[Hiring] Research Environmental Scientist @RTI International

Role Description

RTI International’s Center for Water, Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Energy Solutions (WARES) is seeking an experienced Applied Research Specialist to lead and support qualitative research, stakeholder engagement, and communications addressing environmental and natural resource challenges. The position will contribute to projects involving water resources, agriculture, energy, climate resilience, natural hazards, and environmental risk communication. The ideal candidate will have strong research, analytical, communication, and interpersonal skills and the ability to translate stakeholder needs and complex information into actionable insights and recommendations.

The candidate will contribute across the project lifecycle, including:

• Research design
• Qualitative data collection and analysis
• Stakeholder and community engagement
• Human-centered design
• Communication strategy
• Development and evaluation of decision-support tools and communication products
• Project and task management
• Proposal development
• Client management
• Strategic business development

The position is based in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, with telecommuting options. Candidates do not need experience in every area listed below. RTI offers opportunities to collaborate across disciplines, develop innovative approaches to complex challenges, and translate research into practical applications.

Qualifications

• Experience in designing and conducting qualitative and mixed-methods research, including interviews, focus groups, listening sessions, surveys, and other methods for understanding stakeholder perspectives and needs
• Experience analyzing and synthesizing qualitative information through thematic coding, systems mapping, and related approaches
• Experience integrating qualitative and quantitative data to identify patterns and generate actionable recommendations
• Experience designing and implementing stakeholder and community engagement strategies using human-centered design, co-creation, participatory research, and workshop facilitation
• Experience translating complex scientific and technical information into accessible reports and compelling visualizations
• Experience leading research tasks and multidisciplinary project teams
• Experience supporting business development through opportunity identification, proposal strategy and writing, partner engagement, and cultivation of research, funding opportunities, and client relationships
• Experience building collaborative relationships across disciplines, organizations, and stakeholder groups

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree and 5 years of relevant experience, master’s degree and 3 years of relevant experience, or an equivalent combination of education and experience in relevant fields such as Environmental Science, Environmental Policy, Communications, Public Policy, or Behavioral Science
• Demonstrated experience conducting qualitative research, stakeholder engagement, or research communication in environmental, natural resources, public health, or related fields
• Legally authorized to work in the United States without requiring sponsorship for employment visa status

Benefits

• Competitive base salary
• Generous paid time off policy
• Merit-based annual increases
• Bonus opportunities
• Robust recognition program
• Competitive range of insurance plans (health, dental, life, short-term and long-term disability)
• Access to a retirement savings program such as a 401(k) plan
• Paid parental leave for all parents
• Financial assistance with adoption expenses or infertility treatments
• Financial reimbursement for education and developmental opportunities
• Employee assistance program
• Numerous other offerings to support a healthy work-life balance