Research Scientist III

Job Description

We have an exciting hybrid opportunity for a Research Scientist III at UL Research Institutes, based in our Columbia, MD office.

The Research Scientist III analyzes spatial and statistical data, implements test and validation protocols, and contributes to written reports that support the research of the Fire Safety Research Institute (FSRI) and fire risk and resilience science. The Research Scientist III works closely with other FSRI leaders and researchers in contributing to applied mathematical models, visualizing spatial analytic outputs and products, and other information dissemination associated with fire risk, fire protection, mitigation, safety, and emergency response.

UL Research Institutes:

At UL Research Institutes (ULRI), we expand the boundaries of safety science to create a more secure and sustainable world. For more than a century, we have studied the unintended consequences of innovation, designed solutions to mitigate risk and shared our findings with academia, scientists, manufacturers, and policymakers across industries. We identify critical safety and sustainability issues, asking the tough questions because we believe a safer world begins with knowledge.

Build a safer, more secure, and sustainable future with us. Join us and work with our Fire Safety who conduct the research required to produce that knowledge and put into practice.

Fire Safety Research Institute (FSRI)

UL’s Fire Safety Research Institute (FSRI) advances fire safety knowledge to address the world’s unresolved fire safety risks and emerging dangers. As part of UL Research Institutes, we are committed to sharing our fire safety insights with everyone to advance UL’s public safety mission of providing safe living and working environments for people everywhere. Through advanced fire science, rigorous research, extensive outreach, and education in collaboration with our international network of partners, we share with stakeholders the information, tools, and resources that enable them to make better, more fire-safe decisions that ultimately save lives and property. To learn more, visit FSRI.org.

What you’ll learn and achieve:

As the Research Scientist III, you will play a key role in the rapid growth of UL as you:

• Utilizes data science tools, resources, and software programs to further the mission and vision of ULRI in support of the fire service and greater public.

• Supports fundamental knowledge needed to enhance ULRI’s thought leadership and support the strategy of ULRI.

• Applies knowledge of and experience with spatial and temporal large-scale data, risk analysis methods, development of visualization outputs and other systems/resources to assist with various research projects and safety initiatives. Works with data sets related to historical events, natural landscape features, fire service capacity, temporal weather conditions, and population demographics, often using spatial statistical methods and tools.

• Supports the processing and visualization of mathematical and statistical models that analyze and predict current and future fire risk, including hazard frequency, intensity, temporal factors, socio-economic factors, and spatial extent.

• Works in collaboration with the software development team, informing and testing risk quantification methods and models at a national scale with resulting high performance.

• Provides input into technical projects, using information from experience and education to positively impact the fire service.

• Stays informed of evolving technologies and emerging data science and sources, in the field by reading journals and scientific publications, and attending academic conferences.

• Supports the planning, design, and implementation of procedures as needed to test and validate results.

• Works with partner organizations, students, and teams.

• Supports presentation of data science products and findings in various venues, as necessary.

• Perform other duties as directed.

What you’ll experience working at UL Research Institutes: We have pursued our mission of working for a safer, more secure, and sustainable world for nearly 130 years, embedding conscientious stewardship into everything we do.

• People: Our people make us special. You’ll work with a diverse team of experts respected for their independence and transparency and build a network, because our approach is collaborative. We collaborate across disciplines, organizations, and geographies to build the global scientific response that today’s global challenges require.

• Interesting work: Every day is different for us here. We see what’s on the horizon and use our expertise to build the foundations of a safer future. You’ll have the opportunity to push the boundaries of human understanding as part of a team working to advance the public good.

• Grow and achieve: We learn, work, and grow together through targeted development, reward, and recognition programs.

• Values. Four core values guide our work: collaboration, respect, integrity, and beneficence. By living our values, we inspire the trust essential to fulfilling our mission and foster the partnerships that enable us to pursue a beneficent future in which we all can thrive.

• Total Rewards: All employees at UL Research Institutes are eligible for bonus compensation. We offer comprehensive medical, dental, vision, and life insurance plans and a generous 401k matching structure of up to 5% of eligible pay. Moreover, we invest an additional 4% into your retirement saving fund after your first year of continuous employment. Depending on your role, you may be able to discuss flexible working arrangements with your manager. We also provide employees with paid time off, including vacation, holiday, sick, and volunteer days.

What makes you a great fit:

While no one candidate will embody every quality, the successful candidate will bring many of the following professional competencies and personal attributes:

• Demonstrated knowledge of and experience in developing, processing, and testing spatial and temporal data science methods for risk and resilience analysis, quantification, and associated geospatial products.

• Demonstrated experience working with national-scale spatial data sets (e.g., parcel data, historical incident data, population demographic data, and remote sensing-derived data) at different spatial resolutions for integration in data science pipelines and product development.

• Demonstrated skills and proficiencies in programming languages such as Python and R for data manipulation, statistical analysis, and model development. Demonstrated skills and proficiencies with the use of GitHub for version control, managing, and collaborative data science project portfolios.

• Demonstrated experience with GIS database structures and management, as well as analysis libraries such as Pandas, GIS visualization libraries (e.g., ArcGIS and QGIS) for production of geospatial analysis products. Additional experience includes using ArcGIS Pro and ArcGIS Online tools (e.g., Survey123, Field Maps, Experience Builder, Dashboards) for data collection, geospatial visualizations, and rapid prototyping.

• Familiarity with Amazon Web Services and cloud-based infrastructure for data storage, management, and basic computation is preferred.

• Demonstrated ability to apply professional knowledge, experience, and other educational opportunities to support and improve fire safety and risk analysis.

• Demonstrated ability to develop science-based academic and applied knowledge and skills.

• Effective communication skills required.

• Ability to collaborate with peers and work directly with Research Scientists and other team members to complete a project from start to finish.

• Ability to contribute to writing research reports and papers.

Professional education and experience requirements for the role include:

• Bachelor’s degree in applied mathematics, statistics, data science, fire science, public health, fire protection engineering, mechanical engineering, geographic information systems, public policy, public administration, or a related field plus 8 or more years of directly related work experience, or

• Master’s degree in applied mathematics, statistics, data science, fire science, public health, fire protection engineering, mechanical engineering, geographic information systems, public policy, public administration, or a related field plus 4 or more years of directly related work experience, or

• Ph.D. plus 4 or more years of directly related work experience.

About UL Research Institutes and UL Standards & Engagement

UL Research Institutes and UL Standards & Engagement are nonprofit organizations dedicated to advancing safety science research through the discovery and application of scientific knowledge. We conduct rigorous independent research and analyze safety data, convene experts worldwide to address risks, share knowledge through safety education and public outreach initiatives, and develop standards to guide safe commercialization of evolving technologies. We foster communities of safety, from grassroots initiatives for neighborhoods to summits of world leaders. Our organization employs collaborative and scientific approaches with partners and stakeholders to drive innovation and progress toward improving safety, security, and sustainability, ultimately enhancing societal well-being.

To learn more, visit our websites UL.org and ULSE.org.

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