About the Opportunity

The College of Social Sciences and Humanities (CSSH) combines Northeastern University’s signature approach to experiential learning with liberal arts education, interdisciplinary research, and community engagement, both locally and globally.

The College comprises 17 academic units, including two schools, seven departments, and eight interdisciplinary programs, as well as 15 research centers and institutes. Our faculty connects liberal arts education with the challenges of our time, and fosters ethical reasoning and critical thought, with attention to the enduring significance of history, literature, and culture. CSSH promotes inquiry with global perspectives and a culture of inclusion across interdisciplinary clusters of expertise including: Resilience, Sustainability, Health, and Equity; Cultural studies, Governance, and Globalization; and Network Science, Computational Social Science, Digital Humanities, and Data Ethics.

CSSH is strongly committed to fostering excellence through diversity and promotes a culture of inclusion for our students, faculty, and staff. Guided by a Strategic Plan on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging, the College enthusiastically welcomes applications from members of groups underrepresented in higher education administration.

Responsibilities:

Join the Boston Area Research Initiative (BARI) at Northeastern University! BARI advances place-based, civically-engaged research that leverages a robust use of data to benefit local communities. In collaboration with Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative, Project RIGHT in Grove Hall, and the City of Boston, BARI is seeking to add a postdoctoral researcher to the team to help lead and manage Common SENSES: a community-led, science-driven action research project focused on climate resilience along Boston’s Blue Hill Ave. corridor. The work is supported by a grant from the National Science Foundation. The position will work closely with Profs. Dan O’Brien (Public Policy), Michelle Laboy (Architecture), Amy Mueller (Engineering), and Moira Zellner (Public Policy) and will be a member of BARI’s multigenerational research team, which consists of faculty, postdocs, PhD, Masters, and undergraduate students (led by Prof. O’Brien). The position will also have an active working relationship with all project partners, including community-based organizations and public agencies within the City of Boston.

Areas of activity will include, but will not be limited to: interfacing with community-based and public agency partners to design and implement action research plans; collaborating in the preparation and execution of data-driven stakeholder workshops; processing and modeling data generated by environmental sensors to identify localized inequities in hazard exposure and their correlations with infrastructure and demographics; developing public products from project-generated data that are accessible and meaningful to non-data scientists, including policymakers, practitioners, and community leaders, published through BARI’s Boston Data Portal; writing and presenting results from the research; helping to manage and mentor graduate and undergraduate students working on the project; and contributing to the development of grant proposals to support future research.

Appointment will be for one year with the possibility of extension, contingent on available funds.

Qualifications:

• Must have a Ph.D. or equivalent; be able to undertake full-time research or scholarship; work under the supervision of a senior scholar.
• Qualified applicants must have a Ph.D. degree in environmental science, engineering, urban studies, planning, public policy, or a related field; others will be considered based on individual fit with the research mission.
• Experience and comfort with interdisciplinarity is required, including communicating and collaborating with diverse non-academic partners, such as community-based organizations and community members.
• Must possess strong analytical skills and relevant modeling experience (e.g., geographical information systems, statistics, remote or localized sensing) as demonstrated by prior coursework, dissertation, and publication record.
• Fluency with R, Python, and geographical information software (GIS) is required.

Documents to Submit:

Applicants should submit a resume and a cover letter that highlights qualifications for the position and includes a diversity statement. In the diversity statement, applicants should describe how they can support CSSH's commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. Applicants can provide specific examples of initiatives they have led or participated in that promote diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. This could include organizing events or programs, implementing policies or practices, serving on committees, or creating spaces that foster a sense of belonging for individuals from diverse backgrounds.

All applicants must apply on Northeastern Careers webpage via northeastern.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/careers/job/Boston-MA-Main-Campus/Postdoctoral-Research-Associate_R126974

Additional Information

Northeastern University considers factors such as candidate work experience, education and skills when extending an offer.

Northeastern has a comprehensive benefits package for benefit eligible employees. This includes medical, vision, dental, paid time off, tuition assistance, wellness & life, retirement- as well as commuting & transportation. Visit hr.northeastern.edu/benefits for more information.

Northeastern University is an equal opportunity employer, seeking to recruit and support a broadly diverse community of faculty and staff. Northeastern values and celebrates diversity in all its forms and strives to foster an inclusive culture built on respect that affirms inter-group relations and builds cohesion.

All qualified applicants are encouraged to apply and will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, age, sex, sexual orientation, disability status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

To learn more about Northeastern University’s commitment and support of diversity and inclusion, please see www.northeastern.edu/diversity.