Location: Seattle,WA, USA
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UW faculty and staff also enjoy outstanding benefits, professional growth opportunities and unique resources in an environment noted for diversity, intellectual excitement, artistic pursuits and natural beauty.
The Climate Impacts Group (CIG) is hiring a full-time, early-career research scientist (Research Scientist 2) to support a range of projects focused on water and climate resilience. The new position will work in collaboration with senior researchers at CIG and our federal, tribal, state, and local partners to develop resources supporting our partners' efforts to build resilience in a changing climate. We seek candidates who are passionate about our organizational mission and co-production model. Intellectual curiosity and a willingness to work collaboratively on a broad range of topics are a must. An ideal candidate would have the technical background needed to engage in applied research, synthesis, and analysis, along with demonstrated experience in successful communications and engagement. Most research staff at CIG work hybrid schedules with a few remote staff in the Pacific Northwest. This position would be expected to work at least two days a week from CIG's offices on the Seattle UW campus.
The University of Washington Climate Impacts Group (CIG) supports the development of climate resilience by advancing understanding of climate risks & enabling science-based action to manage those risks. Since 1995, the Climate Impacts Group has linked cutting edge scientific research with innovative approaches to community engagement to produce exceptional research products, develop strong relationships among resource managers, planners, and policy makers in the region and build regional capacity for addressing climatic variability and change. The Climate Impacts Group is a member organization of EarthLab.
EarthLab is a visionary institute that pushes boundaries to address our most pressing environmental challenges, with a focus on climate and its intersection with social justice. EarthLab does this by connecting faculty, students, and researchers at the University of Washington to community collaborators in businesses, non-profits, public agencies, Tribal nations, and others to co-produce actionable research that generates solutions and strategies for local and global impact. EarthLab's vision, an equitable, just, and sustainable world where people and planet thrive, supports one of the University's biggest goals. As a Carnegie-classified Community Engagement University, the UW aspires to be the #1 university in the world as measured by impact. EarthLab is inspired by and committed to this challenge.
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
EarthLab and the Climate Impacts Group acknowledge the systemic racism that exists in the environmental sector and within environmentalism. We believe every member on our team enriches our diversity by bringing a broad range of ways to understand and engage with the world, identify challenges, and to discover, design and deliver solutions. We are seeking candidates who are committed to creating an equitable, diverse and inclusive work environment where all voices are considered and valued. In addition, part of the Climate Impacts Group's strategic plan identified providing climate services to groups that have been historically excluded from environmental and climate change spaces as a priority.
Position Complexities
We are looking for a candidate with expertise in water resources management and training in applied social or natural sciences, engineering, planning, or a related field. Candidates should have familiarity with topics such as climate resilience, water management, and adaptation strategies. Duties and responsibilities for this position include a variety of research, communication, and analytical tasks supporting the work of senior CIG staff. Strong oral and written communication skills are critical. Candidates should work collaboratively and proactively to manage competing priorities, project deadlines and deliverables. This is a full-time research position with no teaching expectations and no path to University tenure.
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Independent Research and Research Support (60%)
* Conduct applied research on water and climate resilience related topics with support and guidance from senior CIG staff;
* Independently evaluate, select, and apply research methodologies to support CIG research objectives and occasionally lead specific tasks within projects;
* Independently synthesize literature on climate resilience, water management, adaptation strategies, and other related topics;
* Support the development of resources for state agencies and resource managers in their consideration of climate impacts and adaptation strategies;
* Statistical and/or geospatial analysis of climate-related indicator and vulnerability data from multiple sources to test hypotheses, draw conclusions, and support decision making; and
* Identification and evaluation of benefits and tradeoffs of water and climate related adaptation strategies
Communications and Outreach (20%)
* Develop science communication products (e.g., accessible reports, web content, fact sheets) for diverse audiences such as local, state, federal and tribal government staff, natural resource managers, water agencies, NGOs, and policy makers. This may include writing about own research contributions, editing material from others, managing edits and review processes, presentations and outreach around final products;
* Work with CIG senior research staff to understand stakeholder needs and the types of tools, resources, and information that will best support their climate adaptation and resilience activities;
Project Management (20%)
* Lead specific tasks within a larger project scope, including taking responsibility for assuring quality and timeliness in completion of those tasks;
* Participates in procurement of additional/new funding through contributions to technical proposal preparation and/or presentations;
* Work with CIG senior research staff to provide logistical and organizational support for projects;
* Coordinate and collaborate with team members within and outside the university on ongoing projects; and
* May guide the work of junior staff or students as necessary to achieve specific assignments.
MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS
Bachelor's degree in applied social or natural sciences, engineering, planning or a related field and 2 years' relevant experience, including water resources management, OR equivalent combination of education/experience.
Equivalent education/experience will substitute for all minimum qualifications except when there are legal requirements, such as a license/certification/registration.
ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS
* Demonstrated ability to synthesize qualitative data and information from a broad range of sources (e.g., literature reviews, policy and planning documents);
* Evidence of strong oral and written communication skills and engaging with diverse audiences;
* Experience with quantitative and spatial data analysis and associated software (e.g. python, R, QGIS, ArcGIS);
* Demonstrated ability to work independently and manage multiple projects with competing deadlines.
DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS
* Master's degree in applied social or natural sciences, engineering, planning or a related field;
* Demonstrated familiarity with climate resilience and adaptation;
* Demonstrated familiarity with water resources issues and institutions in Washington state;
* Experience conducting applied research with non-academic partners;
* Demonstrated ability to problem-solve and quickly adapt to new challenges (e.g., new topic areas, analysis methods, software tools).
Other Aspects of the Position
The College of the Environment promotes diversity and inclusivity among our students, faculty, staff, and public. Thus, we are strongly seeking candidates whose experiences have prepared them to fulfill our commitment to inclusion and have given them the confidence to fully engage audiences from a wide spectrum of backgrounds. The University of Washington (UW) is located in the greater Seattle metropolitan area, with a dynamic, multicultural community of 3.7 million people and a range of ecosystems from mountains to ocean. The UW serves a diverse population of 80,000 students, faculty and staff, including 25% first-generation college students, over 25% Pell Grant students, and faculty from over 70 countries. The UW is a recipient of a National Science Foundation ADVANCE Institutional Transformation Award to increase the advancement of women faculty in science, engineering, and math (see:
Application Process: The application process may include completion of a variety of online assessments to obtain additional information that will be used in the evaluation process. These assessments may include Work Authorization, Cover Letter and/or others. Any assessments that you need to complete will appear on your screen as soon as you select Apply to this position . Once you begin an assessment, it must be completed at that time; if you do not complete the assessment, you will be prompted to do so the next time you log into your My Jobs page. If you choose to take it later, it will appear on your My Jobs page to take when you are ready. Please note that your application will not be reviewed, and you will not be considered for this position until all required assessments have been completed.