Substance Use Senior Researcher

• Social and community context
• Drug policy and reform
• Education
• Community and societal level prevention solutions that promote equity
• Access to quality healthcare
• Applying a socioecological framework and a social determinants of health (SDOH) lens to addiction-related work including improving outcomes at the intersection of addiction and:
  • Housing
  • Education
  • Access to quality healthcare
  • Social and community context
  • Employment and economic mobility
• Employment and economic mobility
• Meaningful participation of people with lived experience in research.
• Systems change and community-based participatory research
• Housing
• Social epidemiology of substance use disorder (SUD) and chronic disease

Candidates hired for the position may work remotely within the United States (U.S.) or from one of our U.S. office locations.

• Collaborate within and outside AIR, including with program providers, subject matter experts, as well as federal, state, and local agency officials
• Maintain high-quality research standards that meet client requirements
• Follow sound project management practices to ensure timely completion of all deliverables within budget
• Based on client needs, design and facilitate processes and materials which translate research and best practices for work sessions, professional development and/or training for clients
• Communicate regularly with clients and internal team members to gather feedback, sustain project momentum, and respond to day-to-day needs
• Manage, with attention to detail, fast-paced projects of moderate to high complexity, including effective budget management, quality control, anticipating needs, and staff management
• Manage client expectations on a project or strategic level
• Support new business development efforts, including proposal writing, and position work to capitalize on future business opportunities
• Cultivate and manage client relationships, including management and balancing of internal and external priorities and goals
• Work directly with AIR CARES, providing project leadership for major contract and grant research projects by shaping the vision for the work and supporting project teams in developing and executing the work
• Create and disseminate communication strategies on SDOH, public health, prevention, and health promotion
• Monitor, coordinate, and provide work direction to assigned project staff and/or subcontractors, including review of their work to ensure accuracy, completeness, and adherence to quality standards, policies, and procedures

Education, Knowledge, and Experience:

• PhD in Public Health, Social Sciences (Sociology, Medical Sociology, Psychology, Anthropology, Child/Youth/Human Development, Public Policy, etc.), or related field with a minimum of 3 years of relevant experience
• Experience designing analyses with policy-level implications in the public sector is a plus but not required
• Exposure to systems science or social network analyses
• Firm understanding of implementation science
• Interest in community empowerment and elevating the voices of people with lived (living) experience
• Experience managing project and/or task teams on projects
• Experience with business development (e.g., proposal writing)
• Knowledge and experience in topics related to SDOH, harm reduction, prevention, and/or public policy
• Experience with data collection or evaluation in community-based settings
• Experience building and maintaining client and partner relationships
• Experience with mixed-methods research

Skills:

• Proven ability to take big ideas and develop work plans and timelines
• Excellent interpersonal skills to ensure effective communication with individuals at all levels and from diverse backgrounds
• Proven ability to produce concise, high-level summaries and briefings accessible to broad audiences
• Strong attention to detail and commitment to accuracy when writing
• Value diversity, equity, and inclusion, and commitment to a strengths-based perspective as well as addressing the impacts of both personal and systemic biases in research

Disclosures:

Applicants must be currently authorized to work in the U.S. on a full-time basis. Employment-based visa sponsorship (including H-1B sponsorship) is not available for this position. Depending on project work, qualified candidates may need to meet certain residency requirements.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without discrimination on the basis of age, race, color, religion, sex, gender, gender identity/expression, sexual orientation, national origin, protected veteran status, or disability.

AIR adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

AIR’s Total Rewards Program, is designed to reward our staff competitively and motivate them to achieve our critical mission. This position offers an anticipated annual salary of $118,000 - $140,000. Salary offers are made based on internal equity within the institution and external equity with competitive markets. Please note this is the annual salary range for candidates that are based in the United States.