Assistant Research Scientist; PREP

General Description

Salary: $63 - $65 an hour

PREP Research Associate. This position is part of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Professional Research Experience Program (PREP). NIST supports research staff collaboration with academic institutions on projects of mutual interest. The PREP program brings staff from many disciplines to conduct scientific research across various fields. Individuals in this role will perform technical work supporting the collaboration’s scientific research.

Research

Title:

Wind and Coastal Engineering Researcher

The work involves data collection, analysis, and documentation of windstorm and coastal hazards and impacts to the built environment. The role supports five NIST projects: the Design for Extreme Winds and Tornadoes project (Structural Performance under Multihazards Program), the Critical Buildings and Infrastructure Projects (Hurricane Maria Program), the NWIRP study of Hurricane Ian, and NIST’s Forward Looking Building Standards project.

• Analyze storm impacts to critical facilities.
• Analyze communications infrastructure failures.
• Conduct literature reviews and synthesis.
• Perform geospatial and remote sensing data collection, analysis, and visualization of tornado and hurricane hazards and impacts, including development of design wind speed and design tornado speed maps.
• Prepare reports and supporting graphics and posters.
• Present research results at professional meetings and conferences.

• Bachelor’s degree in civil engineering, earth sciences, or a related field.
• Knowledge of and experience with documentation of wind effects on buildings and structures, including field investigation experience.
• At least 5 years of experience and contributions in data collection and analysis of windstorm damage and impacts to buildings and infrastructure.
• Strong geospatial analysis and visualization skills (ArcGIS) and programming skills (Python and/or SQL).
• Demonstrated technical writing and presentation skills.

Salary range: $63 - $65 per hour.

Total rewards package includes health, life, career and retirement benefits.

The institution is committed to equal opportunity for its faculty, staff, and students. To that end, the university does not discriminate on the basis of sex, gender, marital status, pregnancy, race, color, ethnicity, national origin, age, disability, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran status or other legally protected characteristic. The university is committed to providing qualified individuals access to all academic and employment programs, benefits and activities on the basis of demonstrated ability, performance and merit without regard to personal factors that are irrelevant to the program involved.