Postdoctoral Research Associate, School of Architecture

Housing durability and climate resilience are colliding with an urgent national housing shortage, and the regulations, policies, and financing structures shaping today's construction are largely untested against these long-term risks. The University of Virginia’s (UVA) Department of Architecture, in collaboration with colleagues from UVA Law, Engineering, along with colleagues from UC Berkeley’s Terner Center for Housing Innovation and colleagues in public health, is seeking a Postdoctoral Research Associate to support a project at the intersection of these challenges through the interdisciplinary “Building Efficient, Durable, Resilient, Optimizable Communities and Knowledge” Project.

This mixed methods, practitioner and stakeholder-engaged research role will examine the characteristics defining  climate-resilient affordable housing supply and what reforms are likely to increase it where it is needed most.  This position will work in close collaboration with a second postdoctoral researcher who currently is leading the projects' climate/portfolio data analysis and qualitative data gathering.

Postdoctoral employment is temporary and is normally limited to an individual who has been awarded a Ph.D. or equivalent doctorate within the previous five years and who will be involved in full-time research or scholarship at the University. Employment as a Postdoctoral Research Associate is viewed as training and is preparatory for a full-time academic or research career, is supervised by a senior scholar, and allows the appointee to publish the results of his/her research or scholarship during the training period

This is a 12-month appointment with the possibility of renewal contingent upon satisfactory performance and the availability of funding.

Responsibilities

The successful Postdoctoral Research Associate will translate mixed methods findings that are actionable for developers, planners, and state policymakers - for example, the how financing timelines, tax incentives, and code requirements like single-stair egress rules shape building durability and cost. They will also explore the context of localized demand and existing supply, supplementing existing analysis as needed to consider climate effects, and then explore the effects of regulation on the full cycle of building - from siting to construction - in specific Virginia localities with robust data and mixed methods.

Minimum Qualifications

Applicants must have received or will receive their doctoral degree by the beginning of their appointment; we prefer candidates who have received their degree within five years prior to the start of the appointment. 

Training and expertise in one of the various policy and disciplinary domains (housing policy, architectural design experience, using either quantitative or mixed methods or environmental policy, using mixed methods to examine climate change and its effects).   

Applicants seeking to be considered for the Postdoctoral Research Associate role for this project will be evaluated on three main criteria:   

the strength of their research.    their ability to collaborate across disciplines; and    commitment to equitable, evidence-based housing and climate policy.  

Preferred Qualifications

• Comfort or experience with planning or facilitating stakeholder workshops, interviews, or community engagement preferred.  
• Demonstrable skills in relevant statistical analysis (regression analysis) and familiarity with statistical software packages (e.g., Stata) and/or relevant coding language (e.g., Python or R) to analyze data, and visualize data analysis.   
• Preference will be given to a candidate with experience designing spatial analysis methodologies using raster math, density mapping, interpolation, remote sensing, multi-criteria evaluation, spatial statistics, network analyses, participatory GIS, and geographically weighted regression.   
• Background in housing policy or land use/regulatory policy preferred.  
• Demonstrated project management experience including tracking deliverables, budgets, and timelines.

Physical Demands

This is primarily a sedentary job involving extensive use of desktop computers. The job does occasionally require traveling some distance to attend meetings, and programs.

Starting Salary: $65,000 - 70,000 annually.

This is an Exempt-level, benefitted position. For more information on the benefits available to postdoctoral associates at UVA, visit postdoc.virginia.edu and hr.virginia.edu/benefits.

This position is based in Charlottesville, VA, and must be performed fully on-site. The University of Virginia is rated as one of the top three public universities in the nation and in the top 30 among all universities, public and private. Charlottesville is frequently cited as one of the best cities in which to live and work. The University of Virginia is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer.To learn more about UVA and in the Charlottesville area, visit UVA Life and Embark CVA.

This position will remain open until filled.  

Background checks will be conducted on all new hires prior to employment.

How to Apply

Please apply online, by searching for requisition number R0087170. Complete an application with the following documents:  

• Resume 
• Cover Letter 
• Contact information for three (3) references (name, email, telephone) 

Upload all materials into the resume submission field. You can submit multiple documents into this one field or combine them into one PDF. Applications without all required documents will not receive full consideration.

Internal applicants may search and apply for jobs on the UVA Internal Careers website.

Reference checks will be completed by UVA’s third-party partner, SkillSurvey, during the final phase of the interview. Five references will be requested, with at least three responses required. 

For questions about the position, please contact Laura Buckley (jkf3tt@virginia.edu) and Jeana Ripple (Ripple@virginia.edu).   

For questions about the position, please contact Karon Harrington (fak3ph@virginia.edu).

The University of Virginia is an equal opportunity employer. All interested persons are encouraged to apply, including veterans and individuals with disabilities. Learn more about UVA’s commitment to non-discrimination and equal opportunity employment.