Research Associate III – Coastal Hazards Modeling & GIS
Listed on 2026-09-05
-
Research/Development
Data Scientist, Research Scientist
Research Associate III – Coastal Hazards Modeling & GIS
Position Information
Posting Number - SF02203
Job Title
- Research Associate III – Coastal Hazards Modeling & GIS
Position Number - PS#
FTE - 1.00
FLSA
- Exempt
Position Type
- Professional Staff
Union - PSA/NEA
- Professional Staff Assoc
Pay Grade Level
- Grade Level: 11
Pay Grade Range
- Salary Hiring Range: $70,000 - $80,000
Status
- Calendar Year, Full-time, Limited
Department Information
Department
- Marine Affairs
Campus Location
- Kingston
Grant Funded
- Yes
Extension Contingency Notes
- Position is full-time calendar year, limited to 01/08/2028 with possible renewal.
Job Description Summary
- Search will be open until filled. First consideration will be given to applications received by 09/30/2026. Applications received after 09/30/2026 may be reviewed depending on search progress and needs but are not guaranteed full consideration.
About URI:
The University of Rhode Island enrolls approximately 17,000 students across its graduate and undergraduate programs and is the State's flagship public research university, as well as the land grant and sea grant university, for the state of Rhode Island. The main campus is located in the historic village of Kingston, and the Bay Campus is located in Narragansett. Both campuses are near major beaches in a beautiful coastal community.
URI is just 30 minutes from Providence, RI and within easy reach of Newport, Boston, and New York City.
The Opportunity for a Hybrid Work Schedule is Possible After Six Months.
Position Summary:
The Research Associate III will provide advanced technical support for natural hazards decision support tools at the University of Rhode Island. URI has dedicated significant expertise and resources to develop a suite of tools, including the Coastal Hazards Analysis, Modeling and Prediction system (CHAMP), STORM TOOLS, and MyCoast:
Rhode Island, which play key roles in addressing storm risks and predicting the impacts of sea level rise and increasing wind and precipitation. CHAMP is an interdisciplinary system developed and maintained by a team of 10-15 researchers and staff spanning Marine Affairs, Ocean Engineering, Oceanography, and RI Sea Grant. The system is in active operational use at the Rhode Island Emergency Management Agency and supports ongoing projects with the U.S. Coast Guard and the Rhode Island Department of Transportation.
This position will support applied coastal hazards research that leverages numerical storm and compound flood modeling (rainfall-driven and wind-driven) and geospatial decision-support systems to advance the goals of the Rhode Island Natural Hazards Collaborative, and will serve as the operational and technical lead for CHAMP. The CHAMP team is actively exploring opportunities to integrate AI and machine learning tools into system development, operations, and decision-support products.
Candidates with relevant experience or interest in this area are encouraged to discuss it in their application materials.
Duties and Responsibilities
- Key
Duties and Responsibilities:
Under the supervision of Austin Becker, Principal Investigator in the College of the Environment and Life Sciences, the Research Associate III will lead the ongoing operation of coastal storm models and application of geospatial information systems. The position focuses on developing and transitioning science-based modeling and GIS tools into reliable, user-focused operational decision-support products for planning, management, and public communication, with primary emphasis on the Coastal Hazards Analysis, Modeling, and Prediction System (see (Use the "Apply for this Job" box below).).
Although work will begin with operating and maintaining existing systems, there is wide opportunity for improvement and innovation, even using alternatives to Esri systems.
Duties and Responsibilities:
- Operate existing applied workflows and maintain dashboards during initial work period.
- Develop, maintain, and enhance advanced GIS products, including interactive dashboards, spatial analysis tools, and map-based decision-support products.
- Use GIS tools to acquire, process, and manage hydrological and land-use datasets in support of environmental and…
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