Job Description

Required Qualifications

• Master’s degree and 2 years of related experiences or BS/BA plus at least five years of related experience
• Experience in interdisciplinary sustainability research and social science research methodologies such as interview and survey design
• Both self-directed and team-oriented
• Excellent writing and communication skills for both technical and non-technical audiences
• Ability to successfully multitask and organize workflow; manage multiple projects and schedules;
• Handle virtual and/or in-person interruptions during scheduled work hours; and proactively manage up and communicate project status supervisor and project team members

Preferred Qualifications

• PhD and/or prior to postdoctoral fellowship experience in a relevant interdisciplinary field of sustainability
• Experience in one of the technical areas under consideration: probabilistic drought outlooks; science communication; decision support diagnosis, user engagement, and testing; stakeholder engagement and analysis; risk and decision analysis; and/or mixed-methods approaches
• Experience in peer-to-peer or student mentoring to support onboarding and team collaborations
• Experience in team science and partner-engaged scholarship, including professional interactions with stakeholders and faculty
• Experience designing and managing complex research projects
• Public engagement, speaking, and outreach experience, including with Federal agency and community partners
• Publications and other research outputs related to visual communication testing of drought outlook products

This position is focused on a proposed project titled, “Empirical Evaluation of Visual Strategies for Communicating Probabilistic Drought Outlooks to Enhance Impact-Based Decision Support for Stakeholders”. This research focuses on improving how probabilistic drought outlooks are visually designed and shared with the public and other decision-makers. Building on earlier work to redesign deterministic drought outlooks, this research will evaluate how different visual strategies affect people’s ability to understand and use drought forecasts. This project has a firm end date, thus requiring a researcher who with direct probabilistic drought outlooks research experience to advance the project research quickly. Funding for this position is dependent on funding being received for this project.


Opportunities to additionally support other externally funded projects led by Dr. Kenney
( are possible, including projects focused on Flood Inundation Mapping decision support products.


Overall, the Interdisciplinary Sustainability Decision Support Researcher is expected to balance multiple tasks and manage time efficiently to ensure project activities are completed in an organized and efficient manner for incorporation into peer-reviewed publications. Research outcomes are also co-produced with non-academic project partners to support the implementation of research findings into operations and environmental decision-making, which requires thoughtful partner engagement, regular briefings, and recommendation memos.


More Details & Working Conditions: Our offices are located in St. Paul, MN. This may be a hybrid of remote and in-person work (P1, P2, or P3 work profiles), with the exact work location mix dependent on the person and job responsibilities thus preference is given to incumbents who will be located within reasonable driving distance from the UMN St. Paul campus. The person will be expected to engage via web-conferencing and in-person with the team, attend important IonE events, and develop working relationships with other IonE staff.


The appointment is funded externally by federal grants. This is a temporary civil service Research Scientist 4, Interdisciplinary Sustainability Decision Support Researcher position that is expected to continue for 1 year, given the availability of funding, work, and employee performance.


Salary and Benefits: The salary for this position is $66,500, with UMN civil service employee group benefits.


How to apply: A complete application is required for consideration. The required application materials are listed below and need to be submitted as a single PDF and in the following order:

• Cover Letter: Cover letter (2 pages max) that describes your qualifications and how this position aligns with your career path. Additionally, in your cover letter, please indicate whether you would work in-person or remote; for anyone who is approved for remote work, there is a requirement to be in person on the St. Paul campus for one full week at least once a semester; please confirm your ability to meet this requirement in the cover letter. Finally, in your cover letter, please fully disclose any and all usage of AI to support the development of your application materials, including for spelling and grammatical checks.
• References: Contact information for at least 2 references (i.e., name, title, organization; URL to biographical sketch or similar; address, phone number, and email address; and relationship to the candidate). References will not be contacted until final candidates have been identified, and you will be notified before contacting references.
• CV
• Work Product Example: One example of a product, such as a scientific manuscript, relevant to this job position

Questions or barriers to submitting an application? Email ione@umn.edu. We recognize applying takes effort, and we look forward to reading and reviewing your materials.

