About the Role

We are seeking a collaborative and impact-focused Researcher to support applied, interdisciplinary research and analysis that advances water and climate equity with an explicit focus on water-related challenges faced by and solutions for frontline communities in the United States. The ideal candidate will have a passion for water and climate change equity, strong research background and verbal and written communication skills; ability to work independently and in collaborative teams; an interest and ability to learn new topics quickly, and a willingness to support a variety of tasks from project coordination to rigorous qualitative and quantitative research, writing, and oral presentations. They must also be skilled at working across disciplines, cultures, and different ways of knowing and communicating. The Researcher must have the knowledge and experience to produce high-quality work at the intersection of climate change, water systems, and environmental justice.

The Researcher will report to Pacific Institute’s Water & Climate Equity (WCE) Lead and support several water-climate-equity research projects as well as contribute to creating decision-support products for our partners and frontline communities, community-based organizations, natural resource managers, and/or policy makers. Preferred applicants will have significant experience researching the equity and justice of climate and water-related environmental policies and practices and the distributional effects on overburdened and under-resourced groups and disadvantaged communities. They will also have an aptitude for researching and communicating strategies and solutions for those communities to prepare for and respond to the impacts of climate change on their water systems.

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CORE Responsibilities

• Support the WCE work per the direction of the Water and Climate Equity Lead in collaboration with other PI researchers and our partners to conduct collaborative and rigorous primary and secondary interdisciplinary, empirical research and analysis on water-climate-equity topics
• Collaborate with a diverse group of individuals to meet project objectives within established timelines
• Gather information and data through analysis of primary and secondary data, literature reviews, and contacts with other researchers, practitioners, and organizations
• Document and write up results of work performed, including synthesizing large amounts of complex information and preparing final reports and other written products  
• Prepare non-technical communication materials on research topics, such as blog posts, issue briefs, opinion articles, oral presentations, and press releases
• Provide other programmatic and project support as needed, including co-developing and tracking project team’s work plans and deliverables, coordinating internal meetings with project teams and external meetings with partners and stakeholders, documenting meetings, summarizing and communicating next steps, and supporting fundraising activities

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Required experience/ Minimum requirements

• Strong research acumen including climate, water, and equity information literacy, strong analytical and data analysis skills, critical thinking and problem-solving skills
• Applied climate sciences education and work experience
  
• Experience conducting interdisciplinary research and writing synthesis publications across the social and natural sciences related to water-climate-equity; and demonstrated ability to translate technical information to non-technical and lay audiences
• Proficient knowledge of the US water sector and strategies and approaches to support climate-resilient water and sanitation systems
• Master’s degree with thesis requirement in water resources, climate, environmental or sustainability sciences, social sciences, or natural resource management
• Minimum five years of recent work experience as a professional applied researcher in a relevant field
• Familiarity with and strong interest in a coproduction model of research
• Strong qualitative and quantitative analytical skills and publication track record, including proficiency with interdisciplinary research and literature reviews and managing large/complex datasets
• Proficiency with creating and managing citation databases and bibliographies in Zotero
• Excellent oral and written communication skills, including ability to create compelling presentations to summarize and visualize findings and editing skills with ability to translate critical feedback into writing improvements
• Great organizational and time management skills including an ability to manage multiple projects and tasks simultaneously and meet ambitious deadlines
• Excellent attention to details
• Strong interpersonal skills and demonstrated ability to work with people from diverse backgrounds and cultures
• Proficient in Microsoft products, including SharePoint and OneDrive, with expertise in utilizing collaboration tools such as Slack and Microsoft Teams
  

Preferred/Desired qualifications:

• Interdisciplinary advanced degree, ideally in combined social-natural sciences
• Strong understanding of usable climate change information and tools for water-related decision-making
• Proficiency with Microsoft Excel, QDA (e.g., Atlas.ti, NVivo, MAXQDA), database management, and/or Geographic Information Systems software (e.g., ESRI ArcGIS, QGIS)
• Familiarity with water challenges in both urban and rural areas or small water systems through research and/or work experience; deep experience with tribes and Indigenous communities and/or communities of color and/or Spanish proficiency a plus
• Experience working on large, interdisciplinary assessments (e.g., US National Climate Assessment or similar)
• Experience developing web-based maps or visualizations for sharing research findings
• A keen interest and understanding about capacity building for frontline communities to adapt their water systems for climate change impacts
  

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Salary

$66,000 - $80,000

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Location

Remote (must reside in the US). Some business travel may be required, including overnight stays

Application Deadline: May 31st, 2024.

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To Apply

Please submit the following:

• A cover letter of no more than two pages, including:
  • Your interest in the work of the Pacific Institute and specific fit for this position;
  • A summary of your qualifications,
  • A personal DEI statement as stated above;
• Your CV/Resume;
  • Please include evidence of your publication track record and the title of your Master’s thesis;
• A peer-reviewed writing sample that should be a published piece as a solo or lead author with a maximum of 5 to 10 pages in length (references pages are not included in page count) that demonstrates proficiency in the required qualifications.

No immigration or relocation assistance is available for this position.

No phone calls, please. Applications will be accepted until the position is filled.

About our recruitment process:

Here’s what you can expect:

• Application review
• Schedule a call with the HR Manager
• Schedule a group interview with the Hiring Manager and Team
• Schedule a second group interview with the Hiring Manager and Team,
• References calls
• Offer

We don’t expect a perfect fit for every requirement we’ve outlined. If you can see yourself contributing to the team, we want to hear your story.

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Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

The Pacific Institute is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Diversity is a core value at Pacific Institute. We are dedicated to enhancing diversity, equity, and inclusion within our team and culture for two reasons:

To stay true to our values and principles: We recognize that historical and current injustices have left out certain voices and perspectives from decision-making about accessing and managing water resources. We acknowledge that the representation of these groups in water-related decision-making and careers is an important step towards addressing past and current injustices. Because Pacific Institute participates in water-related decision making, we acknowledge that hiring and retaining a diverse staff can contribute to a broader need to address systemic injustices.

To better achieve Pacific Institute's mission and vision: We know that having diverse perspectives makes for better research, creative solutions, and can help us achieve our mission. We recognize that a diverse team with varied perspectives, skills, and experiences is essential for generating and scaling innovative ideas that solve increasingly complex challenges. We make an active effort to create an inclusive environment where everyone feels respected, heard, validated, empowered, and celebrated across different identities and cultures. We aim to constantly evolve our approach to DEI to reflect best practices in this work, just as we do with our water and climate research. As part of this commitment, we request that all candidates include a short statement in their cover letter to address how your addition to our staff would contribute to our DEI efforts.

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