Interdisciplinary Researcher, Project Unleaded

Abundance Network; United States; Hybrid; USD 100,000 - 124,000; Full time

Job summary

Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability is seeking an interdisciplinary scientist to lead and support studies on lead contamination in spices and consumer products. The role requires coordinating international fieldwork, sampling, and surveys, with experience in IRB processes, data governance, and cross‑cultural collaboration.

Will report to the Director of Project Unleaded and travel internationally as needed.

Job description

This position has been deemed critical by the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability Dean’s Office and is exempt from the hiring pause.

This position is fixed-term for two years with the possibility of extension based on funding availability and programmatic need.

This position is based on Stanford’s main campus with consideration given to the option for a hybrid work schedule (partially onsite and offsite), subject to operational need. Interested candidates must include a resume and cover letter to be considered for this position.

Applicants must be authorized to work for any employer in the U.S. We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment visa.

About Us

The Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability strives to create a future when humans and nature thrive in concert and in perpetuity. The school is made up of a three-part structure to drive global impact: Our academic departments and programs educate students and create new knowledge across areas of research that are crucial for advancing the long-term prosperity of the planet and people; Institutes bridge scholarship at Stanford and beyond, bringing multiple viewpoints to bear on urgent challenges; The Sustainability Accelerator drives new policy and technology solutions through a worldwide network of partners who work with our teams to develop solutions at a global scale. The school is dedicated to creating and supporting a community with the richness of experience and background needed to create solutions that benefit all people, particularly those most affected by environmental damage and climate change.

For more information on the school, click here.

The Stanford Woods Institute for the Environment works to advance global sustainability through new knowledge and practical, fair solutions to pressing environmental challenges. As part of the Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability, the Woods Institute provides an interdisciplinary research hub for scholars from all seven schools at Stanford. Offering targeted research incentives as well as convening, education, and leadership programs, the Woods Institute supports faculty, researchers, and students as they investigate and advance solutions to critical climate, environment, and sustainability challenges. Working on campus and around the globe, the Woods Institute and its hosted centers and programs combine cutting edge scholarship, diverse partnerships, and deep engagement across sectors and disciplines to advance just, practical solutions for people and the planet.

The Center for Human and Planetary Health, launched in October 2024, is the newest Center hosted at the Woods Institute, in close collaboration with the Center for Innovation in Global Health at the Stanford School of Medicine. The Center advances research, solutions and education to improve health and sustainability. The Center’s lead contamination research initiative, now called Project Unleaded, is a critical part of the new Center. Project Unleaded’s efforts began in 2020 and have spanned 6 countries with 7 external partners. Project Unleaded prioritizes policy-relevant research and deep engagement with local partners in affected countries to achieve lasting change. Project Unleaded’s mission is to create a healthier world by addressing lead poisoning at the source. Research priorities center around 3 goals:

1. To identify critical lead exposure sources linked with the human lead burden
2. To develop, test and scale-up interventions to eliminate sources of lead
3. To advance lead detection techniques

Project Unleaded is seeking a flexible, collaborative interdisciplinary scientist who can work both independently and as part of a team of researchers, government partners, and NGOs. The ideal candidate is an interdisciplinary global environmental health researcher with experience spanning supply chain investigation, environmental or market-based sampling and behavior or mixed-methods research. The Interdisciplinary Researcher will conduct and support studies examining lead contamination in spices and other consumer products - including identifying and coordinating with partners, sampling across supply chain nodes, tracking and documenting results and mapping how and why populations use products with elevated lead content. The Interdisciplinary Researcher will use those findings to design and recommend interventions to reduce lead exposure. The individual should be comfortable moving between lab-adjacent sampling work and qualitative field research in diverse contexts including, but not limited to South and Central Asia and North Africa.

The ideal candidate is highly organized, intellectually curious, and has a passion for translating science into measurable global impact. The person thrives in a fast-paced, collaborative, interdisciplinary and dynamic environment where priorities can shift in order to support the broader team’s goals. The ideal candidate has experience conducting field-based social science research and is comfortable working across disciplines to address complex public health and environmental challenges. Experience conducting research in South Asia is desirable. The successful candidate will be willing to work flexible hours to accommodate partner time zones, and eager to travel internationally. The position is based on Stanford’s campus, and reports to the Director of Project Unleaded.

