Job Type: Full-time, on-site
Location: Ecological Restoration Institute - Northern Arizona University - Flagstaff, AZ
Pay: $58,882+/year
Application Deadline: March 16, 2026
Description:
This position is an on-site position which requires the incumbent to complete their work primarily at an NAU site, campus, or facility with or without accommodation. Opportunities for remote work are rare.
This position is subject to the availability of funding. The incumbent is not eligible for Service Professional non-renewal notice, or Classified Staff layoff or recall status.
This position is posted as Tribal Forest Stewardship and Restoration Program Research Coordinator which is a working title. The NAU system title for this position is Research Coordinator, Senior.
Driving a vehicle on behalf of the university is anticipated to be a regular part of this position. Arizona Administrative Code Fleet Safety Policy requires all employees who drive on university business become authorized by submitting Driver’s license information for driving record monitoring, and completion of training appropriate to the level of driving performed. The law applies to all faculty, staff, and students who drive personal or university-owned motorized vehicles for any business purpose. More information on the NAU Authorized Driver Policy can be found on the NAU website.
The Ecological Restoration Institute (ERI) at Northern Arizona University serves diverse audiences with objective science and implementation strategies that support ecological restoration and climate adaptation on Western forest landscapes. The ERI is nationally recognized as a leader in primary and secondary ecological and social science, scholarship, information exchange, collaborative efforts, and policy analysis supporting forest restoration and fire use. The ERI is one of three congressionally designated institutes, the Southwest Ecological Restoration Institutes (SWERI) located in Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico, focused on bridging science and management to restore western fire-adapted forests.
The ERI has a Tribal Forest Stewardship and Restoration Program that focuses on building relationships with Tribes to support forest restoration and fire use on Tribal and ancestral lands throughout the Southwest. The ERI Tribal Forest Stewardship and Restoration Program Research Coordinator will implement interdisciplinary and applied science research, outreach, and coordination with partners for the ERI Human Dimensions and Partnerships unit, although they will also work across all ERI units as needed. This senior research coordinator will be responsible for working closely with the Human Dimensions Program Manager (direct supervisor) and the Director of the Tribal Forest Stewardship and Restoration Program to maintain and develop relationships with Tribes and multiple, diverse partners in the SWERI footprint, primarily focusing on Arizona. This position is grant funded and is subject to the availability of funds. The ERI has been funded continuously since 1999.
Working closely with Tribal partners, the research coordinator will determine Tribal research and information needs aligning with ERI’s mission of fire management and forest restoration; collaboratively work with partners to develop research projects related to these needs; complete research projects using a variety of social science, political science, and/or biophysical methods; synthesize and publish results in a variety of accessible formats; ensure that information is readily available and communicated well to Tribal and other partners based on their needs. The research coordinator will work closely with Tribal partners to support increasing capacities for engagement. A key component of this position is not only research but also building relationships and connections to meet Tribal and restoration goals.
The research coordinator is passionate about working closely with Tribal nations and other restoration partners, advancing science-based forest restoration, using a variety of research methods, and assisting ERI professional staff in communicating new knowledge to interested and affected audiences. These research, partnership, and communication activities serve the goal of accelerating the pace and scale of forest restoration to improve forest health and reduce the risk of catastrophic fire to Tribes, communities, and rural economies.
Responsibilities:
Research (50%)
Design, develop, perform, and guide research, analysis, application, and communication of research. Scientific methods include, but are not limited to, primary and secondary social science research methods, policy analysis, forestry methods, or other bodies of knowledge aligned with the ERI’s mission and this position’s focus on Tribes.
Lead or collaborate in the development of publications (white papers, working papers, fact sheets, reports, etc.) as relevant to communicate science findings to Tribes, affected entities, and partners.
Lead or collaborate in the development and publishing of peer-reviewed manuscripts as relevant to the research community and to advance scientific knowledge.
Topical areas of focus include, but are not limited to: Tribal collaboration, co-management, or co-stewardship with federal agencies, agreements between Tribes and federal agencies, firewood banks, Indigenous ecological knowledge, cultural and prescribed burning, collaborative natural resource management, co-production of science, and decision support. - (Essential)
Collaboration and Partnerships (30%)
Establish and maintain productive relationships and partnerships with affected entities engaged with the ERI, primarily focusing on Tribes and their restoration partners in the Southwest and particularly in Arizona, as partner needs shape ERI’s annual workplan development.
Coordinate on Tribal partnership development with the other Southwest Ecological Restoration Institutes (SWERIs).
Work with partners in convening, facilitating, gathering information, and dissemination of findings from the ERI’s work as related to Tribes.
Organize and facilitate workshops, conferences, and meetings to create convenings and information exchanges to meet Tribal, SWERI, and ERI goals.
Support cross-boundary initiatives with Tribal, federal, state, and local partners.
Assist ERI staff with collaboration and partnerships across all lands. - (Essential)
Communications (10%)
Assist in the planning, initiation, production, and delivery of communication products for ERI partners. These products include, but are not limited to, white papers, working papers, fact sheets, social media, web-based information, and presentations.
Lead or collaborate in the development and dissemination of other methods of communicating research to Tribes to meet their needs (i.e. story maps, workshops, presentations, etc.).
Assist other ERI staff in responding to scientific information requests from elected officials. - (Essential)
Program Management (5%)
Assist the ERI team with program management, deliverable tracking, and accomplishment reporting to ensure compliance and completion of required annual deliverables. - (Essential)
Other (5%)
Attend coordination meetings among SWERI and ERI staff.
Other duties as assigned
Minimum Qualifications:
Master’s degree in forestry, Indigenous studies, geography, natural resources, environmental studies, sociology, environmental policy, planning, or management or closely related fields.
4 years of relevant experience.
*A combination of related education, experience, and training may be used as an equivalent to the above Minimum Qualifications.
Preferred Qualifications:
Evidence of experience leading or collaborating on research initiatives related to Tribes, natural resources, environmental stewardship or management contexts with individuals from a diversity of backgrounds, experience, and knowledge. This includes the development of relationships, proposals, research questions, methods, analysis, and writing.
Understanding of U.S. Tribal, forest, and wildfire policy, governance, and management.
Experience leading or contributing to complex projects involving multiple components and partners.
Evidence of professional oral and written communication skills, including peer reviewed publications and gray literature.
Interest and facility working across biophysical and social science disciplines.
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
Demonstrated understanding of primary and secondary research techniques such as interviews, surveys, focus groups, policy analyses, economic analyses, forestry analyses, or systematic reviews.
Demonstrated knowledge of forest restoration, fire, and related topics.
Ability to understand and adapt communication for different audiences.
Working knowledge of programs such as Microsoft Word, Excel, ArcMap, Qualtrics, Atlas.TI (or similar social science coding software), or SPSS (or similar statistical software).
Demonstrated experience taking initiative to solve problems and managing large projects to meet deadlines.
Demonstrated experience establishing contacts and building relationships across diverse partners.
