Research Associate III - Coastal Hazards Modeling

University of Rhode Island; Kingston (RI); Hybrid; USD 70,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

University of Rhode Island, located in Kingston, RI, seeks a Research Associate III to manage coastal storm models and geospatial tools, supporting CHAMP, STORMTOOLS, and MyCoast projects. The role includes operations, development of GIS products, and translating model outputs into user-friendly decision-support visuals.

The position requires leading real-time ADCIRC/HEC workflows, collaborating across departments, and contributing to grant writing and outreach.

Responsibilities

• Operate and maintain CHAMP modeling systems and GIS tools.
• Develop and enhance GIS products, dashboards, and decision-support tools.
• Process hydrological and land-use data for environmental and flood modeling.
• Produce GIS-based risk and vulnerability reports for planning and research.
• Coordinate data management and GIS infrastructure reliability.

Job description

Research Associate III – Coastal Hazards Modeling &GIS

Posting Number: SF02203

Position Type: Professional Staff

Union: PSA/NEA - Professional Staff Assoc

Pay Grade Level: Grade Level: 11

Pay Grade Range: Salary Hiring Range: $70,000 -$80,000

Department: Marine Affairs

Campus Location: Kingston

Search will be open until filled. First consideration will be given to applications received by 09/30/2026. Applications received after 09/30/2026 may be reviewed depending on search progress and needs but are not guaranteed full consideration.

The University of Rhode Island enrolls approximately 17,000 students across its graduate and undergraduate programs and is the State's flagship public research university, as well as the land grant and sea grant university, for the state of Rhode Island. The main campus is located in the historic village of Kingston, and the Bay Campus is located in Narragansett. Both campuses are near major beaches in a beautiful coastal community. URI is just 30 minutes from Providence, RI and within easy reach of Newport, Boston, and New York City.

The opportunity for a hybrid work schedule is possible after six months.

The Research Associate III will provide advanced technical support for natural hazards decision support tools at the University of Rhode Island. URI has dedicated significant expertise and resources to develop a suite of tools, including the Coastal Hazards Analysis, Modeling and Prediction system (CHAMP), STORMTOOLS, and MyCoast: Rhode Island, which play key roles in addressing storm risks and predicting the impacts of sea level rise and increasing wind and precipitation.

CHAMP is an interdisciplinary system developed and maintained by a team of 10-15 researchers and staff spanning Marine Affairs, Ocean Engineering, Oceanography, and RI Sea Grant. The system is used operationally at the Rhode Island Emergency Management Agency and supports ongoing projects with the U.S. Coast Guard and the Rhode Island Department of Transportation. This position will support applied coastal hazards research that leverages numerical storm and compound flood modeling (rainfall-driven and wind-driven) and geospatial decision-support systems to advance the goals of the Rhode Island Natural Hazards Collaborative, and will serve as the operational and technical lead for CHAMP.

The CHAMP team is actively exploring opportunities to integrate AI and machine learning tools into system development, operations, and decision-support products. Candidates with relevant experience or interest in this area are encouraged to discuss it in their application materials.

Duties and Responsibilities

Under the supervision of Austin Becker, Principal Investigator in the College of the Environment and Life Sciences, the Research Associate III will lead the ongoing operation of coastal storm models and application of geospatial information systems. The position focuses on developing and transitioning science-based modeling and GIS tools into reliable, user-focused operational decision-support products for planning, management, and public communication, with primary emphasis on the Coastal Hazards Analysis, Modeling, and Prediction System (see www.RICHAMP.org).

Although work will begin with operating and maintaining existing systems, there is wide opportunity for improvement and innovation, even using alternatives to Esri systems.

• Operate existing applied workflows and maintain dashboards during initial work period.
• Develop, maintain, and enhance advanced GIS products, including interactive dashboards, spatial analysis tools, and map-based decision-support products.
• Use GIS tools to acquire, process, and manage hydrological and land-use datasets in support of environmental and flood modeling applications.
• Produce GIS-based risk and vulnerability reports to support long-term planning, research, and stakeholder needs.
• Design, implement, and manage GIS systems that support tiered user access and varying security and permission levels.
• Run and translate model outputs into accessible, user-driven GIS products for planners, emergency managers, researchers, and the public.
• Coordinate with Environmental Data Center staff to support data management, system performance, hosting, and long-term reliability of GIS infrastructure.
• Support real-time ADCIRC model deployment during storm events, including hurricanes and nor'easters. This requires availability on short notice, including during evenings, weekends, and vacation periods, and is a core expectation of the position.
• Contribute to grant writing and proposal development in support of funded projects, including identifying funding opportunities and assisting with technical narratives.
• Contribute to outreach products, briefings, and presentations associated with the RI Natural Hazards Tools Collaborative.
• Collaborate within investigators and researchers to integrate modeling outputs with observational data, including real-time data streams where appropriate.
• Assist in the preparation of technical documentation, reports, peer-reviewed papers, and modeling-related deliverables for funded projects.

The following responsibilities may become a significant component of the role depending on the candidate's background. Candidates with experience in numerical coastal or inland flood modeling are strongly encouraged to apply.

Work with the modeling team to develop, implement, and maintain numerical inland and coastal storm models, with emphasis on GIS-based HEC systems (HEC-RAS and HEC-HMS) and ADCIRC/SWAN and related hydrological and hydrodynamic modeling frameworks.

Support model setup, execution, calibration, validation, and post-processing for applied inland and coastal hazards research and decision support.

Lead operational workflows for CHAMP modeling systems, including documentation, version control, and continuity planning.

Other Duties and Responsibilities

Perform additional duties as required.

Licenses, Tools, and Equipment

Computers, printers; geographic information system (GIS), wordprocessing, data management, spreadsheet software. Must provide own transportation.

Posting Date: 09/02/2026