"Research Associate II"

Overview

The School of Architecture, Planning, and Landscape Architecture is seeking a qualified individual for the position of Research Associate I - IV to join the Landscape Infrastructure Design Lab (LIDL). LIDL conducts design research using landscape architectural methods to advance the design, planning, and management of nature-based infrastructures.

LIDL's work is deeply collaborative, involving partnerships with federal sponsors; disciplines like coastal engineering, hydrology, ecology, and geomorphology; and local communities, as well as other landscape architects. Currently, we are working on a broad range of coastal infrastructure projects from the Great Lakes south to the Gulf of Mexico, sponsored by funders including the US Army Corps of Engineers' Engineering With Nature program, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's Effects of Sea Level Rise program, and the Gulf Research Program of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine. The methods of our design research typically include fieldwork, mapping, iterative design, and physical and numerical hydrodynamic modeling.

This position will include a significant component of work on our largest project, Tidelands (Tidelands - Natural Infrastructure Innovation Project), which is sponsored by Engineering With Nature. Tidelands launched in 2023 and is proposed to run for five years. Its aim is to conduct design research into what forms of natural infrastructure are possible in the nation's bays and estuaries, which forms are most desirable, and how to increase innovation in natural infrastructure design. To do this, Tidelands is engaging deeply with EWN, local USACE districts, and a broad range of other stakeholders.

This is a 12-month, limited-term position, funded by external sources. Continued employment is contingent upon the availability of funding and satisfactory performance. It is expected but not guaranteed that additional external funding will be available to renew the position in future years.
Review of applicants will start 23 February 2026. Anticipated start date between April and June of 2026.

Responsibilities

• Prepare drawings and maps synthesizing information about existing landscape conditions.
• Participate in field-based research in project landscapes.
• Participate in design workshops with stakeholders and multi-university project teams
• Advance infrastructure design concepts through research-by-design.
• Help build, run, and maintain simple physical and numerical hydrodynamic and geomorphological models.
• Produce representations of infrastructure design concepts.
• Review scientific literature and key documents related to study landscapes.
• Document results of research-by-design and assist in report preparation.
• Assist in coordinating work within LIDL and across multi-university project teams.
• Participate in project team meetings and other stakeholder interactions.
• May prepare research results for publication or presentation at conferences.
• May help maintain project budgets.

Qualifications

• Level I: Possesses Masters degree in discipline appropriate to position with no experience. Typical salaries are between $47,840 - $54,670 Full grade range $41,000 - $61,500
• Level II: Possesses Masters degree in discipline appropriate to position with 2 years' experience. Typical salaries are between $54,410 - $62,470 Full grade range $45,340 - $72,540
• Level III: Possesses Masters degree in discipline appropriate to position with 4 years' experience. Typical salaries are between $61,920 - $73,640 Full grade range $50,210 - $85,360
• Level IV: Possesses Masters degree in discipline appropriate to position with 6 years' experience. Typical salaries are between $71,210 - $84,690 Full grade range $57,740 - $98,160

Substitutions allowed for Experience:
When a candidate has the required education, but lacks the required experience, they may normally apply additional appropriate education toward the experience requirement, at a rate of one (1) year relevant education per year of required experience.

Desired Qualifications

• Experience with nature-based infrastructure design and/or design for dynamic landscapes shaped by the interaction of water, sediment, and vegetation.
• Experience with Rhinoceros modeling software and GIS mapping software.
• Experience with research-by-design methods.