AIR seeks a Senior Researcher for the Human and Community Development program to
advance evidence and practice related to suicide prevention in the military, law
enforcement, and community with an understanding on broad safety and justice
systems. This position will focus on prevention science with emphasis on
preventing violence and other forms of harmful behaviors. The Senior Researcher
will lead and/or manage complex research and evaluation efforts; collaborate
with internal and external partners, including federal, state, and local
agencies; and contribute to strategic visioning that strengthens suicide
prevention and safety outcomes, and provide mentorship and guidance to teams.
This position will also provide oversight on data collection, management,
analysis, and visualization for contract and grant research and evaluation
projects. The ideal candidate is committed to building out our prevention
portfolio, particularly in suicide prevention, and taking a strengths-based
perspective. We are especially interested in candidates that have direct
experience with suicide prevention, preferably in the military, law enforcement,
and justice system context, and who have strong project and people management
skills.
Related projects aim to use prevention science to focus around one or more
areas, including but not limited to:
Content areas:
- Suicide prevention
- Public health approach to primary prevention of violence, such as
- community violence
- youth violence
- intimate partner and sexual violence
- child maltreatment and adverse childhood experiences (ACEs)
- Military communities, readiness, and resilience
- Systems change, including organizational and culture change in
community-serving systems and in the military
- Public health workforce competencies and career pipelines
- Data visualization and dissemination
Candidates hired for the position may work remotely within the United States
(U.S.) or from one of our U.S. office locations
[ This does not include U.S.
territories.
About AIR:
Founded in 1946 and headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, the American
Institutes for Research (AIR) is a nonpartisan, not-for-profit organization that
conducts behavioral and social science research and delivers technical
assistance to address some of the most pressing challenges in the United States
and globally. We generate evidence and apply data-driven solutions that expand
opportunities and improve lives for all.
Responsibilities:
The responsibilities for the position include:
Project & Portfolio Leadership
* Manage large, complex research projects or a portfolio of smaller studies,
ensuring alignment with client expectations and organizational priorities.
* Oversee project planning, design, and implementation, including development
of methods, procedures, timelines, and reporting structures.
* Anticipate project risks and develop mitigation strategies to ensure timely,
high‑quality deliverables.
* Ensure compliance with ethical standards, IRB requirements, and data
governance policies.
Methodological & Technical Expertise
* Serve as a methodological authority, advising teams on advanced quantitative,
qualitative, and mixed‑methods approaches.
* Develop conceptual frameworks and innovative research methodologies that
advance understanding of prevention and evaluation topics.
* Lead the review, analysis, synthesis, and visualization of data using
appropriate practices and techniques.
* Ensure data integrity, reproducibility, and strong documentation across all
analytic workflows.
Strategic & Organizational Contribution
* Contribute to organizational strategy by identifying emerging research needs,
funding trends, and opportunities for innovation in public health and
prevention science.
* Represent the organization in national working groups, advisory panels, and
technical expert meetings.
* Lead internal capacity‑building efforts through trainings, workshops, and
knowledge‑sharing initiatives.
Client, Partner & Stakeholder Engagement
* Communicate effectively—both orally and in writing—with clients, partners,
funders, and other key stakeholders.
* Translate complex research findings into actionable insights tailored to
policymakers, practitioners, and community partners.
* Manage client and stakeholder relationships with professionalism and
awareness of the broader policy and practice landscape.
* Curate external relationships by engaging thought leaders, innovators, and
implementation partners across the public health arena.
Dissemination & Field Leadership
* Serve as a subject‑matter expert and disseminate findings through
peer‑reviewed publications, technical reports, policy briefs, and
presentations at conferences and seminars.
* Strengthen the organization’s visibility and influence within the public
health and prevention research communities.
Proposal Development & Business Growth
* Lead and contribute to research proposals for federal, state, foundation, and
other client opportunities.
* Develop competitive proposal strategies, including conceptual design,
methodological plans, staffing, and budgets.
* Identify new business opportunities and cultivate partnerships that advance
the organization’s mission.
Team Leadership & Mentorship
* Manage and mentor staff to build prevention expertise, strengthen technical
capacity, and support professional growth.
* Provide thought partnership and coaching to mid‑level researchers on research
design, analysis, and dissemination.
* Model inclusive leadership practices and foster a collaborative team
environment.
Qualifications:
Education, Knowledge, and Experience
* PhD in related subject area (e.g., Sociology, Psychology, Anthropology,
Public Policy, or related field) with 3+ years of relevant experience or
Master’s degree with 7+ years of relevant experience.
- Firm understanding of implementation science.
- Ability to take big ideas and develop work plans and timelines.
- Experience at contract research and/or evaluation organization(s).
- Experience with data collection methodologies (including but not limited to
structured interviews, observations, survey research) and analysis activities
(including but not limited to experience with quantitative and/or qualitative
analytic software packages such as STATA, R, Excel,
NVivo
, and Access).
* Experience managing project and/or task teams on research and evaluation
projects.
- Experience building and maintaining client and partner relationships.
- Experience with business pursuit (e.g., grant and proposal writing).
Skills
* Strong organizational and interpersonal skills including strong communication
skills with the ability to produce concise, high-level summaries and
briefings.
- Strong negotiator and communicator, with excellent client management skills.
- Strong presentation, professional development delivery, and facilitation
skills.
- Strong attention to detail and commitment to accuracy when writing.
- Can collaborate effectively in a virtual work environment.
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.
American Institutes for Research is an equal employment opportunity/affirmative
action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for
employment without discrimination on the basis of any characteristic protected
by applicable federal, state or local law, including, but not limited to, actual
or perceived race (including traits historically associated with race, such as
hair texture, hair type, and protective hairstyles such as braid, locks, and
twists), creed, color, religion, alienage or national origin, ancestry,
citizenship status, age, physical or mental disability, medical condition (e.g.,
cancer), sex, gender, gender identity or expression (including transgender
status), sexual orientation, marital status, civil union status, pregnancy,
childbirth or related medical conditions, genetic information, or military or
veteran status. AIR adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All
selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles
and will therefore undergo reference and background checks. AIR maintains a
drug-free work environment.
ACCESSIBILITY NOTICE: If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the
employment process due to a physical or mental disability, please send an email
to Taliba Boone at
View email address on click.appcast.io [
View email address on click.appcast.io] or call
View phone number on click.appcast.io.
Fraudulent Job Scams Warning & Disclaimer: AIR is aware of individuals falsely
presenting themselves as AIR representatives. Fraudulent job scams seek to
extract sensitive information or money from victims. To protect yourself, please
be aware that AIR recruitment will only email you from an “@air.org” domain.
Please take extra caution while examining the email address, for example
View email address on click.appcast.io is correct and
View email address on click.appcast.io is not a legitimate AIR email
address. If you are unsure of the legitimacy of a communication you have
received, please reach out to
View email address on click.appcast.io. If you see a job scam, or
lose money to one, report it to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) at
ReportFraud.ftc.gov. You can also report it to your state attorney general. Find
out more about how to avoid scams atftc.gov/scams.
#LI-AS1 #LI-REMOTE
AIR’s Total Rewards Program, [ is
designed to reward our staff competitively and motivate them to achieve our
critical mission. This position offers the anticipated annual salary as listed.
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.
Anticipated Annual Salary Range
$126,000—$154,000 USD
