Ecosystem Workforce Program, Institute for a Sustainable Environment University of Oregon
Position Announcement for Research Assistant and Research Associate (two positions) January 16, 2018
The purpose of this announcement is to identify highly motivated researchers to join the Ecosystem Workforce Program at the Institute for a Sustainable Environment to assist with or lead nationally relevant natural resource, environmental, and sustainability research. We are hiring for two positions (one for a candidate with a Master’s degree and one for a candidate with a Ph.D.); both positions are full-time for one year, and are renewable contingent upon performance and available funding. The successful applicants will be dedicated to primarily quantitative analysis of original and secondary datasets along with writing, research, project management, and outreach duties. The research efforts involved include a variety of applied social science projects pertaining to environmental governance and rural community well-being, primarily centered on the public lands-dominated U.S. West, including several socioeconomic monitoring projects and analysis and presentation of secondary public lands accomplishments data. Quantitative researchers from a variety of social science backgrounds are encouraged to apply.
The Ecosystem Workforce Program is a grant-funded program within the Institute for a Sustainable Environment at the University of Oregon that serves rural forest communities and other communities facing limited economic opportunity, political exclusion, and/or degraded landscapes through applied research, technical assistance, and policy education. EWP’s applied research is wide ranging, and includes analysis of federal forest and wildfire policy, political institutions, community-forest relations, social and economic equity, collaboration, labor markets, and other issues that affect the well-being of rural communities in the American West. More information about the Ecosystem Workforce Program can be found at http://ewp.uoregon.edu.
Essential Functions
These positions will involve conducting social science research focused on the monitoring of forest-based community socioeconomic dynamics as well as:
- Research, assessment, and monitoring, including all phases of literature reviews, data collection, data analyses (including quantitative and possibly spatial) and writing to prepare scientific papers, reports, and presentations for scholarly and lay
- Implementation of public service and technical assistance projects, such as organizing and/or facilitating meetings and delivering
- Leadership and participation on research
- Writing and contributing to grant
- Communicating to the public and diverse stakeholder
- Coordinating, editing and monitoring work of UO students and faculty
- Traveling locally, regionally, or nationally as needed for data collection or conference attendance and
These positions offer opportunities to engage in timely, relevant research of benefit to rural communities and resource practitioners, to travel for fieldwork and academic conferences, and to publish research results in professional academic journals and public-oriented whitepapers and policy briefs. Eugene, Oregon is known for its high quality of life, including the vibrant intellectual environment associated with the University of Oregon and other nearby institutions of higher education; outdoor recreation opportunities abound in the local area and Eugene-area residents and organizations are often on the leading edge of environmental sustainability policy and practice.
Minimum Qualifications, Research Assistant:
- A Master’s degree in applied natural resource social science in a field such as forestry, public policy, geography, political science, rural sociology, history, economics, anthropology or other related
- Quantitative data collection, management, and analysis skills, including the ability to manage and analyze primary and secondary data using accepted techniques and software packages (e.g., SPSS, SAS, R, or comparable packages). Spatial analysis and/or cartography skills are also
- Excellent writing and communications skills, including the ability to write publications for non-academic
- Basic familiarity with western U.S. natural resource issues and concerns, including federal land management, rural development, wildfire management and policy, or water management and policy as these manifest in western U.S.
- Excellent writing and communications skills, including the ability to write publications for non-academic
Minimum Qualifications, Research Associate:
- A Ph.D. in applied natural resource social science in a field such as forestry, public policy, geography, political science, rural sociology, history, economics, anthropology or other related
- Strong quantitative data collection, management, and analysis skills, including the ability to collect primary data through standard social science techniques such as surveys and to manage and analyze primary and secondary data using accepted techniques and software packages (e.g., SPSS, SAS, R, or comparable packages). Spatial analysis and/or cartography skills are also
- Excellent writing and communications skills, including the ability to write publications for peer review and for non-academic
- Two years of experience with some combination of natural resource policy and management, community-government relations, collaboration, climate change, sustainable rural development, forestry, ecology, land use policy, or a related
- Knowledge and experience with a variety of quantitative social science research methods and a willingness and ability to learn new methods as needs
- Basic familiarity with western U.S. natural resource issues and concerns, including federal land management, rural development, wildfire management and policy, or water management and policy as these manifest in western U.S.
Professional competencies for both positions:
- Excellent English writing and oral communications skills.
- Demonstrated self-motivation and leadership capacity.
- Strong organizational skills.
- Ability to manage multiple tasks and maintain overall program mission.
- Ability to work cooperatively in a team environment.
Location: University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon
Anticipated Start: Prefer February 15, 2018, although this is somewhat negotiable.
Application Process: Applications are only accepted through the University of Oregon MyTrack system. Access this job with the link below or through the University of Oregon, Human Resources, Careers, Faculty Staff web page and select position #519627. Follow the application instructions specified on line for this job number. The pool will be reviewed for qualified applicants relative to this description as of January 31, 2018.
Note that this link will remain active through January 31, 2018 and will become inactive on February 1. If the candidate search is extended, a new link will be created.
The University of Oregon is an equal-opportunity, affirmative-action institution committed to cultural diversity and compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.