26-125 Risk Communication Researcher, Part-Time

Role overview

Conduct applied research on how to communicate flood risk so people and emergency partners can make informed decisions before and during hazardous events. You will work with forecast-office staff, response partners and members of the public to develop and test messages, then turn findings into practical guidance for operational use.

Responsibilities

- Interview operational and community partners about flood messaging needs and practices. - Develop evidence-informed messages for use before and during flood events. - Facilitate public focus groups and test candidate messages through research activities, including post-event surveys. - Analyze and synthesize findings into operational recommendations and a prototype message library. - Share progress with project sponsors and the research team.

Requirements

- A relevant master’s degree, or a bachelor’s degree in a social science field plus three years of applied research experience and publications on risk communication and natural hazards. - Research experience involving risk communication, protective decisions, flash-flood hazards or closely related topics. - Experience developing and evaluating risk messages. - Qualitative or mixed-methods research and analysis experience. - Strong written and spoken communication, including the ability to explain research to academic and non-academic audiences. - Willingness to work with practitioners and the public.

Nice to have

- Familiarity with weather-service products and operations. - Experience with quantitative analysis, survey design or message testing such as A/B testing. - Ability to work independently and collaboratively on an iterative project with external partners.

Benefits and work setup

The role is fully remote and part time, listed as 19 hours per week. It does not include university benefits. Applicants must already be authorized to work in the United States for the project period; visa sponsorship is not available.