Research Scientist, Transportation Engineering

University of Nevada, Reno; Reno (NV); On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Tuition benefits

Retirement plan match

Paid time off

Job summary

The University of Nevada, Reno invites applications for a Research Scientist in transportation engineering within the School of Civil, Chemical and Environmental Engineering. This is a full-time, non-tenure track position with an anticipated start date of November 1, 2026. Primary duties include conducting and guiding research on traffic signal retiming using WaySync and related tools, mentoring Ph.D.

and M.S. students, coordinating projects, and pursuing external funding.

Qualifications

• PhD in Transportation Engineering.
• Experience conducting traffic engineering research and publications.

Responsibilities

• Conduct and support research on traffic signal retiming at individual intersections and coordinated corridors.
• Mentor Ph.D. and M.S. students in research activities.
• Coordinate research projects and develop proposals.
• Identify external funding opportunities and lead proposal development.
• Prepare technical reports and peer‑reviewed papers and presentations.
• Collaborate with sponsors and transport agencies to implement projects.
• Support other department research and educational activities.

Skills

Traffic operations

Research supervision

Grant writing

Data analysis

Lab management

Education

PhD in Transportation Engineering

Tools

WaySync

Job description

The University of Nevada, Reno (UNR) appreciates your interest in employment at our growing institution. We want your application process to go smoothly and quickly. Final applications must be submitted prior to the close of the recruitment.

Job Description The School of Civil, Chemical, and Environmental Engineering at the University of Nevada, Reno is hiring a Research Scientist for their Transportation Engineering program. This is a full‑time, non‑tenure track position with an anticipated start date of November1,2026.

Primary responsibilities will include:

• Conduct and support research on traffic signal retiming at individual intersections and coordinated corridors using WaySync and other traffic analysis, modeling, and simulation tools.
• Guide and mentor Ph.D. and M.S. students in their research and academic activities in areas including traffic operations and control, traffic simulation and modeling, data‑driven transportation applications, and transportation system resilience.
• Support the supervisor in managing laboratory research activities, coordinating research projects, and developing research proposals.
• Identify federal, state, local, and other external funding opportunities and independently lead the development and preparation of research proposals.
• Prepare technical reports, peer‑reviewed research papers, presentations, and other research project deliverables.
• Coordinate and communicate with research sponsors, local transportation agencies, the Nevada Department of Transportation (NDOT), and other project partners to support project implementation and delivery.
• Collaborate with faculty members in the transportation engineering program on interdisciplinary research, proposal development, publications, and other scholarly activities.
• Support other research and educational activities within the department as needed.

Required Qualifications PhD in Transportation Engineering.

Compensation Grade University Instructor (Research Scientist). To view the salary schedule for this position, please visit: Salary Schedules and select Administrative Faculty by Grade. Salary is competitive and commensurate with related education and experience.

Remarkable Retirement Our retirement plan is beyond compare. Your 19.25% contribution is generously matched by the University. With the faculty retirement plan, you are 100% vested your first day. Sit back and watch your retirement dollars grow! All permanent employees on an annual "A" or "B" contract who are employed at least 50% full-time are eligible to participate in the NSHE retirement program unless they are members of PERS of Nevada.

Perks of Working at UNRHealth insurance options including dental and vision - Health Insurance Generous annual, sick leave, long term disability and life insurance – Faculty BenefitsE. L. Wiegand Fitness Center offers annual or semester memberships and spouse/domestic partner membership options.E.L. Wiegand Fitness Center Reno is proud to be a University town! Many local businesses offer discounts to WolfCard holders Mountain EAP supports employees (and eligible dependents) through life's difficult moments. Mountain EAP is located in Reno and specializes in counseling and advising services for personal or interpersonal issues. Faculty Senate is the principal representing body for faculty. Its membership includes representatives from each academic and administrative major unit of the University. Faculty Senate No state income tax! Grants‑in‑Aid for Faculty Employees The University is proud to provide a reduced‑rate tuition benefit to faculty and qualified dependents. Faculty can take up to six credits per semester at a reduced rate. Dependents of faculty have unlimited credits, but in order to be eligible children must be unmarried and under the age of 24 and must receive at least 50% of their financial support from the employee and/or employee’s spouse or domestic partner.

