RESEARCH SCIENTIST/ENGINEER 2

Company: University of Washington
Location: Seattle
Posted on: May 24, 2025

Job Description:

If you are using a screen reader and experience any difficulty accessing our web pages, please call 206-543-2544 or email UWHires and we will be happy to assist you. jump to contentBenefits: As a UW employee, you will enjoy generous benefits and work/life programs. For a complete description of our benefits for this position, please visit our website, click here.As a UW employee, you have a unique opportunity to change lives on our campuses, in our state and around the world. UW employees offer their boundless energy, creative problem-solving skills, and dedication to build stronger minds and a healthier world.

UW faculty and staff also enjoy outstanding benefits, professional growth opportunities and unique resources in an environment noted for diversity, intellectual excitement, artistic pursuits, and natural beauty.

The Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering has an outstanding opportunity for a Research Scientist/Engineer 2 to join their team.

Join the NSF-supported NHERI RAPID Facility at the University of Washington, where you'll play a key role in collecting perishable data immediately following natural disasters. This is an exciting opportunity for a hands-on scientist passionate about field sampling and rapid data collection in varied, dynamic environments. In this role, you'll collaborate with a multidisciplinary team from across the country and gain expertise with cutting-edge tools, including portable gas chromatography-mass spectrometers (GC/MS), drones equipped with environmental sensors, and more.

About the National Science Foundation:
The National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent federal agency created by Congress in 1950 "to promote the progress of science; to advance the national health, prosperity, and welfare; to secure the national defense". NSF is the only federal agency whose mission includes support for all fundamental science and engineering fields. The NSF ensures that research is fully integrated with education so that today's revolutionary work will also be training tomorrow's top scientists and engineers.

About the NHERI Network and the RAPID Facility:
Funded by the National Science Foundation's Engineering Directorate, the Natural Hazards Engineering Research Infrastructure, NHERI, is a nationwide, shared-use network of facilities tailored for the natural hazards engineering research community. Investigators employ the NHERI network sites to test innovative ideas for mitigating damage from natural hazards, including earthquakes, windstorms, tsunamis, storm surges, wildfires, and landslides.

Diversity is a core value at the National Science Foundation and the University of Washington. The RAPID Facility shares this commitment. We are focused on building and sustaining an inclusive and equitable research environment for all students, staff, and collaborators. We believe every team member enriches our community by exposing us to a broad range of ways to understand and engage with the world, identify challenges, and to discover, design and deliver solutions

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
The Research Scientist/Engineer will hold the position of Research Scientist within the NHERI Rapid Facility. The applicant will be the second RAPID technical staff member supporting researchers in deploying tools related to collecting perishable data to support environmental and public health research. The Research Scientist will interact directly with researchers (faculty and staff) who are the users of the RAPID Facility resources and will be a vital resource for ensuring that data collection efforts are successful. The Research Scientist will work closely with other technical RAPID staff and coordinate the activities of the other Research Scientists in supporting the public health missions. The Research Scientist will report directly to the RAPID Operations Manager.

The position requires high energy, exceptional communication, and a genuine interest in the safety and well-being of Facility personnel. The selected candidate will be at the forefront of natural hazards reconnaissance science and the integrating data on the built environment's performance with environmental and public health data.

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Equipment Acquisition, Commissioning, and Maintenance (20%)

• Assist with the acquisition, commissioning and maintenance of RAPID equipment to support environmental and public health data collection following natural hazards.
  
• Develop user-friendly workflows for facility users to effectively operate the equipment.
  
• Integrate new equipment seamlessly into the Facility's existing inventory.
  
• Assist with the preparation of newly acquired facility spaces for the NIH expansion.
  
• Ensure compliance with relevant industry standards, protocols, and regulatory requirements.
  
  Training on New Equipment (15%)
  
• Gain proficiency on newly acquired RAPID equipment in collaboration with expert data collection practitioners and equipment manufacturers.
  
• Assist with quality assurance measures for data collection processes to ensure accuracy and reliability.
  
• Maintain appropriate qualifications and credentials (e.g., FAA Part-107 UAV Pilots license, HAZWOPER 40, Respirator training).
  
• Remain knowledgeable of emerging technologies and methodologies in data collection and public health research, and integrate them into operations where appropriate.
  
  Training of Other RAPID Staff (15%)
  
• Instruct other RAPID personnel on the new environmental and public health equipment.
  
• Train other RAPID personnel on natural hazards field reconnaissance, including field safety, logistics, and geospatial data collection.
  