Your Responsibilities will include:

• Develop and adapt research protocols for cohort, supply chain, and source identification studies. Design, recommend, and help oversee implementation of survey instruments and sampling strategies; ensure compliance with IRB, data governance, and international regulatory standards.
• Conduct and coordinate international fieldwork, including spice and product sampling and incentive mapping across supply chains through surveys, sampling, structured field interviews and observation.
• Develop recommendations to translate research findings into actionable policy and support implementation of evidence-based interventions to reduce lead exposure.
• With support from the Project Unleaded Research and Program Manager, coordinate scientific operations, including field logistics, procurement, staffing, training, and quality assurance across international study sites.
• Develop and refine survey instruments and accompanying interviewer guides to ensure consistent, high-quality data collection across field sites and enumerator teams.
• Maintain rigorous quality tracking and chain of custody documentation for all samples collected across supply chain and field sites, coordinating with analytical laboratories to ensure sample integrity from collection through analysis.
• Engage with quantitative findings from sampling, survey and supply chain data to support interpretation and reporting of results
• Contribute to grant writing, fundraising, and donor reporting activities to support the long-term sustainability of the research portfolio.
• Support preparation of peer-reviewed publications, technical reports, and public communication materials for both technical and non-technical audiences.

In addition, our preferred qualifications include:

• Master's or PhD in a relevant field - including but not limited to environmental or global health, social sciences, or public policy - or equivalent combination of education and field research experience.
• Experience conducting fieldwork in international or resource-limited settings
• Demonstrated experience designing and implementing survey instruments and interviewer guides, and conducting structured or semi-structured interviews - including with households, community members, vendors, or supply chain actors
• Experience with environmental or product sampling protocols, including quality tracking, chain of custody documentation, and coordination with analytical laboratories
• Ability to work independently across complex, multi-site research contexts with limited on-the-ground supervision
• Comfort with extended international travel (trips of 2–6 weeks)
• Strong organizational and scientific communication skills, including experience contributing to peer-reviewed publications or technical reports
• Comfortable navigating both rigorous research environments and the practical realities of working with government, NGO, and community partners in low-resource settings.
• Familiarity with lead contamination, heavy metals, or environmental exposure science
• Experience with supply chain research
• Familiarity with IRB processes and international research ethics standards
• Basic data visualization and summarization skills
• Proficiency in a relevant language (Urdu, Hindi, Nepali, Bangla, or others depending on country scope)
• Experience contributing to grant writing or donor reporting

The expected pay range for this position is $100,347 to $124,074 per annum.

Applying the theories and methods of a social science discipline, perform work directly involved in developing and administering laboratory, survey and other social science research projects or to develop public programs and policies. Positions that plan and administer both academic and research programs and services should be assigned to the Academic Program Professional job series. These jobs Interprets principles and concepts generated by faculty, develop and implement instruction and research programs, and contribute to curriculum development and teaching. Positions that have primary roles in clinical study activities and support clinical research (non-intervention studies) or trials (intervention studies) on human subjects should be assigned to the Clinical Research Coordinator job series.

Core Duties:

• Assist principal investigators with designing experiments constituting a phase of a research project for which precedents are few; conduct experiments that may involve coordinating a complex experimental protocol.
• Independently identify/modify standard procedures based on judgment concerning the general goals of a project; select approaches in developing, testing, and evaluating new methods.
• Lead or participate in multidisciplinary teams (in academia, across different faculties or schools, and in industry, across different functions of the business).
• Co-author all or sections of a report for publication or professional presentation with the work being reviewed by the principal investigator or faculty.
• Present ongoing work and findings to colleagues at academic conferences.
• Collaborate with the principal investigator to design a research approach of a project and/or integrate results of the entire project.
• Complete project-related administrative and budgetary responsibilities of a limited scope as needed.
• Formally supervise and train new staff or students, including hiring, performance management, and related duties, in addition to instruction on techniques and consultation on project work.

Minimum Education and Experience

Graduate degree in an applicable social science related field and five years of applicable experience, or combination of education and relevant –experience in an applicable social science.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Expert level knowledge and skills in field of science related to research project.
• General computer skills and ability to quickly learn and master computer programs.
• Strong analytical skills and excellent judgment.
• Ability to work under deadlines with general guidance.
• Excellent organizational skills and demonstrated ability to complete detailed work accurately.
• Demonstrated oral and written communication skills.
• Ability to work with human study participants.
• Supervisory skills.