"Research Associate"

Job Details

Research Associate
Northern Arizona University
Special Information

• This position is subject to the availability of funding. The incumbent is not eligible for Service Professional non-renewal notice, or Classified Staff layoff or recall status.
• Driving a vehicle on behalf of the university is anticipated to be a regular part of this position. Arizona Administrative Code Fleet Safety Policy requires all employees who drive on university business become authorized by submitting Driver's license information for driving record monitoring, and completion of training appropriate to the level of driving performed. The law applies to all faculty, staff, and students who drive personal or university-owned motorized vehicles for any business purpose. More information on the NAU Authorized Driver Policy can be found on the NAU website.

About the Department/College

The Ecological Restoration Institute (ERI) at Northern Arizona University serves diverse audiences with objective science and implementation strategies that support ecological restoration and climate adaptation on Western forest landscapes. The ERI is nationally recognized as a leader in primary and secondary ecological and social science, scholarship, information exchange, collaborative efforts, and policy analysis supporting forest restoration and fire use. The ERI is one of three congressionally designated institutes, the Southwest Ecological Restoration Institutes (SWERI) located in Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico, focused on bridging science and management to restore western fire-adapted forests.

About the Position

The ERI seeks a Research Associate for the newly formed Wildfire Insurance and Resilient Economies (WIRE) Partnership, which will involve close collaboration with the NAU School of Forestry, other ERI units, and ERI and SWERI partners and collaborators. The WIRE Partnership tackles the growing insurance crisis in the Western U.S., driven by the increasing severity of wildfires. It focuses on understanding and innovating insurance models to support communities and businesses, alongside reframing wildfire economics to emphasize prevention and restoration over reactive suppression and commodity extraction.

Working closely with the aforementioned collaborators, the WIRE Research Associate will work closely with the WIRE Program Manager to implement a program within ERI that explores the wildfire insurance and economics system, including but not limited to the following: analyzing insurance models to identify impacts and develop equitable, prevention-focused alternatives, quantifying the economic benefits of wildfire prevention and forest restoration, and educating policymakers, insurers, and communities on the long-term value of prevention and restoration, sustainable insurance models, and wildfire risk reduction.

The successful applicant will be passionate about conducting rigorous, actionable, use-inspired research and working to implement research findings closely with partners. The WIRE Research Associate will need experience using economic and social science methods, as well as communicating research findings in a variety of different formats. A key component of the position is also developing relationships with partners, as well as other ERI, SWERI, and School of Forestry staff, to ensure that the WIRE Program is collaboratively implemented.

Responsibilities Include

• 50% Research
  • Direct and conduct research using economic and/or social science methods to analyze insurance models, quantify economic benefits of wildfire prevention, and inform policy recommendations, among other related topics.
  • Oversee data collection, modeling, and analysis to guide decision-making and improve program processes.
  • Develop and disseminate accessible research reports, publications, and presentations to share with partners. - (Essential)
• 25% Communication
  • Lead the planning, initiation, production, and delivery of communication products for partners.
  • Work with partners in convening, facilitating, gathering information, and dissemination of findings from the ERI's work. - (Essential)
• 10% Partner Engagement
  • Build and maintain collaborative relationships with policymakers, insurers, community leaders, and academic partners to advance program goals.
  • Assist ERI staff with collaboration and partnerships across all lands. - (Essential)
• 10% Program Administration
  • Assist the WIRE Program Manager with program implementation and tracking. - (Essential)
• 5% Other
  • Attend coordination meetings among SWERI and ERI staff.
  • Other duties as assigned. - (Marginal)

Minimum Qualifications

• Master's degree in forestry, economics, ecology, environmental studies, geography, or closely related fields.
• 4 years of research support experience.

*A combination of related education, experience, and training may be used as an equivalent to the above Minimum Qualifications.*

Preferred Qualifications

• Evidence of experience supporting research initiatives related to the WIRE Partnership. This includes the development of relationships, proposals, research questions, methods, analysis, and writing.
• Understanding of U.S. forest and wildfire policy, governance, and management.
• Experience supporting complex projects involving multiple components and partners.
• Evidence of professional oral and written communication skills, including peer reviewed publications and gray literature.
• Interest and facility working across biophysical and social science disciplines.

Knowledge, Skills, & Abilities

• Demonstrated understanding of U.S. forest and wildfire policy, governance, and management frameworks (e.g., fire-adapted landscapes, restoration practices, risk reduction), and their implications for insurance and community resilience.
• Applied knowledge at the intersection of forestry/ecology and economics/social science-including but not limited to risk modeling, cost-benefit analysis, and insurance market dynamics in fire-prone regions.
• Skill in supporting research initiatives: framing questions, selecting mixed-methods (e.g., econometric analysis, scenario modeling; interviews/surveys), conducting data collection/analysis, and translating findings into policy-relevant recommendations.
• Working knowledge of programs such as Microsoft Word, Excel, ArcMap, Qualtrics, Atlas.TI (or similar social science coding software), or SPSS (or similar statistical software).
• Ability to manage multiple research projects at the same time and coordinate complex research activities with multiple components.
• Excellent organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, including producing peer-reviewed publications and gray literature; creating accessible briefs, presentations, and decision-support materials for diverse audiences.
• Demonstrated experience cultivating relationships and facilitating collaboration among policymakers, insurers, community leaders, academic partners, and ERI/SWERI colleagues to drive actionable outcomes.

Compensation

Salary range begins at $58,882.00. Annual salary commensurate with candidate's qualifications and related experience.

Pre-Employment Check

Northern Arizona University requires satisfactory results for the following: a criminal background investigation, an employment history verification and a degree verification (in some cases) prior to employment. You may also be required to complete a fingerprint background check. Also, as an employer in the state of Arizona, NAU is required to participate in the federal E-Verify program that assists employers with verifying new employees' right to work in the United States.

This position has been identified as a safety/security sensitive position. Therefore, per AZ Revised Statute, Northern Arizona University requires satisfactory results for the following: a criminal background investigation, employment history investigation, degree verification (in some cases) and fingerprinting. If you are applying for a job that requires a CDL, you will be required to register with the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse and adhere to the clearinghouse requirements.

Immigration Support/Sponsorship

Northern Arizona University will not provide any U.S. immigration support or sponsorship for this position.

Submit your Application

To apply for this position, please click on the "Apply" button on this page. You must submit your application by midnight of the application deadline.

If you are an individual with a disability and need reasonable accommodation to participate in the hiring process, please contact the Disability Resources Office at 928-523-8773, DR@nau.edu, or PO Box 5633, Flagstaff AZ 86011.