The EPA Environmental Research and Business Support Program has an immediate opening for an EPA Green Infrastructure Decision Analyst position at the EPA’s research facility in Narragansett, RI.

The Office of Research and Development at the EPA supports high-quality research to improve the scientific basis for decisions on national environmental issues and help EPA achieve its environmental goals. Research is conducted in a broad range of environmental areas by scientists in EPA laboratories and at universities across the country.

The Atlantic Ecology Division (AED) of the National Health and Environmental Effects Research Laboratory conducts research to enhance the understanding of the effects of human activity on land and waters of the Atlantic seaboard. The team works to support sustainable solutions to environmental problems, working within (1) ORD’s  Sustainable and Healthy Communities Research, which is focused on developing comprehensive approaches to help communities be more sustainable and to develop decision support tools, models and metrics that can be used to improve sustainable community practices in the face of changing water, land use, and climate challenges, and (2)  ORD’s Safe and Sustainable Water Resources Research, which is seeking sustainable solutions to the complex problems facing our nation’s drinking water and the water resources that are vital to supporting healthy humans, ecosystems, and economies.

The selected candidate shall assist with the analytical duties and synthesis required to support research in Decision Analysis for Community Sustainability and Community Green Infrastructure Implementation. He/she shall bring an interdisciplinary perspective in assisting with data collection, analysis, synthesis, and translation to support development and implementation of Decision Support models and tools for communities seeking to protect ecosystem services and increase sustainable outcomes in both human and environmental dimensions. Specific tasks shall focus on Green Infrastructure, Decision Tools, Systems modeling, Community case studies, spatial analysis, tool documentation/instruction, literature review, synthesis, or a combination of these.

Research and Analysis Responsibilities shall include assisting with:

• Locating and compiling documents and content characterizing issues, goals, decisions, and management plans and outcomes pertaining to land and resource use, ecosystem services, green infrastructure, and integrated sustainability for municipalities,
• Assessing and collecting data on availability, use, and outcome of management practices by decision-makers,
• Participating with team-members in analyzing, evaluating and documenting best management practices,
• Using an assortment of software packages for data analysis and display,
• Preparing data tables, analysis, and visualizations to assist with the characterization and evaluation of decision making context, collaborations, processes, and needs,
• Assisting in literature review and meta-analysis to develop content for decision analysis and framing tools,
• Researching and summarizing information relating to Use Cases and Decision Cases pertaining to Community Sustainability goals and environmental science and policy,
• Participating with team-members in evaluating and documenting Green Infrastructure implementation and benefits, community-scale socio-environmental systems, issues, network structure, and data gaps, and
• Other tasks required for accomplishing project objectives.

Documentation and Communication Responsibilities shall include:

• Developing the summary analysis of results and impacts in the preparation of reports, databases, documents, and other products for the writing and publication of research findings,
• Participating as a member of an interdisciplinary team in assigned activities, and interacting with team members and other EPA scientists,
• Maintaining records of meetings, correspondence, and action documents, and maintain a system to track projects in progress, and
• Assisting the team in developing/presenting oral presentations results and impacts using graphics and other interactive formats,

Location: This job will be located at EPA’s research facility in Narragansett, RI.

Salary: The selected applicant will become a full time temporary employee of ORAU and will receive an hourly wage of $29.41 for hours worked.

Hours: Full time

Travel: Occasional day trips will be required. Overnight travel may be required infrequently.

Working Conditions:  The selected candidate shall be supervised by a mentor who will provide day-to-day direction, as well as coach, advise and counsel the candidate, and review the candidate’s work. 

Expected Start Date: The position start date is December 2016. The selected applicant will be temporary employees of ORAU working as contractors to EPA. The initial contract period is through May 14, 2017. EPA may elect to renew the contract for an additional three 12-month optional periods

For more information, contact EPAjobs@orau.org. Do not contact EPA directly.

Eligible applicants must:

• Be at least 18 years of age and
• Have earned at least a Master’s Degree in one of the following: public policy, decision sciences, environmental sciences, urban planning, hydrology, sociology, aquatic sciences, geography, geology, chemistry, ecology, geographic information systems, biology, oceanography, economics, sustainability systems, resource management, or related of study from an accredited university or college within the last 24 months, and
• Be a citizen of the United States of America or a Legal Permanent Resident.

EPA ORD employees, their spouses, and children are not eligible to participate in this program.

Required Knowledge, Skills, Work Experience, and Education

The applicant shall have:

• Interdisciplinary academic training comprised of a mix of physical and social sciences,
• Work, volunteer, or related experience that contributes to transdisciplinary expertise and demonstrated breadth and depth in both social science and natural sciences,
• Technical analysis, communication and writing ability as evidenced by publications, presentations, jobs, training,
• Experience with research, including demonstrated analytical, problem formulation, and leadership skills,
• Experience working with scientific and policy data, literature, maps, and surveys using applications including spreadsheets, relational databases, and visualization tools,
• Proven ability to function in a team, document work, meet goals, and communicate results,
• Practical knowledge, as demonstrated through training or experience, of resource management policy, systems science, community engagement methods, and decision sciences, and
• Familiarity with literature and practice pertaining to Green Infrastructure, Community Sustainability, and Watershed scale environmental management, or Environmental policy/ decision analysis.

How to apply:

• Submit application and supporting documents by clicking on Apply Now button.
• Do not contact EPA directly.

For more information, contact EPAjobs@orau.org. Do not contact EPA directly.

• Citizenship: LPR or U.S. Citizen
• Degree: Master's Degree or Doctoral Degree received within the last 24 month(s).
• Discipline(s):
  • Chemistry and Materials Sciences (12 )
  • Earth and Geosciences (21 )
  • Engineering (27 )
  • Environmental and Marine Sciences (14 )
  • Life Health and Medical Sciences (45 )
  • Other Non-Science & Engineering (2 )
  • Physics (16 )
  • Social and Behavioral Sciences (9 )

I certify that I am at least 18 years of age; a recent graduate with at least a Master’s Degree in one of the following: public policy, decision sciences, environmental sciences, urban planning, hydrology, sociology, aquatic sciences, geography, geology, chemistry, ecology, geographic information systems, biology, oceanography, economics, sustainability systems, resource management, or related field of study from an accredited university or college within the last 24 months; a citizen or a Legal Permanent Resident of the United States of America; and not a current employee of EPA ORD or the spouse or child of an EPA ORD employee.