Research Fellow

Summary

The Alliance for the Great Lakes (AGL) is hiring a Research Fellow (Fellow) to advance the scientific basis for AGL’s strategic research, policy development, and advocacy to protect, restore, and conserve the Great Lakes for the people and ecosystems that depend on them. This is a one or two-year fellowship position, with the second-year dependent on satisfactory performance.

The Fellow will be responsible for supporting the Alliance’s research agenda and facilitating the work of the Alliance’s Science Council, with the opportunity to pursue research interests that are related to the Alliance’s two immediate priority areas:

• Sustainable Water Management: Assess the existing and potential cumulative effects of large water-using industries on water quantity and quality in the Great Lakes region.
• Plastic Pollution: Evaluate what is known about plastic pollution in the Great Lakes, including the primary sources, environmental and human health impacts, associated costs, and opportunities for control.

The Fellow will conduct literature reviews and meta-analyses of existing research, publish and otherwise disseminate findings, and propose specific ways that the Alliance can advance our efforts to address these critical issues. To successfully fulfill this research charge, the Fellow will collaborate with a newly formed organizational Science Council composed of external academic and technical experts. Additionally, the Fellow may be called upon to evaluate state and federal rulemakings, agency actions, and proposed legislation for scientific rigor and collaborate with Alliance policy staff to propose opportunities to strengthen Great Lakes protections.

Responsibilities

Research - 60%

• Develop the research agenda for the identified priority areas, including research review questions and appropriate research methodologies
• Conduct independent and collaborative research projects aligned to the research agenda, including secondary and review research on environmental stressors
• Collect, analyze, and interpret data, maintaining detailed and accurate records of all research work
• Share preliminary findings with Alliance staff and the Research Advisory Council and incorporate feedback
• Draft materials that convey findings in various forms, including but not limited to written reports, data visualizations, and fact sheets
• Provide mentorship to the Alliance’s Policy & Research staff to expand their research skills

Facilitation - 20%

• Collaborate with the Vice President of Programs and Vice Chair for Policy to staff the Research Advisory Council
• Set Council agendas, compile input, and conduct any necessary follow up from meetings
• Share research progress with relevant Alliance staff
• Partner with Alliance staff to leverage findings toward policy advocacy opportunities

Communication - 20%

• Draft two or more white papers or manuscripts and submit them for publication
• Work with the Alliance communications team to create digital communication opportunities such as webinars and website posts
• Convene a public forum for discussion of one or more of the issue areas as a culminating activity
• Submit abstracts to relevant conferences, including but not limited to the International Association for Great Lakes Research (IAGLR)
• Work with Alliance staff and Board of Directors to present to Great Lakes convening bodies such as the International Joint Commission (IJC) Science Advisory Board, Cooperative Institute for Great Lakes Research (CIGLR), etc.

Additional Duties

As assigned or needed.

Work Relationships

This position will report to the Director of Water Resources. The Fellow will coordinate closely with the Vice President for Programs and the Board of Director’s Vice Chair for Policy, as well as other members of the Alliance’s research and policy, government affairs, and communications staff.

Supervisory Responsibilities

None

Physical Demands/Work Environment

No physical demand. This is a primarily remote position, with expected to travel to the Alliance's Chicago office or other locations in the Great Lakes region a few times a year.

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Knowledge/Skills

• Ph.D in the natural or social sciences, with prior demonstration of significant environmental coursework and research relevant to the Alliance’s mission and initial issue focus as described in this announcement
• Demonstrated excellence in conducting secondary and review research on environmental stressors, particularly within the freshwater environment
• Strong written and oral communication skills; preference given to applicants with a proven publication record and experience with public speaking
• Experiences connecting research findings to public policy pathways and engaging with natural resource management at the federal and state level are a plus
• Ability to translate complex scientific concepts into language that lay audiences such as decision makers and advocates can understand without compromising scientific integrity
• Preference for existing familiarity with the Great Lakes freshwater environment or research experience in other large freshwater systems
• Understands and upholds Alliance for the Great Lakes values of community, relationships, courage, integrity, and optimism. 
• Demonstrated alignment with our external and internal operating principles of justice, equity, diversity, and inclusion.
• The selected candidate must be able to pass a background check. 

Job Parameters

• This position is full-time and consistent with Alliance employment policy. The salary for this position is $65,000, and we negotiate salaries with final candidates based on their experience in similar roles and expertise related to the qualifications.

• Excellent benefits, including medical, dental, short- and long-term disability, life insurance, FSA, 11 paid holidays plus the business days between 12/26 and 12/30 (staff who must work on any paid holidays may take those holidays at another time subject to the employee handbook), 3 weeks' annual vacation to start + PTO, and Fidelity 401(k) with employer match of up to 6% of salary, eligible after 30 days.

• This is a primarily remote position, with expected to travel to the Alliance's Chicago office and other locations across the Great Lakes region a few times a year.

Excellent benefits, including medical, dental, short- and long-term disability, life insurance, FSA, 11 paid holidays plus the business days between 12/26 and 12/30 (staff who must work on any paid holidays may take those holidays at another time subject to the employee handbook), 3 weeks' annual vacation to start + PTO, and Fidelity 401(k) with employer match of up to 6% of salary, eligible after 30 days.