NRRI Temporary Renewable Associate Staff Scientist- Integrated Ecology

• Job
• Location:
  
  Duluth
• Job Family:
  Research
• Full/Part Time:
  Full-Time
• Regular/Temporary:
  Regular
• Job Code: 8352EC
• Employee Class:
  Civil Service

Early-career research professional, hired on a term position (renewable depending on funding) to assist with ecological research, quantitative data analysis, and manuscript development. Primary functions focus on supporting research projects spanning population modeling, habitat management, ecosystem resilience, biodiversity, and coastal wetland dynamics. Key competencies include statistical computing, spatial data handling, scientific literature synthesis, and technical writing, and adaptability across office and field settings.

In support of NRRI's mission to deliver applied natural resource solutions, this position provides essential research capacity and manuscript drafting support to translate complex ecological data into peer-reviewed publications and actionable management tools. Decisions are guided by project frameworks, standard operating procedures, and direction from the Principal Investigator / Manager. Must be eligible to work in the United States.

The end date will be one year from the start date. At that point, the team will deliberate whether or not the position is eligible for an annual renewal.

Priority Deadline

Note:

The application review will begin on 10/15/26.

Visa Language: Please note, this position is not eligible for H-1B or Green Card sponsorship. This position does not offer a STEM OPT training program.

Work Schedule

Flexible, casual schedule (up to 40 hours per week during peak periods, or variable part-time hours) based on project timelines, manuscript milestones, and funding availability. In-Person work environment.

Job Duties

• Quantitative Analysis & Population Modeling (40%)
  • Conduct data management, statistical computing, and quantitative modeling (e.g., population dynamics, species-habitat relationships, biodiversity metrics).
  • Process and analyze ecological, spatial, and environmental datasets associated with coastal wetlands and managed ecosystems.
  • Develop reproducible code (e.g., in R or Python) to organize, clean, and model complex ecological data.
• Scientific Writing & Manuscript Development (30%)
  • Assist Principal Investigators and senior researchers in drafting, editing, and formatting peer-reviewed manuscripts for submission to scientific journals.
  • Perform comprehensive literature reviews and syntheses regarding ecosystem resilience, habitat management, and coastal wetland ecology.
  • Prepare clear data visualizations, figures, tables, and executive summaries to communicate findings to scientific and agency audiences.
• Research Execution, Data Management & Field Support (20%)
  • Conduct seasonal field sampling, environmental monitoring, and site assessments as needed across a variety of ecosystems (e.g., coastal wetlands, inland habitats), adding physical collection experience and task variety to core analytical work.
  • Assist with project workflows, tracking deadlines, and organizing research deliverables across both broad and topic-specific ecological initiatives.
  • Maintain curated, well-documented project databases, field logs, and shared digital repositories.
  • Support the preparation of progress reports, technical documents, and scientific presentations for project partners.
• Collaboration & Communication (10%)
  • Coordinate with interdisciplinary research teams, university staff, and external partners to gather required data inputs and review draft products.
  • Participate in regular project check-ins, safety training, research group discussions, and manuscript review sessions.

Physical / Environmental Demands

The majority of work will be office-based. However, depending on funding and project scope, field work may require…