How to hire an institutional research coordinator

How to hire an institutional research coordinator, step by step

Here's a step-by-step institutional research coordinator hiring guide:

• Step 1: Identify your hiring needs
• Step 2: Create an ideal candidate profile
• Step 3: Make a budget
• Step 4: Write an institutional research coordinator job description
• Step 5: Post your job
• Step 6: Interview candidates
• Step 7: Send a job offer and onboard your new institutional research coordinator
• Step 8: Go through the hiring process checklist

What does an institutional research coordinator do?

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1. Identify your hiring needs

   The institutional research coordinator hiring process starts by determining what type of worker you actually need. Certain roles might require a full-time employee, whereas part-time workers or contractors can do others.

   Determine employee vs contractor status

   Is the person you're thinking of hiring a US citizen or green card holder?

   Yes

   No

   An institutional research coordinator's background is also an important factor in determining whether they'll be a good fit for the position. For example, institutional research coordinators from different industries or fields will have radically different experiences and will bring different viewpoints to the role. You also need to consider the candidate's previous level of experience to make sure they'll be comfortable with the job's level of seniority.

   This list shows salaries for various types of institutional research coordinators.

   Type of Institutional Research Coordinator	Description	Hourly rate
   Institutional Research Coordinator	Natural sciences managers supervise the work of scientists, including chemists, physicists, and biologists. They direct activities related to research and development, and coordinate activities such as testing, quality control, and production.	$15-30
   Study Director	Technically, a study director carries out scientific responsibilities for protocol design or study plan and approval. Study directors supervise the gathering, analysis, interpretation, documentation, and reporting of data results... Show more	$26-56
   Clinical Project Manager	A clinical project manager specializes in developing and organizing clinical trials. Their responsibilities revolve around planning and coordinating with all necessary personnel and experts, scheduling meetings, and preparing necessary documentation, ensuring compliance with all laws and regulations... Show more	$35-65

   Show more

2. Create an ideal candidate profile

   Common skills:

   • Data Entry
   • PowerPoint
   • IRB
   • Research Projects
   • Research Studies
   • Data Collection
   • Human Subjects
   • Informed Consent
   • FDA
   • Institutional Research
   • Federal Regulations
   • Data Management
   • Analyze Data
   • Statistical Analysis

   Check all skills

   Responsibilities:

   • Collect, manage and analyze preliminary data using SPSS statistical software.
   • Answer phones, enter data into the computer using micrsoft excel, word, and powerpoint.
   • Produce learning materials for workshops including PowerPoint presentations, group activities, program tools, and media delivery aids.
   • Communicate with hospital physicians to educate them on the current NIH and FDA policies and guidelines regarding clinical research.
   • Act as a liaison between the investigators and government agencies such as the FDA, DHHS, and OHRP.
   • Participate in a sub-committee to provide comprehensive reports on all IRB activities to facilitate renewal of the AAHRPP accreditation

   More institutional research coordinator duties

3. Make a budget

   Including a salary range in your institutional research coordinator job description helps attract top candidates to the position. An institutional research coordinator salary can be affected by several factors, such as geography, experience, seniority, certifications, and the prestige of the hiring company.

   For example, the average salary for an institutional research coordinator in Iowa may be lower than in Washington, and an entry-level institutional research coordinator usually earns less than a senior-level institutional research coordinator. Additionally, an institutional research coordinator with certifications may command a higher salary, and working for a well-known company or start-up may also impact an employee's pay.

   Average institutional research coordinator salary

   $46,117yearly

   $22.17 hourly rate

   ---

   Entry-level institutional research coordinator salary

   $33,000 yearly salary

   Updated January 29, 2026

   Average institutional research coordinator salary by state

   Rank	State	Avg. salary	Hourly rate
   1	Washington	$62,126	$30
   2	District of Columbia	$56,559	$27
   3	Illinois	$56,097	$27
   4	California	$55,143	$27
   5	New York	$52,889	$25
   6	Maryland	$51,120	$25
   7	Georgia	$50,854	$24
   8	Virginia	$49,136	$24
   9	Rhode Island	$48,191	$23
   10	Massachusetts	$47,793	$23
   11	Ohio	$46,909	$23
   12	Pennsylvania	$45,911	$22
   13	New Mexico	$45,341	$22
   14	Mississippi	$45,277	$22
   15	Arkansas	$43,827	$21
   16	Wisconsin	$43,659	$21
   17	Florida	$43,508	$21
   18	Texas	$40,518	$19

