Geese at the Duck Pond on Virginia Tech's Blacksburg campus

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    Research Associate

    • 535357
    • Blacksburg, Virginia
    • Research Faculty
    • Agriculture & Life Sciences
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    Job Description

    The part-time salaried RD Dietary Counselor/research associate (RA) will support an NIH-funded behavioral intervention trial focused on weight loss and weight loss maintenance in adults aged 50+ years. The dietary counselor will provide one-on-one weight management counseling to participants on a weekly basis in-person during the 12-week weight loss phase, and on a monthly “virtual” basis during the 12-month maintenance phase. The counselor will also be responsible for data collection, specifically dietary intake assessment and collection of 24-hour dietary recall data, weighing and recording participants' body weight using study procedures, and collecting self-monitoring logs from participants to track adherence to self-monitoring recommendations for body weight, diet, and physical activity. The dietary counselor/RA will assist with updating all study counseling materials as needed, and training, onboarding, and supervising new dietary counselors. The counselor will be responsible for periodic staff retraining and conducting quality assurance checks for all study dietary counseling activities and all data collected by the study counselors.

    The dietary counselor will meet regularly with the dietary counseling team and will meet twice per month with the full research team and PI. The dietary counselor must be detail-oriented, reliable, responsible, flexible, able to work independently, and maintain a professional demeanor with study participants.

    Required Qualifications

    Master’s degree in Nutrition and/or Dietetics, RDN credential (An exception may be granted for individuals with bachelor’s degrees and significant relevant experience); Experience providing medical nutrition therapy focused on adult weight management in older adults

    Preferred Qualifications

    Previous experience working in human clinical research, CITI Human Subjects Research Training certificate, ServSafe certificate.

    Overtime Status

    Exempt: Not eligible for overtime

    Appointment Type

    Restricted

    Salary Information

    46,226 to 53,967

    Hours per week

    32

    Review Date

    02/20/2026

    Additional Information

     

    The successful candidate will be required to have a criminal conviction check.

     

    About Virginia Tech

    Dedicated to its motto, Ut Prosim (That I May Serve), Virginia Tech pushes the boundaries of knowledge by taking a hands-on, transdisciplinary approach to preparing scholars to be leaders and problem-solvers. A comprehensive land-grant institution that enhances the quality of life in Virginia and throughout the world, Virginia Tech is an inclusive community dedicated to knowledge, discovery, and creativity. The university offers more than 280 majors to a diverse enrollment of more than 36,000 undergraduate, graduate, and professional students in eight undergraduate colleges, a school of medicine, a veterinary medicine college, Graduate School, and Honors College. The university has a significant presence across Virginia, including Blacksburg, the greater Washington, D.C. area, the Health Sciences and Technology Campus in Roanoke, sites in Newport News and Richmond, and numerous Extension offices and research institutes. A leading global research institution, Virginia Tech conducts more than $650 million in research annually.

    Virginia Tech endorses and encourages participation in professional development opportunities and university shared governance.  These valuable contributions to university shared governance provide important representation and perspective, along with opportunities for unique and impactful professional development.

    Virginia Tech does not discriminate against employees, students, or applicants on the basis of age, color, disability, sex (including pregnancy), gender, gender identity, gender expression, genetic information, ethnicity or national origin, political affiliation, race, religion, sexual orientation, or military status, or otherwise discriminate against employees or applicants who inquire about, discuss, or disclose their compensation or the compensation of other employees or applicants, or on any other basis protected by law.

    If you are an individual with a disability and desire an accommodation, please contact Dr. Brenda Davy at bdavy@vt.edu during regular business hours at least 10 business days prior to the event.


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