Principal Duties and Responsibilities

80% designing, conducting, and analyzing mixed-methods data using multidisciplinary social science research methods. Activities, which require both daily/weekly team collaboration and expertise to work independently, include:

• conducting literature reviews and formal document analyses
• preparation and technical lead for Institutional Review Board (IRB) documentation for human subjects determinations
• designing and conducting semi-interviews with experts
• developing and carrying out survey research
• human subjects data curation and metadata documentation given best practices and grant requirements
• qualitative and quantitative data analysis, summarizing results, and collaboratively discussing research findings and implications
• regular communication with and coordination with project team members
• author or co-author peer-reviewed publications developed based on this research
• public engagement activities and documents to accelerate and increase the use of research findings in decisions and decision support products
• documentation of administrative, research workflows, and project management processes, regular project progress summaries, and other project related items
• project goal setting, meeting planning, and managing-up of PI and project team members, including:
  • weekly report back on project progress, collaborate, and identify needs with other team members on Basecamp
  • organize, document, and share work in Basecamp, Google suite collaborative products, and fully adopt team file organization structure and work best practices
  • adopt IonE research software, data, and metadata best practices related to archiving, documentation, and accessibility.

20% Other

• Support the development of grant proposals and other research priorities not included above
• Mentor, train, and supervise undergraduate students, volunteers, and interns, as assigned and if relevant
• Participation in IonE community activities
• Professional development
• Other duties as assigned

The Institute on the Environment (IonE), Knowledge Initiatives team, at the University of Minnesota, invites a Research Scientist 4, Interdisciplinary Sustainability Decision Support Researcher to participate in collaborative interdisciplinary, team-based science, and partner- and community-engaged science projects aimed at supporting sustainability impacts. The Interdisciplinary Sustainability Decision Support Researcher would advance our decision support science portfolio, an area of work that focuses on the processes and tools that enable evidence-based decision-making in public and private sectors. The Interdisciplinary Sustainability Decision Support Researcher will be critical to the implementation of mixed-methods approaches to rigorously assess and test the usability of environmental data products. The Knowledge Initiatives (KI) team leads the portfolio of interdisciplinary sustainability research and scholarly activity within IonE.

Applications must be submitted online. To be considered for this position, please click the Apply button and follow the instructions. You will be given the opportunity to complete an online application for the position and attach a cover letter and resume.

Additional documents may be attached after application by accessing your "My Job Applications" page and uploading documents in the "My Cover Letters and Attachments" section.

To request an accommodation during the application process, please e-mail employ@umn.edu or call (612) 624-8647.

The University recognizes and values the importance of diversity and inclusion in enriching the employment experience of its employees and in supporting the academic mission. The University is committed to attracting and retaining employees with varying identities and backgrounds.

The University of Minnesota provides equal access to and opportunity in its programs, facilities, and employment without regard to race, color, creed, religion, national origin, gender, age, marital status, disability, public assistance status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression. To learn more about diversity at the U:

Any offer of employment is contingent upon the successful completion of a background check. Our presumption is that prospective employees are eligible to work here. Criminal convictions do not automatically disqualify finalists from employment.

The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities (UMTC)

The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities (UMTC), is among the largest public research universities in the country, offering undergraduate, graduate, and professional students a multitude of opportunities for study and research. Located at the heart of one of the nation's most vibrant, diverse metropolitan communities, students on the campuses in Minneapolis and St. Paul benefit from extensive partnerships with world-renowned health centers, international corporations, government agencies, and arts, nonprofit, and public service organizations.

At the University of Minnesota, we are proud to be recognized by the Star Tribune as a Top Workplace for 2021, as well as by Forbes as Best Employers for Women and one of America’s Best Employers (2015, 2018, 2019, 2023), Best Employer for Diversity (2019, 2020), Best Employer for New Grads (2018, 2019), and Best Employer by State (2019, 2022).

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