POSITION DESCRIPTION QUESTIONNAIRE
ADMINISTRATIVE FACULTY
To expedite and facilitate the PDQ review process, please send the PDQ and Org Chart electronically to marshag@unr.edu for initial review before routing PDQ for approval signatures .
Questions - call UNR-HR at 682-6114
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INSTRUCTIONS: See http://www.unr.edu/vpaf/hr/compensation/placement.html
for complete instructions.
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Name of Incumbent(s) (if applicable): Jacqueline Pistorello ( grant named )
Current Title:
Department: Counseling Services
Position #: new
Current Range:
College/Division: Student Success
Services / VP, Student Services
Action Proposed: (check all that apply)
( X ) New position : Proposed Range: 5
Proposed Title : Administrator, Psychological Research
( ) Title Change, Proposed Title:
( ) Proposed Reassignment from Range to Range
( ) Revised PDQ only (no change in range or title)
I certify that the statements in this description are accurate and complete to the best of my knowledge.
Employee’s Signature
June 20, 2008
Date
I/we have reviewed the statements in this form and they accurately reflect the job assignments.
Immediate Supervisor’s Signature Matthew Blusewicz Date
Dir, Counseling Svcs
Director/Chair/Dean Fabienne McPhail-Naples
Assoc Vice Pres, Student Success Services
Date
Approved for Salary Placement Committee review.
Pres / Vice Pres / Vice Prov Signature Shannon Ellis
Vice President, Student Services
Date
Action Approved by the President (Completed by Faculty HR):
Position #:
Job Class Code:
Range:
Exempt: Yes or No Census Code:
Effective Date:
Approved Title:
_____________________________________________________________________________
Employee Signature Date
(Employee sign and send to HR for personnel file after PDQ approval for personnel file)
Rev: 2/5/2008

Position Description – Administrator, Psychological Research Page 2
1. Summary Statement: State the major function(s) of the position and its role in the university. Attach an organizational chart with positions, ranges, and names for the division which reflects the position in it as well as those supervised in the department. (This section is
used for advertisement of the position.)
The Administrator, Psychological Research, is primarily responsible for identifying, developing and administering externally funded projects that directly or indirectly support the increased knowledge of psychological treatments and/or mechanisms of change in the counseling of college students. Some of these projects directly provide services to college students in Nevada. Others investigate psychological treatments and mechanisms of change in psychological treatments that would have relevance to college students. Through these projects the position provides leadership to the
University, the Division, and the state by identifying, developing and administering projects that benefit
Nevadans influenced and affected by psychological issues. This position provides comprehensive administration of these funded grants: grant writing and administration, program design, instruction and training, services, information dissemination, research and program evaluation, liaison with the grant managers and officials at the federal level, personnel hiring and management, annual progress report writing, budget management and collaboration with University of Nevada, Reno (UNR) administration, faculty, and staff.
The Administrator, Psychological Research position reports to the Director of Counseling Services under Student Success Services, Student Services.
2. List the major responsibilities, including percentage of time devoted to each. Provide enough detail to enable a person outside the department to understand the job (percentage
first with heading and then bulleted information).
45% - Management of Projects

Devise timelines, assign tasks, implement and perform funded project activities

Appropriately manage project funds
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Submit progress reports and summary of activities
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Facilitate project meetings

Conduct outreach within UNR and the community, overseeing the creation and the function of a Data and Safety Monitoring Board, to protect college students involved in this research

Coordinate the conduct of the project with relevant offices within UNR (Institutional Review
Board, Office of Sponsored Projects, Psychology Department) and with federal officers

Ensure completion of the projects
25% - Project Development

Develop and administer ongoing and future externally funded projects related directly or indirectly to helping college students adapt and cope better with college and life. This may include teaching a class in grant writing to encourage collaboration with graduate students and other faculty

Contribute to the intellectual literature in psychological research which includes: extensive reading and reviewing of the available literature, conducting data analysis, preparing and giving presentations locally, nationally, and internationally; preparing, submitting, and revising manuscripts for publication

Identify projects for funding, proposal and budget preparation and submission (this function will not be supported by ongoing grants).

Position Description – Administrator, Psychological Research Page 3
25% - Human Resource Administration

Recruit, hire, coordinate training, and oversee individuals hired under these grants (graduate student research assistants, graduate student assessors, trainers, and therapists, postdoctoral fellows, and other faculty named on the projects)

Identify staff roles and responsibilities and insure adequate performance of duties for successful implementation of projects
5% - Service

Represent projects and/or Counseling Services, Student Services within UNR and at state and national levels through assignment on a task force or committee, as an advisory board member, and through strategic planning and general participation
3. Describe the level of freedom to take action and make decisions with or without supervision and how the results of the work performed impact the department, division and/or
the university as a whole.
The work performance, decisions, and judgments of the Administrator, Psychological Research position are critical to the success of these federally-funded projects which involve very sensitive projects related to the treatment of college students
—which are considered a vulnerable population, and to the application of technologies around serious presentations, such as suicidality and self-injury.
The incumbent routinely makes decisions about matters that involve life and death situations with considerable ethical, legal, and financial repercussions to all involved. As dictated by the code of ethics in psychology, the Administrator consults with other colleagues as needed, but makes many decisions on the spot independently.
The successful outcome and longevity of these projects will influence the probability of continuing and expanding current and future funding, as well as the development of future additional research projects representing the University, the Division, and Counseling Services. The success of these projects will hopefully establish UNR as a cutting edge place for the improvement of psychological services delivered to college students.
4. Describe the knowledge, skills (to include cognitive requirement and verbal and written communication), and abilities (to include task complexity, problem solving, creativity and
innovation) essential to successful performance of this job (in bullet format).
Knowledge of:

Funding sources that includes potential for blending various funding streams

Student services and academic systems in order to make sure that projects straddling both worlds can be successfully implemented

Duties, responsibilities, and obligations of Principal Investigators in federally-funded projects

Psychological treatments targeted in ongoing studies, such as Acceptance and Commitment
Therapy and Dialectical Behavior Therapy

Clinical, ethical, and legal standards for psychological interventions in Nevada and nationally

Research methodology, study design, statistical procedures

College student-related psychological concerns, recent increase in severity of complaints
Skills:

Comprehensive range of skills for directing large federally-funded grants: administration, assessment, evaluation and research services, team collaboration skills, ability to work with students, teachers, administrators, parents, Institutional Review Board (IRB) and Office of
Sponsored Projects Administration (OSPA) offices, federal grant management and officials, other researchers, etc.

Effective management of large budgets (2-3 million dollars)

Position Description – Administrator, Psychological Research Page 4

Clinical skills to treat and supervise the psychological treatment of college students and other individuals, utilizing the approaches named on the projects

Technical competence in giving presentations at national and international conferences; writing grants; writing, submitting, and revising manuscripts for publication

Computer skills with proficiency in word processing software, spreadsheet, databases, SPSS statistical package, and ability to manage web-based data collection

Strong interpersonal skills
Ability to:
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Be sensitive to diversity issues
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Be self-sufficient, highly responsible, ethical, and organized
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Direct large research studies and make them happen from beginning (project design), through middle (conduct of the study or project), and until the end (wrapping things up)

Supervise the treatment of college students and other individuals by doctoral students in clinical psychology, postdoctoral fellows, and other trainees

Treat college students and other individuals through psychotherapy (depending on project and also in order to be able to be a successful supervisor)
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Engage in successful grant writing, administration and management, fiscal management of external funds
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Manage large budgets in a fiscally sound manner
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Identify, design and select appropriate sources of information for assessment and evaluation, data collection, information needs
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Write reports to the federal agencies as well as locally

Anticipate and meet critical or time sensitive deadlines, through flexible shifts in priorities as needed

Navigate University-wide systems, understand the role that Counseling Services, Student
Services play within a higher education institution, and be able to interact effectively with students, professors, administrators, parents, and other members of the community

Anticipate and minimize any negative impact of decisions with clinical, ethical, financial, and/or legal ramifications, taking into account both federal and UNR rules and regulations as well as ethical guidelines and legal regulations for psychologists in the State and nationally

Rely on a varied skill set to view the project from various angles: administratively and systemically, clinically and ethically, and research-wise and intellectually, and be able to make complex decisions based on cost-benefit ratios where all these factors are taken into account concurrently
5. Describe the type of personal contacts encountered in performing the duties of the job.
Explain the nature and purpose of these contacts: i.e., to provide services, to resolve
problems, to negotiate.
Internal:
UNR Offices - extensive contacts with several offices within UNR, both Student Services (e.g.,
Enrollment Services, Disability Resource Services, Tutoring, Center for Cultural Diversity, Financial
Aid), other support services for research and/or college students (e.g., Student Health Center, Office of Sponsored Projects, Institutional Review Board, Vice President for Reseach), and several academic departments (e.g., Psychology, Counseling Educational Psychology, Medical School).
UNR Staff/Students - regular, probably weekly contact/supervision, with other staff on the project, such as graduate research assistants, student therapists, assessors, and instructors, assessment coordinator, and other faculty named on the grant
Doctoral Students - Depending on the project, to engage in clinical supervision of doctoral students and/or postdoctoral fellows

Position Description – Administrator, Psychological Research
External:
Page 5
National Institutes and other researchers - regular contact with Program Officials at the National
Institutes and with other researchers in the field (through listservs, phone calls, etc); presenting and publishing regularly, which may initiate contact by others nationally and internationally via email, phone, etc. The nature and purpose of these contacts will be to share information, research findings, and services, training and instruction, to resolve problems, to develop innovative, cutting edge, state of the art programs for college students, work collaboratively with others, and secure additional funding from external sources for continuation and expansion.
6. Indicate the minimum qualifications which are necessary in filling this position should it become vacant. Please keep in mind the duties/responsibilities of the position rather than the
qualifications of the incumbent.
Minimum educational level, including appropriate field, if any. a.
Doctorate Degree from a regionally accredited institution with emphasis or major in
Clinical Psychology
b. Minimum type and amount of work experience, in addition to the above required education necessary for a person entering this position.
Doctorate Degree in Clinical Psychology and at least two years of experience working with college students at a Counseling Center and at least two years of experience writing grants
Preferred Licenses or Certifications: None c. Indicate any license or certificate required for this position.
Valid license as a psychologist in the State of Nevada