  Project Management, Logistics and Deployment
  
• Collaborate with the Operations Manager and other Research Scientists, act as a point of contact for facility users to initiate projects, determine scope and resource needs, and carry to completion.
  
• Partner with Research Scientists with communicating with external users interested in using Rapid Facility resources, focusing on users interested in collecting environmental and public health data.
  
• Partner with Research Scientists coordinating external NSF and NIH-funded PI's projects; determine scope and resource needs, assist users in the development of proposals and research questions, refine field methods, scheduling, and logistics.
  
• Establish logistical and field protocols to ensure safe and timely deployment of facility personnel and resources.
  
• Arrange personnel travel logistics for RAPID deployments as needed.
  
• Coordinate equipment shipping, asset tracking, and retrieval for RAPID deployments as needed.
  
• Deploy with users during field data collection to provide assistance or take the lead as needed.
  
• Lead perishable data collection efforts or assist with equipment use in collaboration with external research teams during field deployments after natural hazard events.
  
  Facility Management
  
• Share equipment, software, and computing maintenance and troubleshooting with other RAPID personnel.
  
• Contribute equally (with other RAPID staff to the upkeep, organization, and professional presentation of RAPID facility laboratory spaces in More Hall (More Hall 016, 016a, 020), HQ (116), and any newly acquired spaces.
  
• Generate reports summarizing data collection activities, findings, and recommendations for internal and external stakeholders.
  
• Maintain accurate and organized documentation of equipment inventory, maintenance logs, and other relevant records.
  
  Data Processing and Management (10%)
  
• Assist the Facility Data Scientist with data management, focused on environmental and public health data, including archiving data to Design Safe consistent with the RAPID Facility's Data Management Plan.
  
• Process and analyze data from RAPID deployments as needed, with a focus on environmental and public health data.
  
• Maintain an operational knowledge of RAPID data and post-processing software.
  
  Outreach and Education
  
• Help coordinate RAPID Facility outreach efforts related to environmental and public health data with the Environmental and Public Health Data Lead.
  
• Represent the RAPID Facility at international professional and academic conferences.
  
• Develop user training workshop curriculum focused on environmental and public health data collection.
  
• Collaborate with the leadership team on developing modules for all RAPID workshops focused on environmental and public health data.
  
• Develop user training media focused on environmental and public health data collection and participate in other media development as needed.
  
• Generate tutorials on RAPID equipment, software, and data analysis for facility users.
  
  MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS
  
• Bachelor's Degree in Public Health / Industrial Hygiene/ Engineering/Health Sciences and two years of research experience.
  
• Equivalent combination of education/experience supporting a research facility environment.
  
  Equivalent education/experience will substitute for all minimum qualifications except when there are legal requirements, such as a license/certification/registration.
  
  DESIRED QUALIFICATIONS
  
• Adaptive Technical Expertise: Eager and quick to learn, with a passion for continually updating and applying technical skills to new equipment and technologies.
  
• Project Ownership: Highly organized with a strategic mindset, capable of managing complex projects and coordinating highly technical operations.
  
• Skilled Communication and Educator: effective technical communication skills, with a talent for teaching, mentoring, and engaging effectively with various stakeholders.
  
• Experience with public health sample collection and monitoring equipment and procedures.
  
• Working knowledge of biological and chemical hazards and handling safety.
  
• Experience with GIS representation of public health data.
  
• FAA Part 107b UAS pilot's license.
  
• Familiarity with UAS regulations.
  
• Experience in natural hazards reconnaissance, field work safety protocols.
  
  Application Process: The application process may include completion of a variety of online assessments to obtain additional information that will be used in the evaluation process. These assessments may include Work Authorization, Cover Letter and/or others. Any assessments that you need to complete will appear on your screen as soon as you select "Apply to this position". Once you begin an assessment, it must be completed at that time; if you do not complete the assessment, you will be prompted to do so the next time you access your "My Jobs" page. If you select to take it later, it will appear on your "My Jobs" page to take when you are access ready. Please note that your application will not be reviewed, and you will not be considered for this position until all required assessments have been completed.Committed to attracting and retaining a diverse staff, the University of Washington will honor your experiences, perspectives and unique identity. Together, our community strives to create and maintain working and learning environments that are inclusive, equitable and welcoming.To request disability accommodation in the application process, contact the Disability Services Office at 206-543-6450 or dso@uw.edu .Applicants considered for this position will be required to disclose if they are the subject of any substantiated findings or current investigations related to sexual misconduct at their current employment and past employment. Disclosure is required under Washington state law .
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Keywords: University of Washington, Seattle , RESEARCH SCIENTIST/ENGINEER 2, Engineering , Seattle, Washington