Research Assistant OR Research Associate - Energy, Water, and Sustainability Program

$50,000 - $65,000/Yr

The Stimson Center - Washington, DC

Full-time - Entry Level

Washington, DC

Executive, Legislative, and Other General Government Support

About the position

The Research Assistant or Research Associate position at the Henry L. Stimson Center focuses on supporting the Energy, Water, and Sustainability Program. This role involves engaging in multidisciplinary research related to water resource management, sustainable infrastructure, and clean energy development, particularly in the Indo-Pacific region. The successful candidate will work closely with the program director and research analyst to contribute to various projects, utilizing skills in GIS, data management, and earth observation.

Responsibilities

• Assist with GIS/remote sensing analysis and data management.
• Create and design data outputs and visualizations.
• Support the development of products derived from earth observations and other data formats.
• Contribute to water resource monitoring and infrastructure tracking.
• Curate geodatabases and support capacity-building workshops.
• Participate in public events on behalf of the program.
• Process earth observation and remote sensing data.
• Prepare and verify data for analysis.
• Support design and functionality of web applications.
• Co-design information products for public outreach and stakeholder engagement.
• Communicate with project stakeholders and user communities.
• Build tutorials and reference materials for platform use.
• Support planning and implementation of capacity building activities.

Requirements

• Experience with qualitative research and data management.
• Ability to communicate clearly and effectively in writing and speaking.
• Extensive GIS experience, particularly with ArcGIS Online and Pro, or QGIS.
• Knowledge of infrastructure development dynamics in the Indo-Pacific region.
• Attention to detail and commitment to high-quality work.
• Flexibility to work effectively both as part of a team and independently.
• Initiative, maturity, and professionalism.
• Computer skills relevant to an office setting.
• Research Associate: Graduate degree or bachelor's degree plus 3-5 years field experience in relevant fields.
• Research Assistant: Bachelor's degree with a major and/or some work experience in relevant fields.

Nice-to-haves

• Portfolio of GIS related work and outputs (e.g. maps, coursework).
• Experience with synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imagery and backscatter analysis.
• Experience with natural disaster issues, including mapping floods and landslides.
• Proficiency with R and/or Python for data analysis and visualization.
• On-the-ground working or research experience in the Indo-Pacific region.
• Knowledge of international political economy, environmental studies, or disaster risk reduction.
• Prior relevant work or research experience in NGOs or governmental agencies.

Benefits

• 15 Vacation Days
• 10 Sick Days
• 13 Paid Holidays
• Medical and Dental Insurance
• Retirement Match
• Long-Term and Short-Term Disability Insurance
• Accidental Death and Dismemberment Insurance
• Life Insurance
• Flexible Spending Plan
• Commuting Benefits
• Wellness Programs
• Education Benefits
• Parental Leave
• Bereavement Leave