Faculty Grants‑in‑Aid Faculty Dual Career Assistance Program The University of Nevada, Reno recognizes the importance of addressing dual‑career couples’ professional needs. We offer a dual career assistance program to newly hired faculty spouses/partners that provides resources and assists them to identify career opportunities in Northern Nevada. Dual Career Assistance Program.

Department Information Shape the future and advance your career at the School of Civil, Chemical and Environmental Engineering (CCEE) at University of Nevada, Reno College of Engineering. With a faculty and staff team of more than 40, CCEE offers ABET‑accredited undergraduate programs and nationally recognized graduate programs in civil, chemical, and environmental engineering. Faculty and students advance sustainable infrastructure, environmental stewardship, biotechnology, renewable energy, water resources, and earthquake resilience.HometotheEarthquakeEngineeringLaboratoryandleadingwaterresearchcenters,CCEEofferstrongconnectionstoindustryandaccesstoworld‑classoutdoor recreation.TheCCEEisateachingandresearchunitwithintheCollegeofEngineeringattheUniversityofNevada,Reno.Theschoolprovideseducationandconductsresearchacrossabroadrangeofcivilandenvironmentalengineeringdisciplines.Itstransportationengineeringprogramhasstrengthsintrafficoperationsandcontrol,transportationsafety,transportationsystemsmodelingandsimulation,intelligenttransportationsystems,transportationinfrastructure,andtransportationsystemresilience.Facultyandresearcherscollaboratewithfederal,state,andlocaltransportationagencies,aswellasotherpublic‑and‑privatesectorpartners,onsponsoredresearchaddressingcurrentandemergingtransportationchallenges.

College Information Join the College of Engineering at the University of Nevada, Reno. We value faculty and staff as partners in our mission to deliver outstanding education, research and engagement. Our college seeks individuals committed to:Engaging in impactful outreachProviding state‑of‑the‑art educationFostering respect, inclusiveness and diversityNevada Engineering is a fast‑growing college, with research expenditure that has doubled over the past nine years. Supported by an Engineering Research Office, the college recorded $24 million in expenditures in FY26 and offers professional development resources to ensure success.We offer bachelor’s, graduate degrees and certificates through three schools: Civil, Chemical and Environmental Engineering Computer Science, Electrical, and Biomedical Engineering Aerospace, Industrial, Materials, and Mechanical EngineeringOur specialized facilities include the Center for Civil Engineering Earthquake Research, Cybersecurity Center, the Nanofabrication Lab in the Davidson Foundation Cleanroom and the Nevada Water Innovation Institute.Located near the Tahoe‑Reno Industrial Center and offering ready access to the bustling California economy, Nevada Engineering collaborates with leading tech firms and advance research in robotics, AI, battery technology, aerospace, water systems and sustainable energy.In Reno, you will find world‑class outdoor recreation opportunities —including skiing, hiking, biking and water sports —in nearby LakeTahoe and throughout the northern Nevada region.Learnmoreat unr.edu/engineering

Contact Information Dr. Zong Tian at [e-mail]

Posting Close Date Note to Applicant A background check will be conducted on the candidate(s) selected for hire. HR will attempt to verify academic credentials upon receipt of hiring documents. If the academic credentials cannot be verified, HR will notify the faculty member that an official transcript of their highest degree must be submitted within thirty days of the faculty member’s first day of employment. References will be contacted at the appropriate phase of the recruitment process. Applicants hired on a federal contract may be subject to E‑Verify. As part of the hiring process, applicants for positions in the Nevada System of Higher Education may be required to demonstrate the ability to perform job‑related tasks. For positions that require driving, evidence of a valid driver’s license will be required at the time of employment and as a condition of continued employment. Schedules are subject to change based on organizational needs.

