Research Associate III – Coastal Hazards Modeling & GIS
- Employer
- University of Rhode Island
- Location
- Kingston
- Salary
- Salary Hiring Range: $70,000 - $80,000
View more categoriesView less categories
- Employment Type
- Full Time
- Institution Type
- Four-Year Institution
Job Details
Posting Number: SF02203
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
Department: Marine Affairs
Campus Location: Kingston
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.
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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.
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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), STORMTOOLS, 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 www.RICHAMP.org). 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 flood modeling applications.• Produce GIS-based risk and vulnerability reports to support long-term planning, research, and stakeholder needs.• Design, implement, and manage GIS systems that support tiered user access and varying security and permission levels.• Run and translate model outputs into accessible, user-driven GIS products for planners, emergency managers, researchers, and the public.• Coordinate with Environmental Data Center staff to support data management, system performance, hosting, and long-term reliability of GIS infrastructure.• Support real-time ADCIRC model deployment during storm events, including hurricanes and nor'easters. This requires availability on short notice, including during evenings, weekends, and vacation periods, and is a core expectation of the position.• Contribute to grant writing and proposal development in support of funded projects, including identifying funding opportunities and assisting with technical narratives.• Contribute to outreach products, briefings, and presentations associated with the RI Natural Hazards Tools Collaborative.• Collaborate with investigators and researchers to integrate modeling outputs with observational data, including real-time data streams where appropriate.• Assist in the preparation of technical documentation, reports, peer-reviewed papers, and modeling-related deliverables for funded projects.
The following responsibilities may become a significant component of the role depending on the candidate's background. Candidates with experience in numerical coastal or inland flood modeling are strongly encouraged to apply.• Work with the modeling team to develop, implement, and maintain numerical inland and coastal storm models, with emphasis on GIS-based HEC systems (HEC-RAS and HEC-HMS) and ADCIRC/SWAN and related hydrological and hydrodynamic modeling frameworks.• Support model setup, execution, calibration, validation, and post-processing for applied inland and coastal hazards research and decision support.• Lead operational workflows for CHAMP modeling systems, including documentation, version control, and continuity planning.
OTHER DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
Perform additional duties as required.
LICENSES, TOOLS, AND EQUIPMENT:
Computers, printers; geographic information system (GIS), word processing, data management, spreadsheet software. Must provide own transportation.
Posting Date: 09/02/2026
To apply, visit https://jobs.uri.edu/postings/17023
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Organization
The University of Rhode Island
Founded in 1892, this land and sea grant university is the flagship public research institution in Rhode Island, enrolling more than 14,500 undergraduate students and 2,000 graduate students.
Thinking big
URI is home to some of today’s leading innovators, discoverers, and creative problem solvers and is known regionally and worldwide for its big ideas and pioneering research in such areas as environmental studies, neuroscience, biotechnology and life sciences, engineering, marine sciences, forensic sciences, pharmaceuticals, behavioral sciences, and public health promotion. A strong core of traditional academic disciplines provides the foundation for all specialized, professional, and applied areas of study. The University receives about $60 million annually in federal funding for research across 87 undergraduate and 70 graduate degree programs.
Motivated students, engaged faculty
Nearly 23,000 students applied for fewer than 3,300 openings in the 2017 freshman class, which boasts an average grade point average of 3.54. The 17 to 1 student/faculty ratio allows for personal attention and rewarding teaching experiences. Approximately 87 percent of faculty hold terminal degrees. In 2018 URI produced two Fulbright Scholars, five Boren Scholars, a Truman Scholar, and was named a one of the country’s top Gilman scholar-producing schools. URI’s commitment to diversity is demonstrated through its student body, with 43 states and 65 nations represented and 20 percent of students identifying as persons of color, a 65 percent increase since 2008.
Four campuses, one community
URI’s main campus is located on 1,248 acres in rural Kingston, where the campus core — including a quadrangle surrounded by handsome granite buildings — is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Six miles from Rhode Island’s beaches, this campus is conveniently situated along the Boston to New York corridor. The University’s renowned Graduate School of Oceanography is located at the 165-acre Narragansett Bay Campus. The Alan Shawn Feinstein College of Education and Professional Studies brings higher education to downtown Providence. Nearby, the 133,000-square-foot Rhode Island Nursing Education Center includes unparalleled simulation labs. The W. Alton Jones Campus — 2,300 acres of forests, lakes, and farmland in West Greenwich — provides a secluded setting for academic research, environmental education, business meetings and special events.
Investing in the future
Since 2007, the University has invested $607 million in campus capital projects, including: a $150 million engineering complex, due to open in 2019; Brookside, another new apartment-style residence hall, 2019; a Welcome Center, 2018; the Rhode Island Nursing Education Center, 2017; Beaupre Center for Chemical and Forensic Sciences, 2016; and Avedisian Hall, home to the College of Pharmacy, 2012.
Expertise on demand
The University is home to several centers of expertise that tackle some of society’s most vexing challenges. The George & Anne Ryan Institute for Neuroscience brings multi-disciplinary research to bear on devastating brain diseases, such as ALS and Alzheimer’s. The Digital Forensics and Cyber Security Center supports state, national, and international public welfare through education, research, training, and service. The Business Engagement Center is the “front door” through which industry taps into research and training opportunities and assistance with intellectual property or technology issues. The R.I. Food Center brings URI’s agricultural roots to the 21st century as a resource for farmers, consumers, retailers, and others across the food industry
- Telephone
- 401-874-1000
- Location
-
80 Lower College Road
North Kingston
Rhode Island
02881
United States
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