Research Environmental Scientist

RTI International•Lucani Municipality, North Carolina

1d•Hybrid

About The Position

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 role contributes to projects involving water resources, agriculture, energy, climate resilience, natural hazards, and environmental risk communication. It requires strong research, analytical, communication, and interpersonal skills, including the ability to translate stakeholder needs and complex information into actionable insights and recommendations. The position contributes 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, and strategic business development. It is based in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina, with telecommuting options. Candidates need not have experience in every listed area.

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.
Relevant education fields include Environmental Science, Environmental Policy, Communications, Public Policy, Behavioral Science, or a related discipline.
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 and must not require now or in the future sponsorship for employment visa status.
Collaborative mindset and ability to work effectively across multidisciplinary teams.
Strategic thinking and creativity in connecting ideas, identifying opportunities, and developing approaches to complex challenges.
Excellent written and verbal communication, active listening, facilitation, and communication with diverse audiences.
Initiative and independence in executing research, leading project activities, and developing new work and partnerships.
Ability to manage competing priorities, adapt to evolving needs, and maintain high standards of quality and reliability.
Curiosity and willingness to learn and apply new scientific concepts, methods, technologies, and approaches.
High level of self-discernment and commitment to quality.

Nice To Haves

Stakeholder and community engagement related to climate action, climate resilience and adaptation, environmental planning, or natural resource management.
Qualitative research and analysis, including for time-sensitive and multifaceted research projects.
Experience with flood warning communication, natural hazards risk communication, and/or research involving emergency managers, weather forecasters, and other operational decision makers.
Research-to-operations, implementation research, and/or evaluation of how scientific information, forecasts, and decision-support tools are interpreted, communicated, adopted, and used in decision-making.
Collaboration with government agencies, academic institutions, community organizations, and other partners on multidisciplinary research initiatives, including peer-reviewed publications, technical reports, and white papers.
Flexibility for domestic and international travel.

Responsibilities

Design and conduct qualitative and mixed-methods research, including interviews, focus groups, listening sessions, surveys, and other methods for understanding stakeholder perspectives and needs.
Analyze and synthesize qualitative information using thematic coding, systems mapping, and related approaches; integrate qualitative and quantitative data to identify patterns and generate actionable recommendations.
Design and implement stakeholder and community engagement strategies using human-centered design, co-creation, participatory research, and workshop facilitation.
Translate complex scientific and technical information into accessible reports, visualizations, decision graphics, presentations, and digital content for diverse audiences.
Lead research tasks and multidisciplinary project teams, coordinate staff and partners, manage schedules, budgets, deliverables, and quality assurance, and communicate with clients.
Support business development through opportunity identification, proposal strategy and writing, partner engagement, and cultivation of research, funding opportunities, and client relationships.
Build collaborative relationships across disciplines, organizations, and stakeholder groups to advance research, develop innovative solutions, and proactively solve problems.