Research Director, Sustainable Cities Initiative (SCI), University of Oregon

http://hr.uoregon.edu/jobs/unclassified.php?id=3465

Research Director
Sustainable Cities Initiative (SCI)
University of Oregon
*
The Sustainable Cities Initiative (SCI) seeks a highly motivated, organized,
and action-oriented individual for a new non-tenure track faculty position
to develop and direct a coordinated research agenda for SCI, carry out
independent research, and connect and support others’ research as
appropriate to advance issues of interest to SCI.

SCI is a cross-disciplinary organization at the University of Oregon (UO)
that integrates research, education, service, and public outreach. Its
mission is to improve the design, development, and operation of cities and
to serve as a model for universities’ engagement in promoting sustainable
cities. SCI works at a variety of scales from large regions to individual
buildings. In addition to design, SCI addresses issues of policy,
governance, and the use and conservation of materials and energy, as well as
social aspects of sustainable cities.

SCI connects this work to students, scholars, funders, project partners, and
policy makers. Service learning is a key aspect of this work. Currently,
there are 10 different departments and programs actively involved, including
planning, architecture, landscape architecture, public policy, law,
business, arts administration, journalism, product design, civil
engineering, and economics. SCI is one of the UO’s five Big Ideas, which is
an internal program to identify and support key institutional priorities.

SCI’s multi-disciplinary approach is grounded in the belief that multiple
perspectives and areas of expertise are the key to addressing issues of
sustainability within our communities. SCI synthesizes existing faculty
research work under a single theme, and serves as a catalyst for expanded
research and teaching endeavors that result in applied, real world
solutions.

*PURPOSE OF THIS POSITION
*
The overall purpose of this new position is to lead the research endeavor of
SCI, which includes three main activities:

1. Developing a strategic research program for SCI;
2. Carrying out independent research, including securing funding; and
3. Working with other researchers to advance an integrated,
interdisciplinary, applied research agenda related to SCI focal areas.

This position will be directly managed by SCI’s Executive Director and will
also work closely with SCI’s Program Manager, Associate Directors,
communications staff, and with graduate student fellows who can assist with
some job responsibilities.

*JOB DUTIES
*
This position will involve:

- Developing, funding, and conducting applied research to support
sustainable city design, broadly defined, including the ability to support
the position on an ongoing basis beyond the initial contract period;
- Developing and managing SCI’s overall research program;
- Helping to position SCI research as a national leader;
- Cultivating relationships with an interdisciplinary set of potential
researchers across the University of Oregon, with colleagues at other
Oregon
institutions, and with partners at institutions across the country as
appropriate;
- Supervising students, as necessary, to help carry out and disseminate
research;
- Outreach to policy makers; and
- Development and dissemination of tools and resources to assist
communities in translating research into actionable items.

*Minimum and Preferred Qualifications
*

- Terminal degree in a relevant field, such as planning, environmental
studies, public policy, geography, political science, law,
architecture, or
other related field.
- Minimum six years of professional or educational research experience,
including track record of scholarly publication or influential policy
report
writing.
- Track record of significant research funding, including as lead
investigator and proposal writer, and clear ability to continue grant
writing and fund raising to fund position after the first year.
- Knowledge of and experience with a variety of qualitative and
quantitative social science research methods and willingness and
ability to
learn new methods as need arises to conduct or supervise a wide variety of
applied research projects.
- Must be willing and able to travel regionally and nationally.
- Must have excellent writing and communications skills, including
ability to publish in academic and lay publications.
- Demonstrated self-motivation.
- Strong organizational skills.
- Ability to manage multiple projects and maintain overall program
mission.
- Ability to work cooperatively in an entrepreneurial, action-oriented
team environment.


Candidate must be able to work independently and in a team environment in
leading the research effort for SCI. As a quickly growing, start-up
organization, all SCI team members must be able to lead in their own tasks
while looking for ways to interact and contribute to the other functions of
SCI. SCI is aggressively collaborative, and the candidate must be
interested in contributing to the whole while developing independent
leadership of the research program.

*TERMS OF EMPLOYMENT
*
This is a grant-contingent career non-tenure track faculty position. The
successful candidate will be a Senior Research Associate. Initially, this
position is funded at 0.8 FTE for the first year, with potential of
expanding the FTE and longer-term extension depending on funding
availability. It is our goal to offer 0.5 FTE guaranteed support in Year 2
and 0.3 FTE guaranteed support in Year 3, but this will be a year-to-year
decision based on funding availability. Candidates bringing relevant funded
grants with them are highly desirable.

It is our goal that this position retain a guaranteed base of 0.2 FTE each
year to allow the successful candidate to strategically engage with the
larger SCI organization, with the remainder FTE to come from grant funded
sources, some of which will come from the candidate’s research agenda and
some from successful research funding by other SCI researchers.

*Level of Appointment:
*
0.8 FTE with ability and desire to expand to 1.0 FTE as funding allows.

*Term of contract:
*
One-year renewable contract; initial contract dates: 9/1/11 – 6/30/12

*Compensation:
*
Salary is commensurate with experience and will likely be in the range of
$60,000 to $80,000 (1.0FTE equivalent) plus competitive benefits.

*Location:
*
The University of Oregon has over 16,000 undergraduate students and
approximately 4,000 graduate students. Of these there are 2,706 U.S.
students of color and 1,175 international students. The university has an
institutional commitment to diversity and multiculturalism, and actively
supports this goal. The UO is known for its spirit of cooperation and
collaboration, and for its ability to provide a variety of personal and
professional opportunities that make a difference. The University of Oregon
is located in Eugene, Oregon, home to more than 145,000 people and Oregon’s
third largest city. Within only a few hours’ drive are the ocean beaches,
lakes, rivers, national forests, high desert, and the Cascade and Coast
mountain ranges. Mild winters, long growing seasons and few drastic weather
changes are characteristic.

*To Apply:
*
Please send cover letter and curriculum vita/resume, writing sample, the
names, affiliations, phone numbers, and email addresses of three references,
and application cover page via email to: Christina Wozniak
cwozniak@uoregon.edu.

Questions about the position and its responsibilities can be directed to
Nico Larco (nlarco@uoregon.edu), Marc Schlossberg (schlossb@uoregon.edu) or
Robert Liberty (liberty@uoregon.edu).

To ensure full consideration, applications must be received by *July 15,
2011*, but the position will remain open until filled.

The University of Oregon is an equal opportunity, affirmative-action
institution committed to cultural diversity and compliance with the
Americans with Disabilities Act.