Sustainability Design Researcher for Built Environments

LPA, Inc.; San Diego (CA); On-site; USD 70,000 - 85,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Mentorship from leaders

Professional development grants

LPA+U courses

Volunteer time

Community projects funding

Competitive salaries and benefits

Job summary

LPA, Inc. invites a Design Researcher to join the Sustainability + Applied Research team in San Diego. You will translate social science and design research into actionable guidance for interdisciplinary design teams addressing built environment challenges.

The role emphasizes exploring people, behavior, and environments, with opportunities to publish findings and influence project outcomes while supporting post-occupancy evaluations and stakeholder engagement.

Qualifications

• MS or PhD in environmental psychology, applied research, design research, social science, data science, or related field.
• Experience with mixed-methods research and online research tools.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills and ability to summarize complex data.

Responsibilities

• Conduct literature reviews to gather and synthesize multidisciplinary research for projects.
• Develop briefs, visuals, and resources translating findings into practical design implications.
• Identify recurring patterns across projects to inform research directions.
• Support pre-design research and stakeholder engagement including surveys and interviews.
• Analyze qualitative and quantitative data to identify meaningful insights.
• Contribute to post-occupancy evaluations and reporting.

Skills

Microsoft Project

Excel

Written communication

Verbal presentation

Mixed-methods research

Online research tools

Literature reviews

Descriptive statistics

Data visualization

Equity & ethics awareness

Entrepreneurial energy

Proactive attitude

Education

MS or PhD in environmental psychology, applied research, design research, social science, data science, or related field

Tools

GIS

Power BI

Adobe Creative Suite

Job description

LPA, Inc. invites a Design Researcher to join the Sustainability + Applied Research team in San Diego. You will translate social science and design research into actionable guidance for interdisciplinary design teams addressing built environment challenges.

The role emphasizes exploring people, behavior, and environments, with opportunities to publish findings and influence project outcomes while supporting post-occupancy evaluations and stakeholder engagement.