Social Science Research and Testbed Support Specialist – Scientist IV

• Design and implement qualitative and mixed-methods research studies related to hazardous weather forecasting, warning communication, and decision-making
• Develop interview protocols, focus group guides, survey instruments, and associated research materials
• Conduct in-person and virtual interviews with operational forecasters, emergency managers, decision-makers, and other stakeholders
• Facilitate focus groups, workshops, and user engagement activities evaluating emerging forecast and warning technologies, products, and services
• Support Hazardous Weather Testbed and other operational testbed activities through experiment design, participant coordination, facilitation, note-taking, and transcription
• Collaborate with physical scientists, developers, and operational partners on social science evaluation strategies
• Analyze qualitative and mixed-methods datasets using established methodologies and software tools
• Synthesize findings into recommendations for forecast product development, operational procedures, and decision-support services
• Ensure compliance with human subjects protections and IRB requirements
• Prepare technical documentation, research summaries, and project reports
• Contribute to quarterly and annual project reporting
• Lead or contribute to peer-reviewed publications and present findings at conferences, workshops, and stakeholder meetings
• Conduct field data collection, which may require irregular hours during active severe weather events

• MA/MS in a social science discipline, geography, meteorology, communication, psychology, sociology, emergency management, human factors, or a related field (PhD preferred)
• 8+ years of professional or academic experience
• Experience designing and conducting qualitative or mixed-methods research, including interviews, focus groups, and surveys
• Knowledge of social science research methodologies and qualitative data analysis techniques
• Experience developing research protocols, interview guides, focus group procedures, and survey instruments
• Familiarity with human subjects research requirements, including IRB processes, participant protections, and ethical research practices
• Experience facilitating stakeholder engagement activities, workshops, focus groups, or operational testbed experiments
• Demonstrated ability to collect, organize, analyze, and synthesize qualitative and mixed-methods datasets
• Strong written and oral communication skills, including experience preparing technical reports, presentations, and peer-reviewed publications
• Ability to work effectively with interdisciplinary teams of social scientists, physical scientists, software developers, and operational practitioners
• Willingness and ability to conduct in-person research activities, including field interviews, workshops, and testbed experiments
• Remote work arrangements must be reviewed and approved in advance by the Contracting Officer's Representative (COR)
• Must complete an online IT security awareness course within one week of starting work
• Foreign national candidates are subject to export control review and require CO/COR approval prior to consideration

Demonstrates expertise in designing and conducting qualitative and mixed-methods research, including the development of research protocols and stakeholder engagement activities. Proficient in analyzing qualitative datasets and synthesizing findings into actionable recommendations while ensuring compliance with ethical research practices.

• Qualitative Research Design
• Mixed-Methods Research
• Human Subjects Research Compliance
• Stakeholder Engagement Facilitation
• Data Analysis and Synthesis

• Qualitative Data Analysis
• Survey Instrument Development
• Interview Protocol Development
• Focus Group Facilitation
• Technical Report Writing
• Research Methodologies
• Field Data Collection
• Experiment Design
• Data Organization
• Ethical Research Practices

• Strong Communication Skills
• Interdisciplinary Collaboration
• Organizational Skills
• Adaptability
• Teamwork

• IT Security Awareness Course

• Hazardous Weather Forecasting
• Decision-Making
• Emergency Management
• IRB Requirements
• Social Science Evaluation
• Operational Testbed Activities
• Stakeholder Workshops
• Research Summaries
• Peer-Reviewed Publications
• Field Interviews