   Average institutional research coordinator salary by company

   Company

   Rank	Company	Average salary	Hourly rate	Job openings
   1	Dean Health Plan	$57,072	$27.44
   2	Miriam Hospital	$55,403	$26.64
   3	Tampa General Hospital	$54,191	$26.05	13
   4	Brown University	$54,076	$26.00	24
   5	SSM Health	$53,814	$25.87	2
   6	Arkansas Children's Hospital	$53,770	$25.85	13
   7	Swedish Hospital	$53,287	$25.62
   8	UTHealth	$52,950	$25.46	37
   9	Baptist Health Home Care	$52,341	$25.16	5
   10	PSEA	$52,311	$25.15	105
   11	Adventist HealthCare	$52,045	$25.02
   12	Mississippi State University	$50,560	$24.31	20
   13	Providence Health & Services	$50,105	$24.09	2
   14	Cleveland Clinic	$49,949	$24.01	26
   15	The University of New Mexico	$49,693	$23.89	10
   16	Environmental Defense Fund	$49,562	$23.83
   17	Lehigh Valley Health Network	$49,335	$23.72
   18	San Bernardino County	$48,830	$23.48
   19	Boston University	$48,487	$23.31	4
   20	Kaiser Permanente	$48,289	$23.22	35

4. Writing an institutional research coordinator job description

   A job description for an institutional research coordinator role includes a summary of the job's main responsibilities, required skills, and preferred background experience. Including a salary range can also go a long way in attracting more candidates to apply, and showing the first name of the hiring manager can also make applicants more comfortable. As an example, here's an institutional research coordinator job description:

   Institutional research coordinator job description example

   Join Cleveland Clinic's Main Campus where research and surgery are advanced, technology is leading-edge, patient care is world-class, and caregivers are family. Cleveland Clinic earned the No. 1 hospital ranking in Ohio, the No. 4 hospital ranking in the country, and was ranked nationally in 13 specialties, according to the U.S. News & World Report. At Cleveland Clinic, you will work alongside passionate and dedicated caregivers, receive endless support and appreciation, and build a rewarding career with one of the most respected healthcare organizations in the world.
   
   Cleveland Clinic's Neurological Institute is looking to add a Research Coordinator I to their dedicated team of caregivers. As Research Coordinator, you will coordinate the compliant implementation and conduct of human subject research projects, typically of low workload and low complexity.
   The ideal candidate is someone who:
   - Has excellent organizational, written and verbal communication skills.
   - Thrives in a collaborative and multi-disciplinary team environment.
   - Demonstrates a strong work ethic.
   - Is able to take direction and appropriate action in stressful situations.
   
   As a Research Coordinator, you will work in a dynamic, technologically advanced and inclusive environment that allows you to discover, learn and grow. You'll remain professionally challenged as you shape the career of your dreams and find where you belong, here at Cleveland Clinic.
   
   Cleveland Clinic provides what matters most: career growth, delivering world-class care to our patients, continuous learning, exceptional benefits and working for an organization that offers many long-term career paths. Join us and experience a culture where opportunities to advance and the support to get there go hand-in-hand. Responsibilities: Assists with the coordination, implementation, and conduct of research projects ensuring adherence to research protocol requirements which may include: maintenance of regulatory documents and binders, data management, IRB submissions and communication of such to the research team. May be responsible for reporting/completion of Serious Adverse Events and/or safety log as defined per protocol as they occur and completion of Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and sponsor forms in accordance with GCP guidelines as applicable. Communicates with sponsors, monitors, research personnel to ensure all aspects of study compliance. Collaborates with study team to schedule pre-site selection visits, site initiation visits, webinars, monitoring and close-out visits. May collaborate with primary investigator, sponsor and research staff to plan, conduct and evaluate project protocols, including research subject recruitment. Monitors and reports project status. Completes regulatory documents, data capture and monitoring plans. Assists with completion of protocol related activities. As delegated, may be required to attain and maintain clinical competencies for unlicensed caregivers such as phlebotomy, vital signs, ECG, POC testing and other testing as required. Monitors research data to maintain quality. Understands basic concepts of study design. Demonstrates comprehension of assigned research protocols. Develops and maintains knowledge of research protocol to coordinate the comprehensive and compliant execution of assigned protocols. Assists with preparation for audits and response to audits. May assist in the development and maintenance of research tools, such as spreadsheets, questionnaires and/or brochures. Maintains study personnel certification records (License, CV, CITI). Maintains professional relationships, including frequent and open effective communication with internal and external customers. Documents the education and training of research personnel as needed. May participate in the conduct and documentation of the informed consent process. May contribute to research project budget development. Performs other duties as assigned. Education: High School Diploma or GED. Associate's or Bachelor's degree in health care or science related field preferred. Degree may offset experience requirement. Demonstrated proficiency with a variety of computer-based skills, especially in the use of word processing spreadsheets, database and presentation software, and the ability to undertake internet searches. Solid written and verbal communication skills. Must be self-directed with demonstrated ability to work in collaboration and cooperation with members of a multidisciplinary team. Within 90 days of hire, must successfully complete certification in Human Subjects Research as required by the Responsible Conduct of Research guidelines adopted by Cleveland Clinic. Languages: Language required Language preferred Certifications: None required. Complexity of Work: Requires excellent organizational, written, and verbal communication skills. Must be able to take direction and appropriate action in a stressful environment. Work Experience: Minimum two years clinical research or healthcare experience required. Associate's or Bachelor's degree in healthcare or science field may offset experience requirement. Demonstrated proficiency with a variety of computer-based skills, especially in the use of word processing, spreadsheets, database and presentation software, and the ability to undertake internet searches. Solid written and verbal communication skills. Physical Requirements: A high degree of dexterity to produce materials on a computer. Requires normal or corrected vision and hearing to normal range. Extensive sitting and frequent walking, occasional lifting or carrying up to 25 pounds. May have some exposure to communicable diseases or body fluids. May require working irregular hours. Personal Protective Equipment: Follows standard precautions using personal protective equipment as required.

