Overview
Location: Eugene, OR
Department: The Institute for Resilient Organizations, Communities, and Environments
Rank: Research Assistant
Annual Basis: 12 Month
Review of Applications Begins September 12, 2024.
ALL applications MUST be submitted here, https://careers.uoregon.edu/en-us/job/533411/pro-tem-research-assistantassociatepostdoc-iroce-open-pool
Special Instructions to Applicants
To ensure consideration, please include the following with your online application:
• Current resume/CV.
• Please submit a cover letter providing detailed information on your relevant experience and what your specific interests are in the areas we work in. In the cover letter please identify which type of position you are applying for: Research Assistant, Research Associate or Postdoctoral Scholar.
Department Summary
The Institute for Resilient Organizations, Communities, and Environments (IROCE) is a center for innovative, interdisciplinary research at the nexus of ecological, economic, and social sustainability. The IROCE is a thriving center for collaborative research, technical assistance, and policy education. The Institute produces information to help resolve complex problems and enable people to sustain the economies and environmental systems that support their communities. Faculty in the Institute focus on a wide variety of issues including natural resource management, land use, climate change, rural development, transportation, green building, alternative energy, natural hazards, and environmental education. The IROCE has a number of program areas, including the Ecosystem Workforce Program, Disaster-Resilient Universities network, Location Innovation Lab, and several individual research initiatives.
The Ecosystem Workforce Program is an applied social science research and extension program built on the fundamental belief that ecology, economy, and governance are intimately interconnected. EWP is a joint program of the Institute for Resilient Organizations, Communities, and Environments at the University of Oregon and the College of Forestry at Oregon State University. This unique partnership allows Oregon’s two leading universities to collectively contribute to natural resource governance that fosters prosperity and sustainability. Together, we apply scientific expertise and leadership to produce better outcomes for land and people.
The Disaster-Resilient Universities® (DRU) network and programs are tools for solving that problem. DRU’s goal is to promote learning, collaboration, and trust-based partnerships that help members improve strategic and operational resilience on their campuses. Specifically, DRU links higher education’s skills, expertise, resources, and innovation with professional and trade organizations, businesses, and state and federal agencies. The shared goal is to strengthen overall disaster resiliency.
The Location Innovation Lab is a nationally recognized leader in designing innovative location-based software systems and developing cutting-edge, award-winning web and mobile applications – focused on applied innovations for Resilient Organizations. The LIL collaborates with other researchers on funded innovation projects and pursues the transfer of technologies to other organizations operating large campuses, through licensing agreements and other financial partnerships with industry.
Position Summary
This position with the Ecosystem Workforce Program supports a project focused on identifying opportunities for advancing equitable forest and fire workforce pathways. This project is focused on characterizing and reimagining the workforces supporting community and land-based fire resilience in the western US, including highlighting key obstacles and opportunities for change. This position will work on:
1) Identifying and understanding the multiple pathways that lead to these jobs, and the associated barriers that keep people from pursuing or advancing along those paths.
2) Identifying opportunities to expand, enrich and reimagine these careers across scales, to foster more secure, good-paying, equitable, skilled jobs and multiple workforce sectors.
3) Community and practitioner-guided research, responsive to the expertise of individuals in community and land-based fire resilience.
This project will gather and synthesize information to share results and recommendations that characterize these workforce challenges and opportunities for future investment or policy change. The intended results of this project include research, policy briefs and reports geared toward policy and decisionmakers/land managers/community organizers and facilitated learning opportunities with interested groups. This project also aims to collectively advance understanding and partnership around the intersection of multiple sectors working on fire resilience, including fire, forestry, and home hardening in the western US with an anticipated focus on Oregon and 2-3 other states in the western US.
This position will:
• Involve facilitation and engagement, including co-creating and managing advisory group(s) of fire workforce professionals, community members, and youth mentees, with emphasis on empowering diverse participation.
• Use qualitative methodologies to elicit information, such as conducting focus groups, participant observation, and interviews.
• Potentially use quantitative methodologies to conduct survey-based data collection and analysis, and/or analyze existing workforce data (e.g. contracting data).
• Involve literature and document review, key informant discussions and synthesis to inform project design.
We welcome a broad spectrum of candidates and invite applications from individuals who are underrepresented in the profession. Additionally, candidates who have worked with people from diverse identities and backgrounds and who have a commitment to inclusivity are encouraged to identify their experiences and interests.
Minimum Requirements
• BA/BS in applied natural resource, social science, policy, labor or economics fields. This includes but is not limited to forestry, environmental studies, labor or applied or agricultural economics, labor or employment relations/studies, organizational development, public policy, geography, political science, planning, or other related fields. Significant professional experience may substitute for a bachelor’s degree for highly qualified individuals.
• Demonstrated experience with group convening, focus groups, facilitation and related activities.
• Demonstrated experience with some combination of environmental policy and management; workforce development or training; labor economics; community-government relations; collaboration; sustainable rural development; fire suppression, forestry or home hardening businesses and workforce(s); or a related field.
• Demonstrated experience working with/within underserved, under-resourced or historically marginalized groups and communities, including for example, experience with inclusive and culturally-responsive practices.
Professional Competencies
• Ability and willingness to travel regionally and nationally, including to remote rural communities.
• Effective communications skills, including ability to work effectively in person and remotely with partners and ability to write publications and documents and deliver presentations for diverse audiences.
• Ability to organize, convene and facilitate diverse groups.
• Ability to solve problems quickly and efficiently and learn new methodological skills.
• Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, and good time management.
• Ability to work cooperatively in a team environment.
• Commitment to empowering individuals and communities who have been historically excluded from the fire field and fire policy discussions.
Preferred Qualifications
• MS or PhD in related field.
• Knowledge/experience with a variety of qualitative social science research methods, including community-based approaches, and ability to learn new methods as needs arise.
• Trained facilitator, mediator or related skills.
• Spanish fluency.
• Experience working in and with Tribal/Indigenous communities.
• Experience working with youth (16-30).
• Experience with or knowledge of Indigenous and Decolonizing Research Methodologies and/or Participatory Action Research.
• Experience working in policy venues on related topics.
• Experience working with people from diverse identities and backgrounds, e.g. people with racialized, working class, rural, urban, LGBTQIA2S+, and/or marginalized gendered identities.
• Specific knowledge and experience related to federal, state or local-level workforce development, training and recruitment for fire, forestry and home hardening careers.
• Experience and knowledge of ArcPro or other GIS software, Adobe Illustrator/Photoshop/InDesign, and SPSS or other statistical applications.