The University of Nevada, Reno is committed to providing a place of work and learning free of discrimination on the basis of a person’s age (40 or older), disability, whether actual or perceived by others (including service‑connected disabilities), gender (including pregnancy related conditions), military status or military obligations, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, national origin, race (including hair texture and protected hairstyles such as natural hairstyles, afros, bantu knots, curls, braids, locks and twists), color, or religion (protected classes).

About Us The University of Nevada, Reno is a leading public research university committed to the promise of a future powered by knowledge. Founded in 1874 as Nevada’s original land‑grant university, the University serves more than 23,000 undergraduate and graduate students from all 50 states and 63 countries. Classified by the Carnegie® Classification of Institutions of Higher Education as an R1 (“VeryHighResearch”) university, it is also recognized in the Carnegie® Community Engagement classification. The University is also ranked by U.S.News&WorldReport among the “Best National Universities” and “Best National Public Universities.” It also ranks in the top tier of the WSJ/Times Higher Education World University Rankings and the NewYorkTimes’ “Top Colleges for Economic Diversity.” Since 2009, nearly $1billion has been has invested in advanced labs, facilities, and residence halls on the main campus. The University is home to Nevada’s first medical school – the University of Nevada, Reno School of Medicine and the Wayne L. Prim Campus at Lake Tahoe, where education, research, and creative work thrive in a stunning mountain setting. The University delivers on its original land‑grant mission with outreach across the state through the University of Nevada, Reno Extension, Nevada Agricultural Experiment Station, Nevada BureauofMinesandGeology, Nevada SmallBusinessDevelopmentCenter, the Nevada Seismological Laboratory, and Wolf Pack Athletics. The main campus is in Reno, Nevada, a burgeoning global technology hub with a vibrant midtown and downtown. Found where the high desert of the Great Basin meets the High Sierra and Lake Tahoe, the beautiful, 290‑acre main campus is also a Nevada State Arboretum.

NSHE is committed to providing a place of work and learning free of discrimination on the basis of a person’s age (40 or older), disability, whether actual or perceived by others (including service‑connected disabilities), gender (including pregnancy related conditions), military status or military obligations, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, national origin, race (including hair texture and protected hairstyles such as natural hairstyles, afros, bantu knots, curls, braids, locks and twists), color, or religion (protected classes).

Center for Civil Rights & Equal Access Zeva Edmondson Director, Title IX Coordinator Center for Civil Rights and Equal Access 1664 N. Virginia Street Reno, NV 89557 [phone] [e-mail] The University of Nevada, Reno, does not discriminate on the basis of sex in any education program or activity that it operates. Non‑discrimination on the basis of sex is mandated by Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972 (20 U.S.C. §§ 1681 et seq.) and the corresponding implementation regulations (34 C.F.R. Part 106). The University’s commitment to nondiscrimination in its education programs and activities extends to applicants for admission and employment. Inquiries concerning the application of these provisions may be referred to: Zeva Edmondson, Director, Title IX Coordinator, Center for Civil Rights and Equal Access, University of Nevada, Reno, 1664 N.Virginia Street, Continuing Education Building, Room 206, m/s158, Reno, Nevada89557-0158, Telephone: (775) 784‑1547; Email: [e-mail]; to The Assistant Secretary of the United States Department of Education, U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C.20202‑1100; Telephone: [phone] FAX: [phone]; TDD: 1-800-877-8339; Email: [e-mail]; or to both. Information pertaining to the University’s grievance procedures and grievance process, including how to report or file a complaint of sex discrimination, how to report or file a formal complaint of sexual harassment, and how the University will respond can be found here. If you need any accommodations to complete an application, please contact Human Resources at [e-mail]. Si necesita alguna acomodación para completar una solicitud, comuníquese con Recursos Humanos en [e-mail].

Information regarding security, personal safety, fire safety, and crime statistics can be found at UNR's website. NSHE Employees are required to participate in a mandatory retirement plan in lieu of Social Security. As a result, employment at NSHE may impact your Social Security benefits. Additional information is available at SSA 1945. Job postings are specific to the Nevada System of Higher Education.