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5. Post your job

   There are various strategies that you can use to find the right institutional research coordinator for your business:

   • Consider promoting from within or recruiting from your existing workforce.
   • Ask for referrals from friends, family members, and current employees.
   • Attend job fairs at local colleges to find candidates who meet your education requirements.
   • Use social media platforms like LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter to reach potential job candidates.

   Post your job online:

   • Post your institutional research coordinator job on Zippia to find and recruit institutional research coordinator candidates who meet your exact specifications.
   • Use field-specific websites.
   • Post a job on free websites.

6. Interview candidates

   Your first interview with institutional research coordinator candidates should focus on their interest in the role and background experience. As the hiring process goes on, you can learn more about how they'd fit into the company culture in later rounds of interviews.

   It's also good to ask about candidates' unique skills and talents to see if they match your ideal candidate profile. If you think a candidate is good enough for the next step, you can move on to the technical interview.

   The right interview questions can help you assess a candidate's hard skills, behavioral intelligence, and soft skills.

7. Send a job offer and onboard your new institutional research coordinator

   Once you have selected a candidate for the institutional research coordinator position, it is time to create an offer letter. In addition to salary, the offer letter should include details about benefits and perks that are available to the employee. Ensuring your offer is competitive is vital, as qualified candidates may be considering other job opportunities. The candidate may wish to negotiate the terms of the offer, and it is important to be open to discussion and reach a mutually beneficial agreement. After the offer has been accepted, it is a good idea to formalize the agreement with a contract.

   It's equally important to follow up with applicants who don't get the job with an email letting them know that the position has been filled.

   Once that's done, you can draft an onboarding schedule for the new institutional research coordinator. Human Resources should complete Employee Action Forms and ensure that onboarding paperwork is completed, including I-9s, benefits enrollment, federal and state tax forms, etc. They should also ensure that new employee files are created for internal recordkeeping.

8. Go through the hiring process checklist

   • Determine employee type (full-time, part-time, contractor, etc.)
   • Submit a job requisition form to the HR department
   • Define job responsibilities and requirements
   • Establish budget and timeline
   • Determine hiring decision makers for the role
   • Write job description
   • Post job on job boards, company website, etc.
   • Promote the job internally
   • Process applications through applicant tracking system
   • Review resumes and cover letters
   • Shortlist candidates for screening
   • Hold phone/virtual interview screening with first round of candidates
   • Conduct in-person interviews with top candidates from first round
   • Score candidates based on weighted criteria (e.g., experience, education, background, cultural fit, skill set, etc.)
   • Conduct background checks on top candidates
   • Check references of top candidates
   • Consult with HR and hiring decision makers on job offer specifics
   • Extend offer to top candidate(s)
   • Receive formal job offer acceptance and signed employment contract
   • Inform other candidates that the position has been filled
   • Set and communicate onboarding schedule to new hire(s)
   • Complete new hire paperwork (i9, benefits enrollment, tax forms, etc.)

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