Research Associate

Public Health Foundation Enterprises, In · Tenderloin, San Francisco · posted 2026-10-07 · via adzuna · open posting ↗

Score 82 / 100 · Clinical / behavioral research

Lane fit: 5 / 10 (worth 30)
Level: right level (worth 15)
Timing: fits spring/summer/post-grad 2027 (worth 15)
Pay: paid
Location: SF Bay
Employer: 4 / 5 · full-time signal 2 / 3

Why

This is a paid, entry-level research role with the SF Department of Public Health, in San Francisco and in the public-sector health space she wants. The day-to-day is clinical trial coordination for STI/HIV studies, which is only an adjacent fit to her mental health and forensic interests. She has research methods coursework and literature review experience, plus experience with confidential documentation and tracking, but no clinical or lab research assistant experience, which is a known gap. It is probably full-time and may need to start before she graduates in May 2027, so timing is uncertain. Worth watching, but only a moderate fit unless the employer would hold the start or she can negotiate it.

Watch out for

Posting description is truncated, so full duties and requirements are unclear
Clinical research coordination for STI/HIV studies, with no lab or clinical research assistant experience on her resume
Likely a full-time role that may need an immediate start, before May 2027
Salary comes from the aggregator and is shown as a single figure (71406), so it may be an estimate
Likely expects prior research or clinical trial experience or a bachelor's degree, which she won't have until May 2027

Resume angles

Research methods coursework and the Writing in Psychology literature review
Confidentiality and accurate documentation: Excel tracking across three locations and reports to headquarters at Kiddleton
Customer-facing service with families, plus coordinating concurrent projects at Susan Street Fine Art

Who to reach

First: Search LinkedIn for the Clinical Research Coordinator at San Francisco City Clinic and send the connection note, since that person supervises this role and can answer the start-date question directly.

No one is named in the posting.

Roles to look for

Clinical Research Coordinator, San Francisco City Clinic (SFDPH) · The posting says the RA works under direct supervision of the Clinical Research Coordinator at SF City Clinic, so this person likely shapes hiring and knows whether a part-time start during senior year or a start after May 2027 is possible.
"San Francisco City Clinic" "clinical research coordinator"
Recruiter / Talent Acquisition at Heluna Health (Public Health Foundation Enterprises' current name) · PHFE operates as Heluna Health and is the employer of record for SFDPH-funded research staff. A recruiter can confirm start date flexibility, degree requirements, and whether the $71,406 figure is real.
"Heluna Health" recruiter OR "talent acquisition"
Research Associate or Research Assistant, SFDPH STI/HIV Prevention and Control Branch · A current or former RA on the team can describe the real day-to-day work and what experience new hires actually had, which helps her decide whether to apply now or watch for a later opening.
"San Francisco Department of Public Health" "research associate" STI HIV
Principal Investigator / Research Director, SF City Clinic STI/HIV research · The PI guides the team's studies. Worth knowing who they are for context, but contact only after talking to the coordinator or recruiter.
"San Francisco City Clinic" "principal investigator" OR "research director"

USF alumni tool

Where they work: Heluna Health, then San Francisco Department of Public Health; title keywords: research

LinkedIn → University of San Francisco page → Alumni → filter "Where they work" by the company, then search the title words.

Draft connection note (274/300)

Hi, I'm Calder, a USF psychology senior graduating May 2027. I saw the Research Associate opening with the SF City Clinic research team and want to understand what the role needs day to day. Would you be open to a 15-minute call? Your advice before I apply would help a lot.

Draft email

Subject: USF senior asking about the SF City Clinic Research Associate role

Hi [Name],

I'm Calder Salisbury, a psychology senior at the University of San Francisco graduating in May 2027. I saw the Research Associate opening with the SF City Clinic research team and I'm interested, but I want to be upfront: I've done research methods coursework and a literature review, not clinical trial work yet. My work experience is in documentation and tracking, including daily Excel reporting across three locations and keeping confidential client records accurate.

I'd like to know whether this role could fit someone starting part-time during senior year or full-time after May 2027, and what the team looks for in new RAs. Would you have 15 minutes for a call in the next few weeks?

Thank you,
Calder Salisbury

Talking points

At Kiddleton she maintains daily Excel tracking across three locations and compiles documentation and visual reports for headquarters, which is close to the record-keeping and data tracking a study coordinator relies on.
Her Research Methods and Writing in Psychology coursework, including a literature review on false confessions and psychopathology, gave her practice reading research critically and writing it up clearly.
Years of customer-facing work with families and the public, plus handling client documentation with discretion at Susan Street Fine Art, are relevant to working respectfully with clinic patients and study participants and protecting confidential information.

Questions to ask

Could this role start part-time during the spring 2027 semester, or would the team hold a full-time start until after I graduate in May 2027?
What does a typical week look like for an RA on the SFCC team, and how much is participant recruitment and consent versus data entry and regulatory paperwork?
What experience did recent RAs have when they were hired, and what would make an applicant without prior clinical trial work competitive?

Drafts only. Everything is sent by Calder, from her own accounts. Provider: none.

Status: New

To update: add a line to tracker/updates.md. Change applied to reviewing / interview / offer / closed as needed.

2026-10-12 a9b50cda3fa6 applied

uid a9b50cda3fa6

Triage facts

Internship-level: False
Term: rolling
Pay: paid
Location: sf_bay

Posting text (500 chars)

The Research Associate (RA) for the San Francisco Department of Public Health’s (SFDPH) STI/HIV Prevention and Control Branch is a role within the San Francisco City Clinic (SFCC) Research Team. The SFCC Research Team is responsible for coordinating studies investigating treatments, diagnostic testing, and prevention tools for sexually transmitted infections (STI) and HIV. Under direct supervision of the Clinical Research Coordinator at SFCC and with guidance from the Principal Investigator, th…