Research Scientist

Position Details

Position Information

Announcement Number STAFF - VA - 27066

For questions regarding this position, please contact:

Dr. Kari Finley

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Classification Title Research Scientist and/or Research Engineers

Working Title Research Scientist

Brief Position Overview

The Center for Health and Safety Culture is seeking a Research Scientist to contribute to Center research, technology transfer and support services by making contributions to the definition, measurement, and transformation of culture, evaluation services, training, and/or training resources.

We are a highly collaborative team of researchers and scientists from diverse fields who, together, share in their passion for improving health and safety and strengthening communities. Every day we come to work eager to solve complex problems and make the world a better place.

This position will support the team across multiple projects addressing health and safety. This position offers an exciting opportunity for an individual with a passion for growing safe and healthy behaviors within communities.

Position Number 4C0107

Department Center for Health & Safety Culture

Division Office of Research and Economic Development

Appointment Type Professional

Contract Term Fiscal Year

Semester

If other, specify From date

If other, specify End date

FLSA Exempt

Union Affiliation Exempt from Collective Bargaining

FTE 0.5 - 1.0

Benefits Eligible Eligible

Salary Salary starting at $65,000 annually, commensurate with experience, education, and qualifications

Contract Type LOA

If other, please specify

Recruitment Type Open

Position Details

General Statement

The Center for Health and Safety Culture ( CHSC ) is an interdisciplinary center serving communities and organizations through research, training, and support services to cultivate healthy and safe cultures. We are a highly motivated and collaborative center that is passionate about serving communities to improve their quality of life. We recognize that every community has its own strengths that should be honored and celebrated. Our research goal is to help communities recognize, grow, and align these strengths with their community goals. We also provide training and guidance to increase the capacity of communities to achieve these goals.

The Center is dedicated to applying research to develop sustainable solutions to complex social problems. This new member will join an interdisciplinary team of researchers who are dedicated to each other and the mission to serve organizations and communities in the public health areas of traffic safety, interpersonal violence, substance misuse, and child wellbeing. The success of this position will be measured in terms of the diversity and sustainability of their resulting research portfolio that will significantly contribute to the Center’s work.

Program:

Our research focuses on understanding how culture impacts behavior – especially behavior associated with health and safety. Our work is grounded in a behavioral model based on the social environment and the influence of culture defined as the belief system shared within an identified group. This broadly operating model to measure, analyze, and transform culture is called “Positive Culture Framework” ( PCF ). This framework is grounded in validated psychological models of human social behaviors related to health and safety. We address a variety of issues working with tribal, federal, state, and community agencies as well as private non-profit and for-profit organizations and companies. Current research projects include promoting child and family wellbeing, growing traffic safety culture, and preventing and addressing substance misuse and stigma.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Develop content for substance misuse prevention and implementation strategies.

• Develop resources and tools to grow parenting skills, including helping parents to implement resources through direct coaching support.

• Translate knowledge of child development and developmentally appropriate practice, school readiness, and family engagement strategies to support resource and tool development.

• Work directly with school staff to support youth social and emotional skill development.

• Support community stakeholders to promote and grow supportive mental, emotional, and behavioral health practices.

• Develop resources and tools to support the Safe System Approach in traffic safety (e.g., focusing on trauma-informed practices for post-crash care, focusing on social and emotional skill development and emotion regulation for drivers, bystanders, and other stakeholders).

• Support the Center’s research funding proposals, projects, conferences and presentations, publications, and other research-based materials, and students.

• Share knowledge and expertise within the context of the Center’s research.

• Collaborate on webinars, training, and guide services.

• Lead the Center’s promotion.

• Contribute knowledge and expertise to assist, engage, and empower individuals, communities, and/or organizations.

• Participate in project meetings and communication activities that help grow and promote the Center.

• Other related tasks as assigned.

Required Qualifications – Experience, Education, Knowledge & Skills

• Master’s degree in a related health and safety field (or Bachelor’s degree and 10 years of relevant experience).

• Extensive content knowledge of child development and developmentally appropriate practice, school readiness, and family engagement.

• Extensive content knowledge of parenting best practices and social and emotional skill development.

• Extensive knowledge of behavior change strategies.

• Experience working directly with youth, parents, and schools.

• Experience in group facilitation and direct one-on-one coaching.

• Experience developing evidence-based resources, including toolkits or guidance documents that include an action-oriented compilation of information, resources, or tools that guide users to accomplish specific tasks and/or organize efforts.

• Knowledge of substance misuse prevention strategies and an understanding of health and safety within a traffic safety context.

• Exceptional written and oral communication skills for both academic and community audiences.

Preferred Qualifications – Experience, Education, Knowledge & Skills

• Master’s in Education, Master’s in Counseling, or Master’s in Social Work.

• Licensed Professional Counselor or Licensed Clinical Social Worker.

• 1-3 years of working in a school setting.

• 3-5 years of working directly in communities with youth and parents.

• 1-3 years of working with traffic safety professionals.

• Excellent public speaking skills with experience delivering training and/or research presentations.

The Successful Candidate Will

• Effective interpersonal, communication, and teamwork skills, including the ability to provide training and online webinars.

• Committed to mental, emotional, and behavioral health in diverse communities.

• Ability to work directly with youth, parents, and schools.

• Application of behavioral health best practices to new problems and issues to affect change.

• Ability to participate in community-based research.

• Be able to work independently and in a remote working environment.

Position Special Requirements/Additional Information

Continuation of employment is contingent upon availability of funding.

This job description should not be construed as an exhaustive statement of duties, responsibilities or requirements, but a general description of the job. Nothing contained herein restricts Montana State University’s rights to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities to this job at any time.

Physical Demands

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily with or without reasonable accommodations. The requirements listed above are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.

This position has supervisory duties? No

Posting Detail Information

Number of Vacancies 1

Desired Start Date Upon completion of a successful search

Position End Date (if temporary)

Open Date

Close Date

Applications will be:

Screening of applications will begin on September 8, 2026; however, applications will continue to be accepted until an adequate applicant pool has been established.

Special Instructions

This position is not eligible for sponsorship.

EEO Statement

Montana State University is an equal opportunity employer. MSU does not discriminate against any applicant on the basis of race, color, religion, creed, political ideas, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, marital status, national origin, physical or mental disability, or any other protected class status in violation of any applicable law.

In compliance with the Montana Veteran’s Employment Preference Act, MSU provides preference in employment to veterans, disabled veterans, and certain eligible relatives of veterans. To claim veteran’s preference, please complete the veteran’s preference information located in the Demographics section of your profile.