guide analysis strategy: build/oversee preprocessing and feature extraction pipelines; integrate physiology with clinical and sleep outcomes; partner with statisticians/data scientists as needed.
• Scholarly output: co-lead manuscripts, abstracts, and conference presentations; write clear, reproducible methods.
• Grant support: contribute to mechanistic aims and measurement/analysis sections for pilot and multi-site proposals.
• Mentorship & team science: participate in lab meetings; mentor trainees in psychophysiology methods and scientific writing.

• Measurement/Methods (examples): EDA, ECG/HR/HRV, EMG, respiration/startle, facial coding; remote PPG/wearables; integration with actigraphy/PSG (as applicable) and symptom/behavioral outcomes.

• Effort: Primarily research collaboration and scientific output; limited clinical activity only if relevant to funding/service needs.

Job Requirements:

• PhD/PsyD in clinical psychology or closely related field.
• Demonstrated research productivity and strong quantitative/writing skills.
• Experience in psychophysiology and/or mechanistic clinical/translational research (PTSD/trauma, sleep, fear learning, TBI).

Preferred Qualifications:

• Clinical trials experience; R/Python/MATLAB; remote physiology workflow experience; Veteran/trauma-exposed populations.

Working Conditions/Environment:

The work environment for this position will include an indoor office and a medical research environment.  It may include some minor annoyances such as noise, temperature variations, etc. The incumbent may sustain posture in standing or seated position and may utilize a computer terminal for prolonged periods of time.

VA Onboarding Requirements:

NCIRE is an affiliate organization of the San Francisco VA Health Care System (SFVAHCS), which requires all candidates to complete SFVA onboarding in addition to NCIRE's onboarding process. The SFVA is a federal agency that requires a federal background check, occupational health clearance, vaccines and immunizations, and drug testing for certain positions. Drug testing may include screening for marijuana which remains an illegal substance according to federal law.  The failure to pass required drug testing will disqualify candidates from employment.

The base wage range for this position is $47.54-$73.71 per hour. The wage actually offered to a successful candidate will take into account various relevant and non-discriminatory business factors including, without limitation, the candidate’s geographic location, job-related experience, knowledge, and skills, and education, as well as internal equity considerations. A successful candidate may also be eligible to earn additional compensation including bonuses.

NCIRE is an Equal Opportunity Employer.  This position requires access to United States Government research under the Veterans Administration. Per Veterans Administration regulations surrounding access to US research, qualified US Citizens will be selected over other individuals eligible to work in the United States.  If you are eligible to work in the United States, you may still be considered for this position but only if no qualified US citizens apply.